text:  The ruling genius of the night the minister's wife officially inspired to do honour to the triumphs of the State had employed the talents of her _decorateurs_ actively during our stay at the supper-table; and when the curtain rose for the third act instead of "a stormy sea and the horrors of shipwreck " according to the stage directions we saw a stage Olympus in which the whole _elite_ of the Celestials escorted a formidable Bellona-like figure the cuirassed and helmed Republic in triumphal procession to an altar covered with laurels and flaming with incense inscribed "_a la Liberte_