presence in the royal residence, but, curiously enough, from the day he
left, the passenger traffic fell to its previous state. Dumas had simply
galvanized the sleepy old town into life, he had bought the theatre
where the artists of the Comedie-Francaise, previous to supping with
him, came to play "Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle" or the "Demoiselles de
Saint-Cyr," for the benefit of the poor. On such occasions, there was
not a room to be had at the hotels. After supper, there were twice a
week fireworks on the Terrace, which could be seen from Paris and from
Versailles, to the great astonishment of Louis-Philippe, who really
attributed the change to the beneficence of his reign, although he
failed to account for the continued dulness of the latter royal borough,
where he himself resided, and whose picture-galleries he had restored
and thrown open to the public, besides having the great fountains to
play every first Sunday of the month.

One day the king sent for M. de Montalivet, and told him that, though
gratified at the revived prosperity of Saint-Germain, he would like to
see a little more gaiety at Versailles.

"You really mean it, sire?" asked the minister.

"Not only do I mean it, but I confess to you that it would give me great
pleasure."

"Well, sire, Alexandre Dumas has lately been sentenced to a fortnight's
imprisonment for neglecting his duty in the National Guards: make an
order for him to spend that fortnight in Versailles, and I guarantee
your Majesty that Versailles will be lively enough."

Louis-Philippe did not act upon the suggestion. The only member of the
d'Orleans' family who was truly sympathetic to Dumas was the king's
eldest son, whose untimely death shortly afterwards affected the great
novelist very much, albeit that he frankly acknowledged to regretting
the man and not the future ruler; for while loudly professing his
republican creed, he never pretended to overlook his indebtedness to
Louis-Philippe, when Duc d'Orleans, for having befriended him; nay, I am
inclined to think that Dumas' gratitude was far greater than the case
warranted. When, in 1847, the fancy took him to go into parliament, he
naturally turned to the borough he had benefited so much by his stay
there--Saint-Germain, and Saint-Germain denied him. They thought him too
immoral. Dumas waited patiently for another opportunity, which did not
come until the following year, when Louis-Philippe had abdicated.
Addressing a meeting