▁was ▁the ▁sw ell ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁half ▁columns ▁which ▁separate ▁the ▁sh ops ; ▁he ▁remained ▁in ▁this ▁del icate ▁situation ▁for ▁nearly ▁half ▁an ▁hour ." ▁At ▁one ▁point ▁he ▁apolog izes ▁for ▁intr ud ing — " The ▁author ▁of ▁this ▁book , ▁who ▁reg rets ▁the ▁necessity ▁of ▁mention ing ▁himself " — to ▁ask ▁the ▁reader ' s ▁understanding ▁when ▁he ▁describes ▁" the ▁Paris ▁of ▁his ▁youth   ... ▁as ▁though ▁it ▁still ▁existed ." ▁This ▁introdu ces ▁a ▁med itation ▁on ▁mem ories ▁of ▁past ▁places ▁that ▁his ▁contemporary ▁readers ▁would ▁recognize ▁as ▁a ▁self - port rait ▁written ▁from ▁ex ile : ▁" you ▁have ▁left ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁your ▁heart , ▁of ▁your ▁blood , ▁of ▁your ▁soul , ▁in ▁those ▁pav ements ." ▁He ▁describes ▁another ▁occasion ▁when ▁a ▁bullet ▁shot ▁" p ier ced ▁a ▁br ass ▁sh aving - d ish ▁susp ended   ... ▁over ▁a ▁ha ird ress er ' s ▁shop . ▁This ▁pier ced ▁sh aving - d ish ▁was ▁still ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁in ▁the ▁R ue ▁du ▁Con trat - So cial , ▁at ▁the ▁corner ▁of ▁the ▁pill ars ▁of ▁the ▁market ." ▁As ▁evidence ▁of ▁police ▁double ▁agents ▁at ▁the ▁bar ric ades , ▁he ▁writes : ▁" The ▁author ▁of ▁this ▁book ▁had ▁in ▁his ▁hands , ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁the ▁special ▁report ▁on ▁this ▁subject ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁Pref ect