we shall see. You don't suppose
that if things do not turn out well, as we hope they will do, I should
let her carry out this whim of hers, and go off with the American, and
leave me to shift for myself. Not such a fool. At present I say nothing.
It is always better to hold your tongue as long as you can. I make him
welcome when he comes to our house; we go together to the meetings, and
sometimes he speaks, and speaks well, though he does not go far enough
for us. Well, no one can say what may happen--he may be shot by the
Germans, or he may be shot at the barricades, who knows. At any rate it
is best to hold my peace. If I leave things alone, Minette is as likely
as not to change her mind again, but if I were to say anything against
him--first, we should have a scene; secondly, she would be more than
ever determined on this whim. You must be patient, Jean, and all will
come well in the end."

"I am not so sure of that," Jean said, sullenly. "I was as patient as I
could be, but no good came of it; then, as you know, I tried to get rid
of him, but failed, and had to move away, but one thing is certain, if I
don't marry her he never shall. However, I can wait."

"That is all right, Jean; wait till our little affairs come off and the
bourgeois are under our feet. There will be good posts for true citizens
then, and I will see that you have one, and it will be time to talk
about marriages when everything is going on well. When we once get the
Germans out of the way, we shall see what we shall see, Sapristie! we
will make short work of the capitalists, and as for the troops, they
will have had enough fighting and will be ready enough to march off and
leave us alone."

At the time they were talking, the couple they were speaking of were
standing leaning on the parapet of the wall by the river. They met there
every evening when there was no assembly of importance to attend.

"I wish it was all over, Minette," he said, "and that we could leave
the city and be off. It would be a different life for you, dear, but I
hope a pleasanter one. There would be no cold weather like this, but you
can sit all the year round in the veranda without needing wraps. There
will be servants to wait on you, and carriages, and everything you can
wish for, and when you are disposed there will be society; and as all of
our friends speak French, you will soon be quite at home with them. And,
what one thinks of a good deal at present, there will be f