"Indeed!" was the bland rejoinder; "and has a manifesto of this decision been issued to the people?" "It has; and it instantly called forth a counter manifesto from the electoral committee of the Twelfth Arrondissement, expressing very natural astonishment that, at the same time the opposition abandoned the banquet, they had not abandoned their seats in the Chamber, and inviting them so to do at once." "And the Ministry?" anxiously asked M. Thiers. "Will to-morrow be impeached, Monsieur!" "Ah! indeed! indeed!" cried the smart little aspirant, gleefully rubbing his hands. At that moment General Lamoriciere, the brother-in-law of Thiers, who owed so much to the house of Orleans, hastily approached. "I come straight from the Tuileries," he said, with considerable excitement. "General Jacqueminot has just issued an order of the day, as commander-in-chief of the National Guard, appealing to them as the constitutional protectors of the Throne to take no part in the banquet. Orders have, also, been issued for the rappel to be beaten at dawn, in the Quartier St. Honore, the scene of the contemplated procession. But it's all folly to rely on the National Guard. They are of the people. Only the Municipal Guard and the troops of the Line can be relied on in the civil conflict, which is sure to come to-morrow." "And the Ministers, what do they?" asked Thiers. "Oh! they are not idle," replied the soldier. "The bastilles are armed, and those of Montrouge and Aubervilliers are provisioned. The horse-artillery at Vincennes are ready, on the instant, to gallop into the capital. Seventy additional pieces of ordnance are now entering the barrieres. The Municipal Guard are supplied with ball-cartridges. The troops concentrated at sunrise to-morrow will not be less than one hundred thousand strong. With these men in the forts and faithful, the city can be starved in three days, National Guard and all, if rebellious. Now is the crisis in which to test the remarkable admission of M. Duchatel, in May, '45, that the bastilles of Paris were designed to 'fortify order.' We shall see, we shall see!" "And the Marshal Duke of Islay--where is he?" quietly asked Marrast, with a significant shrug and smile. At this mention of his bitter foe, a frown lowered on the fine face of Lamoriciere, as he briefly and sternly replied: "With the King, Monsieur--General Bugeaud is with the King. But they mistake, Monsieur. Eugene Cavaignac is the man for this emergency. Bugeaud is a soldier--a mere soldier--Cavaignac is a statesman--a Napoleon! Paris will discriminate between the two one day, and that shortly."