mself shut up in Mazas as a political prisoner. After some time
spent in confinement, he obtained his liberty, and published at Nantes,
a pamphlet under the title of "Money: by a literary man become a
journalist;" and the pamphlet, having gained him some slight popularity,
he was engaged, later, on the _Figaro_, to write the reports of the
Bourse, and in the meantime he eked out his slender salary by working as
a clerk at the Hotel de Ville. When Ernest Feydeau brought out the
_Epoque_, in 1864, Jules Valles published a few articles in its columns,
and a little later became a writer on the _Evenement_, with the
magnificent salary of eighteen thousand francs a year. A month
afterwards, he was without occupation again, but he soon re-appeared
with a new journal of his own, _La Rue, La Sue_, in its turn, however,
only lived during a few numbers, and Jules Valles now took up cafe
politics, and practised table oratory at the _Estaminet de Madrid_,
where he fostered and expounded the projects which he has since brought
to so fearful a result.

In 1869, he became one of the most inveterate speakers at election
meetings, and presented himself as a candidate for the Corps Legislatif.
He was not elected, but the profession of opinions that he then made was
certain to obtain him a seat in the Communal Assembly. One of the last
articles in the _Cri du People_ of Jules Valles announced the fatal
resolution of defending Paris by all possible means. An article
finishing with this prophetic sentence, "M. Thiers, if he is chemist
enough will understand us."]

XCI.

It is imprudent to go out; the night was almost peaceable, the morning
is hideous. The roar of musketry is intense and without interruption. I
suppose there must be fighting going on in the Rue du Faubourg
Montmartre. I start back, the noise is so fearful. In the Cour Trevise
not a person to be seen, the houses are closely shut and barred. On a
second floor I hear a great moving of furniture, and hear quite
distinctly the sound of sobbing, of female sobbing. I hear that the
second floor of the house is inhabited by a member of the Commune and
his family. I am about to go up and see if I can be of any help to the
women in case of danger, when I see a man precipitately enter the Court.
He wears a uniform of lieutenant; I recognise him, it is the porter. He
stops, looks around him, and seeing that he is alone, takes his rifle in
both hands and throws it with all his s