"Sire," Laffitte continued, "you are less severe with respect to the Legitimists than towards the Republicans." "In what way?"
"Your Majesty employs strange dealings towards them!"
"Listen, Monsieur Laffitte," said the king, "I always remember the saying of Kersaint: 'Charles I. was beheaded, and his son ascended the throne; James II. was only exiled, and his race died out on the continent.'"
"Sire," said Arago, "we had hoped, however, that, when Casimir Périer died, this system of reaction and of persecution would stop."
"So," replied the king, laughing, "they attribute this system to a minister?"
"No, but at least we hoped it was his work."
"You are mistaken, monsieur," said the king, frowning; "the system is mine; M. Casimir Périer was but an instrument in my hands, strong, and yet pliant like steel; my will has always been, is now and ever shall be immovable. Once only it gave way, as you very well know," added the king. "As M. de Salvandy has said, 'At my fête du Palais-Royal we marched over a volcano—the Revolution, which has spread its principles through every nation in Europe—but every nation has not an Orléans on the throne to suppress them.'"
It was a very differently specified programme than that of the Hôtel-de-Ville. Then M. Arago rose—
"Sire," he said, "after hearing the expression of such opinions as that, do not ever count on my co-operation."
"What do you mean by that, Monsieur Arago?"