Part 36 (2/2)

They were leaving the lover for the husband

Armand Marrast called upon the elect of the nation to take the oath of office There was a stir

Louis Bonaparte, buttoned up in a black frock-coat, the decoration of Representative of the people and the star of the Legion of Honour on his breast, entered by the door on the right, ascended the tribune, repeated in a calm voice the words of the oath that President Marrast dictated to him, called upon God and n accent which was displeasing, a speech that was interrupted at rare intervals by y was noted and applauded

After a few nac, amid the accla live the Republic!” Somebody shouted ”Hurrah for the Constitution!”

Before leaving Louis Bonaparte went over to his forhth section on the left, and shook hands with him Then the President of the assembly invited the committee to accompany the President of the Republic to his palace and have rendered to him the honours due to his rank The word caused the Mountain to murmur I shouted from my bench: ”To his functions!”

The President of the asseed M Odilon Barrot with the formation of a Cabinet, and that the names of the new Ministers would be announced to the assee; that, in fact, a supplement to the Moniteur would be distributed to the Representatives that very evening

It was rean a decisive phase in the history of the country, that President Marrast called Louis Bonaparte ”citizen” and Odilon Barrot ”monsieur”

Meanwhile the ushers, their chief Deponceau at their head, the officers of the Cha therouped themselves below the tribune; several Representatives had joined the that Louis Bonaparte was about to leave the enclosure A few Deputies rose There were shouts of ”Sit down! Sit down!”

Louis Bonaparte went out The malcontents, to manifest their indifference, wanted to continue the debate on the Printing Office Bill

But the asseitated even to remain seated It rose in a tumult and the Chas had lasted half an hour

As I left the assembly, alone, and avoided as a man who had disdained the opportunity to be a Minister, I passed in the outer hall, at the foot of the stairs, a group in which I noticed Montaleeneral of the National Guard Changarnier had just been escorting Louis Bonaparte to the Elysee I heard him say: ”All passed off well”

When I found er either troops or crowd; all had disappeared A few passers-by caht was dark and cold A bitter wind blew fro in the west covered the horizon with silent flashes of lightning A Dece--such were the omens of that day

III THE FIRST OFFICIAL DINNER Deceave his first dinner last evening, Saturday the 23rd, two days after his elevation to the Presidency of the Republic

The Chamber had adjourned for the Christ in the Rue de la Tour d'Auvergne, occupied with I know not what bagatelles, _totus in illis_, when a letter addressed to oon was handed to me I opened the envelope, and this is what I read:

The orderly officer on duty has the honour to inforarnier that he is invited to dinner at the Elysee-National on Saturday, at 7 o'clock

I wrote below it: ”Delivered by o,” and sent the letter back by the dragoon who had brought it An hour later cany, Prince Louis's former companion in plots, to-day his private secretary This letter contained profuse apologies for the error co those invited My letter had been addressed by mistake to M Conti, the Representative frony's letter, written with a pen, were the words: ”Household of the President”

I remarked that the form of these invitations was exactly si Louis Philippe As I did not wish to do anything that ht resemble intentional coldness, I dressed; it was half past 6, and I set out immediately for the Elysee

Half past 7 struck as I arrived there

As I passed I glanced at the sinister portal of the Praslin e entrance, enframed between two Doric pillars of the tiuely outlined by the light of a street lamp One of the double doors of the entrance to the Elysee was closed; two soldiers of the line were on guard The court-yard was scarcely lighted, and aclothes with a ladder on his shoulder was crossing it; nearly all the s of the outhouses on the right had been broken, and were mended with paper I entered by the door on the perron Three servants in black coats received me; one opened the door, another took my mantle, the third said: ”Monsieur, on the first floor!” I ascended the grand staircase There were a carpet and flowers on it, but that chilly and unsettled air about it peculiar to places into which one is

On the first floor an usher asked:

”Monsieur has come to dinner?”

”Yes,” I said ”Are they at table?”