Bastide left me to keep guard over the park with Mérimée: our orders were to fire on anybody who came near it, and who, at our second _qui vive_, did not come up at command. From that hour on sentry-duty (they had reduced the length of sentry hours to one, on account of the gravity of events) dated my acquaintance with Mérimée; we conversed part of the time, and strange to say, under those circumstances, of art and literature and architecture. Ten years later, Mérimée, who, no doubt, recollecting what he had wished to tell me that night, namely, that I had the most dramatic imagination he had ever come across, thought fit to suggest to M. de Rémusat, then Minister of the Interior, that I should be asked to write a comedy for the Théâtre-Français. M. de Rémusat wrote to ask me for a play, enclosing an order for an advance of five thousand francs. A month afterwards, _Un Marriage sous Louis XV._ was composed, read and rejected by the Théâtre-Français. In due order, I will relate the story of _Un Manage sous Louis XV._ (the younger brother of _Antony_) at greater length; it proved as difficult to launch as _Antony._ But, meanwhile, let us return to that night at the Louvre. CHAPTER VII We are surrounded in the Louvre courtyard--Our ammunition taken by surprise--Proclamation of the Écoles--Letter of Louis-Philippe to La Fayette--The Chamber vote of thanks to the Colleges--Protest of the École polytechnique--Discussion at the Chamber upon the General Commandership of the National Guard--Resignation of La Fayette--The king's reply--I am appointed second captain During my hour on sentry-go, a great number of artillerymen had come in; we were almost our full complement. Some, cloaked in mantles, had gained entrance by the gate on the Carrousel side, although we had been told it had been closed by order of the Governor of the Louvre. We were afterwards assured that the Duc d'Orléans was among the number of the cloaked artillerymen; doubtless, with his usual courage, he wanted to judge for himself of the temper of the corps to which he was attached. Just as I re-entered the guardroom, everything was in a frightful state of commotion; it looked as though the battle was going to break out in the midst of the very artillery itself, and as though the first shots would be exchanged between brothers-in-arms. One artilleryman, whose name I have forgotten, jumped up on a table and began to read a proclamation that he had just drawn up: it was an appeal to arms. Scarcely had he read a line before Grille de Beuzelin, who belonged to the reactionary party, snatched it from his hands and tore it up. The artilleryman drew his dagger and the affair would probably have ended tragically, when one of our number rushed into the guardroom, shouting-- "We are surrounded by the National Guard and troops of the line!" There was a simultaneous cry of "To our guns!"