imitated the way he trimmed his beard or arranged his hair, the cut of
his clothes, his walk, his mannerisms. Indeed, how many men in each
country seemed to be the living images of the head of the government!
Perhaps he vaguely resembled Napoleon III., but his hair was black;
therefore he dyed it, and then the likeness was complete; and when he met
another gentleman in the street also imitating the imperial countenance
he was jealous and looked at him disdainfully. This need of imitation
soon became his hobby, and, having heard an usher at the Tuilleries
imitate the voice of the emperor, he also acquired the same intonations
and studied slowness.

He thus became so much like his model that they might easily have been
mistaken for each other, and certain high dignitaries were heard to
remark that they found it unseemly and even vulgar; the matter was
mentioned to the prime minister, who ordered that the employee should
appear before him. But at the sight of him he began to laugh and repeated
two or three times: "That's funny, really funny!" This was repeated, and
the following day Patissot's immediate superior recommended that his
subordinate receive an increase of salary of three hundred francs. He
received it immediately.

From that time on his promotions came regularly, thanks to his ape-like
faculty of imitation. The presentiment that some high honor might come to
him some day caused his chiefs to speak to him with deference.

When the Republic was proclaimed it was a disaster for him. He felt lost,
done for, and, losing his head, he stopped dyeing his hair, shaved his
face clean and had his hair cut short, thus acquiring a paternal and
benevolent expression which could not compromise him in any way.