ged. When the first vehicle was full, a second, of a similar
construction drew up. The police agents, pencil and pocket-book in
hand, noted down the contents of each vehicle. These men knew the
Representatives. When Marc Dufraisse, called in his turn, entered the
parlor, he was accompanied by Benoist (du Rhone). "Ah! here is Marc
Dufraisse," said the attendant who held the pencil. When asked for his
name, Benoist replied "Benoist." "Du Rhone," added the police agent; and
he continued, "for there are also Benoist d'Azy and Benoist-Champy."

The loading of each vehicle occupied nearly half an hour. The successive
arrivals had raised the number of imprisoned Representatives to two
hundred and thirty-two Their embarkation, or, to use the expression of M.
de Vatimesnil, their "barrelling up," which began a little after ten in
the evening, was not finished until nearly seven o'clock in the morning.
When there were no more police-vans available omnibuses were brought in.
These various vehicles were portioned off into three detachments, each
escorted by Lancers. The first detachment left towards one o'clock in the
morning, and was driven to Mont Valerien; the second towards five
o'clock, and was driven to Mazas; the third towards half-past six, to
Vincennes.

As this business occupied a long time, those who had not yet been called
benefited by the mattresses and tried to sleep. Thus, from time to time,
silence reigned in the upper rooms. In the midst of one of these pauses
M. Bixio sat upright, and raising his voice, cried out, "Gentlemen, what
do you think of 'passive obedience'?" An unanimous burst of laughter was
the reply. Again, during one of these pauses another voice exclaimed,--

"Romieu will be a senator."

Emile Pean asked,--

"What will become of the Red Spectre?"

"He will enter the priesthood," answered Antony Thouret, "and will turn
into the Black Spectre."

Other exclamations which the historians of the Second of December have
spread abroad were not uttered. Thus, Marc Dufraisse never made the
remark with which the men of Louis Bonaparte have wished to excuse their
crimes: "If the President does not shoot all those among us who resist,
he does not understand his business."

For the _coup d'etat_ such a remark might be convenient; but for History
it is false.

The interior of the police-vans was lighted while the Representatives
were entering. The air-holes of each compartment were not closed. In this
m