of a mistress of the house who seeks subjects of conversation
that may show off to best advantage the persons she receives, continued:

"My husband does not like to talk of himself, and never has told us the
details of this adventure, in which he ran such great danger. Will you
be kind enough to gratify our curiosity on this point?"

Marillac, among his other pretensions, had that of being able to relate
a story in an impressive manner. These words were as pleasing to
his ears as the request for a song is to a lady who requires urging,
although she is dying to sing.

"Ladies," said he, crossing one leg over the other and leaning upon
one arm of his chair, "it was on the twenty-eighth of July, 1830; the
disastrous decrees had produced their effects; the volcano which--"

"Pardon me, Monsieur, if I interrupt you," said Mademoiselle de
Corandeuil, quickly; "according to my opinion, and that of many others,
the royal decrees you speak of were good and necessary. The only mistake
of Charles Tenth was not to have fifty thousand men around Paris to
force their acceptance. I am only a woman, Monsieur, but if I had had
under my command twenty cannon upon the quays, and as many upon the
boulevards, I assure you that your tricolored flag never should have
floated over the Tuileries."

"Pitt and Cobourg!" said the artist between his teeth, as, with an
astonished air, he gazed at the old lady; but his common-sense told
him that republicanism was not acceptable within this castle. Besides,
remembering the mission with which he was charged, he did not think
his conscience would feel much hurt if he made a little concession of
principles and manoeuvred diplomatically.

"Madame," replied he, "I call the decrees disastrous when I think of
their result. You will certainly admit that our situation to-day ought
to make everybody regret the causes which brought it about."

"We are exactly of the same opinion regarding that point, Monsieur,"
said Mademoiselle de Corandeuil, resuming her serenity.

"The open volcano beneath our feet," continued Marillac, who still stuck
to his point, "warned us by deep rumblings of the hot lava which was
about to gush forth. The excitement of the people was intense. Several
engagements with the soldiers had already taken place at different
points. I stood on the Boulevard Poissonniere, where I had just taken
my luncheon, and was gazing with an artist's eye upon the dramatic
scene spread out before me.