re forty or fifty soldiers, who had come over during the fight. They
were disarmed and then escorted into the town, where, as Cuthbert
afterwards learned, they were received with enthusiasm by the mob.

"It is evident that there is no idea of any attempt being made to
recapture the bridge at present, Mary; I don't know how you feel but I
am getting desperately hungry, so I think we may as well be going back.
I should like to see what is going on in the city. Will you come with
me? I have no doubt we shall be able to get a voiture up at the arch,
and we can have lunch there."

Mary was as anxious to see what is going on as he was, and in a quarter
of an hour they alighted in the Rue Rivoli. As yet the population had
heard but vague reports that fighting was going on, and matters were
comparatively quiet, for so many rumors had pervaded the town during the
last few days, that they were not generally believed. Accordingly, after
lunch, Cuthbert took Mary home in a fiacre.

"I have been quite alarmed about you, my dear, where have you been?"
Madame Michaud said as they entered.

"We have been seeing the fighting, madame, and the Reds have been
beaten."

"I have heard all sorts of stories about it, but most of them say that
the Versailles people got the worst of it."

"Then the stories were not true," Mary said, "most of the National Guard
wouldn't fight at all, and the regiments all broke away and went into
Paris without firing a shot, the troops have taken the bridge of
Neuilly."

"The good God be thanked," Madame Michaud said piously, "my husband was
afraid the troops would not fight, and that we were going to have
terrible times; but there is a hope now, that the Commune will be put
down."

"Every hope, madame," Cuthbert said. "I was sure this scum of Paris
would not fight if the troops would do so. They have too much regard for
their worthless skins. It may be some time before McMahon can get a
force together sufficient to take Paris, but sooner or later he will do
so, though it will be a serious business with the forts all in the hands
of the Communists. If they had but handed over one or two of the forts
to the gendarmes, or kept a company or two of sailors there, there would
have been a line by which the troops could have approached the town, as
it is they will have to bring up siege-guns and silence Issy and Vanves
before much can be done."

An hour later Monsieur Michaud arrived; he too had been in the c