an of
his distinction in the councils of his country. With his tip-tilted nose
in the air, his carefully curled head on one side, the deputy for Arras
was observing Andre-Louis attentively. The horn-rimmed spectacles he
used for reading were thrust up on to his pale forehead, and it was
through a levelled spy-glass that he considered the speaker, his
thin-lipped mouth stretched a little in that tiger-cat smile that was
afterwards to become so famous and so feared.

Gradually the uproar wore itself out, and diminished so that at last
the President could make himself heard. Leaning forward, he gravely
addressed the young man in the tribune:

"Monsieur, if you wish to be heard, let me beg of you not to be
provocative in your language." And then to the others: "Messieurs, if
we are to proceed, I beg that you will restrain your feelings until the
deputy-suppleant has concluded his discourse."

"I shall endeavour to obey, M. le President, leaving provocation to the
gentlemen of the Right. If the few words I have used so far have been
provocative, I regret it. But it was necessary that I should refer to
the distinguished deputy whose place I come so unworthily to fill, and
it was unavoidable that I should refer to the event which has procured
us this sad necessity. The deputy Lagron was a man of singular nobility
of mind, a selfless, dutiful, zealous man, inflamed by the high purpose
of doing his duty by his electors and by this Assembly. He possessed
what his opponents would call a dangerous gift of eloquence."

La Tour d'Azyr writhed at the well-known phrase--his own phrase--the
phrase that he had used to explain his action in the matter of Philippe
de Vilmorin, the phrase that from time to time had been cast in his
teeth with such vindictive menace.

And then the crisp voice of the witty Canales, that very rapier of the
Privileged party, cut sharply into the speaker's momentary pause.

"M. le President," he asked with great solemnity, "has the
deputy-suppleant mounted the tribune for the purpose of taking part in
the debate on the constitution of the legislative assemblies, or for
the purpose of pronouncing a funeral oration upon the departed deputy
Lagron?"

This time it was the Blacks who gave way to mirth, until checked by the
deputy-suppleant.

"That laughter is obscene!" In this truly Gallic fashion he flung his
glove into the face of Privilege, determined, you see, upon no half
measures; and the rippling lau