into the carriage quickly; montez-donc, toute suite, almost pushing her, in their alarm, into the waitingroom.1 Ah, that magical name 'Queen Victoria !' but why then did she not use her power to save us ! 'Ah, how it angers me to think of England's want of sympathy for us,' I said to my sister.

'You forget, Aurée, that the great Lord Mayor of London has at this moment sent several millions of francs from his city to succour our afflicted people.'

I felt ashamed; but then I was never like Cerise, whose thoughts dwelt on all that is good in others, and not on their shortcomings.

HE poor Henri Brunel had to return with us-his old passport was quite useless.

'His health is injured by long watch

ings in severe cold and hunger.' So had urged Clémence, in her character of 'Sister of France.' 'The more need for your care of him, Mademoi

selle,' said the guard, bowing politely.

The Farrands were permitted to pass out; but our young soldier 'could not be spared,' they said; 'he must return.'

I

In descending the steps we met another old acquaintance; it was our bonne, Julie, who was asking alms. She looked little better than a skeleton. don't think that Clémence and Henri saw her, for they talked anxiously together, and she turned from them angrily.

'What, Julie ! is this you?' exclaimed Cerise. 'I am sorry to see you so miserable!'

The woman looked ashamed, and fierce at the same time; but she smiled and thanked us with a courtesy when we put a few sous together from our pockets, and gave them to her. We were too much afraid of losing our companions in the crowd to delay in asking her questions. Then we all hurried home, for shells fell now so thickly that our parents were always uneasy when we remained long absent. And indeed after this day we were not permitted to go far from our own street; for one day father had some business which took him into the neighbourhood of the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, and he did not come in to dinner, nor yet had he returned at suppertime. Now indeed our hearts began to fail, for many were daily killed in our streets; and also even elderly men were carried off to fight on the ramparts against the troops from Versailles-thus compelled to fire on their countrymen. At last he arrived, exhausted and covered with mud.

'No great marvel,' he said. 'I have had to crawl nearly all the time, to avoid being shot. There was a continual cry of "Ventre à terre!" and I saw so many killed beside me that I had nearly given up in despair.'

Oh, these were truly dreadful days! We had thought the afflictions almost greater than we could

bear which had been brought on us by foreign foes; how light they now appeared in comparison with the deadly hatred and murder going on by the one hand of those who everywhere engraved with the other hand the words- Liberté! Fraternité! Egalité!' Eh, what a mockery!

About this time there occurred an explosion of a powder-mine near the Champ de Mars, which seemed to shake all Paris to its foundations.

'It is the earthquake spoken of in the Revelation of St. John!' said Cerise, much flushed.

'Or the end of the world!' I cried, covering my eyes, and almost wishing my words to be true.

The noise was now becoming fearful-day and night one ceaseless cannonade or fusilade from one quarter or another; our heads never ceased aching. Food was no longer scarce, our house was well supplied, but no one had any appetite. All our comfort now was truly to be found in the promises of our heavenly Father, given to us for the sake of our beloved Saviour; and in knowing that although we dared not venture so far, there were still continual meetings in several of the Evangelical churches, held to pray for God's mercy to our city, and His care over His people. We also knew that many Christians in England were joining heartily in these petitionsfor our ladies of the Kiosque had told us this; and as

we were quite sure that God would keep His own promise to answer His people who cry to Him in their trouble, our minds were calmed and our courage sustained. Oh, how different it would have been with us now if we had continued in ignorance of the precious Book of God!

Even grand'mère now engaged us to read our New Testament to her; for she was astonished at the effect its words had on us, and the Sour Célestine being now quite shut into a hiding-place in her convent, there was no one to make her afraid of listening to it.

Ah! if Paris had not been so ignorant of this Word of God, what might she not have been spared?

Clémence now went out every evening to an ambulance near us; she was more needed than ever, for the wounded were past numbering now. But she returned each morning to see after her father and Henri, also her canary-birds, and to take a few hours of needful rest. None knew now where Henri was but ourselves. Many young men were hid away by their relatives to prevent their being compelled to fight for the Commune; and we had hid him in the cellar which the Bretons had occupied during the siege. He helped his father at his work during the day, and after dark he walked for exercise in our enclosed court. Thus he avoided imbruing his hands in the blood of his brethren.