In addition seven copies of these different documents drawn up by the hands of the judges themselves, and signed by them all, were put in a place of safety, as also, it is said, a note-book, in which were written five other secret decisions relating to the coup d’etat.

Does this page of the Register of the Court of Cassation exist at the present time?  Is it true, as has been stated, that the prefect Maupas sent for the Register and tore out the leaf containing the decree?  We have not been able to clear up this point.  The Register now is shown to no one, and those employed at the Recorder’s Office are dumb.

Such are the facts, let us summarize them.  If this Court so called “High,” had been of a character to conceive such an idea as that of doing its duty—­when it had once met together the mere organization of itself was a matter of a few minutes—­it would have proceeded resolutely and rapidly, it would have appointed as Procureur-General some energetic man belonging to the Court of Cassation, either from the body of magistrates, such as Freslon, or from the bar, like Martin (of Strasbourg).  By virtue of Article 68, and without waiting the initiative of the Assembly, it would have drawn up a judgment stigmatizing the crime, it would have launched an order of arrest against the President and his accomplices and have ordered the removal of the person of Louis Bonaparte to jail.  As for the Procureur-General he would have issued a warrant of arrest.  All this could have been done by half-past eleven, and at that time no attempt had been made to dissolve the High Court.  These preliminary proceedings concluded, the High Court, by going out through a nailed-up door leading into the Salle des Pas Perdus, could have descended into the street, and there have proclaimed its judgment to the people.  At this time it would have met with no hindrance.  Finally, and this in any case, it should have sat robed on the Judges’ Bench, with all magisterial state, and when the police agent and his soldiers appeared should have ordered the soldiers, who perhaps would have obeyed them, to arrest the agent, and if the soldiers had disobeyed, should have allowed themselves to be formally dragged to prison, so that the people could see, under their own eyes, out in the open street, the filthy hoof of the coup d’etat trampling upon the robe of Justice.

Instead of this, what steps did the High Court take?  We have just seen.

“Be off with you!”

“We are going.”

We can imagine, after a very different fashion, the dialogue between Mathieu Mole and Vidocq.

[4] This line was left blank.  It was filled in later on with the name of M. Renouard, Councillor of the Court of Cassation.

CHAPTER XII.

THE MAIRIE OF THE TENTH ARRONDISSEMENT