a royalist, whose coachman, also a
reactionary, occupied a garret-room on the sixth floor, facing the
street. Monsieur Patissot supposed that by paying (every conscience can
be bought) he could obtain the use of the room for the day. He proposed
five francs to this citizen of the whip for the use of his room from noon
till midnight. The offer was immediately accepted.

Then he began to busy himself with the decorations. Three flags, four
lanterns, was that enough to give to this box an artistic
appearance--to express all the noble feelings of his soul? No;
assuredly not! But, notwithstanding diligent search and nightly
meditation, Monsieur Patissot could think of nothing else. He consulted
his neighbors, who were surprised at the question; he questioned his
colleagues--every one had bought lanterns and flags, some adding,
for the occasion, red, white and blue bunting.

Then he began to rack his brains for some original idea. He frequented
the cafes, questioning the patrons; they lacked imagination. Then one
morning he went out on top of an omnibus. A respectable-looking gentleman
was smoking a cigar beside him, a little farther away a laborer was
smoking his pipe upside down, near the driver two rough fellows were
joking, and clerks of every description were going to business for three
cents.

Before the stores stacks of flags were resplendent under the rising sun.
Patissot turned to his neighbor.

"It is going to be a fine celebration," he said. The gentleman looked at
him sideways and answered in a haughty manner:

"That makes no difference to me!"

"You are not going to take part in it?" asked the surprised clerk. The
other shook his head disdainfully and declared:

"They make me tired with their celebrations! Whose celebration is it? The
government's? I do not recognize this government, monsieur!"

But Patissot, as government employee, took on his superior manner, and
answered in a stern voice:

"Monsieur, the Republic is the government."

His neighbor was not in the least disturbed, and, pushing his hands down
in his pockets, he exclaimed:

"Well, and what then? It makes no difference to me. Whether it's for the
Republic or something else, I don't care! What I want, monsieur, is to
know my government. I saw Charles X. and adhered to him, monsieur; I saw
Louis-Philippe and adhered to him, monsieur; I saw Napoleon and adhered
to him; but I have never seen the Republic."

Patissot, still serious, answer