it. He filled the pipes, cut the cake, offered each of them a
slice of it, and several times went downstairs to see whether the punch
was coming up; and ere long they lashed themselves up into a state of
excitement, as they all felt equally exasperated against Power. Their
rage was of a violent character for no other reason save that they hated
injustice, and they mixed up with legitimate grievances the most idiotic
complaints.

The apothecary groaned over the pitiable condition of our fleet. The
insurance agent could not tolerate Marshal Soult's two sentinels.
Deslauriers denounced the Jesuits, who had just installed themselves
publicly at Lille. Senecal execrated M. Cousin much more for
eclecticism, by teaching that certitude can be deduced from reason,
developed selfishness and destroyed solidarity. The traveller in wines,
knowing very little about these matters, remarked in a very loud tone
that he had forgotten many infamies:

"The royal carriage on the Northern line must have cost eighty thousand
francs. Who'll pay the amount?"

"Aye, who'll pay the amount?" repeated the clerk, as angrily as if this
amount had been drawn out of his own pocket.

Then followed recriminations against the lynxes of the Bourse and the
corruption of officials. According to Senecal they ought to go higher
up, and lay the blame, first of all, on the princes who had revived the
morals of the Regency period.

"Have you not lately seen the Duc de Montpensier's friends coming back
from Vincennes, no doubt in a state of intoxication, and disturbing with
their songs the workmen of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine?"

"There was even a cry of 'Down with the thieves!'" said the apothecary.
"I was there, and I joined in the cry!"

"So much the better! The people are at last waking up since the
Teste-Cubieres case."[D]

"For my part, that case caused me some pain," said Dussardier, "because
it imputed dishonour to an old soldier!"

"Do you know," Senecal went on, "what they have discovered at the
Duchesse de Praslin's house----?"

But here the door was sent flying open with a kick. Hussonnet entered.

[D] This refers to a charge of corruption made in 1843 against a general
who was a member of the Ministry.--TRANSLATOR.

"Hail, messeigneurs," said he, as he seated himself on the bed.

No allusion was made to his article, which he was sorry, however, for
having written, as the Marechale had sharply reprimanded him on account
of it.

He