Through association of ideas, the women assaulted by the soldiery, made him think of Chichi and the dear Dona Luisa.

The mansions in flames called to his mind the rare and costly furnishings accumulated in his expensive dwellings--the armorial bearings of his social elevation.

The old folk that were shot, the women foully mutilated, the children with their hands cut off, all the horrors of a war of terror, aroused the violence of his character.
And such things could happen with impunity in this day and generation!.

.

.
In order to convince himself that punishment was near, that vengeance was overtaking the guilty ones, he felt the necessity of mingling daily with the people crowding around the Gare de l'Est.
Although the greater part of the troops were operating on the frontiers, that was not diminishing the activity in Paris.