THE PORTRAIT GALLERY
225
with the strikers. These negotiations, inspired by a spirit of generous
conciliation, were interrupted by the violence in Jouxtebouville. It is
known that a discreet use of troops brought them
to
their senses.
"The premature death of his son Octave, entered very young at
the Polytechnical School, and of whom he wished
'to
make a leader,'
dealt a terrible blow to Olivier Blevigne. He never recovered from it
and died two years later in February 1908.
"Collections of speeches:
Moral Strength
(
1894. Out of print),
The Duty to Punish
(1900. The speeches in
this
collection were all
made in connection with the Dreyfus affair. Out of print),
Will
( 1902. Out of print). Mter his death
his
last spee·ches and some per–
sonal letters were collected under the title
Labor Improbus
(Pion,
1910). Iconography: there is an excellent portrait of
him
by Bor–
durin in the museum of Bouville."
An
excellent portrait, so be it. Olivier Bievigne wore a small
black moustache and his olive complexion somewhat resembled that
of Maurice Barres. The two men were certainly acquainted: they
sat on the same benches. But the Representative from Bouville did
not have the nonchalance of the President of the League of Patriots.
He was as stiff as a post and sprang out of the canvas like a jack
in the box. His eyes flashed: the pupils were black, the cornea reddish.
He pinched his little fat lips together and pressed
his
right hand to
his heart.
How it had bothered me, this portrait! Sometimes Blevigne
had seemed to me too great and at other times too small. But today
I knew what held me to it.
I had learned the truth while turning the pages of
Satirique
Bouvillois.
The November 6, 1905 number was entirely devoted to
Blevigne. He was represented on the cover, minute, hanging to the
name of Father Combes, with this legend: The Lion's Flea. From
the first page everything was explained: Olivier Blevigne was 5 feet
Y4
inch tall. They were jeering at the small stature and the frog's
pipe which had more than once held enthralled the entire Chamber
of Deputies. He was accused of putting rubber
lifts
inside the heels
of
his
boots. On the other hand, Mme. Blevigne, nee Pacome, was
a horse. "To tell the truth," added the chronicler,
"his
better half is
twice his size."
5 feet
Y4
inch! Yes indeed: Bordurin, with jealous care, sur–
rounded him by those objects by which there was no risk at all of
belittling him; an ottoman, a low armchair, a whatnot containing
some duodecimo volumes, a small Persian coffee table. Only, he gave
