BETWEEN THE CZAR AND THE SULTAN. 249 very sound. The army of Paris was in the tern- chap. per required. ' It was necessary for the plotters to have the concurrence of M. St Georges, the Director of the State printing-office. M. St Georges was suborned. Then all was ready. IV. On the Monday night between the 1st and the Assemi.iy at . . the Elysfie 2d of December the President had his usual as- on Monday , -. T . . , evening. sembly at the Elysee. Ministers who were loyally ignorant of what was going on were mingled with those who were in the plot. Vieyra was present. lie was spoken to by the President, and he under- weyns took that the National Guard should not beat to arms that night. He went away, and it is said that he fulfilled his humble task by causing the drums to be mutilated. At the usual hour the assembly began to disperse, and by eleven o'clock there were only three guests who remained. These were Morny (who had previously taken care to Midnight show himself at one of the theatres), Maupas, and St Arnaud, formerly Le Roy. There was, besides, an orderly officer of the President, called Colonel Beville, who was initiated in the secret. Persigny, it seems, was not present. Morny, Maupas, and St Arnaud went with the President into his cabinet; Colonel Beville followed them.* Moc- quard, the private secretary of the President, was
- Granier de Cassagnac, vol. ii. p. 399. 'Annuaire' for
1851, pp. 364, 305.
