ost
speculative of speculators, and, of course, a fair butt for the malice
of the caricaturists. His one great crime, in the eyes of the French
Republicans and Republican newspaper proprietors, was, that Girardin set
up a journal, as he called it, "franchement monarchique,"--a journal in
the pay of the monarchy, that is,--and a journal that cost only forty
francs by the year. The National costs twice as much; the Charivari
itself costs half as much again; and though all newspapers, of all
parties, concurred in "snubbing" poor M. Girardin and his journal, the
Republican prints, were by far the most bitter against him, thundering
daily accusations and personalities; whether the abuse was well or
ill founded, we know not. Hence arose the duel with Carrel; after
the termination of which, Girardin put by his pistol, and vowed, very
properly, to assist in the shedding of no more blood. Girardin had been
the originator of numerous other speculations besides the journal: the
capital of these, like that of the journal, was raised by shares, and
the shareholders, by some fatality, have found themselves wofully in the
lurch; while Girardin carries on the war gayly, is, or was, a member
of the Chamber of Deputies, has money, goes to Court, and possesses a
certain kind of reputation. He invented, we believe, the "Institution
Agronome de Coetbo,"* the "Physionotype," the "Journal des
Connoissances Utiles," the "Pantheon Litteraire," and the system
of "Primes"--premiums, that is--to be given, by lottery, to certain
subscribers in these institutions. Could Robert Macaire see such things
going on, and have no hand in them?

* It is not necessary to enter into descriptions of these
various inventions.

Accordingly Messrs. Macaire and Bertrand are made the heroes of many
speculations of the kind. In almost the first print of our collection,
Robert discourses to Bertrand of his projects. "Bertrand," says the
disinterested admirer of talent and enterprise, "j'adore l'industrie. Si
tu veux nous creons une banque, mais la, une vraie banque: capital
cent millions de millions, cent milliards de milliards d'actions. Nous
enfoncons la banque de France, les banquiers, les banquistes; nous
enfoncons tout le monde." "Oui," says Bertrand, very calm and stupid,
"mais les gendarmes?" "Que tu es bete, Bertrand: est-ce qu'on arrete
un millionaire?" Such is the key to M. Macaire's philosophy; and a wise
creed too, as times go.

Acting on