ers went through the
balloon-post to England, and thence back to Versailles, where my
brothers were and the Kaiser whom in three wars I have served. For I am
Prussian in heart and by begetting, though born in Elsass.

So daily I waited on Trochu, as I had also waited on Jules Favre when he
dined, and all the while the mob shouted for the blood of spies without.
But I was Jules Lemaire from the Midi, a stupid provincial with the
rolling accent, come to Paris to earn money and see the life. Not for
nothing had I gone to school at Clermont-Ferrand.

But once I was nearly discovered and torn to pieces. The sweat breaks
cold even now to think upon it. It was a March morning very early, soon
after the light came stealing up the river from behind Notre-Dame. A
bitter wind was sweeping the bare, barked, hacked trees on the Champs
Elysees. It happened that I went every morning to the Halles to make the
market for the day--such as was to be had. And, of course, we at the
Hotel de Ville had our pick of the best before any other was permitted
to buy. So I went daily as Monsieur Jules Lemaire from the Hotel de
Ville. And please to take off your _kepis, canaille_ of the markets.

Suddenly I saw riding towards me a Prussian hussar of my old regiment.
He rode alone, but presently I spied two others behind him. The first
was that same sergeant Strauss who had knocked me about so grievously
when first I joined the colours. At that time I hated the sight of him,
but now it was the best I could do to keep down the German "Hoch!" which
rose to the top of my throat and stopped there all of a lump.

Listen! The _gamins_ and _vauriens_ of the quarters--louts and cruel
rabble--were running after him--yes, screaming all about him. There were
groups of National Guards looking for their regiments, or marauding to
pick up what they could lay their hands on, for it was a great time for
patriotism. But Strauss of the Blaue Husaren, he sat his horse stiff and
steady as at parade, and looked out under his eyebrows while the mob
howled and surged. Himmel! It made me proud. Ach, Gott! but the old
badger-grey Strauss sat steady, and rode his horse at a walk--easy, cool
as if he were going up Unter den Linden on Mayday under the eyes of the
pretty girls. Not that ever old Strauss cared as much for maids' eyes as
I would have done--ah me, in Siebenzig!

Then came two men behind him, looking quickly up the side-streets, with
carbines ready across their s