You are dazzled by a thief who has taken your purse, and who restores it to you!" "Not I," said Auguste, "but the others." And he continued, "To tell the whole truth, people did not care much for the Constitution, they liked the Republic, but the Republic was maintained too much by force for their taste.

In all this they could only see one thing clearly, the cannons ready to slaughter them--they remembered June, 1848--there were some poor people who had suffered greatly--Cavaignac had done much evil--women clung to the men's blouses to prevent them from going to the barricades--nevertheless, with all this, when seeing men like ourselves at their head, they would perhaps fight, but this hindered them, they did not know for what." He concluded by saying, "The upper part of the Faubourg is doing nothing, the lower end will do better.

Round about here they will fight.

The Rue de la Roquette is good, the Rue de Charonne is good; but on the side of Pere la Chaise they ask, 'What good will that do us ?' They only recognize the forty sous of their day's work.

They will not bestir themselves; do not reckon upon the masons." He added, with a smile, "Here we do not say 'cold as a stone,' but 'cold as a mason'"-- and he resumed, "As for me, if I am alive, it is to you that I owe my life.