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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　very　much　the　fashion　in　the　year　VII。



In　the　bosom　of　this　family；　bound　together　by　the　force　of　religious

ties；　by　the　inflexibility　of　its　customs；　by　one　solitary　emotion；

that　of　avarice；　a　passion　which　was　now　as　it　were　its　compass；

Elisabeth　was　forced　to　commune　with　herself；　instead　of　imparting　her

ideas　to　those　around　her；　for　she　felt　herself　without　equals　in　mind

who　could　comprehend　her。　Though　facts　compelled　her　to　judge　her

husband；　her　religious　duty　led　her　to　keep　up　as　best　she　could　a

favorable　opinion　of　him；　she　showed　him　marked　respect；　honored　him

as　the　father　of　her　child；　her　husband；　the　temporal　power；　as　the

vicar　of　Saint…Paul's　told　her。　She　would　have　thought　it　a　mortal　sin

to　make　a　single　gesture；　or　give　a　single　glance；　or　say　a　single

word　which　would　reveal　to　others　her　real　opinion　of　the　imbecile

Baudoyer。　She　even　professed　to　obey　passively　all　his　wishes。　But　her

ears　were　receptive　of　many　things；　she　thought　them　over；　weighed　and

compared　them　in　the　solitude　of　her　mind；　and　judged　so　soberly　of

men　and　events　that　at　the　time　when　our　history　begins　she　was　the

hidden　oracle　of　the　two　functionaries；　her　husband　and　father；　who

had；　unconsciously；　come　to　do　nothing　whatever　without　consulting

her。　Old　Saillard　would　say；　innocently；　〃Isn't　she　clever；　that

Elisabeth　of　mine？〃　But　Baudoyer；　too　great　a　fool　not　to　be　puffed　up

by　the　false　reputation　the　quartier　Saint…Antoine　bestowed　upon　him；

denied　his　wife's　cleverness　all　the　while　that　he　was　making　use　of

it。



Elisabeth　had　long　felt　sure　that　her　uncle　Bidault；　otherwise　called

Gigonnet；　was　rich　and　handled　vast　sums　of　money。　Enlightened　by

self…interest；　she　had　come　to　understand　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　far

better　than　the　minister　understood　him。　Finding　herself　married　to　a

fool；　she　never　allowed　herself　to　think　that　life　might　have　gone

better　with　her；　she　only　imagined　the　possibility　of　better　things

without　expecting　or　wishing　to　attain　them。　All　her　best　affections

found　their　vocation　in　her　love　for　her　daughter；　to　whom　she　spared

the　pains　and　privations　she　had　borne　in　her　own　childhood；　she

believed　that　in　this　affection　she　had　her　full　share　in　the　world　of

feeling。　Solely　for　her　daughter's　sake　she　had　persuaded　her　father

to　take　the　important　step　of　going　into　partnership　with　Falleix。

Falleix　had　been　brought　to　the　Saillard's　house　by　old　Bidault；　who

lent　him　money　on　his　merchandise。　Falleix　thought　his　old　countryman

extortionate；　and　complained　to　the　Saillards　that　Gigonnet　demanded

eighteen　per　cent　from　an　Auvergnat。　Madame　Saillard　ventured　to

remonstrate　with　her　uncle。



〃It　is　just　because　he　is　an　Auvergnat　that　I　take　only　eighteen　per

cent；〃　said　Gigonnet；　when　she　spoke　of　him。



Falleix；　who　had　made　a　discovery　at　the　age　of　twenty…eight；　and

communicated　it　to　Saillard；　seemed　to　carry　his　heart　in　his　hand　（an

expression　of　old　Saillard's）；　and　also　seemed　likely　to　make　a　great

fortune。　Elisabeth　determined　to　husband　him　for　her　daughter　and

train　him　herself；　having；　as　she　calculated；　seven　years　to　do　it　in。

Martin　Falleix　felt　and　showed　the　deepest　respect　for　Madame

Baudoyer；　whose　superior　qualities　he　was　able　to　recognize。　If　he

were　fated　to　make　millions　he　would　always　belong　to　her　family；

where　he　had　found　a　home。　The　little　Baudoyer　girl　was　already

trained　to　bring　him　his　tea　and　to　take　his　hat。



On　the　evening　of　which　we　write；　Monsieur　Saillard；　returning　from

the　ministry；　found　a　game　of　boston　in　full　blast；　Elisabeth　was

advising　Falleix　how　to　play；　Madame　Saillard　was　knitting　in　the

chimney…corner　and　overlooking　the　cards　of　the　vicar；　Monsieur

Baudoyer；　motionless　as　a　mile…stone；　was　employing　his　mental

capacity　in　calculating　how　the　cards　were　placed；　and　sat　opposite　to

Mitral；　who　had　come　up　from　Ile…d'Adam　for　the　Christmas　holidays。　No

one　moved　as　the　cashier　entered；　and　for　some　minutes　he　walked　up

and　down　the　room；　his　fat　face　contracted　with　unaccustomed　thought。



〃He　is　always　so　when　he　dines　at　the　ministry；〃　remarked　Madame

Saillard；　〃happily；　it　is　only　twice　a　year；　or　he'd　die　of　it。

Saillard　was　never　made　to　be　in　the　government　Well；　now；　I　do

hope；　Saillard；〃　she　continued　in　a　loud　tone；　〃that　you　are　not　going

to　keep　on　those　silk　breeches　and　that　handsome　coat。　Go　and　take

them　off；　don't　wear　them　at　home；　my　man。〃



〃Your　father　has　something　on　his　mind；〃　said　Baudoyer　to　his　wife；

when　the　cashier　was　in　his　bedroom；　undressing　without　any　fire。



〃Perhaps　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　is　dead；〃　said　Elisabeth；　simply；

〃and　as　he　is　anxious　you　should　have　the　place；　it　worries　him。〃



〃Can　I　be　useful　in　any　way？〃　said　the　vicar　of　Saint…Paul's；　〃if　so；

pray　use　my　services。　I　have　the　honor　to　be　known　to　Madame　la

Dauphine。　These　are　days　when　public　offices　should　be　given　only　to

faithful　men；　whose　religious　principles　are　not　to　be　shaken。〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　Falleix；　〃do　men　of　merit　need　protectors　and

influence　to　get　places　in　the　government　service？　I　am　glad　I　am　an

iron…master；　my　customers　know　where　to　find　a　good　article〃



〃Monsieur；〃　interrupted　Baudoyer；　〃the　government　is　the　government；

never　attack　it　in　this　house。〃



〃You　speak　like　the　'Constitutionel；'〃　said　the　vicar。



〃The　'Constitutionel'　never　says　anything　different　from　that；〃

replied　Baudoyer；　who　never　read　it。



The　cashier　believed　his　son…in…law　to　be　as　superior　in　talent　to

Rabourdin　as　God　was　greater　than　Saint…Crepin；　to　use　his　own

expression；　but　the　good　man　coveted　this　appointment　in　a

straightforward；　honest　way。　Influenced　by　the　feeling　which　leads　all

officials　to　seek　promotion；a　violent；　unreflecting；　almost　brutal

passion；he　desired　success；　just　as　he　desired　the　cross　of　the

Legion　of　honor；　without　doing　anything　against　his　conscience　to

obtain　it；　and　solely；　as　he　believed；　on　the　strength　of　his　son…in…

law's　merits。　To　his　thinking；　a　man　who　had　patiently　spent　twenty…

five　years　in　a　government　office　behind　an　iron　railing　had

sacrificed　himself　to　his　country　and　deserved　the　cross。　But　all　that

he　dreamed　of　doing　to　promote　his　son…in…law's　appointment　in　La

Billardiere's　place　was　to　say　a　word　to　his　Excellency's　wife　when　he

took　her　the　month's　salary。



〃Well；　Saillard；　you　look　as　if　you　had　lost　all　your　friends！　Do

speak；　do；　pray；　tell　us　something；〃　cried　his　wife　when　he　came　back

into　the　room。



Saillard；　after　making　a　little　sign　to　his　daughter；　turned　on　his

heel　to　keep　himself　from　talking　politics　before　strangers。　When

Monsieur　Mitral　and　the　vicar　had　departed；　Saillard　rolled　back　the

card…table　and　sat　down　in　an　armchair　in　the　attitude　he　always

assumed　when　about　to　tell　some　office…gossip；a　series　of　movements

which　answered　the　purpose　of　the　three　knocks　given　at　the　Theatre…

Francais。　After　binding　his　wife；　daughter；　and　son…in…law　to　the

deepest　secrecy；for；　however　petty　the　gossip；　their　places；　as　he

thought；　depended　on　their　discretion；he　related　the

incomprehensible　enigma　of　the　resignation　of　a　deputy；　the　very

legitimate　desire　of　the　general…secretary　to　get　elected　to　the

place；　and　the　secret　opposition　of　the　minister　to　this　wish　of　a　man

who　was　one　of　his　firmest　supporters　and　most　zealous　workers。　This；

of　course；　brought　down　an　avalanche　of　suppositions；　flooded　with　the

sapient　arguments　of　the　two　officials；　who　sent　back　and　forth　to

each　other　a　wearisome　flood　of　nonsense。　Elisabeth　quietly　asked

three　questions：



〃If　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　is　on　our　side；　will　Monsieur　Baudoyer　be

appointed　in　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere's　place？〃



〃Heavens！　I　should　think　so；〃　cried　the　cashier。



〃My　uncle　Bidault　and　Monsieur　Gobseck　helped　in　him　1814；〃　thought

she。　〃Is　he　in　debt？〃　she　asked；　aloud。



〃Yes；〃　cried　the　cashier　with　a　hissing　and　prolonged　sound　on　the

last　letter；　〃his　salary　was　attached；　but　some　of　the　higher　powers

released　it　by　a　bill　at　sight。〃



〃Where　is　the　des　Lupeaulx　estate？〃



〃Why；　don't　you　know？　in　the　part　of　the　country　where　your

grandfather　and　your　great…uncle　Bidault　belong；　in　the　arrondissement

of　the　deputy　who　wants　to　resign。〃



When　her　colossus　of　a　husband　had　gone　to　bed；　Elisabeth　leaned　over

him；　and　though　he　always　treated　her　remarks　as　women's　nonsense；　she

said；　〃Perhaps　you　will　really　get　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere's

place。〃



〃There　you　go　with　your　imaginations！〃　said　Baudoyer；　〃leave　Monsieur

Gaudron　to　speak　to　the　Dauphine　and　don't　meddle　with　politics。〃



At　eleven　o'clock；　when　all　were　asleep　in　the　place　Royale；　Monsieur

des　Lupeaulx　was　leaving　the　Opera　for　the　rue　Duph