“Be ready to repress every attack upon the free exercise of the
  sovereignty of the People.

“Soldiers, I do not speak to you of the memories which my name recalls.  They are engraven in your hearts.  We are united by indissoluble ties.  Your history is mine.  There is between us, in the past, a community of glory and of misfortune.

  “There will be in the future community of sentiment and of resolutions
  for the repose and the greatness of France.

  “Given at the Palace of the Elysee, December 2d, 1851.

  “(Signed) L.N.  BONAPARTE.”

  “IN THE NAME OF THE FRENCH PEOPLE.

  “The President of the Republic decrees:—­

  “ARTICLE I. The National Assembly is dissolved.

  “ARTICLE II.  Universal suffrage is re-established.  The law of May 31
  is abrogated.

  “ARTICLE III.  The French People are convoked in their electoral
  districts from the 14th December to the 21st December following.

  “ARTICLE IV.  The State of Siege is decreed in the district of the
  first Military Division.

  “ARTICLE V. The Council of State is dissolved.

  “ARTICLE VI.  The Minister of the Interior is charged with the execution
  of this decree.

  “Given at the Palace of the Elysee, 2d December, 1851.

  “LOUIS NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.

  “DE MORNY, Minister of the Interior.”

CHAPTER VII.

NO. 70, RUE BLANCHE

The Cite Gaillard is somewhat difficult to find.  It is a deserted alley in that new quarter which separates the Rue des Martyrs from the Rue Blanche.  I found it, however.  As I reached No. 4, Yvan came out of the gateway and said, “I am here to warn you.  The police have an eye upon this house, Michel is waiting for you at No. 70, Rue Blanche, a few steps from here.”

I knew No. 70, Rue Blanche.  Manin, the celebrated President of the Venetian Republic, lived there.  It was not in his rooms, however, that the meeting was to take place.

The porter of No. 70 told me to go up to the first floor.  The door was opened, and a handsome, gray-haired woman of some forty summers, the Baroness Coppens, whom I recognized as having seen in society and at my own house, ushered me into a drawing-room.

Michel de Bourges and Alexander Rey were there, the latter an ex-Constituent, an eloquent writer, a brave man.  At that time Alexander Rey edited the National.

We shook hands.

Michel said to me,—­

“Hugo, what will you do?”

I answered him,—­

“Everything.”

“That also is my opinion,” said he.

Numerous representatives arrived, and amongst others Pierre Lefranc, Labrousse, Theodore Bac, Noel Parfait, Arnauld (de l’Ariege), Demosthenes Ollivier, an ex-Constituent, and Charamaule.  There was deep and unutterable indignation, but no useless words were spoken.