h
them out of the Cirque. The hour was carefully chosen as the one when
there were the least possible people in the streets; the evening crowds
would have gone home and the early market crowd would hardly have
arrived. A heavy guard was thrown around the people as they came out of
the building and they were marched quickly and quietly down back streets
to the Gare du Nord. I never saw such a body of people handled so
quickly and yet without confusion. In the station four trains were drawn
up side by side; as the stream of people began pouring into the station,
it was directed to the first platform and the train was filled in a few
minutes. At just the right moment the stream was deflected to the next
platform, and so on until all four trains were filled. After starting
the crowd into the station and seeing that there was going to be no
trouble, I set off with an officer of the Garde Civique to see about
other parties coming from some of the convents. They had not waited for
us, but were already moving, so that when we got back to the station
they tacked onto the end of the first party and kept the stream flowing.

As fast as the trains were filled, the signal was given and they pulled
out silently. I stood behind some of the Garde Civique and watched the
crowd pour in. The Gardes did not know who I was aside from the fact
that my presence seemed to be countenanced by their officers, and so I
overheard what they had to say. They were a decent lot and kept saying:
_Mais c'est malheureux tout de meme! Regardez donc ces pauvres gens. Ce
n'est pas de leur faute_, and a lot more of that sort of thing.

It takes a pretty fine spirit to be able to treat the enemy that way.
A lot of people in the passing crowd spotted me and stopped to say
good-bye or called out as they went by. It was pathetic to see how
grateful they were for the least kind word. I never saw such a pitiful
crowd in my life and hope I never may again. They hurried along, looking
furtively to right and left with the look of a rat that is in fear of
his life. I have seldom pitied people more, for that sort of fear must
be the most frightful there is--simple fear of physical violence.

It was remarkable to see the different classes of people who were there.
The Manager of a bank of Brussels had abandoned everything he owned and
joined the crowd. There were several financiers of standing who felt
obliged to flee with their families. And there were lots of servants