ody of magistrates,
such as Freslon, or from the bar, like Martin (of Strasbourg). By virtue
of Article 68, and without waiting the initiative of the Assembly, it
would have drawn up a judgment stigmatizing the crime, it would have
launched an order of arrest against the President and his accomplices and
have ordered the removal of the person of Louis Bonaparte to jail. As for
the Procureur-General he would have issued a warrant of arrest. All this
could have been done by half-past eleven, and at that time no attempt had
been made to dissolve the High Court. These preliminary proceedings
concluded, the High Court, by going out through a nailed-up door leading
into the Salle des Pas Perdus, could have descended into the street, and
there have proclaimed its judgment to the people. At this time it would
have met with no hindrance. Finally, and this in any case, it should have
sat robed on the Judges' Bench, with all magisterial state, and when the
police agent and his soldiers appeared should have ordered the soldiers,
who perhaps would have obeyed them, to arrest the agent, and if the
soldiers had disobeyed, should have allowed themselves to be formally
dragged to prison, so that the people could see, under their own eyes,
out in the open street, the filthy hoof of the _coup d'etat_ trampling
upon the robe of Justice.

Instead of this, what steps did the High Court take? We have just seen.

"Be off with you!"

"We are going."

We can imagine, after a very different fashion, the dialogue between
Mathieu Mole and Vidocq.

[4] This line was left blank. It was filled in later on with the name of
M. Renouard, Councillor of the Court of Cassation.

CHAPTER XII.

THE MAIRIE OF THE TENTH ARRONDISSEMENT

The Representatives, having come out from M. Daru, rejoined each other
and assembled in the street. There they consulted briefly, from group to
group. There were a large number of them. In less than an hour, by
sending notices to the houses on the left bank of the Seine alone, on
account of the extreme urgency, more than three hundred members could be
called together. But where should they meet? At Lemardelay's? The Rue
Richelieu was guarded. At the Salle Martel? It was a long way off. They
relied upon the Tenth Legion, of which General Lauriston was colonel.
They showed a preference for the Mairie of the Tenth Arrondissement.
Besides, the distance was short, and there was no need to cross any
bridges.

They