lympique, where he remembered to
have seen in the ticket-office a former employee in his office at the
ministry of Finance,--a man named Fleury; to whom he proposed the post
of manager. Fleury, being an old soldier, a good shot, and a skilful
fencer, would certainly make himself an object of respect in a newspaper
office. The working-staff of the paper being thus reconstituted, with
the exception of a few co-editors or reporters to be added later, but
whom la Peyrade, thanks to the facility of his pen, was able for the
present to do without, the first number of the new paper was launched
upon the world.

Thuillier now recommenced the explorations about Paris which we saw him
make on the publication of his pamphlet. Entering all reading-rooms and
cafes, he asked for the "Echo de la Bievre," and when informed,
alas, very frequently, that the paper was unknown in this or that
establishment, "It is incredible!" he would exclaim, "that a house which
respects itself does not take such a widely known paper."

On that, he departed disdainfully, not observing that in many places,
where this ancient trick of commercial travellers was well understood,
they were laughing behind his back.

The evening of the day when the inauguration number containing the
"profession of faith" appeared, Brigitte's salon, although the day was
not Sunday, was filled with visitors. Reconciled to la Peyrade, whom her
brother had brought home to dinner, the old maid went so far as to tell
him that, without flattery, she thought his leading article was a famous
HIT. For that matter, all the guests as they arrived, reported that the
public seemed enchanted with the first number of the new journal.

The public! everybody knows what that is. To every man who launches
a bit of writing into the world, the public consists of five or six
intimates who cannot, without offending the author, avoid knowing
something more or less of his lucubrations.

"As for me!" cried Colleville, "I can truthfully declare that it is the
first political article I ever read that didn't send me to sleep."

"It is certain," said Phellion, "that the leading article seems to me to
be stamped with vigor joined to an atticism which we may seek in vain in
the columns of the other public prints."

"Yes," said Dutocq, "the matter is very well presented; and besides,
there's a turn of phrase, a clever diction, that doesn't belong to
everybody. However, we must wait and see how it keeps