," he answered, and he
pressed my two hands in his own.

Later on, however, a few moments after Bastide had left, great as was
my confidence in the loyal word of this courageous and generous man, I
could no longer restrain myself, and I profited by an interval of two
hours of which I could dispose, to go and see with my own eyes what was
taking place, and in what manner the resistance was behaving.

I took a carriage in the square of the Palais Royal. I explained to the
driver who I was, and that I was about to visit and encourage the
barricades; that I should go sometimes on foot, sometimes in the
carriage, and that I trusted myself to him. I told him my name.

The first comer is almost always an honest man. This true-hearted
coachman answered me, "I know where the barricades are. I will drive
you wherever it is necessary. I will wait for you wherever it is
necessary. I will drive you there and bring you back; and if you have
no money, do not pay me, I am proud of such an action."

And we started.

[18] The original of this note is in the hands of the author of this
book. It was handed to us by M. Avenel on the part of M. Bocage.

CHAPTER IX.

THE PORTE SAINT MARTIN

Important deeds had been already achieved during the morning.

"It is taking root," Bastide had said.

The difficulty is not to spread the flames but to light the fire.

It was evident that Paris began to grow ill-tempered. Paris does not
get angry at will. She must be in the humor for it. A volcano possesses
nerves. The anger was coming slowly, but it was coming. On the horizon
might be seen the first glimmering of the eruption.

For the Elysee, as for us, the critical moment was drawing nigh. From
the preceding evening they were nursing their resources. The _coup
d'etat_ and the Republic were at length about to close with each other.
The Committee had in vain attempted to drag the wheel; some
irresistible impulse carried away the last defenders of liberty and
hurried them on to action. The decisive battle was about to be fought.

In Paris, when certain hours have sounded, when there appears an
immediate necessity for a progressive movement to be carried out, or a
right to be vindicated, the insurrections rapidly spread throughout the
whole city. But they always begin at some particular point. Paris, in
its vast historical task, comprises two revolutionary classes, the
"middle-class" and the "people." And to these two combatants c