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encircled　all　her　faculties　with　an　iron　hand；　they　were　exercised

solely　on　the　commonest　things　of　life；　spent　in　a　few　directions　they

were　able　to　concentrate　themselves　on　a　matter　in　hand。　Repressed　by

religious　devotion；　her　natural　intelligence　exercised　itself　within

the　limits　marked　out　by　cases　of　conscience；　which　form　a　mine　of

subtleties　among　which　self…interest　selects　its　subterfuges。　Like

those　saintly　personages　in　whom　religion　does　not　stifle　ambition；

Elisabeth　was　capable　of　requiring　others　to　do　a　blamable　action　that

she　might　reap　the　fruits；　and　she　would　have　been；　like　them　again；

implacable　as　to　her　dues　and　dissembling　in　her　actions。　Once

offended；　she　watched　her　adversaries　with　the　perfidious　patience　of

a　cat；　and　was　capable　of　bringing　about　some　cold　and　complete

vengeance；　and　then　laying　it　to　the　account　of　God。　Until　her

marriage　the　Saillards　lived　without　other　society　than　that　of　the

Abbe　Gaudron；　a　priest　from　Auvergne　appointed　vicar　of　Saint…Paul's

after　the　restoration　of　Catholic　worship。　Besides　this　ecclesiastic；

who　was　a　friend　of　the　late　Madame　Bidault；　a　paternal　uncle　of

Madame　Saillard；　an　old　paper…dealer　retired　from　business　ever　since

the　year　II。　of　the　Republic；　and　now　sixty…nine　years　old；　came　to

see　them　on　Sundays　only；　because　on　that　day　no　government　business

went　on。



This　little　old　man；　with　a　livid　face　blazoned　by　the　red　nose　of　a

tippler　and　lighted　by　two　gleaming　vulture　eyes；　allowed　his　gray

hair　to　hang　loose　under　a　three…cornered　hat；　wore　breeches　with

straps　that　extended　beyond　the　buckles；　cotton　stockings　of　mottled

thread　knitted　by　his　niece；　whom　he　always　called　〃the　little

Saillard；〃　stout　shoes　with　silver　buckles；　and　a　surtout　coat　of

mixed　colors。　He　looked　very　much　like　those　verger…beadle…bell…

ringing…grave…digging…parish…clerks　who　are　taken　to　be　caricatures

until　we　see　them　performing　their　various　functions。　On　the　present

occasion　he　had　come　on　foot　to　dine　with　the　Saillards；　intending　to

return　in　the　same　way　to　the　rue　Greneta；　where　he　lived　on　the　third

floor　of　an　old　house。　His　business　was　that　of　discounting　commercial

paper　in　the　quartier　Saint…Martin；　where　he　was　known　by　the　nickname

of　〃Gigonnet；〃　from　the　nervous　convulsive　movement　with　which　he

lifted　his　legs　in　walking；　like　a　cat。　Monsieur　Bidault　began　this

business　in　the　year　II。　in　partnership　with　a　dutchman　named

Werbrust；　a　friend　of　Gobseck。



Some　time　later　Saillard　made　the　acquaintance　of　Monsieur　and　Madame

Transon；　wholesale　dealers　in　pottery；　with　an　establishment　in　the

rue　de　Lesdiguieres；　who　took　an　interest　in　Elisabeth　and　introduced

young　Isadore　Baudoyer　to　the　family　with　the　intention　of　marrying

her。　Gigonnet　approved　of　the　match；　for　he　had　long　employed　a

certain　Mitral；　uncle　of　the　young　man；　as　clerk。　Monsieur　and　Madame

Baudoyer；　father　and　mother　of　Isidore；　highly　respected　leather…

dressers　in　the　rue　Censier；　had　slowly　made　a　moderate　fortune　out　of

a　small　trade。　After　marrying　their　only　son；　on　whom　they　settled

fifty　thousand　francs；　they　determined　to　live　in　the　country；　and　had

lately　removed　to　the　neighborhood　of　Ile…d'Adam；　where　after　a　time

they　were　joined　by　Mitral。　They　frequently　came　to　Paris；　however；

where　they　kept　a　corner　in　the　house　in　the　rue　Censier　which　they

gave　to　Isidore　on　his　marriage。　The　elder　Baudoyers　had　an　income　of

about　three　thousand　francs　left　to　live　upon　after　establishing　their

son。



Mitral　was　a　being　with　a　sinister　wig；　a　face　the　color　of　Seine

water；　lighted　by　a　pair　of　Spanish…tobacco…colored　eyes；　cold　as　a

well…rope；　always　smelling　a　rat；　and　close…mouthed　about　his

property。　He　probably　made　his　fortune　in　his　own　hole　and　corner；

just　as　Werbrust　and　Gigonnet　made　theirs　in　the　quartier　Saint…

Martin。



Though　the　Saillards'　circle　of　acquaintance　increased；　neither　their

ideas　nor　their　manners　and　customs　changed。　The　saint's…days　of

father；　mother；　daughter；　son…in…law；　and　grandchild　were　carefully

observed；　also　the　anniversaries　of　birth　and　marriage；　Easter；

Christmas；　New　Year's　day；　and　Epiphany。　These　festivals　were　preceded

by　great　domestic　sweepings　and　a　universal　clearing　up　of　the　house；

which　added　an　element　of　usefulness　to　the　ceremonies。　When　the

festival　day　came；　the　presents　were　offered　with　much　pomp　and　an

accompaniment　of　flowers；silk　stockings　or　a　fur　cap　for　old

Saillard；　gold　earrings　and　articles　of　plate　for　Elisabeth　or　her

husband；　for　whom；　little　by　little；　the　parents　were　accumulating　a

whole　silver　service；　silk　petticoats　for　Madame　Saillard；　who　laid

the　stuff　by　and　never　made　it　up。　The　recipient　of　these　gifts　was

placed　in　an　armchair　and　asked　by　those　present　for　a　certain　length

of　time；　〃Guess　what　we　have　for　you！〃　Then　came　a　splendid　dinner；

lasting　at　least　five　hours；　to　which　were　invited　the　Abbe　Gaudron；

Falleix；　Rabourdin；　Monsieur　Godard；　under…head…clerk　to　Monsieur

Baudoyer；　Monsieur　Bataille；　captain　of　the　company　of　the　National

Guard　to　which　Saillard　and　his　son…in…law　belonged。　Monsieur　Cardot；

who　was　invariably　asked；　did　as　Rabourdin　did；　namely；　accepted　one

invitation　out　of　six。　The　company　sang　at　dessert；　shook　hands　and

embraced　with　enthusiasm；　wishing　each　other　all　manner　of　happiness；

the　presents　were　exhibited　and　the　opinion　of　the　guests　asked　about

them。　The　day　Saillard　received　his　fur　cap　he　wore　it　during　the

dessert；　to　the　satisfaction　of　all　present。　At　night；　mere　ordinary

acquaintances　were　bidden；　and　dancing　went　on　till　very　late；

formerly　to　the　music　of　one　violin；　but　for　the　last　six　years

Monsieur　Godard；　who　was　a　great　flute　player；　contributed　the

piercing　tones　of　a　flageolet　to　the　festivity。　The　cook；　Madame

Baudoyer's　nurse；　and　old　Catherine；　Madame　Saillard's　woman…servant；

together　with　the　porter　or　his　wife；　stood　looking　on　at　the　door　of

the　salon。　The　servants　always　received　three　francs　on　these

occasions　to　buy　themselves　wine　or　coffee。



This　little　circle　looked　upon　Saillard　and　Baudoyer　as　transcendent

beings；　they　were　government　officers；　they　had　risen　by　their　own

merits；　they　worked；　it　was　said；　with　the　minister　himself；　they　owed

their　fortune　to　their　talents；　they　were　politicians。　Baudoyer　was

considered　the　more　able　of　the　two；　his　position　as　head　of　a　bureau

presupposed　labor　that　was　more　intricate　and　arduous　than　that　of　a

cashier。　Moreover；　Isidore；　though　the　son　of　a　leather…dresser；　had

had　the　genius　to　study　and　to　cast　aside　his　father's　business　and

find　a　career　in　politics；　which　had　led　him　to　a　post　of　eminence。　In

short；　silent　and　uncommunicative　as　he　was；　he　was　looked　upon　as　a

deep　thinker；　and　perhaps；　said　the　admiring　circle；　he　would　some　day

become　deputy　of　the　eighth　arrondissement。　As　Gigonnet　listened　to

such　remarks　as　these；　he　pressed　his　already　pinched　lips　closer

together；　and　threw　a　glance　at　his　great…niece；　Elisabeth。



In　person；　Isidore　was　a　tall；　stout　man　of　thirty…seven；　who

perspired　freely；　and　whose　head　looked　as　if　he　had　water　on　the

brain。　This　enormous　head；　covered　with　chestnut　hair　cropped　close；

was　joined　to　the　neck　by　rolls　of　flesh　which　overhung　the　collar　of

his　coat。　He　had　the　arms　of　Hercules；　hands　worthy　of　Domitian；　a

stomach　which　sobriety　held　within　the　limits　of　the　majestic；　to　use

a　saying　of　Brillaet…Savarin。　His　face　was　a　good　deal　like　that　of

the　Emperor　Alexander。　The　Tartar　type　was　in　the　little　eyes　and　the

flattened　nose　turned　slightly　up；　in　the　frigid　lips　and　the　short

chin。　The　forehead　was　low　and　narrow。　Though　his　temperament　was

lymphatic；　the　devout　Isidore　was　under　the　influence　of　a　conjugal

passion　which　time　did　not　lessen。



In　spite；　however；　of　his　resemblance　to　the　handsome　Russian　Emperor

and　the　terrible　Domitian；　Isidore　Baudoyer　was　nothing　more　than　a

political　office…holder；　of　little　ability　as　head　of　his　department；

a　cut…and…dried　routine　man；　who　concealed　the　fact　that　he　was　a

flabby　cipher　by　so　ponderous　a　personality　that　no　scalpel　could　cut

deep　enough　to　let　the　operator　see　into　him。　His　severe　studies；　in

which　he　had　shown　the　patience　and　sagacity　of　an　ox；　and　his　square

head；　deceived　his　parents；　who　firmly　believed　him　an　extraordinary

man。　Pedantic　and　hypercritical；　meddlesome　and　fault…finding；　he　was

a　terror　to　the　clerks　under　him；　whom　he　worried　in　their　work；

enforcing　the　rules　rigorously；　and　arriving　himself　with　such

terrible　punctuality　that　not　one　of　them　dared　to　be　a　moment　late。

Baudoyer　wore　a　blue　coat　with　gilt　buttons；　a　chamois　waistcoat；　gray

trousers　and　cravats　of　various　colors。　His　feet　were　large　and

ill…shod。　From　the　chain　of　his　watch　depended　an　enormous　bunch　of

old　trinkets；　among　which　in　1824　he　still　wore　〃American　beads；〃

which　were