attended by circumstances of blacker infamy.  And when he learned next day the occurrences at the Hotel de Ville—­how the insurgents had been for a brief time successful, how the members of the Government of National Defense had been made prisoners and held until four o’clock in the morning, how finally the fickle populace, swayed at one moment by detestation for the ministers and at the next terrified by the prospect of a successful revolution, had released them—­he was filled with regret at the miscarriage of the attempt, at the non-success of the Commune, which might have been their salvation, calling the people to arms, warning them of the country’s danger, arousing the cherished memories of a nation that wills it will not perish.  Thiers did not dare even to set his foot in Paris, where there was some attempt at illumination to celebrate the failure of the negotiations.

The month of November was to Maurice a period of feverish expectancy.  There were some conflicts of no great importance, in which he had no share.  His regiment was in cantonments at the time in the vicinity of Saint-Ouen, whence he made his escape as often as he could to satisfy his craving for news.  Paris, like him, was awaiting the issue of events in eager suspense.  The election of municipal officers seemed to have appeased political passion for the time being, but a circumstance that boded no good for the future was that those elected were rabid adherents of one or another party.  And what Paris was watching and praying for in that interval of repose was the grand sortie that was to bring them victory and deliverance.  As it had always been, so it was now; confidence reigned everywhere:  they would drive the Prussians from their position, would pulverize them, annihilate them.  Great preparations were being made in the peninsula of Gennevilliers, the point where there was most likelihood of the operation being attended with success.  Then one morning came the joyful tidings of the victory at Coulmiers; Orleans was recaptured, the army of the Loire was marching to the relief of Paris, was even then, so it was reported, in camp at Etampes.  The aspect of affairs was entirely changed:  all they had to do now was to go and effect a junction with it beyond the Marne.  There had been a general reorganization of the forces; three armies had been created, one composed of the battalions of National Guards and commanded by General Clement Thomas, another, comprising the 13th and 14th corps, to which were added a few reliable regiments, selected indiscriminately wherever they could be found, was to form the main column of attack under the lead of General Ducrot, while the third, intended to act as a reserve, was made up entirely of mobiles and turned over to General Vinoy.  And when Maurice laid him down to sleep in the wood of Vincennes on the night of the 28th of November, with his comrades of the 115th, he was without a doubt of their success.  The three corps of the second army were all there, and it was common