short nose and a not very long wit. He was a
friend of Hard, whom he called _mon cher_, and of Jerome Bonaparte, whom
he addressed as "your Majesty."

The Assembly, on January 20, made him Vice-President of the Republic.

It was somewhat sudden, and unexpected by everybody except himself. This
latter fact was evident from the long speech learned by heart that
he delivered after being sworn in. At its conclusion the Assembly
applauded, then a roar of laughter succeeded the applause. Everybody
laughed, including himself; the Assembly out of irony, he in good faith.

Odilon Barrot, who since the previous evening had been keenly regretting
that he did not allow himself to be made Vice-President, contemplated
the scene with a shrug of the shoulders and a bitter smile.

The Assembly followed Boulay de la Meurthe, congratulated and gratified,
with its eyes, and in every look could be read this: "Well, I never! He
takes himself seriously!"

When he was taking the oath, in a voice of thunder which made everybody
smile, Boulay de la Meurthe looked as if he were dazzled by the
Republic, and the Assembly did not look as if it were dazzled by Boulay
de la Meurthe.

DUPIN.

Dupin has a style of wit that is peculiar to himself. It is Gaulish,
tinged with the wit of a limb of the law and with jovial grossness. When
the vote upon the bill against universal suffrage was about to be taken
some member of the majority, whose name I have forgotten, went to him
and said:

"You are our president, and moreover a great legist. You know more about
it than I do. Enlighten me, I am undecided. Is it true that the bill
violates the Constitution?"

Dupin appeared to think for a moment and then replied:

"No, it doesn't violate it, but it lifts its clothes up as high as
possible!"

This reminds me of what he said to me the day I spoke upon the Education
Bill. Baudin had permitted me to take his turn to speak, and I went up
to the presidential chair to notify Dupin.

"Ah! you are going to speak! So much the better!" said he; and pointing
to M. Barthelemy Saint Hilaire, who was then occupying the tribune
and delivering a long and minute technical speech against the measure,
added:

"He is rendering you a service. He is doing the preparatory work. He
is turning the bill's trousers down. This done you will be able to at
once--"

He completed the phrase with the expressive gesture which consists of
tapping the back of the finger