In the meantime the Pont de la Concorde became covered with troops.  Among them General Vast-Vimeux, lean, old, and little; his lank white hair plastered over his temples, in full uniform, with his laced hat on his head.  He was laden with two huge epaulets, and displayed his scarf, not that of a Representative, but of a general, which scarf, being too long, trailed on the ground.  He crossed the bridge on foot, shouting to the soldiers inarticulate cries of enthusiasm for the Empire and the coup d’etat.  Such figures as these were seen in 1814.  Only instead of wearing a large tri-colored, cockade, they wore a large white cockade.  In the main the same phenomenon; old men crying, “Long live the Past!” Almost at the same moment M. de Larochejaquelein crossed the Place de la Concorde, surrounded by a hundred men in blouses, who followed him in silence, and with an air of curiosity.  Numerous regiments of cavalry were drawn up in the grand avenue of the Champs Elysees.

At eight o’clock a formidable force invested the Legislative Palace.  All the approaches were guarded, all the doors were shut.  Some Representatives nevertheless succeeded in penetrating into the interior of the Palace, not, as has been wrongly stated, by the passage of the President’s house on the side of the Esplanade of the Invalides, but by the little door of the Rue de Bourgogne, called the Black Door.  This door, by what omission or what connivance I do not know, remained open till noon on the 2d December.  The Rue de Bourgogne was nevertheless full of troops.  Squads of soldiers scattered here and there in the Rue de l’Universite allowed passers-by, who were few and far between, to use it as a thoroughfare.

The Representatives who entered by the door in Rue de Bourgogne, penetrated as far as the Salle des Conferences, where they met their colleagues coming out from M. Dupin.

A numerous group of men, representing every shade of opinion in the
Assembly, was speedily assembled in this hall, amongst whom were MM. 
Eugene Sue, Richardet, Fayolle, Joret, Marc Dufraisse, Benoit (du
Rhone), Canet, Gambon, d’Adelsward, Crequ, Repellin, Teillard-Laterisse,
Rantion, General Leydet, Paulin Durrieu, Chanay, Brilliez, Collas (de la
Gironde), Monet, Gaston, Favreau, and Albert de Resseguier.

Each new-comer accosted M. de Panat.

“Where are the vice-Presidents?”

“In prison.”

“And the two other Questors?”

“Also in prison.  And I beg you to believe, gentlemen,” added M. de Panat, “that I have had nothing to do with the insult which has been offered me, in not arresting me.”

Indignation was at its height; every political shade was blended in the same sentiment of contempt and anger, and M. de Resseguier was no less energetic than Eugene Sue.  For the first time the Assembly seemed only to have one heart and one voice.  Each at length said what he thought of the man of the Elysee, and it was then seen that for a long time past Louis Bonaparte had imperceptibly created a profound unanimity in the Assembly—­the unanimity of contempt.