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Special Commissary of Police of the Assembly, President Dupin being
present. When interrogated, the Commissary declared that the reports of
his agents indicated "dead calm"--such was his expression--and that
assuredly there was no danger to be apprehended for that night. When
the Questors pressed him further, President Dupin, exclaiming "Bah!"
left the room.
On that same day, the 1st December, about three o'clock in the afternoon,
as General Leflô's father-in-law crossed the boulevard in front of
Tortoni's, some one rapidly passed by him and whispered in his ear these
significant words, "Eleven o'clock--midnight." This incident excited but
little attention at the Questure, and several even laughed at it. It had
become customary with them. Nevertheless General Leflô would not go to
bed until the hour mentioned had passed by, and remained in the Offices
of the Questure until nearly one o'clock in the morning.
The shorthand department of the Assembly was done out of doors by four
messengers attached to the Moniteur, who were employed to carry the
copy of the shorthand writers to the printing-office, and to bring back
the proof-sheets to the Palace of the Assembly, where M. Hippolyte Prévost
corrected them. M. Hippolyte Prévost was chief of the stenographic staff,
and in that capacity had apartments in the Legislative Palace. He was at
the same time editor of the musical feuilleton of the Moniteur. On
the 1st December he had gone to the Opéra Comique for the first
representation of a new piece, and did not return till after midnight.
The fourth messenger from the Moniteur was waiting for him with a proof
of the last slip of the sitting; M. Prévost corrected the proof, and the
messenger was sent off. It was then a little after one o'clock, profound
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