the courtyard, mingling with the National Guards
and citizens.

They talked of what they were going to do.

This was the first difficulty.

The Father of the meeting was M. de Keratry.

Was he going to preside?

The Representatives who were assembled in the Great Hall were in his
favor.

The Representatives remaining in the courtyard hesitated.

Marc Dufraisse went up to MM. Jules de Lasteyrie and Leon de Maleville,
who had stayed behind with the Representatives of the Left, and said to
them, "What are they thinking of upstairs? To make Keratry President? The
name of Keratry would frighten the people as thoroughly as mine would
frighten the middle classes."

A member of the Right, M. de Keranflech, came up, and intending to
support the objection, added, "And then, think of Keratry's age. It is
madness to pit a man of eighty against this hour of danger."

But Esquiros exclaimed,--

"That is a bad reason! Eighty years! They constitute a force."

"Yes; where they are well borne," said Colfavru. "Keratry bears them
badly."

"Nothing is greater," resumed Esquiros, "than great octogenarians."

"It is glorious," added Chamiot, "to be presided over by Nestor."

"No, by Gerontes,"[5] said Victor Hennequin.

These words put an end to the debate. Keratry was thrown out. MM. Leon
de Maleville and Jules de Lasteyrie, two men respected by all parties,
undertook to make the members of the Right listen to reason. It was
decided that the "bureau"[6] should preside. Five members of the "bureau"
were present; two Vice-Presidents, MM. Benoist d'Azy and Vitet, and three
Secretaries, MM. Griumult, Chapot, and Moulin. Of the two other
Vice-Presidents, one, General Bedrau, was at Mazas; the other, M. Daru,
was under guard in his own house. Of the three other Secretaries, two,
MM. Peapin and Lacaze, men of the Elysee, were absentees; the other, M.
Yvan, a member of the Left, was at the meeting of the Left, in the Rue
Blanche, which was taking place almost at the same moment.

In the meantime an usher appeared on the steps of the Mairie, and cried
out, as on the most peaceful days of the Assembly, "Representatives, to
the sitting!"

This usher, who belonged to the Assembly, and who had followed it, shared
its fortunes throughout this day, the sequestration on the Quai d'Orsay
included.

At the summons of the usher all the Representatives in the courtyard, and
amongst whom was one of the Vice-Presidents, M. Vitei, went ups