My mother's voice was now heard, calling to me that she was ready to accompany me to Church; that grand'mère would see to our cousin's refreshment, and after that father would be at liberty to come and demand the liberation of Cerise. M. Brunel was already gone to his advocate, to consult with him concerning the release of Clémence.

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CHAPTER XII.

THE STREETS OF PARIS.

HAVE often pictured in my memory the sweet, sad face of my mother, as I saw

it on that morning, when she raised it in earnest prayer, as she knelt before the crucifix in our little church; [and again, when she bowed at the Lady altar, vowing to present the beautiful cross of pure gold which lay upon her bosom-the only ornament she ever wore to that altar, if her child were returned to her in safety. What a gentle, soft mother it was! with her mild eyes, her calm brow, and her black hair neatly braided under her tight white cap, with its border and lappets of handsome lace. How respectable she looked, in her quiet grey lama dress and shawl, her white apron, and the dark gloves which Madame Crespigné had given her! Surely no one could refuse to

believe the words of such a woman when she assured them of her daughter's innocence, when she requested her release. How little I knew then of the evil world in which I had lived more than seventeen years!

My father and Emile met us at the church-door ; Henri and Désiré had returned to the Halle au Vin, and Blanchard had gone to do some business with the pheasant merchants of the city, who dealt with him; his wife was to carry on the trade in his absence. There were one or two decided changes in the appearance of the streets near home-one was the closing of a large café which we sometimes frequented.

Mamma and I were much chagrined at this, especially when we understood that its worthy owners had fled with multitudes of their countrymen, for they were Germans. Frau Kehler had often shown us much kindness; many an ice she had bestowed upon Cerise and me, when seeing us pass by on a hot summer's day she has called in to rest. Then also our chaussetier was gone, and what must we do for our boots, Cerise and I? for no one could fit us so neatly as Monsieur Schreiber. Besides this, when we came out into the more public thoroughfare we met crowds of men dressed like our cousins, in their blouses or ordinary garments, some of them very much worn and soiled, and their straw hats, with tricoloured cockades,

to denote that they also belonged to the GardeMobile, and were going out to fill up the empty ranks of the army of the Rhine. Many of them carried large sticks, some had little dogs trotting beside them, others had rifles over their shoulders; about one in three was sober, the wine shops were filled with these country-folk, and the noise of their shouts and republican songs deafened us. And these were our soldiers who were to save us from the German Vandals ; and these were to be my gentle Emile's comrades! Again the tears blinded my eyes, and I could not wonder at the grave looks and anxious countenances which we encountered in the citizens of Paris. At length we arrived at the Palais de Justice; we entered the gates, and mounted the great flight of steps leading to the doors. Here we were stopped and asked for our permission to enter. We had none; we were come to demand the release of an innocent girl, imprisoned on false pretences. The porters shrugged their shoulders, saying, 'That was no matter, we could not enter; and no prisoner could be released until he or she had been tried and acquitted.'

Conceive our dismay! We gazed at each other, at the porters, at the sentries.

'When are the prisoners to be tried?' asked my father.

'We don't know,' was the reply.

'How can I get an order of admission?'

'By applying to the Minister of the Interior,' replied the porter.

'I shall go to him at once for permission to see our child,' said my father, turning to mother.

'But that will not procure her liberty,' said mother sadly.

'Oh, you must apply to M. Palikas for that, or else to Madame the Empress,' said the porter; and I advise you to lose no time, for they make quick work in here, and all found guilty are shot sur le moment.'

'Then let us go at once to the Tuileries,' I said, in great alarm; for I trembled all over when I heard these words, and remembered that woman in black, who seemed so unaccountably bent on doing us an injury of some kind. 'Father, if you will seek M. Olivier or M. Palikas, mother and Emile will come with me to the Empress; as she is the Regent, of course she is all-powerful,' I urged.

'Very well, my daughter, you can but try,' he replied.

We had great hopes of my father's success, for he knew many great persons among the domestics of the various Ministers of State; and I felt perfect confidence in the goodness of our amiable Eugénie, in which Emile David encouraged me. On quitting the gates of the Palais de Justice, we encountered a crowd