house where the meeting was to
be held; it bore no signature, but it announced to the general that
some one would call for him if he would be ready at nine o'clock. The
meetings were always held from that time till midnight. At nine o'clock
the president of the club presented himself; the general was ready, the
president informed him that one of the conditions of his introduction
was that he should be eternally ignorant of the place of meeting, and
that he would allow his eyes to be bandaged, swearing that he would
not endeavor to take off the bandage. General de Quesnel accepted the
condition, and promised on his honor not to seek to discover the road
they took. The general's carriage was ready, but the president told him
it was impossible for him to use it, since it was useless to blindfold
the master if the coachman knew through what streets he went. "What must
be done then?" asked the general.--"I have my carriage here," said the
president.

"'"Have you, then, so much confidence in your servant that you can
intrust him with a secret you will not allow me to know?"

"'"Our coachman is a member of the club," said the president; "we shall
be driven by a State-Councillor."

"'"Then we run another risk," said the general, laughing, "that of being
upset." We insert this joke to prove that the general was not in the
least compelled to attend the meeting, but that he came willingly. When
they were seated in the carriage the president reminded the general
of his promise to allow his eyes to be bandaged, to which he made no
opposition. On the road the president thought he saw the general make an
attempt to remove the handkerchief, and reminded him of his oath. "Sure
enough," said the general. The carriage stopped at an alley leading out
of the Rue Saint-Jacques. The general alighted, leaning on the arm of
the president, of whose dignity he was not aware, considering him simply
as a member of the club; they went through the alley, mounted a flight
of stairs, and entered the assembly-room.

"'The deliberations had already begun. The members, apprised of the
sort of presentation which was to be made that evening, were all in
attendance. When in the middle of the room the general was invited to
remove his bandage, he did so immediately, and was surprised to see so
many well-known faces in a society of whose existence he had till
then been ignorant. They questioned him as to his sentiments, but he
contented himself with answe