ld it have been for M. Grevy had he
followed the example of his predecessor. The marshal would never
give the cross to a man whom he knew to be a free-thinker. His reply
to such applications always was: "If he is not a Christian, what
does he want with a cross?"

It is said that in 1877, when the marshal thought of resigning
rather than accepting such an advanced Republican as M. Jules Simon
as chief of his Cabinet, he sent for M. Grevy, and asked him
point-blank: "Do you want to become president of the Republic?" "I
am not in the least ambitious for that honor," replied M. Grevy.
"If I were sure you would be elected in my place, I would resign,"
continued the marshal; "but I do not know what would happen if I
were to go." "My strong advice to you is not to resign," said M.
Grevy; "only bring this crisis to an end by choosing your ministers
out of the Republican majority, and you will be pleased with yourself
afterwards for having done your duty."

"Well, you are an honest man, M. Grevy; I wish there were more
like you," said the marshal; and having shaken hands with M. Grevy,
he dismissed him, though without promising to follow his advice.
He reflected on it that night, however, and adopted it the next
morning. But when advised to take Gambetta for his minister, he
replied: "I do not expect my ministers to go to mass with me or to
shoot with me; but they must be men with whom I can have some common
ground of conversation, and I cannot talk with _ce monsieur-la_."
Indeed, Gambetta was often shy and awkward in social intercourse,
seldom giving the impression in private life of the powers of burning
eloquence with which he could in public move friend or foe. Nor
had M. Grevy been by any means always in accord with the fiery
Southerner. At Tours he objected to Gambetta's measures as wholly
unconstitutional. "You are one of those men," retorted Gambetta,
"who expect to make omelettes without breaking the eggs." "You
are not making omelettes, but a mess," retorted M. Grevy.

Both the marshal and his successor were sportsmen and gave
hunting-parties, those of the marshal being as much in royal style
as possible. M. Grevy preferred republican simplicity. When he was
allowed, as Speaker of the House, to live in Marie Antoinette's
apartments in the Chateau of Versailles, he might have been seen
any day sauntering about the streets with his hands in his pockets,
or smoking his cigar at the door of a _cafe_. He had a brougham,