Then, as if it seemed that every misfortune were to be piled up because of that fatal Civil List of 1832, M. de Montalivet must needs take upon himself to find good reasons for making the contributors support the Budget by saying in the open Chamber-- "If luxury is banished from the king's palace, it will soon be banished from the homes of his _subjects!_" At these words there was a prompt and loud explosion, as though the powder magazine at Grenelle had been set on fire. "Men who make kings are not the subjects of the kings they create!" exclaims M. Marchal. "There are no more subjects in France." "There is a king, nevertheless," insinuates M. Dupin, who held a salary direct from that king. "There are no more subjects," repeats M. Leclerc-Lasalle. "Order! order! order!" "I do not understand the importance of the interruption," replies M. de Montalivet. "It is an insult to the chamber," cries M. Labôissière. "Order! order! order!" The president rings his bell.--"Order!! order!! order!!" The president puts his hat on. "Order!!! order!!! order!!!" The president breaks up the sitting. The deputies go out, crying "Order! order! order!" The whole thing was more serious than one would have supposed at the first glance: it was a slur on the bourgeois reputation which had made Louis-Philippe King of France. On the same day, under the presidency of Odilon Barrot, a hundred and sixty-seven members of the Chamber signed a protest against the word _subject._ The Civil List was reduced to fourteen millions. A settlement was made on the queen in case of the decease of the king; an annual allowance of a million francs was granted to M. le duc d'Orléans. This was a triumph, but a humiliating triumph; the debates of the Chamber upon the word _subject_, M. de Cor's letters--Heavens! what were we going to do? We were confusing Timon the misanthrope with M. de Cormenin!--the letters of Timon, Dupont (de l'Eure's) condemnation, the jests of the Republican papers, all these had in an important degree taken the place of the voice of the slave of old who cried behind the triumphant emperors, "Cæsar, remember that thou art mortal!" At the same time a voice cried, "Peerage, remember that thou art mortal!" It was the voice of the _Moniteur_ proclaiming the abolition of heredity in the peerage. CHAPTER II Death of _Mirabeau_--The accessories of _Charles VII._--A shooting party--Montereau--A temptation I cannot resist--Critical position in which my shooting companions and I find ourselves--We introduce ourselves into an empty house by breaking into it at night--Inspection of the premises--Improvised supper--As one makes one's bed, so one lies on it--I go to see the dawn rise--Fowl and duck shooting--Preparations for breakfast--Mother Galop