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ardent　upholder　of　the　noblesse；　trampled　to　death　under　hooves　of
foreign　horsemen　launched　by　the　noblesse　and　led　by　a　nobleman。

To　Andre…Louis；　waiting　that　evening　on　the　second　floor　of　No。　13
Rue　du　Hasard　for　the　return　of　his　friend　and　master；　four　men　of
the　people　brought　that　broken　body　of　one　of　the　earliest　victims
of　the　Revolution　that　was　now　launched　in　earnest。



CHAPTER　III

PRESIDENT　LE　CHAPELIER


The　ferment　of　Paris　which；　during　the　two　following　days；　resembled
an　armed　camp　rather　than　a　city；　delayed　the　burial　of　Bertrand
des　Amis　until　the　Wednesday　of　that　eventful　week。　　Amid　events
that　were　shaking　a　nation　to　its　foundations　the　death　of　a
fencing…master　passed　almost　unnoticed　even　among　his　pupils；　most
of　whom　did　not　come　to　the　academy　during　the　two　days　that　his
body　lay　there。　　Some　few；　however；　did　come；　and　these　conveyed　the
news　to　others；　with　the　result　that　the　master　was　followed　to　Pere
Lachaise　by　a　score　of　young　men　at　the　head　of　whom　as　chief　mourner
walked　Andre…Louis。

There　were　no　relatives　to　be　advised　so　far　as　Andre…Louis　was
aware；　although　within　a　week　of　M。　des　Amis'　death　a　sister　turned
up　from　Passy　to　claim　his　heritage。　　This　was　considerable；　for　the
master　had　prospered　and　saved　money；　most　of　which　was　invested　in
the　Compagnie　des　Eaux　and　the　National　Debt。　　Andre…Louis　consigned
her　to　the　lawyers；　and　saw　her　no　more。

The　death　of　des　Amis　left　him　with　so　profound　a　sense　of　loneliness
and　desolation　that　he　had　no　thought　or　care　for　the　sudden　access
of　fortune　which　it　automatically　procured　him。　　To　the　master's
sister　might　fall　such　wealth　as　he　had　amassed；　but　Andre…Louis
succeeded　to　the　mine　itself　from　which　that　wealth　had　been
extracted；　the　fencing…school　in　which　by　now　he　was　himself　so　well
established　as　an　instructor　that　its　numerous　pupils　looked　to　him
to　carry　it　forward　successfully　as　its　chief。　　And　never　was　there
a　season　in　which　fencing…academies　knew　such　prosperity　as　in　these
troubled　days；　when　every　man　was　sharpening　his　sword　and　schooling
himself　in　the　uses　of　it。

It　was　not　until　a　couple　of　weeks　later　that　Andre…Louis　realized
what　had　really　happened　to　him；　and　he　found　himself　at　the　same
time　an　exhausted　man；　for　during　that　fortnight　he　had　been　doing
the　work　of　two。　　If　he　had　not　hit　upon　the　happy　expedient　of
pairing…off　his　more　advanced　pupils　to　fence　with　each　other；
himself　standing　by　to　criticize；　correct　and　otherwise　instruct；
he　must　have　found　the　task　utterly　beyond　his　strength。　　Even　so；
it　was　necessary　for　him　to　fence　some　six　hours　daily；　and　every
day　he　brought　arrears　of　lassitude　from　yesterday　until　he　was　in
danger　of　succumbing　under　the　increasing　burden　of　fatigue。　　In
the　end　he　took　an　assistant　to　deal　with　beginners；　who　gave　the
hardest　work。　　He　found　him　readily　enough　by　good　fortune　in　one
of　his　own　pupils　named　Le　Duc。　　As　the　summer　advanced；　and　the
concourse　of　pupils　steadily　increased；　it　became　necessary　for　him
to　take　yet　another　assistant　…　an　able　young　instructor　named
Galoche　…　and　another　room　on　the　floor　above。

They　were　strenuous　days　for　Andre…Louis；　more　strenuous　than　he
had　ever　known；　even　when　he　had　been　at　work　to　build　up　the　Binet
Company；　but　it　follows　that　they　were　days　of　extraordinary
prosperity。　　He　comments　regretfully　upon　the　fact　that　Bertrand　des
Amis　should　have　died　by　ill…chance　on　the　very　eve　of　so　profitable
a　vogue　of　sword…play。

The　arms　of　the　Academie　du　Roi；　to　which　Andre…Louis　had　no　title；
still　continued　to　be　displayed　outside　his　door。　　He　had　overcome
the　difficulty　in　a　manner　worthy　of　Scaramouche。　　He　left　the
escutcheon　and　the　legend　〃Academie　de　Bertrand　des　Amis；　Maitre　en
fait　d'Armes　des　Academies　du　Roi；〃　appending　to　it　the　further
legend：　〃Conducted　by　Andre…Louis。〃

With　little　time　now　in　which　to　go　abroad　it　was　from　his　pupils
and　the　newspapers　…　of　which　a　flood　had　risen　in　Paris　with　the
establishment　of　the　freedom　of　the　Press　…　that　he　learnt　of　the
revolutionary　processes　around　him；　following　upon；　as　a　measure
of　anticlimax；　the　fall　of　the　Bastille。　　That　had　happened　whilst
M。　des　Amis　lay　dead；　on　the　day　before　they　buried　him；　and　was
indeed　the　chief　reason　of　the　delay　in　his　burial。　　It　was　an
event　that　had　its　inspiration　in　that　ill…considered　charge　of
Prince　Lambesc　in　which　the　fencing…master　had　been　killed。

The　outraged　people　had　besieged　the　electors　in　the　Hotel　de　Ville；
demanding　arms　with　which　to　defend　their　lives　from　these　foreign
murderers　hired　by　despotism。　　And　in　the　end　the　electors　had
consented　to　give　them　arms；　or；　rather　…　for　arms　it　had　none　to
give　…　to　permit　them　to　arm　themselves。　　Also　it　had　given　them　a
cockade；　of　red　and　blue；　the　colours　of　Paris。　　Because　these
colours　were　also　those　of　the　liveries　of　the　Duke　of　Orleans；
white　was　added　to　them　…　the　white　of　the　ancient　standard　of
France　…　and　thus　was　the　tricolour　born。　　Further；　a　permanent
committee　of　electors　was　appointed　to　watch　over　public　order。

Thus　empowered　the　people　went　to　work　with　such　good　effect　that
within　thirty…six　hours　sixty　thousand　pikes　had　been　forged。　　At
nine　o'clock　on　Tuesday　morning　thirty　thousand　men　were　before　the
Invalides。　　By　eleven　o'clock　they　had　ravished　it　of　its　store　of
arms　amounting　to　some　thirty　thousand　muskets；　whilst　others　had
seized　the　Arsenal　and　possessed　themse1ves　of　powder。

Thus　they　prepared　to　resist　the　attack　that　from　seven　points　was
to　be　launched　that　evening　upon　the　city。　　But　Paris　did　not　wait
for　the　attack。　　It　took　the　initiative。　　Mad　with　enthusiasm　it
conceived　the　insane　project　of　taking　that　terrible　menacing
fortress；　the　Bastille；　and；　what　is　more；　it　succeeded；　as　you
know；　before　five　o'clock　that　night；　aided　in　the　enterprise　by
the　French　Guards　with　cannon。

The　news　of　it；　borne　to　Versailles　by　Lambesc　in　flight　with　his
dragoons　before　the　vast　armed　force　that　had　sprouted　from　the
paving…stones　of　Paris；　gave　the　Court　pause。　　The　people　were　in
possession　of　the　guns　captured　from　the　Bastille。　　They　were
erecting　barricades　in　the　streets；　and　mounting　these　guns　upon
them。　The　attack　had　been　too　long　delayed。　　It　must　be　abandoned
since　now　it　could　lead　only　to　fruitless　slaughter　that　must
further　shake　the　already　sorely　shaken　prestige　of　Royalty。

And　so　the　Court；　growing　momentarily　wise　again　under　the　spur　of
fear；　preferred　to　temporize。　　Necker　should　be　brought　back　yet
once　again；　the　three　orders　should　sit　united　as　the　National
Assembly　demanded。　　It　was　the　completest　surrender　of　force　to
force；　the　only　argument。　　The　King　went　alone　to　inform　the
National　Assembly　of　that　eleventh…hour　resolve；　to　the　great
comfort　of　its　members；　who　viewed　with　pain　and　alarm　the　dreadful
state　of　things　in　Paris。　　〃No　force　but　the　force　of　reason　and
argument〃　was　their　watchword；　and　it　was　so　to　continue　for　two
years　yet；　with　a　patience　and　fortitude　in　the　face　of　ceaseless
provocation　to　which　insufficient　justice　has　been　done。

As　the　King　was　leaving　the　Assembly；　a　woman；　embracing　his　knees；
gave　tongue　to　what　might　well　be　the　question　of　all　France：

〃Ah；　sire；　are　you　really　sincere？　　Are　you　sure　they　will　not
make　you　change　your　mind？〃

Yet　no　such　question　was　asked　when　a　couple　of　days　later　the　King；
alone　and　unguarded　save　by　the　representatives　of　the　Nation；　came
to　Paris　to　complete　the　peacemaking；　the　surrender　of　Privilege。
The　Court　was　filled　with　terror　by　the　adventure。　　Were　they　not
the　〃enemy；〃　these　mutinous　Parisians？　　And　should　a　King　go　thus
among　his　enemies？　　If　he　shared　some　of　that　fear；　as　the　gloom　of
him　might　lead　us　to　suppose；　he　must　have　found　it　idle。　　What　if
two　hundred　thousand　men　under　arms　…　men　without　uniforms　and　with
the　most　extraordinary　motley　of　weapons　ever　seen　…　awaited　him？
They　awaited　him　as　a　guard　of　honour。

Mayor　Bailly　at　the　barrier　presented　him　with　the　keys　of　the　city。
〃These　are　the　same　keys　that　were　presented　to　Henri　IV。　　He　had
reconquered　his　people。　　Now　the　people　have　reconquered　their　King。〃

At　the　Hotel　de　Ville　Mayor　Bailly　offered　him　the　new　cockade；　the
tricoloured　symbol　of　constitutional　France；　and　when　he　had　given
his　royal　confirmation　to　the　formation　of　the　Garde　Bourgeoise　and
to　the　appointments　of　Bailly　and　Lafayette；　he　departed　again　for
Versailles　amid　the　shouts　of　〃Vive　le　Roi！〃　from　his　loyal　people。

And　now　you　see　Privilege　…　before　the　cannon's　mouth；　as　it　were
　…　submitting　at　last；　where　had　they　submitted　sooner　they　might
have　saved　oceans　of　blood　…　chiefly　their　own。　　They　come；　nobles
and　clergy；　to　join　the　National　Assembly；　to　labour　with　it　upon
this　constitution　that　is　to　regenerate　France。　　But　the　reunion
is　a　mockery　…　as　much　a　mockery　as　that　of　the　Archbishop　of　Paris
singing　the　Te　Deum　for　the　fall　of　the　Bastille　…　most　grotesque
and　incredible　of　all　these　grotesque　and　incredible　events。　　All
that　has　happened　to　the　National　Assembly　is　that　it　has　i