AS DESPATCH-BEARER IN WAR-TIME- 1855 479 



there awaited the coming of some one of the directors; 

 and the first of these whom he caught was no less a person 

 than Greeley himself, who, soon after arriving in Paris, 

 was arrested for the debt and taken to Clichy prison. 



Much feeling was shown by the American community. 

 Every one knew that Mr. Greeley 's connection with the 

 New York exposition was merely of a good-natured, nomi- 

 nal sort. It therefore became the fashion among travel- 

 ing Americans to visit him while thus in durance vile; 

 and among those who thus called upon him were two 

 former Presidents of the United States, both of whom 

 he had most bitterly opposed Mr. Van Buren and Mr. 

 Fillmore. 



The American legation having made very earnest rep- 

 resentations, the prisoner was soon released ; and the most 

 tangible result of the whole business was a letter, very 

 pithy and characteristic, which Greeley wrote to the ' * New 

 York Tribune," giving this strange experience, and clos- 

 ing with the words: "So ended my last chance to learn 

 French. " 



A day or two after his release I met him at the student 

 restaurant of Madame Busque. A large company of 

 Americans were present ; and shortly after taking his seat 

 at table he tried to ask for some green string-beans, 

 which were then in season. Addressing one of the serving- 

 maids, he said, "Flawronce, donney moy donney moy 

 donney moy "; and then, unable to remember the word, 

 he impatiently screamed out in a high treble, thrusting out 

 his plate at the same time, "beans!" The crowd of us 

 burst into laughter; whereupon Donn Piatt, then secre- 

 tary of the legation at Paris and afterward editor of the 

 " Capital' ' at Washington, said: "Why, Greeley, you 

 don 't improve a bit ; you knew beans yesterday. ' ' 



This restaurant of Madame Busque 's had been, for 

 some years, a place of resort for American students and 

 their traveling friends. The few dishes served, though 

 simple, were good; all was plain; there were no table- 

 cloths ; but the place was made attractive by the portraits 



