I was watching the crowd on the Boulevards this afternoon.

It was dispirited because it had for twenty-four hours set its heart upon peace, and was disappointed like a child who cannot get the toy it wants; but I will venture to say, not one person in his heart of hearts really imagined that perhaps within a week he might be blown up by a bomb.

They either will not or cannot believe that anything will happen which they do not desire.

Facts of this kind must be palpably brought home to them before they will even imagine that they are possible.
The army has been re-organized by that arch organizer Trochu.

According to this new plan, the whole armed force is divided into three armies.
The first comprises the National Guards; the second, under General Ducrot, is what may be called the active army; it consists of three corps, commanded respectively by Generals Vinoy, d'Exea, and Renault.
The third comprises all the troops in the forts, in the cottages adjacent to the forts, which have to be occupied for their defence, and the fourth commanded by Trochu.