It was a mournful conclusion. He locked up the observatory and descended the stairs, hoping that his dreams would contradict his thoughts. CHAPTER IV. THE DEPUTATION. It was the President's custom to rise early, but before doing so he invariably received the newspapers and read such remarks as dealt with the policy of the Government or criticised its actions. This morning his literature was exceptionally plentiful. All the papers had leading articles on the restriction of the franchise and the great riot which had followed its announcement. He first opened THE HOUR, the organ of orthodox mediocrity, which usually cautiously supported the Government in consideration of occasional pieces of news with which it was from time to time favoured. In a column and a half of print THE HOUR gently regretted that the President had been unable to restore the franchises unimpaired; it thus gratified the bulk of its readers. In a second column it expressed its severe disapproval--(_unqualified condemnation_ was the actual term)--of the disgraceful riot which had led to such _deplorable consequences_; it thus repaid the President for sending round the text of the English note, which had arrived the night before, and which it printed _verbatim_ with pomp and circumstance as coming from Our Special Correspondent in London. THE COURTIER, the respectable morning journal of the upper classes, regretted that so unseemly a riot should have taken place at the beginning of the season, and expressed a hope that it would not in any way impair the brilliancy of the State Ball which was to take place on the 7th. It gave an excellent account of the President's first ministerial dinner, with the _menu_ duly appended, and it was concerned to notice that Señor Louvet, Minister of the Interior, had been suffering from an indisposition which prevented his attending the function. THE DIURNAL GUSHER, a paper with an enormous circulation, refrained from actual comments but published an excellent account of the _massacre_, to the harrowing details of which it devoted much fruity sentiment and morbid imagination.