A Girl of the Commune

or of a house in Quartier Latin. The occupant of the room below, Arnold Dampierre, was with him. He was a man three or four years Cuthbert's jun

e up your mind t

ork, and as you know am ambitious enough to intend to get a couple of pictures finished i

ugh you haven't as yet settled on the subjects. You know that you are Goudé's favorite pupil and that he predicts great things for you, and there is not one of us who does not

ss coloring slightly, "I hope to do much better work in the course of

epared for it than Napoleon was. Since then it has been just as exciting the other way-the stupor of astonishment, the disappointment and rage as news of each disaster came in; then that awful business at Sedan, the uprising of the scum here, the flight of the Empress, the proclamation of the Republic, and the idiotic idea that seized the Parisians that the Republic was a sort of fetish, and that the mere fact of its establishment would arrest the march of the Germans. Well, now we are going to have a siege, I suppose, and as I have never seen one, it will

do with the quarrel

w perfectly well that when they put up a German Prince as candidate for the throne of Spain it would bring on a war with France. Why, we ourselves were within an ace of going to war with France when Guizot brought about the Spanish marriage, although it was comparatively of slig

ture was withdra

with Bavaria and Baden, and threw it scornfully in her face; the second time over that Luxembourg affair. Does Germany think that a great nation, jealous of its honor and full of fiery elements, is going to stand being kicked as often as she chooses to kick her? You may say that France was wrong in going to war when she was really unprepared, and I grant she was unwi

e, and a moment later half a dozen young Fr

r horsemen have been seen from Valerian, and a

rt said. "A handful of horsemen are not likely to r

lf, France will come to her assistance, and the Germans will find that it is one thing to

e enemy he will be thrashed; and for the time being the question whether it is by a despot or by a Provisional Government that he is ruled does not matter to him one single jot. As to the Parisians, we shall see. I

it is always disci

tles where your feudal lords, with their brave but undisciplined followers, met our disciplined bow and billmen, look at the Jacquerie, the peasants were brave enough, and were animated by hate and despair, but they were scattered like chaff by mere handfuls of knights and men-at-arms. The Swiss have defended their mountains against the armies of despots, because

es when there's nothing to eat, we would set Paris on fire and hurl ourselves every man upon th

Parisians will make a gallant defence, and they have my heartiest good wishes and sympathy, and when all you men join the

René said he thought you would shoulder a musket with us, but we said Englishmen only fou

are right, than Englishmen. We find it hard enough to get recruits in time of peace, but in time of war we can get any number we want. The regiments chosen to go to the front are delighted, those who have to stay behind are furious. Glory has nothing to do with it. It is just the

are going to fight for us, and that is enough. You are a go

are a Republic now, like our own, and of

Vive l'Americain!"

ngton shrugged

to see how they are getting on with the work of d

ll of people, carts were rumbling along, some filled with provisions, others with the furniture and effects of the houses now being pulled

med to say they would do their best against the foes who were the cause of their being torn away from their homes and occupations. Staff officers galloped about at full speed; soldiers of the garrison or of Vinoy's Corps, who had come in a d

ster our names to-d

ted solely because he is popular in his quarter, or a demagogue who is chosen because he is a fluent speaker, and has made himself conspicuous by his abuse of Napoleon. This is not the time for tomfoolery; we want men who will keep a tight hand over us, and make us into fair soldiers. It may not be quite agreeable at first, but a corps that shows itself efficient is sure to be chose

and mortar stretching down to the Forts of Issy and Vanves. The trees had all been felled and for the most part cut up and carried into Paris for firewood. Most of the walls were levelled, and frequent crashes of masonry showed that these last vestiges of bright and happy homes would soon di

ple, who have no more to do with the war than the birds in the air, rendered homeless. A good many of the birds have been rendered homeless too, but fortunat

thinking of the birds when there are ten

thrown to them every day. It was one of the most painful sights I ever saw, and I know I felt pretty nearly as much cut up at it as I do now. I hate to see dumb animals suffer. There is a sort of uncomplaining misery about them that appeals to one, at any rate appeals to me, infinitely. These poor fellows are suffering too, you will say. Yes, but they have their consolation. They promise them

n, and I never know when you are

el suffocated to think that such a humiliation should fall on Paris. Surely all civilized Europe will rise and cry out again

s it is the fault of others, and not of themselves. Now, in point of fact, from all we hear, the Germans are conducting the war in a very much more humane and civilized way than the French would have done if they had been the invaders, and yet they treat their misfortunes as if high Heaven had never witnessed such calamiti

ugh," the other a

py them-while in Paris they will have to go through all the privations and hardships of a siege and perhaps of a bombardment; besides there are so many more hungry mouths to feed. In my opinion Trochu and the Provisional Government would have acted very much more wisely had they issued an order that no strangers, save those whose

ter, Hartington," Dampierre said, irritably. "My opinio

n find it well-nigh impossible to make a sortie. Except that army France has nothing she can really rely upon. It is all very well to talk of a general rising, but you can't create an army in the twinkling of an eye; and a host of half-disciplined peasants, however numerous, would have no chance against an

aith that pervaded France, that a Republic was invincible, and

e are all determined to join without delay. I heard last night from some men at Veillant's that they and a good many others have put their names down for a corps that

likes the men one has to work with to be a little of one's own class. Well, if the officers

ccasion, lazy one. Yo

pose we shan't have to

more till the time for action comes. Of course the troops and the mobiles will do the work at the forts and w

and not waste my time in parades and sentry duty. Well, we shall m

met on the following mo

nt crop of yellow hair falling on to his shoulders, "please to attend to busines

declared it to be nothing short of an insult, and had forthwith proceeded to publish the most violent strictures upon them. The result was that on the following year his pictures were not hung at all,

when he ceased exhibiting. He was an admirable teacher and his list of pupils was always full. He was an exacting master and would take none but students who showed marked a

lent passions when, as Leroux once observed, he looked like the yellow dwarf in a rage. Cuthbert had heard of him from Terrier, who said that Goudé had t

, and I do not care to teach foreigners. I never had but one here, and I do not want another. He was a Scotchman, and because I told him one day when he had pro

r to learn, and I am told you are the best master in Paris. When a man is a great master he must be permitted to have his pecul

s mollified, but

ught any canv

ast two things I did

but I warn you it will be useless. You English cannot paint, even the be

ned to the studio, which was

ork he was correcting with no small amount of grumbling and objurgation.

d studios at St. John's Wood, the room looked bare and desolate. There was no carpet and not a single chair or lounge of any description. Some fifteen young fellows were painting. All wore workmen's blouses. All had mustaches, and most of them had long hair. They appeared intent on their work, but smiles and winks were furtively excha

rely your own

either of them to my master

ng, and there was a look of joyous expectancy in her face. Underneath, on the margin of the canvas, was written in charcoal, "Hope." The other represented the same figure, darkly dressed, with a wan, hopel

man who desires to enter my studio. In the eight years I have been teaching I have had over two hundred canvases submitted to me, but not one like these. I need not say that I shall be glad

of surprise and admiration. It was not until M. Goudé sa

n size and subject and sketch it out in chalk. I should like to see how you work. Ah, you h

de inn in Normandy, pinned it on the easel above the canvas, and then began to work. M. Goudé did no

n before you had begun really to paint. You did not know how to use color, though the effect is surprisingly good, considering your want of method at the time. I will look through your port

seen him so gracious, but no wonder. Now we have no ceremony here. I

l sup with me this evening. I am a stranger and know nothing of Paris; at any rate nothing of your quarter, so I mu

xclaim frequently that he could not be an Englishman, and that his accent was but assumed. Arnold Dampierre had been admitted two months later. He had, the master said, distinct

ng matters down, explaining to the angry students that Dampierre was of hot southern blood and that his words must not be taken seriously. Americans, he said, especially in