Several persons could be plainly distinguished standing on this balcony, the mayor, Commander Sicardot, three or four municipal councillors, and other functionaries.
The doors below were closed.

The three thousand Republicans, who covered both open spaces, halted with upraised heads, ready to force the doors with a single push.
The arrival of the insurrectionary column at such an hour took the authorities by surprise.

Before repairing to the mayor's, Commander Sicardot had taken time to don his uniform.

He then had to run and rouse the mayor.

When the keeper of the Porte de Rome, who had been left free by the insurgents, came to announce that the villains were already in the town, the commander had so far only managed to assemble a score of the national guards.