ARTICLE X. The present treaty will be submitted for the ratification of the Government of the French Republic, and the instrument of ratification will be returned to His Highness the Bey with as little delay as possible. The Bey for some minutes even declined to look at the paper, and repeated several times that he did not understand French. At last it was handed to M. Conti, who made a running translation into Arabic. The following dialogue then ensued through the interpreter:— “_Bey._—Will you give me a written translation in Arabic? “_General Bréart._—What you have heard is enough. “_Bey._—At any rate you will grant me twenty-four hours for consideration? “_General Bréart._—Certainly not. I expect an answer before eight o’clock to-night, and shall remain here till I get one. “_Bey._—May I lay the treaty before my Council? “_General Bréart._—Do as you like between this and eight o’clock.” The General and his _suite_ left the room. M. Roustan turned to the Bey and said that all he had told him was now verified. He added, “Your Highness has nothing to do but to sign, and if you decline to do so it does not matter, for there is another who will.” Musalli took the minister aside and whispered to him that his further resistance would be punished as high treason. “When you were last in France,” he said, “you became a French citizen, you are therefore amenable to the French military code, and unless the Bey signs to-night you will be _tried by court-martial and shot_.” M. Roustan and his friend then joined General Bréart. All that had happened was already known to the frightened councillors. One after another they voted for accepting the treaty; the president of the municipality alone told the Bey that his death was of no consequence compared with such a disgrace, and implored him to hold out at all costs. The Prime Minister, under the influence of Musalli’s communication, sided with the timorous majority. Even now the Bey hesitated, and his decision wavered in the balance. The chief eunuch approached him with a message. The ladies of the harem had seen the cannon and the soldiers from behind the lattice work of their windows, and implored him “_to sign and save their lives_.” Five minutes later he sent to inform M. Roustan that he accepted the inevitable. For the first time in his life he affixed in trembling characters the words Muhamed es Sadek Bey to a document written in a European language. Turning to the General, he said, “_Now_ at any rate you need not go to Tunis?” “Highness,” answered General Bréart, “I only receive commands from my own superiors,” and turning on his heel, quitted the room. As soon as he was alone the Bey could no longer control his feelings, and gave way to the wildest despair. He resolved even then, to make one more appeal to the suzerain whose allegiance he had an hour before cast off for ever. He ordered M. Conti to prepare a telegram explaining what had occurred