which it had been previously so incensed.  Notwithstanding all the efforts sincerely made by Louis XVIII. to establish a constitutional government and to promote a genuine constitutional feeling throughout France, class-hatreds rose gradually to so violent a height that the king’s only occupation soon grew to be the balancing of expediencies.  He was forever obliged to reflect upon the choices he could make around him, since each choice made from one party insured him a hundred enemies in the party opposed.  This, which was the political part of the drama,—­that which regarded the scenes played upon the public stage,—­had its instantaneous reflex, as we have already said in the commencement of these pages, in the salons, which were the green-rooms and coulisses.  Urbanity, amenity of language, the bland demeanor hitherto characterized as la grace Francaise, all these were at an end.  Society in France, such as it had been once, the far-famed model for all Europe, had ceased to exist.  The ambition which had once been identified with the cares of office or the dangers of war now found sufficient food in the bickerings of party-spirit, and revenged itself by salon jokes and salon impertinence for the loss of a lead it either could not or would not take in Parliament.  The descendants of those very fathers and mothers who had, in many cases, suffered incarceration, and death even, together, set to hating each other cordially, because these would not abdicate what those would not condescend to compete for.  The noblesse cried out, that the bourgeoisie was usurping all its privileges; and the bourgeoisie retorted, that the time for privilege was past.  The two classes could no longer meet together in the world, but formed utterly different sets and cliques; and it must be avowed that neither of the two gained in good-manners, or what may be called drawing-room distinction.

From 1815 to 1830, the noblesse had officially the advantage.  From 1830 to 1848, the bourgeoisie ruled over the land.  But now was to be remarked another social phenomenon, that complicated salon life more than ever.  The middle classes, we say, were in power; they were in all the centres of political life,—­in the Chambers, in the ministries, in the king’s councils, in diplomacy; and with them had risen to importance the Imperial aristocracy, whose representatives were to be found in every department of the public service.  All this while, the old families of the ancien regime shut themselves up among themselves entirely, constituted what is now termed the Faubourg St. Germain, which never was so exclusive or so powerful (socially speaking) as under Louis Philippe, and a tacit combat between envy and disdain was carried on, such as perhaps no modern civilization ever witnessed.  The Faubourg St. Germain arrogated to itself the privilege of exclusively representing la societe Francaise, and it must be confessed that the behavior of its adversaries went far to substantiate its claims.