Philip had not come to the end of his trials; he had many more hands to shake,çoisRené many more embraces to receive: he still had to blow very many kisses, to bow very low to the passers-by, to humour the crowd by coming many times on the balcony of the Tuileries to sing the Marseillaise.
A certain number of Republicans had met, on the morning of the 31st, at the office of the _National_: when they knew that the Duc d'Orléans had been appointed Lieutenant-general of the Kingdom, they wished to know the opinions of the man destined to become King in spite of them. They were taken to the Palais-Royal by M. Thiers: there were Messieurs Bastide, Thomas, Joubert[298], Cavaignac[299], Marchais, Degousée[300], and Guinard. The Prince at first said many fine things to them about liberty:
"You are not King yet," retorted Bastide; "listen to the truth: soon you will have no lack of flatterers."
"Your father," added Cavaignac, "was a regicide like mine; that separates you a little from the others."
Followed mutual congratulations on the regicide, accompanied nevertheless by a judicious remark from Philip, to the effect that there are things which we should remember in order not to imitate them.
Some Republicans who were not at the meeting at the _National_ entered. M. Trélat said to Philip:
"The people is the master; your functions are provisional; the people must express its wish: do you consult it, yes or no?"
M. Thiers interrupted this dangerous speech by tapping M. Thomas on the shoulder and saying:
"Monseigneur, have we not a fine colonel here?"
"What is he talking about?" they exclaimed. "Does he take us for a band that has come to sell itself?"
And on every side rose contradictory phrases:
"It's a tower of Babel! And that's what they call a Citizen King! The Republic? You had better govern with Republicans!"
Then M. de La Fayette came down to the Palais-Royal: the citizen was nearly stifled under the embraces of his King. The whole house was ready to die.
Men in jackets were at the posts of honour, men in caps in the drawing-rooms, men in smocks sat down to table with the Princes and Princesses; in the council-chamber there were chairs, but no arm-chairs; all spoke who would; Louis-Philippe, seated between M. de La Fayette and M. Laffitte, their arms entwined round each other's shoulders, beamed expansively with equality and happiness.