68 DELESSEPS
been having separate communications with Oudinot, to
which he was not a party, it was no less upsetting to
learn through Veyrassat that Mazzini had been foolish
enough to countenance the sending out to the French
army a present of cigars each one of which contained
a paper inciting the soldiers to mutiny. De Lesseps,
acting on his information, visited Mazzini, and was able
unnoticed to get hold of one of these proclamations
which were lying on the table and to secrete it in the
crown of his hat. He then addressed Mazzini. " Do
you know what I am told? You were twice led away
by your friends, conspirators by habit, and you have
twice tried to deceive me. This is the third time. I am
informed that you have meditated sending proclama-
tions to the French troops. The French soldier would
burn down his mother's house if he received orders to
do so. Despite your experience, you do not know the
French soldier, and you have consequently made a
great blunder." Mazzini stoutly denied the accusation.
Whereupon De Lesseps produced the paper out of his
hat, and said sternly: "What do you mean by no?
I have done to-day a thing that I will never do again,
and that is to lay my hand on this sheet of paper."
The Triumvir, confronted with this evidence, could
only express contrition.
Oudinot was now pressing for a cessation of all
negotiations. But De Lesseps held him off pending the
arrival of definite instructions from Paris. The instruc-
tions never came. There can be little doubt that they
were purposely withheld. The General urged that
pressure was being put upon him by his officers, who
felt that their inactivity was derogatory to the dignity