and as a German
shell is just as likely to fall on the roof of the house where I live as
on any other, I consider myself to be perfectly justified in doing my
best in self-defence."

"I trust that you will call whenever you are disposed in the evening,
monsieur," Madame Michaud said, cordially; "it will give my husband
pleasure to meet an English gentleman who is voluntarily going to fight
in the cause of France."

"Thank you, madame. I shall be very glad to do so. Mademoiselle's father
is a very old friend of our family, and I have known her ever since she
was a little child. It will be pleasant to me to make the acquaintance
of monsieur. And now, Miss Brander, I must be going."

CHAPTER VII.

As he sauntered back into the city, Cuthbert met an English resident
with whom he had some slight acquaintance.

"So you are not among the great army of deserters, Mr. Phipson?"

"No, I thought it better to stay here and see it out. If the Germans
come in I shall hang out the English flag and I have no doubt that it
will be all right. If I go away the chances are that I should find the
place sacked when I return."

"Then, of course, you will keep your place open."

"It will be closed to the public to-morrow--to the public, mind you. My
English customers and friends, if they come to the little door in the
Arcade, and give two knocks, and then three little ones with their
knuckles on the door, will find it open, and can be served as long as
there is any liquor left; but for the last three days I have been
clearing out nearly all my stock. The demand has been tremendous, and I
was glad enough to get rid of it, for even if the place isn't looted by
the mob all the liquors might be seized by the authorities and
confiscated for public use. I shall be glad when the doors are closed, I
can tell you, for these people are enough to make one sick. The way they
talk and brag sets my fingers itching, and I want to ask them to step
into the back room, take off their coats, those uniforms they are so
proud of, and stand up for a friendly round or two just to try what they
are made of.

"I reckon if a chap can't take one on the nose and come up smiling, he
would not be worth much when he has to stand up against the Prussians. I
thought I understood them pretty well after having been coachman here
for over twenty years, but I see now that I was wrong altogether. Of
course I knew they were beggars to talk, but I always thought