ity and
was in ignorance of what had taken place during the morning.

"That accounts for it," he said, "we are all ordered to be under arms at
eight o'clock this evening."

"But you will not go?" his wife exclaimed anxiously.

"But I must go, my dear. I have no desire to be shot, and I think there
is much more fear of my being shot, if I don't answer to the call of my
name than there will be if I do. In the first place, we may not go out
beyond the wall, in the second place, if there is I may see a chance of
running away, for mind you, though I hope I should have fought as
bravely as others if the Germans had come, I do not feel myself called
upon to fight against Frenchmen and in a cause I hate."

"You will find yourself in good company anyhow, Monsieur Michaud,"
Cuthbert laughed. "We have seen nineteen hundred and fifty men out of
two thousand march off without firing a shot to-day."

"So much the better, monsieur, four out of five of the National Guards
hate it all as much as I do. Will you dine with us to-day, monsieur, and
then we can go down together afterwards."

Cuthbert accepted the invitation willingly. "Yes, you can come down with
us, Mary," he went on, in answer to a look of appeal from her. "I will
bring her back safely, Madame Michaud, the sight will be well worth
seeing. Before I go I will have a look round and see if I can get a bed
for the night, it is a long way out from my lodgings and I should like
to be out here by daylight, for if they mean to march on Versailles they
are sure to start as soon as it is light."

"We have a spare room," Madame Michaud said, "and it is quite at your
disposal. It will be doing us a kindness if you will accept it, for when
my husband is away I always feel nervous without a man in the house, and
as it is but ten minutes' walk from here to the Arc de Triomphe, you
will be on the spot, and indeed from the roof of this house you can
obtain a view all over the country."

A great change had taken place in the appearance of Paris when they went
down in the evening, the town was in a state of the wildest excitement,
everywhere drums were beating and trumpets sounding, everywhere National
Guards mustering. The streets were crowded, the most violent language
uttered by the lower classes, and threats of all kinds poured out
against the 'butchers of Versailles.' On the walls were red placards
issued by the Commune and headed "Men of Paris. The butchers of
Versailles are sl