and relied on him."

"A noble act!" cried Marrast, as he paced the room.

Albert quietly smiled, but otherwise his countenance remained unmoved.

"And was it not a most noble and a most wise act," continued the author
of "The Ten Years," "when our friend Flocon, by an energetic and
eloquent harangue, restrained the indignant people from razing to the
ground the office of the 'Gazette de France,' the organ of the Duchess
of Berri, and his bitter foe? Terribly would that rash act have recoiled
on us, and yet, at the same time, with this most patriotic and prudent
deed before us, a wilder measure than even that was adopted, and it was
quelled only by force. You all remember the events. In February, '33,
Eugene Brifault, in his 'Corsair,' alluded jestingly to the mysterious
pregnancy of the mother of Henry V., Duke of Bordeaux, as did every one,
she then being imprisoned at Baye because of her prior conspiracy to
place her son on the throne, and her secret marriage in Italy being
unrevealed. The Legitimists of 'Le Revenant' challenged; the allusion
was repeated, and a second trial and a death ensued. 'Le National' and
'La Tribune,' regarding these repeated challenges as a menace to the
Republicans, hurled defiance at the Legitimists, and demanded twelve
distinct rencontres in behalf of as many names of our friends posted at
their offices, among which those of Armand Carrel, Godefroi Cavaignac
and Armand Marrast were conspicuous. The challenge is accepted--the
names of twelve Legitimists are furnished--Armand Carrel selects Roux
Laborie--they fight, and Carrel is dangerously wounded--the police then
interfere--the affair ends with Flocon's terrific and audacious defiance
flung down at the whole Legitimist and Orleans parties in the columns of
'La Reforme.' Now, what to Republicans were the quarrels of Legitimists
and Orleanists? If we were to be ruled by a king, what cared we whether
that king were Henry V. or Louis Philippe? How would the sacrifice of
Carrel, Marrast, Cavaignac, or of any of those twelve brave men have
been repaid, or made up? And afterwards, alas! in July of '36, when
Armand Carrel, causelessly assuming a quarrel not his own, because of a
fancied attempt to degrade the press, by rendering its issues
accessible, by cheapness, to the masses, was slain in the Bois de
Vincennes by the vulgar bullet of Emile de Girardin, of 'La Presse.'
What reparation to our cause was it that our champion had died like a
he