The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-28
A RESTITUTION.

After the close of the parliamentary ses-
sion the Hon. N. Grandca1et, deputy from
Duck Garounes takes the express-grstis,
be it understood. with his pass-and goes to
feel the pulse Of public opinion in his own
little city.
Comfortably installed in corner of the
coach, Monsieur Grandcadet uDfolds the
immense evening journal, very thoughtful
ministerial journal, set forth in prose as
heavy and luEubrlOus as virtue herself, and
whose very typography has grave aud
puritanical air. The Panama episode-in-
significant, as we all know, and exaggerated
so malevcently by the enemies of the re-
pubiic-is disdainfully Telegated to the third
page, and all that relates to it set up in
small type and is almost illegible. Per
contra, the columns of the austere organ
are burdened with foreign lOlitics, with
articles OF p2lpltatIng interest, which be-
gin in these terms: Things are going to
the bad in Venezuela" or. Can il be that
the day Of the TTicoupis Ministry are num-
bered?"
To keep himself in countenance before
the gentleman with the white mustaches Of
a retired colonel, who sits opposite him
and quietly reads La COcarde, NJ Grand
cadet does not take his eyes off the official
sheet, but appears to feel a passionate in-
tcrest in the Hellenic crisis and in the
latest dispatches frem Caracas. In reality,
however. NJ. Grandcadet has been greatly
shaken by late events, and a dark in
quietuds lives In his soul.
His name has not yet been uttered.
Good. lie has written or put his name 10
nothing. Capital But who can answer
for IL as the times 90, that some compr0-
missing paper concerning him viii not be
brought TO light one Of these fine days?
For in me lie, ike mis- com ade, the honor
able man, has received his graluity and has
not thought he was doing any harm. Look
at it; viii let you judge for yourself. he
had no opinion of his own in regard TO the
last call for funds; be was hesitatiug A
man of considerable Importance, rich
banker, whom he frequently met in pOlIti-
cal circles, with whom lie maintained the
most agreeable relations-almOst friend
opened his eyes, showed him how appro.
priate-what shall l say?-how patriotic
IT was to vote in favor of utteTancr. This
man, who knows the polite world, who is
a perfect gentleman, proposes to hm-oh,
in terms OF the utmost delicacy-to asso-
clate him with the financial operations
which are so naturally preparing IN con-
nectiOn with this huge affair. aud assures
to hlm-eYsn pays him in advance TO quiet
his scTuples-a profit; not an enormous one.
bless you, but a wretched trfie Of % GOO
francs. You need not speak word in pro-
test! Yon would have accepted yourself
Just rs did n. Grandcadet.
| know what You are going to say:
And what about the subscribers?" Let
us reason together. 10 case of success they
would have said nothing at all. because they
would nave made an excellent investment.
They were gam blers, and that IS all there
is about IT, Would You know my way Of
looking at it? They are OF no consequence
whateyer-ine subscribers. Had Grandca-
Diet any means OF predicting that the fam
Gus canal would never be opened? Why,
already several times he had realized profits
-trifes-ln affairs of the same kind which
had had more or less Of success. Nobody
had complained.
Well then, frankly. with his hand on his
conscience. be reproached himself for moth
ing. And shall we tell tie whole truth -?
He had no faith whatever 10 this explosion
of public anger 1t was entirely fictitious
1t was easy TO recognize, behind all this
ready-made indignation, a conspiracy OF the
old parties, the hand Of the Count Of Paris,
and Of the BOulangists. The president OF
the council had told them so TO their face.
ALL but!-FoTtunately he. Grandfather, had
been there TO defend the jsopardiZed repuh-
lie. At the peri of his life, if you please.
You would scarcely have believed him
capable of II, with his round pauncb, his
whiskers in the shape Of hare's foot and
his miep of a Takish notary posing in readi-
ness 10 pierce a hole through the moon.
But when the mustard got up into his nose.
Yes. had it been absolutely necessary he
would have offered himself TO be slain on a
barricade, and would have crieG, like the
heroic Baudit "Come and see how man
can dle-for Is. goo 1rancsw
And yet, in spite of all this clear reason
ing, the honorable Deputy from DeuX-
Garrones was not happy.
81 might as we'll try TO rest little" he
said 10 himself
lie pulled his travelling cap well down