everything was prepared for the evacuation of the troops, which was
effected by eleven, on the third of March. During the short period of
their stay, the city was in veritable mourning; the public edifices
(even the Bourse) were closed, as were the shops, the warehouses, and
the greater part of the cafés. At the windows hung black flags, or the
tricolour covered with black crape, and veils of the same material
concealed the faces of the statues[3] on the Place de la Concorde.

All these demonstrations had, however, a pacific character, and the
presence of the enemy in Paris gave rise to no serious incident.

Nevertheless, the agitation of the public mind was not allayed; some
attributed this to a plot the Socialists had formed, and which had
arrived at maturity. Others believed that the Prussians had left
emissaries, creators of disorder, behind them, in revenge for their
reception on the Place de la Concorde. In truth, their entry was
anything but triumphal; their national airs were received with hisses;
their officers were hooted as they promenaded in the Tuileries, and
those who attempted to visit the Louvre were compelled to retreat
without having satisfied their curiosity. On the evening of the 3rd of
March, a note emanating from the Ministry of the Interior, pointed out
in the following terms the danger to be feared from the Central
Committee:--

"Incidents of the most regrettable nature have occurred during the
last few days, and menace seriously the peace of the capital.
Certain National Guards in arms, following the orders, not of their
legitimate chiefs, but of an anonymous Central Committee, which
could not give them any instructions without committing a crime
severely punishable by the law, took possession of a considerable