st at
the right moment.

"What a lot of folly they have allowed me to perpetrate," he muttered as
he ran along. "I'm a fine fellow now. Ah! what a lesson! Granoux is more
capable than I."

He entered the office of the "Independant" like a hurricane, and
asked for his article in a choking voice. The article had already been
imposed. He had the forme unlocked and would not rest until he had
himself destroyed the setting, mixing the type in a furious manner, like
a set of dominoes. The bookseller who managed the paper looked at him
in amazement. He was, in reality, rather glad of the incident, as the
article had seemed to him somewhat dangerous. But he was absolutely
obliged to have some copy, if the "Independant" was to appear.

"Are you going to give me something else?" he asked.

"Certainly," replied Aristide.

He sat down at the table and began a warm panegyric on the Coup d'Etat.
At the very first line, he swore that Prince Louis had just saved the
Republic; but he had hardly written a page before he stopped and seemed
at a loss how to continue. A troubled look came over his pole-cat face.

"I must go home," he said at last. "I will send you this immediately.
Your paper can appear a little later, if necessary."

He walked slowly on his way home, lost in meditation. He was again
giving way to indecision. Why should he veer round so quickly? Eugene
was an intelligent fellow, but his mother had perhaps exaggerated the
significance of some sentence in his letter. In any case, it would be
better to wait and hold his tongue.

An hour later Angele called at the bookseller's, feigning deep emotion.

"My husband has just severely injured himself," she said. "He jammed his
four fingers in a door as he was coming in. In spite of his sufferings,
he has dictated this little note, which he begs you to publish
to-morrow."

On the following day the "Independant," made up almost entirely of
miscellaneous items of news, appeared with these few lines at the head
of the first column:

"A deplorable accident which has occurred to our eminent contributor
Monsieur Aristide Rougon will deprive us of his articles for some
time. He will suffer at having to remain silent in the present grave
circumstances. None of our readers will doubt, however, the good wishes
which he offers up with patriotic feelings for the welfare of France."

This burlesque note had been maturely studied. The last sentence might
be interpreted in favour of