XXXVI 



persisted, and his companion then offered to take him all the way. 

 This stranger, whoever he was, gained their free passage through 

 military posts, and sent patrols about their business by a mere 

 whisper. At Compiegne, the young volunteer was summoned before 

 a revolutionary committee, then and there sitting, on the evidence 

 of his uniform. But his examination had hardly commenced when 

 his companion entered the room in violent anger and addressed strong 

 reproaches to the Committee, which were answered by humble 

 apologies. When they arrived at Paris, Biot desired to know the 

 name and address of his protector, and was answered St. Just, Rue 

 de la Michodiere, Hotel X . The story, one would suppose, 

 ends here with full explanation of all that had taken place. But 

 when Biot, after an illness of several weeks, presented himself at the 

 address given, he was told that no such person had ever lived there. 

 In later years Biot made many efforts to clear up the mystery, but 

 never could get beyond a doubt. So far the notes from which we 

 write. We add that it is notorious that the formidable leader of 

 the revolution was on his way to Paris about the time in question, 

 having been commissioner to the army of the North ; and he was 

 the elegant which Biot describes his friend to have been ; but this 

 was, of course, known to Biot. It may be surmised that the person 

 really was the colleague of Robespierre, who, knowing that the 

 power he had shown would necessitate the inference that he was 

 very high in the state, and render his detection easy, chose to give 

 his real name, but also to hint that further acquaintance would be 

 inconvenient, by giving a wrong address. He was guillotined in 

 July 1794, so that Biot, enfeebled by illness, probably had no 

 opportunity of seeing him in public. 



Biot was admitted into the school of Ponts et Chaussees, and into 

 the Polytechnic School at its opening. He formed the acquaint- 

 ance of Poisson, and the two became the favourite pupils of Monge. 

 But Biot, Malus, and some others who had smelt powder, took part 

 in the insurrection of October 1795, the suppression of which by 

 grape-shot was the first very notorious achievement of Napoleon 

 Bonaparte. Biot found refuge at Melun ; but the names of the in- 

 surgent students were known, and they would have been expelled 

 from the Polytechnic School if Monge had not interfered by the 

 declaration that they were among his best pupils, and that if they 



