's ticket to the person who has intrusted me with the
commission, and at the same time that person pays me for my
commission. Afterwards, I redeem pawned articles from the Mont de
Piete for all those persons who choose to honour me with their
commissions, provided that the person puts his signature on the back
of the paper which the Mont de Piete delivered to him on the day when
he pawned the aforesaid articles. I act as commissioner throughout all
the departments of France, and also (shrug) in foreign countries,
according to the price agreed on, and at a reasonable price; I travel
on the railways (shrug), in the diligence (shrug); I go as quick as I
can, and I come back as quick as I can; I rub down a horse--I can! I
feed him; wash the carriage; drive the carriage; arrange the cellar;
rinse out the bottles; bottle the wine; pile up the bottles after they
are corked and stamped; lower the hogsheads of wine into the cellar
with a thick rope, with the help of a comrade, and the price is two
francs for each hogshead. In my own country, I am a labourer, and do
everything relating to the cultivation of the ground. I root up the
trees; I saw them into several lengths; I split the wood; pile it up
to dry; then load it on mules, and carry it to the house to be burned;
afterwards I mow the hay and corn; carry the corn into the barn
(shrug), and the hay also; thrash the corn, and put it away into the
granary; from whence they take it out by little and little to have it
ground and to make bread. I prune the vines.' Here the commissionaire
gives an account of the whole process of wine-making, in which he is
an adept; and then goes on to explain how he is employed as a spy on
families and others, all in the way of business. He ends with saying
that trade is dull, and blames the revolution of 1848 for ruining his
employment--for why? 'Everybody is afraid of the future. Everybody is
economical; everybody is hiding, hoarding, or saving his money,
because he knows that affairs cannot continue as they are, that sooner
or later there will be another revolution.' Such a country! The
revolution thus anticipated has taken place. By relieving the
Parisians from the fears of a social upbreak--a universal sack of
property--for that was preying on their minds--the grand _coup_ of
Louis Napoleon will doubtless set money afloat, and restore occupation
to the humbler classes--the real sufferers by revolutions.

The curious thing about all the revol