And no matter how they tried, the journalists and deputies could not get any more out of him. The journalists had gone away in a furious rage; the editors of the _Courrier français_, _Journal du Commerce_ and the _Journal de Paris_ declared they would appeal, in the first instance, to M. de Belleyme, President of the Tribunal, for an order calling upon the printers to lend their presses for the printing of the unauthorised newspapers. But it seemed pretty hopeless to expect M. de Belleyme to issue any decree, when M. Dupin had refused to grant even a simple consultation touching the event of the moment! Nevertheless, all these proceedings clearly indicated the beginning of resistance. Étienne, for his part, asserted that his brother would not now give his lecture, urging the gravity of the political situation as the reason for his abstention. The courage and patriotism of François Arago were too well known for this opinion (which was put forth by his brother) to be thought extraordinary. When we reached the _Institut_ we found a great commotion and excitement among the usually calm and collected immortals, in their blue coats braided with green. Their meeting had not yet begun. A rumour had spread abroad that Arago would not speak, and some of the Academicians said that he would, because he was much too straightforward a man to compromise the Academy by his silence. "Will he speak or will he not?" I inquired of Étienne. "We will find out," he replied. "There he is, out there." "Ah!" I said, "isn't he talking to the Duc de Raguse?" "Yes; the Duc de Raguse is one of his oldest friends." "Let us push forward, then.... I am very anxious to know what the subscriber to the capitulation of Paris has to say about the subscribers to the Ordinances." "By Jove!" Étienne replied, "he will say that they have undone to-day, 26 July 1830, all he did on 30 March 1814!" We continued our course, but it was no easy matter to thread our way through the midst of an illustrious crowd, to whom one had to offer at least one apology for each push of the elbow. By the time we reached François Arago, the duke was already some distance away from him. "You have just left Marmot," Étienne asked; "what does he say?" "He is furious! He says they are the type of people who fling themselves in the very teeth of ruin, and he only hopes he won't be obliged to draw swords on their behalf." "Good!" I said; "he only needs to do that to make himself popular." "And what have you to say about it?" Étienne asked his brother. "I? Oh! I should not speak." Cuvier was going by. He had just happened to catch these words in passing, and he stopped. "What! you won't speak?" he exclaimed. "No," Arago replied, "Quite right, too!" interpolated Étienne. "Look here, my dear fellow, come aside with me and let us talk reasonably," said Cuvier.