in
silence, and with an air of curiosity. Numerous regiments of cavalry
were drawn up in the grand avenue of the Champs Elysees.

At eight o'clock a formidable force invested the Legislative Palace.
All the approaches were guarded, all the doors were shut. Some
Representatives nevertheless succeeded in penetrating into the interior
of the Palace, not, as has been wrongly stated, by the passage of the
President's house on the side of the Esplanade of the Invalides, but by
the little door of the Rue de Bourgogne, called the Black Door. This
door, by what omission or what connivance I do not know, remained open
till noon on the 2d December. The Rue de Bourgogne was nevertheless full
of troops. Squads of soldiers scattered here and there in the Rue de
l'Universite allowed passers-by, who were few and far between, to use it
as a thoroughfare.

The Representatives who entered by the door in Rue de Bourgogne,
penetrated as far as the Salle des Conferences, where they met their
colleagues coming out from M. Dupin.

A numerous group of men, representing every shade of opinion in the
Assembly, was speedily assembled in this hall, amongst whom were MM.
Eugene Sue, Richardet, Fayolle, Joret, Marc Dufraisse, Benoit (du
Rhone), Canet, Gambon, d'Adelsward, Crequ, Repellin, Teillard-Laterisse,
Rantion, General Leydet, Paulin Durrieu, Chanay, Brilliez, Collas (de la
Gironde), Monet, Gaston, Favreau, and Albert de Resseguier.

Each new-comer accosted M. de Panat.

"Where are the vice-Presidents?"

"In prison."

"And the two other Questors?"

"Also in prison. And I beg you to believe, gentlemen," added M. de
Panat, "that I have had nothing to do with the insult which has been
offered me, in not arresting me."

Indignation was at its height; every political shade was blended in the
same sentiment of contempt and anger, and M. de Resseguier was no less
energetic than Eugene Sue. For the first time the Assembly seemed only
to have one heart and one voice. Each at length said what he thought of
the man of the Elysee, and it was then seen that for a long time past
Louis Bonaparte had imperceptibly created a profound unanimity in the
Assembly--the unanimity of contempt.

M. Collas (of the Gironde) gesticulated and told his story. He came from
the Ministry of the Interior. He had seen M. de Morny, he had spoken to
him; and he, M. Collas, was incensed beyond measure at M. Bonaparte's
crime. Since then, that Crime has made him Counci