He detested the
Republicans and treated them with undisguised disdain; but he was too
closely united by bonds of friendship with certain members of the
church to lend any active hand in a Bonapartist Coup d'Etat. The other
functionaries were in exactly the same position. The justices of the
peace, the post-master, the tax-collector, as well as Monsieur Peirotte,
the chief receiver of taxes, were all indebted for their posts to
the Clerical reaction, and could not accept the Empire with any great
enthusiasm. The Rougons, though they did not quite see how they might
get rid of these people and clear the way for themselves, nevertheless
indulged in sanguine hopes on finding there was little likelihood of
anybody disputing their role as deliverers.
The denouement was drawing near. In the last few days of November, as
the rumour of a Coup d'Etat was circulating, the prince-president was
accused of seeking the position of emperor.
"Eh! we'll call him whatever he likes," Granoux exclaimed, "provided he
has those Republican rascals shot!"
This exclamation from Granoux, who was believed to be asleep, caused
great commotion. The marquis pretended not to have heard it; but all
the bourgeois nodded approval. Roudier, who, being rich, did not fear to
applaud the sentiment aloud, went so far as to declare, while glancing
askance at Monsieur de Carnavant, that the position was no longer
tenable, and that France must be chastised as soon as possible, never
mind by what hand.
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