printer who had said to him, "_Force me, put a pistol to my throat, and
I will print whatever you wish_." It was only a question, therefore, of
getting a few friends together, of seizing this printing-office by main
force, of barricading it, and, if necessary, of sustaining a siege,
while our Proclamations and our decrees were being printed. Hetzel
offered this to us. One incident of his arrival at our meeting-place
deserves to be noted. As he drew near the doorway he saw in the twilight
of this dreary December day a man standing motionless at a short
distance, and who seemed to be lying in wait. He went up to this man,
and recognized M. Yon, the former Commissary of Police of the Assembly.

"What are you doing there?" said Hetzel abruptly. "Are you there to
arrest us? In that case, here is what I have got for you," and he took
out two pistols from his pocket.

M. Yon answered smiling,--

"I am in truth watching, not against you, but for you; I am guarding
you."

M. Yon, aware of our meeting at Landrin's house and fearing that we
should be arrested, was, of his own accord, acting as police for us.

Hetzel had already revealed his scheme to Representative Labrousse, who
was to accompany him and give him the moral support of the Assembly in
his perilous expedition. A first rendezvous which had been agreed upon
between them at the Cafe Cardinal having failed, Labrousse had left with
the owner of the _cafe_ for Hetzel a note couched in these terms:--

"Madame Elizabeth awaits M. Hetzel at No. 10, Rue des Moulins."

In accordance with this note Hetzel had come.

We accepted Hetzel's offer, and it was agreed that at nightfall
Representative Versigny, who performed the duties of Secretary to the
Committee, should take him our decrees, our Proclamation, such items of
news as may have reached us, and all that we should judge proper to
publish. It was settled that Hetzel should await Versigny on the
pavement at the end of the Rue de Richelieu which runs alongside the
Cafe Cardinal.

Meanwhile Jules Favre, Michel de Bourges and myself had drawn up a final
decree, which was to combine the deposition voted by the Right with the
outlawry voted by us. We came back into the large room to read it to the
assembled Representatives, and for them to sign it.

At this moment the door opened, and Emile de Girardin appeared. We had
not seen him since the previous evening.

Emile de Girardin--after dispersing from around him that