"Will he speak or will he not?" I inquired of Étienne.
"We will find out," he replied. "There he is, out there."
"Ah!" I said, "isn't he talking to the Duc de Raguse?"
"Yes; the Duc de Raguse is one of his oldest friends."
"Let us push forward, then.... I am very anxious to know what the subscriber to the capitulation of Paris has to say about the subscribers to the Ordinances."
"By Jove!" Étienne replied, "he will say that they have undone to-day, 26 July 1830, all he did on 30 March 1814!"
We continued our course, but it was no easy matter to thread our way through the midst of an illustrious crowd, to whom one had to offer at least one apology for each push of the elbow. By the time we reached François Arago, the duke was already some distance away from him.
"You have just left Marmot," Étienne asked; "what does he say?"
"He is furious! He says they are the type of people who fling themselves in the very teeth of ruin, and he only hopes he won't be obliged to draw swords on their behalf."
"Good!" I said; "he only needs to do that to make himself popular."