From his habit of observing the sovereign he did as many others do; he imitated the way he trimmed his beard or arranged his hair, the cut of his clothes, his walk, his mannerisms.  Indeed, how many men in each country seemed to be the living images of the head of the government!  Perhaps he vaguely resembled Napoleon III., but his hair was black; therefore he dyed it, and then the likeness was complete; and when he met another gentleman in the street also imitating the imperial countenance he was jealous and looked at him disdainfully.  This need of imitation soon became his hobby, and, having heard an usher at the Tuilleries imitate the voice of the emperor, he also acquired the same intonations and studied slowness.

He thus became so much like his model that they might easily have been mistaken for each other, and certain high dignitaries were heard to remark that they found it unseemly and even vulgar; the matter was mentioned to the prime minister, who ordered that the employee should appear before him.  But at the sight of him he began to laugh and repeated two or three times:  “That’s funny, really funny!” This was repeated, and the following day Patissot’s immediate superior recommended that his subordinate receive an increase of salary of three hundred francs.  He received it immediately.

From that time on his promotions came regularly, thanks to his ape-like faculty of imitation.  The presentiment that some high honor might come to him some day caused his chiefs to speak to him with deference.

When the Republic was proclaimed it was a disaster for him.  He felt lost, done for, and, losing his head, he stopped dyeing his hair, shaved his face clean and had his hair cut short, thus acquiring a paternal and benevolent expression which could not compromise him in any way.

Then his chiefs took revenge for the long time during which he had imposed upon them, and, having all turned Republican through an instinct of self preservation, they cut down his salary and delayed his promotion.  He, too, changed his opinions.  But the Republic not being a palpable and living person whom one can resemble, and the presidents succeeding each other with rapidity, he found himself plunged in the greatest embarrassment, in terrible distress, and, after an unsuccessful imitation of his last ideal, M. Thiers, he felt a check put on all his attempts at imitation.  He needed a new manifestation of his personality.  He searched for a long time; then, one morning, he arrived at the office wearing a new hat which had on the side a small red, white and blue rosette.  His colleagues were astounded; they laughed all that day, the next day, all the week, all the month.  But the seriousness of his demeanor at last disconcerted them, and once more his superiors became anxious.  What mystery could be hidden under this sign?  Was it a simple manifestation of patriotism, or an affirmation of his allegiance to the Republic, or