At four o'clock, I got down to the door of the Home Office. I went in at once and reached the Minister's private office, without any obstacle preventing me; the office-boys and ushers who had seen me come there three or four times during the past fortnight, that is to say during the period M. Thiers had been Home Minister, did not even think of asking me where I was going. M. Thiers was at work with his secretary. He was exceedingly busy just at that time; for Paris had only just come out of her troubles of the 13 and 14 April, and the insurrection of the Lyons Mutualists was scarcely over; the budget of trade and of public works was under discussion, for, in spite of a special department, these accounts remained under the care of the Home Office; finally, they were just passing to the general discussion of the Fine Arts, and consequently had entered upon the particular discussion of the subsidising of the Théâtre-Français.
At the noise I made opening the door of his room, M. Thiers raised his head.
"Good!" he said, "I was expecting you."
"I think not," I replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Because, if you had expected me, you would have known my reasons for coming, and would have forbidden my entrance."
"And what are your reasons for coming?"
"I have come simply to ask an explanation of the man who fails to keep his promise as a Minister."