ellent reasons given in
his letter to the president of the Commune, we shall only recollect that
rats run away when the vessel is about to sink. But this time the rats
must remain at the bottom of the hold. Tour colleagues, Monsieur Pyat,
will not permit you to be the only one to withdraw from the honours,
since you have been with them in the strife. Not daring to fly
themselves, they will make you stay. Vermorel will seize you by the
collar at the moment you are about to open the door and make your
escape; and Monsieur Pierre Denis,[68] who used to be a poet as well as
a cobbler, will murmur in your ear these verses of Victor Hugo[69],
which, with a few slight modifications, will suit your case exactly:--

"Maintenant il se dit: 'L'empire est chancelant;
La victoire est peu sure.'
Il cherche a s'en aller, furtif et reculant.
Reste dans la masure!"

"Tu dis: 'Le plafond croule; ils vont, si l'on me voit,
Empecher que je sorte.'
N'osant rester ni fuir, tu regardes le toit,
Tu regardes la porte.

"Tu mets timidement la main sur le verrou;
Reste en leurs rangs funebres!
Reste! La loi qu'ils ont enfouie en un trou
Est la dans les tenebres.

"Reste! Elle est la, le flanc perce de leurs couteaux,
Gisante, et sur sa biere
Ils ont mis une dalle. Un pan de ton manteau
Est pris sous cette pierre.

"Tu ne t'en iras pas! Quoi! quitter leur maison!
Et fuir leur destinee!
Quoi! tu voudrais trahir jusqu'a la trahison
Elle-meme indignee!

"Quoi! n'as-tu pas tenu l'echelle a ces fripons
En pleine connivence?
Le sac de ces voleurs ne fut-il pas, reponds,
Cousu par toi d'avance?

"Les mensonges, la haine au dard froid et visqueux,
Habitent ce repaire;
Tu t'en vas! De quel droit, etant plus renard qu'eux
Et plus qu'elle vipere?"

And Monsieur Felix Pyat will remain, in spite of the thousand and one
good reasons he would find to make a short tour in Belgium. His
colleagues will try persuasion, if necessary--"You are good, you are
great, you are pure; what would become of us without you?" and they will
hold on to him to the end, like cowards who in the midst of danger cling
to their companions, shrieking out, "We will die together!" and embrace
them convulsively to prevent their escape.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 68: A