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granted　to　each　minister　taking　charge　of　a　public　department　an

indemnity；　called　an　〃outfit。〃　It　costs；　alas；　as　much　to　enter　on　the

duties　of　a　minister　as　to　retire　from　them；　indeed；　the　entrance

involves　expenses　of　all　kinds　which　it　is　quite　impossible　to

inventory。　This　indemnity　amounted　to　the　pretty　little　sum　of　twenty…

five　thousand　francs。　When　the　appointment　of　a　new　minister　was

gazetted　in　the　〃Moniteur；〃　and　the　greater　or　lesser　officials；

clustering　round　the　stoves　or　before　the　fireplaces　and　shaking　in

their　shoes；　asked　themselves：　〃What　will　he　do？　will　he　increase　the

number　of　clerks？　will　he　dismiss　two　to　make　room　for　three？〃　the

cashier　tranquilly　took　out　twenty…five　clean　bank…bills　and　pinned

them　together　with　a　satisfied　expression　on　his　beadle　face。　The　next

day　he　mounted　the　private　staircase　and　had　himself　ushered　into　the

minister's　presence　by　the　lackeys；　who　considered　the　money　and　the

keeper　of　money；　the　contents　and　the　container；　the　idea　and　the

form；　as　one　and　the　same　power。　The　cashier　caught　the　ministerial

pair　at　the　dawn　of　official　delight；　when　the　newly　appointed

statesman　is　benign　and　affable。　To　the　minister's　inquiry　as　to　what

brings　him　there；　he　replies　with　the　bank…notes；informing　his

Excellency　that　he　hastens　to　pay　him　the　customary　indemnity。

Moreover；　he　explains　the　matter　to　the　minister's　wife；　who　never

fails　to　draw　freely　upon　the　fund；　and　sometimes　takes　all；　for　the

〃outfit〃　is　looked　upon　as　a　household　affair。　The　cashier　then

proceeds　to　turn　a　compliment；　and　to　slip　in　a　few　politic　phrases：

〃If　his　Excellency　would　deign　to　retain　him；　if；　satisfied　with　his

purely　mechanical　services；　he　would；〃　etc。　As　a　man　who　brings

twenty…five　thousand　francs　is　always　a　worthy　official；　the　cashier

is　sure　not　to　leave　without　his　confirmation　to　the　post　from　which

he　has　seen　a　succession　of　ministers　come　and　go　during　a　period　of；

perhaps；　twenty…five　years。　His　next　step　is　to　place　himself　at　the

orders　of　Madame；　he　brings　the　monthly　thirteen　thousand　francs

whenever　wanted；　he　advances　or　delays　the　payment　as　requested；　and

thus　manages　to　obtain；　as　they　said　in　the　monasteries；　a　voice　in

the　chapter。



Formerly　book…keeper　at　the　Treasury；　when　that　establishment　kept　its

books　by　double　entry；　the　Sieur　Saillard　was　compensated　for　the　loss

of　that　position　by　his　appointment　as　cashier　of　a　ministry。　He　was　a

bulky；　fat　man；　very　strong　in　the　matter　of　book…keeping；　and　very

weak　in　everything　else；　round　as　a　round　O；　simple　as　how…do…you…do；

a　man　who　came　to　his　office　with　measured　steps；　like　those　of　an

elephant；　and　returned　with　the　same　measured　tread　to　the　place

Royale；　where　he　lived　on　the　ground…floor　of　an　old　mansion　belonging

to　him。　He　usually　had　a　companion　on　the　way　in　the　person　of

Monsieur　Isidore　Baudoyer；　head　of　a　bureau　in　Monsieur　de　la

Billardiere's　division；　consequently　one　of　Rabourdin's　colleagues。

Baudoyer　was　married　to　Elisabeth　Saillard；　the　cashier's　only

daughter；　and　had　hired；　very　naturally；　the　apartments　above　those　of

his　father…in…law。　No　one　at　the　ministry　had　the　slightest　doubt　that

Saillard　was　a　blockhead；　but　neither　had　any　one　ever　found　out　how

far　his　stupidity　could　go；　it　was　too　compact　to　be　examined；　it　did

not　ring　hollow；　it　absorbed　everything　and　gave　nothing　out。　Bixiou

（a　clerk　of　whom　more　anon）　caricatured　the　cashier　by　drawing　a　head

in　a　wig　at　the　top　of　an　egg；　and　two　little　legs　at　the　other　end；

with　this　inscription：　〃Born　to　pay　out　and　take　in　without

blundering。　A　little　less　luck；　and　he　might　have　been　lackey　to　the

bank　of　France；　a　little　more　ambition；　and　he　could　have　been

honorably　discharged。〃



At　the　moment　of　which　we　are　now　writing；　the　minister　was　looking　at

his　cashier　very　much　as　we　gaze　at　a　window　or　a　cornice；　without

supposing　that　either　can　hear　us；　or　fathom　our　secret　thoughts。



〃I　am　all　the　more　anxious　that　we　should　settle　everything　with　the

prefect　in　the　quietest　way；　because　des　Lupeaulx　has　designs　upon　the

place　for　himself；〃　said　the　minister；　continuing　his　talk　with　the

deputy；　〃his　paltry　little　estate　is　in　your　arrondissement；　we　won't

want　him　as　deputy。〃



〃He　has　neither　years　nor　rentals　enough　to　be　eligible；〃　said　the

deputy。



〃That　may　be；　but　you　know　how　it　was　decided　for　Casimir　Perier　as　to

age；　and　as　to　worldly　possessions；　des　Lupeaulx　does　possess

something；not　much；　it　is　true；　but　the　law　does　not　take　into

account　increase；　which　he　may　very　well　obtain；　commissions　have　wide

margins　for　the　deputies　of　the　Centre；　you　know；　and　we　cannot　openly

oppose　the　good…will　that　is　shown　to　this　dear　friend。〃



〃But　where　would　he　get　the　money？〃



〃How　did　Manuel　manage　to　become　the　owner　of　a　house　in　Paris？〃　cried

the　minister。



The　cashier　listened　and　heard；　but　reluctantly　and　against　his　will。

These　rapid　remarks；　murmured　as　they　were；　struck　his　ear　by　one　of

those　acoustic　rebounds　which　are　very　little　studied。　As　he　heard

these　political　confidences；　however；　a　keen　alarm　took　possession　of

his　soul。　He　was　one　of　those　simple…minded　beings；　who　are　shocked　at

listening　to　anything　they　are　not　intended　to　hear；　or　entering　where

they　are　not　invited；　and　seeming　bold　when　they　are　really　timid；

inquisitive　where　they　are　truly　discreet。　The　cashier　accordingly

began　to　glide　along　the　carpet　and　edge　himself　away；　so　that　the

minister　saw　him　at　a　distance　when　he　first　took　notice　of　him。

Saillard　was　a　ministerial　henchman　absolutely　incapable　of

indiscretion；　even　if　the　minister　had　known　that　he　had　overheard　a

secret　he　had　only　to　whisper　〃motus〃　in　his　ear　to　be　sure　it　was

perfectly　safe。　The　cashier；　however；　took　advantage　of　an　influx　of

office…seekers；　to　slip　out　and　get　into　his　hackney…coach　（hired　by

the　hour　for　these　costly　entertainments）；　and　to　return　to　his　home

in　the　place　Royale。







CHAPTER　III



THE　TEREDOS　NAVALIS；　OTHERWISE　CALLED　SHIP…WORM



While　old　Saillard　was　driving　across　Paris　his　son…in…law；　Isidore

Baudoyer；　and　his　daughter；　Elisabeth；　Baudoyer's　wife；　were　playing　a

virtuous　game　of　boston　with　their　confessor；　the　Abbe　Gaudron；　in

company　with　a　few　neighbors　and　a　certain　Martin　Falleix；　a　brass…

founder　in　the　fauborg　Saint…Antoine；　to　whom　Saillard　had　loaned　the

necessary　money　to　establish　a　business。　This　Falleix；　a　respectable

Auvergnat　who　had　come　to　seek　his　fortune　in　Paris　with　his　smelting…

pot　on　his　back；　had　found　immediate　employment　with　the　firm　of

Brezac；　collectors　of　metals　and　other　relics　from　all　chateaux　in　the

provinces。　About　twenty…seven　years　of　age；　and　spoiled；　like　others；

by　success；　Martin　Falleix　had　had　the　luck　to　become　the　active　agent

of　Monsieur　Saillard；　the　sleeping…partner　in　the　working　out　of　a

discovery　made　by　Falleix　in　smelting　（patent　of　invention　and　gold

medal　granted　at　the　exposition　of　1825）。　Madame　Baudoyer；　whose　only

daughter　was　treadingto　use　an　expression　of　old　Saillard'son　the

tail　of　her　twelve　years；　laid　claim　to　Falleix；　a　thickset；　swarthy；

active　young　fellow；　of　shrewd　principles；　whose　education　she　was

superintending。　The　said　education；　according　to　her　ideas；　consisted

in　teaching　him　to　play　boston；　to　hold　his　cards　properly；　and　not　to

let　others　see　his　game；　to　shave　himself　regularly　before　he　came　to

the　house；　and　to　wash　his　hands　with　good　cleansing　soap；　not　to

swear；　to　speak　her　kind　of　French；　to　wear　boots　instead　of　shoes；

cotton　shirts　instead　of　sacking；　and　to　brush　up　his　hair　instead　of

plastering　it　flat。　During　the　preceding　week　Elisabeth　had　finally

succeeded　in　persuading　Falleix　to　give　up　wearing　a　pair　of　enormous

flat　earrings　resembling　hoops。



〃You　go　too　far；　Madame　Baudoyer；〃　he　said；　seeing　her　satisfaction　at

the　final　sacrifice；　〃you　order　me　about　too　much。　You　make　me　clean

my　teeth；　which　loosens　them；　presently　you　will　want　me　to　brush　my

nails　and　curl　my　hair；　which　won't　do　at　all　in　our　business；　we

don't　like　dandies。〃



Elisabeth　Baudoyer；　nee　Saillard；　is　one　of　those　persons　who　escape

portraiture　through　their　utter　commonness；　yet　who　ought　to　be

sketched；　because　they　are　specimens　of　that　second…rate　Parisian

bourgeoisie　which　occupies　a　place　above　the　well…to…do　artisan　and

below　the　upper　middle　classes；a　tribe　whose　virtues　are　well…nigh

vices；　whose　defects　are　never　kindly；　but　whose　habits　and　manners；

dull　and　insipid　though　they　be；　are　not　without　a　certain

originality。　Something　pinched　and　puny　about　Elisabeth　Saillard　was

painful　to　the　eye。　Her　figure；　scarcely　over　four　feet　in　height；　was

so　thin　that　the　waist　measured　less　than　twenty　inches。　Her　small

features；　which　clustered　close　about　the　nose；　gave　her　face　a　vague

resemblance　to　a　weasel's　snout。　Though　sh