M.  Dupin  certainly  spoke  from  no  prejudice  against  the  Prince,
or  as  though  averse  to  his  making  the  effort  if  he  thought  fit,  but
simply  from  his  profound  conviction  that  the  Prince  had  not  the
requisite  force  of  character  or  mental  capacity  to  govern  France.
THE    DIE    CAST.  209

It  is  worth  while  to  give  this  anecdote,  which  I  trust  will  not  be
offensive  to  the  ex- President  Dupin,  as  illustrating  the  opinion
entertained  of  the  Prince  Louis  by  the  leading  men  of  France,  even
so  late  as  the  spring  of  '51.
