“What? Revolution and regicide a grand thing?⁠ ⁠… Well, after that⁠ ⁠… But won’t you come to this other table?” repeated Anna Pávlovna.

“Rousseau’s Contrat Social ,” said the vicomte with a tolerant smile.

“I am not speaking of regicide, I am speaking about ideas.”

“Yes: ideas of robbery, murder, and regicide,” again interjected an ironical voice.

“Those were extremes, no doubt, but they are not what is most important. What is important are the rights of man, emancipation from prejudices, and equality of citizenship, and all these ideas Napoleon has retained in full force.”