, and seriously this time, she
declared, with a furniture-maker, who was a captain in the National
Guards. It was through him that she had become a vivandiere; and
she offered me a similar position, if I wished it. But I did not
wish it; and, as I was complaining that I could find no work, she
swore that she would get me some through her captain, who was a very
influential man.

"Through him, I did in fact obtain a few dozen jackets to make.
This work was very poorly paid; but the little I earned was that
much less to take from my humble resources. In that way I managed
to get through the siege without suffering too much.

"After the armistice, unfortunately, M. Van Klopen had not yet
returned. I was unable to procure any work; my resources were
exhausted; and I would have starved during the Commune, but for
my old friend, who several times brought me a little money, and
some provisions. Her captain was now a colonel, and was about to
become a member of the government; at least, so she assured me.
The entrance of the troops into Paris put an end to her dream.
One night she came to me livid with fright. She supposed herself
gravely compromised, and begged me to hide her. For four days
she remained with me. On the fifth, just as we were sitting down
to dinner, my room was invaded by a number of police-agents, who
showed us an order of arrest, and commanded us to follow them.

"My friend sank down upon a chair, stupid with fright. But I
retained my presence of mind, and persuaded one of the agents to
go and notify my friend the justice. He happened luckily to be at
home, and at once hastened to my assistance. He could do nothing,
however, for the moment; the agents having positive orders to take
us straight to Versailles.

"'Well,' said he, 'I shall accompany you.'

"From the very first steps he took the next morning, he discovered
that my position was indeed grave. But he also and very clearly
recognized a new device of the enemy to bring about my destruction.
The information filed against me stated that I had remained in the
service of the Commune to the last moment; that I had been seen
behind the barricades with a gun in my hand; and that I had formed
one of a band of vile incendiaries. This infamous scheme had
evidently been suggested by my relations with my friend from the
Batignolles, who was still more terribly compromised than she
thought, the poor girl; her colonel having been captured, and
c