"What do you want?" challenged the servant of the man on the crutch.
"I want to speak with the Citizen Minister," replied the cripple.
Since a fortnight, the titles of citizen and citizeness had officially replaced all others.
"You will have to show a letter of audience," replied the domestic.
"Halloo! I thought that was all very fine fun in the days when the tyrant ruled, but folks ought to be equals under the Republic, or at least not so aristocratic."
This remark set the servant thinking.
"I can tell you that it is no joke," continued the man in red, "to drag all the way from Versailles to do the Secretary of State a service and not to get a squint of him."
"Oh, you come to do Citizen Roland a service, do you?"
"To show up a conspiracy."
"Pooh! we are up to our ears in conspiracies. If that is all you came from Versailles for, I suggest you get back."