mble, as usual, a class of
noisy boys presided over by a master without authority. The
lunch-counter was deserted, and the deputies of the Centre themselves
were not absorbed in their personal correspondence.

The orator mounted the tribune. He had the commonplace figure of a
verbose orator: bold eye, protruding lips, as enlarged by the abuse of
words. He began by fingering his notes with an important air, tasting
the glass of sweetened water, and settling himself in his place; then he
started a babble of words without sense, with the nauseous facility of
the bar; misusing vague ideas, abstract terms, and words in _ly_ and
_ion_, stereotyped words, and ready-made phrases. A flattering murmur
greeted the end of his exordium; for the French people in general, and
the political world in particular, manifest a depraved taste for that
sort of eloquence. Encouraged, the fine speaker entered the heart of his
subject, and cynically sang his recantation. He abjured none of his
opinions, he repudiated none of his acts; he would always remain liberal
(a blow on his chest), but that which was good yesterday might be
dangerous to-day; truth on the other side of the Alps, error on this
side. The forbearance of the Government was abused. And he threatened
the assembly; became prophet; let loose the dogs of war. He even risked
a bit of poetry, flourished old metaphors, which were worn out in the
time of Cicero, and compared by turn, in the same phrase, his political
career to a pilot, a steed, and a torch. So much poetry could only
accentuate his success. There was a salvo of bravos, and the Opposition
grumbled, foreseeing their defeat. Violent interruptions broke forth:
furious voices recalled the orator's past life, and threw as insults his
former professions in his face. He was unmoved, and stood with a
disdainful air, which was very effective. Then the bravos redoubled, and
he smiled vaguely, thinking, no doubt, of the proof-sheets of the
_Officiel_, where he could by-and-by insert in the margin, without too
much exaggeration, "profound sensation" and "prolonged applause." Then,
when quiet was re-established, sure of his success, he affected a serene
majesty. He took up again his discourse, soaring like a goose, launching
out with high doctrine, citing Royer-Collard.

[Illustration]

But I heard no more. The scandalous spectacle of that political
mountebank, who sacrificed eternal principles to the interests of the
day, recalled