e more than a
year afterwards and fled to England, to the most glorious discomfiture
of the knaves who put you there!" cried Rollin. "Vive la Republique!
yet, Messieurs! We've all seen dark days, and the present is none of the
brightest; and we've all come together at these old headquarters of
liberty just to be unhappy together, just to help each other be
miserable, which, in fact, is vastly happier unhappiness than being
miserable alone. At all events, that's what I want. But it can't always
be right. I predict a revolution before another ten years shall have
rolled round, which shall make immortals of us all--that revolution for
which we have been waiting, watching, toiling and writing, lo! now these
thirteen years and upward, for the which waiting, watching, toiling and
writing we have some of us been fined, who had money enough to pay a
fine, and others imprisoned and hunted about and persecuted. Why,
there's Albert and Flocon haven't been able to get a franc cleverly warm
in their pockets these ten years, before forth it was drawn in the form
of a fine; while as for Marrast, he has the perfect air and bearing of a
bandit, so often has he seen the inside of a dungeon; and our friend
Albert isn't much better looking. As for Louis and myself, why, we never
knew what it was to have a franc get warm in our pockets, so we escaped
having any drawn forth by Ministers, and they have never thought us
worth prosecuting or imprisoning. But they may change their minds when
Louis' book, that is to make us all immortal, comes out. Eh, Louis?"

Louis Blanc smiled, but made no answer.

"Well, it is only meet, I suppose, that I should receive my share of the
blows," said Marrast. "I'm sure I'm not very delicate or very
ceremonious in bestowing them. Besides, every one of my predecessors has
endured the same--Carrel, Thomas, Bastide; while poor Rouen, the
proprietor, would have been ruined, indeed, a dozen times with fines,
but for his enormous profits. Why, this old office has been a perfect
butt for Ministers to fire at--it has received a dozen fusillades, at
least; but it stands yet, and, strange as may have been the scenes it
has witnessed, it will witness yet other and stranger ones, and we shall
all be witnesses thereof, and actors in them, too, or greatly do I err."

"So be it, with all our hearts!" was the general shout.

"Apropos of State prosecutions against 'Le National,'" said Louis Blanc,
"that was a most exciting ti