f the students did succeed in getting out. Pierre and two others
made their way down through the drains, came out on the river at night,
and swam across. One of the youngest went out by train dressed as a
woman, but the rest were forced to don the uniform and take their places
in the ranks of the National Guard. The question of leaving Paris was
frequently discussed by Cuthbert and Mary Brander, but they finally
determined to stay. It was morally certain that the troops would enter
Paris either at the Port Maillot or at the gate of Pont du Jour; or at
any rate, somewhere on that side of Paris. Once inside the walls they
would meet with no resistance there--the fighting would only commence
when they entered the city itself. Passy was to a large extent inhabited
by well-to-do people, and it was not here that the search for Communists
would begin. The troops would here be greeted as benefactors.

"I do not think there is the smallest risk, Mary; if there were, I
should say at once that we had better be off, and I would escort you
down to Cornwall, but as there seems to me no danger whatever, I should
say let us stick to our original plan. I own I should like to see the
end of it all. You might amuse yourself at present by making a
good-sized Union Jack, which you can hang out of your window when the
troops enter. When I see the time approaching, I intend to make an
arrangement with the Michauds to establish myself here, so as to
undertake the task of explaining, if necessary, but I don't think any
explanation will be asked. It is likely enough that as soon as the
troops enter they will establish themselves in this quarter before
making any further advance; they will know that they have hard fighting
before them, and until they have overcome all opposition, will have
plenty to think about, and will have no time to spare in making
domiciliary visits."

CHAPTER XXIII.

Arnold Dampierre had moved from his lodgings in the Quartier Latin at
the outbreak of the insurrection, and had taken up his abode in one of
the streets leading up to Montmartre. There he was in close connection
with many of the leaders of the Commune, his speeches and his regular
attendance at their meetings, his connection with Dufaure, who was the
president of one of the revolutionary committees, and with his daughter,
and the fact that he was an American, had rendered him one of the most
conspicuous characters in the Quarter. He would have been na