"In October, 1847, in my capacity as one of the Conservators of the
Mazarine Library, I occupied rooms at the Institute, where I had a
chimney that smoked. With the view of guarding against this
inconvenience before the winter should have set in, I summoned the
_fumiste_ of the establishment, who, after entering into details and
fixing upon the remedy,--some contrivance on the roof in the nature of a
hooded chimney-pot,--observed that the expense, amounting to a hundred
francs or so, was one of those which are chargeable to the landlord,
that is to say, in this case, the government. Consequently I made a
requisition on the Minister to whose department it belonged; the work
was executed, and I thought no more of it.

"Some months later, the Revolution of the 24th of February broke out. I
perceived from the first day all the importance of that event, but also
its prematureness. Without being one of those who regretted the fall of
a dynasty or of a political system, I grieved for a civilization which
seemed to me for the moment greatly compromised. I did not, however,
indulge in the gloomy anticipations which I saw had taken possession of
many who the day before had professed themselves republicans, but who
were now surprised, and even alarmed, at their own success. I thought we
should get out of this, as we had already got out of so many other
embarrassments. I reflected that History has more than one road by which
to advance; and I awaited the development of facts with the curiosity of
an observer, closely blended, I must confess, with the anxieties of a
citizen.

"About a month later, towards the end of March, I was told by a friend
that M. Jean Reynaud, who then filled an office which, though nominally
in the department of Public Instruction, corresponded in fact with that
of Under-Secretary of State, wished to see me. I had been well
acquainted with M. Reynaud for seventeen or eighteen years, and had
dined with him, in company with M. Charton, on Wednesday, the 25th of
February preceding, while the Revolution was in full blast. Profiting by
a short truce which had suddenly intervened on the afternoon of that
day, I had been able to traverse the Champs-Elysees, at the farther end
of which he lived, and to keep an appointment dating from several days
before. On that Wednesday, at six o'clock in the evening, I did not
expect, and as little did M. Reynaud himself expect, that two days later
he would be holding the post