Page:Works of Heinrich Heine 07.djvu/102

82 2nd were four ex-cooks of Charles X. and four Republicans of the society Amis du Peuple.

I cannot really believe that the latter were involved in this stupid business. I was myself, by chance, that evening in the meeting of the Amis du Peuple, and I conclude from many circumstances that they thought rather of defence than of attack. There were present fifteen hundred men, well packed together in a small hall, which had the appearance of a theatre. The citizen Blanqui, son of a member of the Convention, made a long speech against the bourgeoisie, the shopmen who had elected as king Louis Philippe, "la boutique incarnée" and that in their own interests, not in those of the people—du peuple qui n'était pas complice d'une si indigne usurpation. It was a speech full of wit, honesty, and anger, but there was wanting free delivery of the freedom to be delivered. In spite of Republican severity, old-fashioned gallantry was not ignored, and with true French courteous attention, the best places near the tribune of the orator were reserved for the dames "citoyennes." The meeting smelt like an old pile of the Moniteur of 1793 which had become dirty from much reading. It consisted