the horrors of the Terror
might be repeated.

The line of railway to Paris was still open, for upon the Communists
preparing to cut off all communications, the Germans, still in great
force near the town, pending the carrying out of the terms of the treaty
of peace, threatened to enter Paris were such a step taken. A vast
emigration had taken place among the middle classes, and over fifty
thousand persons had left Paris. So far the Communists had abstained
from excesses, and from outrage upon peaceable citizens; had it been
otherwise, Cuthbert would have returned to fetch Mary away at once. Her
letters to him, however, had assured him that there was no cause
whatever for uneasiness about her, and that everything was going on
precisely as it had done, during the siege by the Germans. He had been
anxious that she should, if possible, remain for the present in Paris,
for he did not wish her to return to her family, and had made up his
mind that if it became absolutely necessary for her to leave Paris she
should arrange to go straight down to Newquay and stay there with her
friends.

As he alighted from the carriage at the Northern Railway Station he
found the place occupied by National Guards. There was no semblance of
discipline among them; they smoked, lounged about, scowled at the few
passengers who arrived, or slept upon the benches, wrapt in their
blankets. There were none of the usual hotel omnibuses outside and but
one or two fiacres; hailing one of these he was driven to his lodgings.
He was greeted by the concierge with surprise and pleasure.

"So monsieur has come back. We did not expect you, though Monsieur
Caillard, who comes here every day, told us that you would be sure to be
back again in spite of the Reds. Ah, monsieur, what horror to think that
after all Paris has gone through, these monsters should have become
masters of the city! It would have been a thousand times better to have
had the Prussians here, they would have kept order, and those wild
beasts of Montmartre would not have dared even to have murmured. You
have heard how they shot down peaceful citizens in the Rue de la Paix?
Have you come to stay, monsieur?"

"For a time, anyhow;" and taking the key of his rooms Cuthbert carried
up his pormanteau, and then at once came down and drove to Madame
Michaud's.

Mary was half expecting him, for in his last letter to her he had told
her he hoped to arrive in Paris that evening.

"I have been horr