thing was so quiet that we half
hoped the fighting in that part of Paris at any rate was over, and we
were in consequence greatly astonished to hear near us the furious
beating of the _rappel_, as regulars were all about. We thought for a
moment a hot conflict was at hand, but we had forgotten, not
unnaturally, considering how long it is since we had seen or heard of
them, the Party of Order. It was they who were rallying valiantly at the
Bourse round the new tricolour banner and a few gentlemen who wore
tricolour _brassards_ or pretty bunches of tricolour riband, and whose
general tidiness and freshness contrasted strikingly with the grimy,
business-like look of the real soldiers close by. These were streaming
into the Place des Victoires, close by, receiving cheers and
congratulations from the people about in the square or at the windows,
who seemed delighted to see them. The men were in capital spirits, and
told us they were carrying everything before them, that the Insurgents
fought often well enough so far as mere pluck went, but were everywhere
outmanoeuvred, and at nearly every barricade found themselves taken at
once in front, flank, and rear. This exactly tallied with what we had
already heard and seen. An officer told his men to keep a sharp look out
on the windows of the houses about, lest they should be surprised by a
fusillade. "No fear of that," said a _bourgeois_; "not a gun will be
fired at you in this Quarter." This looked peaceful enough, and we were
considerably astonished therefore as we went up a street a little
further on, the Rue d'Aboukir, I think, to find ourselves facing a
barricade about 150 yards off, manned, and with a flag floating over it
that looked very red. We stared hard and long, but the flag was
unmistakably red, and therefore, supposing any Regulars to advance, we
were directly between two fires. We accordingly turned into a side
street and waited patiently, as it seemed impossible that Regulars and
Reds so near each other should escape collision. The Regulars were sure
to come on; the only question was whether the Reds would run. As I
looked up another parallel street, the Rue de Clery, I think, I found
the question answered in an odd way. There, within thirty yards, were
two officers of Reds lounging leisurely about and stopping now and then
to talk to people at doors. I suppose they were told of the near
approach of the Regulars, for they turned back in the direction of their
barr