M. Dupin, encouraged by the president of the Council and by the cries of the Centres, continued-- "When legal order is called upon, it must submit itself to the rules of legality. If I am attacked by a malefactor in the streets of the town, I invoke the help of the magistrates, the legal protection of authority; but if, single-handed, I am attacked on the high road, I become a magistrate in my own cause, and I defend myself from anything and everything.... Think of it, gentlemen, can a French army consent to quit its hearths, its family, to be at the disposal of the magistrates, to watch over the defence and protection of its citizens, and yet allow itself to be insulted, attacked, killed at a street corner and at the bottom of a passage? Messieurs, I am certain that the whole population of Grenoble is indignant. "M. GARNIER-PAGÈS.--Yes, indignant, that is true. "M. DUBOYS-AYMÉ.--Indignant, but against authority. "M. DUPIN.--It is indignant against the authors of the disturbance. Who, then, brought about these troubles and misfortunes? Not the young men, who were simply amusing themselves with an inoffensive masquerade. IT IS AN ABOMINABLE CRIME, IT IS TO SIMULATE THE MURDER OF THE KING!" Thus a great confession had just been made by M. Dupin, the king's man. The king _is the Budget and the two supplementary trusts._ To make game of the two and the Budget by means of a masquerade is to simulate the murder of the king! An enemy would not have said anything better. O La Fontaine! good La Fontaine! what stones M. Dupin has flung at the head of his friend Louis-Philippe! This last one was one of the heaviest. A few days later, a report arrived from the municipality of Grenoble. It stated-- "1. That the masquerade of 11 March in no way typified the assassination of the king. "2. That the National Guard had been convoked too late to assemble. "3. That no shouts in any way hostile to the Government or to the king had been uttered beneath the préfet's windows. "4. That M. Duval had, indeed, given the order to the Commissaries of the Police to surround the gathering of people, but not to disperse it. "5. That no legal summons had been made. "6. That the place of gathering was destitute of stones that could be thrown at the soldiers. "7. That amongst the wounds given to the citizens, fourteen had been received from behind. "8. That one soldier only had entered the hospital four days after the events of the 12th, for some inflammatory attack consequent on a kick. "9. Finally, that the events of the 13th were the inevitable result of the exasperation of mind caused by a flagrant violation of the law, and that the conduct of the National Guard of Grenoble had been not only irreproachable, but even deserved the gratitude of the citizens."