that. Will he do it? Does he himself think he will
do it? I doubt--"

"Doubt the French army against the Prussian?"

"Against the German people united--yes, very much."

"But war will disunite the German people. Bavaria will surely assist
us--Hanover will rise against the spoliator--Austria at our first
successes must shake off her present enforced neutrality?"

"You have not been in Germany, and I have. What yesterday was a Prussian
army, to-morrow will be a German population; far exceeding our own in
numbers, in hardihood of body, in cultivated intellect, in military
discipline. But talk of something else. How is my ex-editor--poor
Gustave Rameau?"

"Still very weak, but on the mend. You may have him back in his office
soon."

"Impossible! even in his sick-bed his vanity was more vigorous than
ever. He issued a war-song, which has gone the round of the war journals
signed by his own name. He must have known very well that the name of
such a Tyrtaeus cannot reappear as the editor of Le Sens Commun; that in
launching his little firebrand he burned all vessels that could waft him
back to the port he had quitted. But I dare say he has done well for his
own interests; I doubt if Le Sens Commun can much longer hold its ground
in the midst of the prevalent lunacy."

"What! it has lost subscribers?--gone off in sale already, since it
declared for peace?"

"Of course it has; and after the article which, if I live over to-night,
will appear to-morrow, I should wonder if it sell enough to cover the
cost of the print and paper."

"Martyr to principle! I revere, but I do not envy thee."

"Martyrdom is not my ambition. If Louis Napoleon be defeated, what then?
Perhaps he may be the martyr; and the Favres and Gambettas may roast
their own eggs on the gridiron they heat for his majesty."

Here an English gentleman, who was the very able correspondent to a
very eminent journal, and in that capacity had made acquaintance with De
Mauleon, joined the two Frenchmen; Savarin, however, after an exchange
of salutations, went his way.

"May I ask a frank answer to a somewhat rude question, M. le Vicomte?"
said the Englishman. "Suppose that the Imperial Government had to-day
given in their adhesion to the peace party, how long would it have been
before their orators in the Chamber and their organs in the press would
have said that France was governed by poltrons?"

"Probably for most of the twenty-four hours. But there are a fe