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returning　sometimes　when　he　returns。　If　the　minister　enjoys　the　royal

favor　when　he　falls；　or　still　has　parliamentary　hopes；　he　takes　his

secretary　with　him　into　retirement　only　to　bring　him　back　on　his

return；　otherwise　he　puts　him　to　grass　in　some　of　the　various

administrative　pastures；for　instance；　in　the　Court　of　Exchequer；

that　wayside　refuge　where　private　secretaries　wait　for　the　storm　to

blow　over。　The　young　man　is　not　precisely　a　government　official；　he　is

a　political　character；　however；　and　sometimes　his　politics　are　limited

to　those　of　one　man。　When　we　think　of　the　number　of　letters　it　is　the

private　secretary's　fate　to　open　and　read；　besides　all　his　other

avocations；　it　is　very　evident　that　under　a　monarchical　government　his

services　would　be　well　paid　for。　A　drudge　of　this　kind　costs　ten　or

twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　he　enjoys；　moreover；　the　opera…

boxes；　the　social　invitations；　and　the　carriages　of　the　minister。　The

Emperor　of　Russia　would　be　thankful　to　be　able　to　pay　fifty　thousand　a

year　to　one　of　these　amiable　constitutional　poodles；　so　gentle；　so

nicely　curled；　so　caressing；　so　docile；　always　spick　and　span；

careful　watch…dogs　besides；　and　faithful　to　a　degree！　But　the　private

secretary　is　a　product　of　the　representative　government　hot…house；　he

is　propagated　and　developed　there；　and　there　only。　Under　a　monarchy

you　will　find　none　but　courtiers　and　vassals；　whereas　under　a

constitutional　government　you　may　be　flattered；　served；　and　adulated

by　free　men。　In　France　ministers　are　better　off　than　kings　or　women；

they　have　some　one　who　thoroughly　understands　them。　Perhaps；　indeed；

the　private　secretary　is　to　be　pitied　as　much　as　women　and　white

paper。　They　are　nonentities　who　are　made　to　bear　all　things。　They　are

allowed　no　talents　except　hidden　ones；　which　must　be　employed　in　the

service　of　their　ministers。　A　public　show　of　talent　would　ruin　them。

The　private　secretary　is　therefore　an　intimate　friend　in　the　gift　of

government　However；　let　us　return　to　the　bureaus。



Three　men…servants　lived　in　peace　in　the　Billardiere　division；　to　wit：

a　footman　for　the　two　bureaus；　another　for　the　service　of　the　two

chiefs；　and　a　third　for　the　director　of　the　division　himself。　All

three　were　lodged；　warmed；　and　clothed　by　the　State；　and　wore　the

well…known　livery　of　the　State；　blue　coat　with　red　pipings　for

undress；　and　broad　red；　white；　and　blue　braid　for　great　occasions。　La

Billardiere's　man　had　the　air　of　a　gentleman…usher；　an　innovation

which　gave　an　aspect　of　dignity　to　the　division。



Pillars　of　the　ministry；　experts　in　all　manners　and　customs

bureaucratic；　well…warmed　and　clothed　at　the　State's　expense；　growing

rich　by　reason　of　their　few　wants；　these　lackeys　saw　completely

through　the　government　officials；　collectively　and　individually。　They

had　no　better　way　of　amusing　their　idle　hours　than　by　observing　these

personages　and　studying　their　peculiarities。　They　knew　how　far　to

trust　the　clerks　with　loans　of　money；　doing　their　various　commissions

with　absolute　discretion；　they　pawned　and　took　out　of　pawn；　bought　up

bills　when　due；　and　lent　money　without　interest；　albeit　no　clerk　ever

borrowed　of　them　without　returning　a　〃gratification。〃　These　servants

without　a　master　received　a　salary　of　nine　hundred　francs　a　year；　new

years'　gifts　and　〃gratifications〃　brought　their　emoluments　to　twelve

hundred　francs；　and　they　made　almost　as　much　money　by　serving

breakfasts　to　the　clerks　at　the　office。



The　elder　of　these　men；　who　was　also　the　richest；　waited　upon　the　main

body　of　the　clerks。　He　was　sixty　years　of　age；　with　white　hair　cropped

short　like　a　brush；　stout；　thickset；　and　apoplectic　about　the　neck；

with　a　vulgar　pimpled　face；　gray　eyes；　and　a　mouth　like　a　furnace

door；　such　was　the　profile　portrait　of　Antoine；　the　oldest　attendant

in　the　ministry。　He　had　brought　his　two　nephews；　Laurent　and　Gabriel；

from　Echelles　in　Savoie；one　to　serve　the　heads　of　the　bureaus；　the

other　the　director　himself。　All　three　came　to　open　the　offices　and

clean　them；　between　seven　and　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　at　which

time　they　read　the　newspapers　and　talked　civil　service　politics　from

their　point　of　view　with　the　servants　of　other　divisions；　exchanging

the　bureaucratic　gossip。　In　common　with　servants　of　modern　houses　who

know　their　masters'　private　affairs　thoroughly；　they　lived　at　the

ministry　like　spiders　at　the　centre　of　a　web；　where　they　felt　the

slightest　jar　of　the　fabric。



On　a　Thursday　evening；　the　day　after　the　ministerial　reception　and

Madame　Rabourdin's　evening　party；　just　as　Antoine　was　trimming　his

beard　and　his　nephews　were　assisting　him　in　the　antechamber　of　the

division　on　the　upper　floor；　they　were　surprised　by　the　unexpected

arrival　of　one　of　the　clerks。



〃That's　Monsieur　Dutocq；〃　said　Antoine。　〃I　know　him　by　that　pickpocket

step　of　his。　He　is　always　moving　round　on　the　sly；　that　man。　He　is　on

your　back　before　you　know　it。　Yesterday；　contrary　to　his　usual　ways；

he　outstayed　the　last　man　in　the　office；　such　a　thing　hasn't　happened

three　times　since　he　has　been　at　the　ministry。〃



Here　follows　the　portrait　of　Monsieur　Dutocq；　order…clerk　in　the

Rabourdin　bureau：　Thirty…eight　years　old；　oblong　face　and　bilious

skin；　grizzled　hair　always　cut　close；　low　forehead；　heavy　eyebrows

meeting　together；　a　crooked　nose　and　pinched　lips；　tall；　the　right

shoulder　slightly　higher　than　the　left；　brown　coat；　black　waistcoat；

silk　cravat；　yellowish　trousers；　black　woollen　stockings；　and　shoes

with　flapping　bows；　thus　you　behold　him。　Idle　and　incapable；　he　hated

Rabourdin；naturally　enough；　for　Rabourdin　had　no　vice　to　flatter；

and　no　bad　or　weak　side　on　which　Dutocq　could　make　himself　useful。　Far

too　noble　to　injure　a　clerk；　the　chief　was　also　too　clear…sighted　to

be　deceived　by　any　make…believe。　Dutocq　kept　his　place　therefore

solely　through　Rabourdin's　generosity；　and　was　very　certain　that　he

could　never　be　promoted　if　the　latter　succeeded　La　Billardiere。　Though

he　knew　himself　incapable　of　important　work；　Dutocq　was　well　aware

that　in　a　government　office　incapacity　was　no　hindrance　to

advancement；　La　Billardiere's　own　appointment　over　the　head　of　so

capable　a　man　as　Rabourdin　had　been　a　striking　and　fatal　example　of

this。　Wickedness　combined　with　self…interest　works　with　a　power

equivalent　to　that　of　intellect；　evilly　disposed　and　wholly　self…

interested；　Dutocq　had　endeavoured　to　strengthen　his　position　by

becoming　a　spy　in　all　the　offices。　After　1816　he　assumed　a　marked

religious　tone；　foreseeing　the　favor　which　the　fools　of　those　days

would　bestow　on　those　they　indiscriminately　called　Jesuits。　Belonging

to　that　fraternity　in　spirit；　though　not　admitted　to　its　rites；　Dutocq

went　from　bureau　to　bureau；　sounded　consciences　by　recounting　immoral

jests；　and　then　reported　and　paraphrased　results　to　des　Lupeaulx；　the

latter　thus　learned　all　the　trivial　events　of　the　ministry；　and　often

surprised　the　minister　by　his　consummate　knowledge　of　what　was　going

on。　He　tolerated　Dutocq　under　the　idea　that　circumstances　might　some

day　make　him　useful；　were　it　only　to　get　him　or　some　distinguished

friend　of　his　out　of　a　scrape　by　a　disgraceful　marriage。　The　two

understood　each　other　well。　Dutocq　had　succeeded　Monsieur　Poiret　the

elder；　who　had　retired　in　1814；　and　now　lived　in　the　pension　Vanquer

in　the　Latin　quarter。　Dutocq　himself　lived　in　a　pension　in　the　rue　de

Beaune；　and　spent　his　evenings　in　the　Palais…Royal；　sometimes　going　to

the　theatre；　thanks　to　du　Bruel；　who　gave　him　an　author's　ticket　about

once　a　week。　And　now；　a　word　on　du　Bruel。



Though　Sebastien　did　his　work　at　the　office　for　the　small　compensation

we　have　mentioned；　du　Bruel　was　in　the　habit　of　coming　there　to

advertise　the　fact　that　he　was　the　under…head…clerk　and　to　draw　his

salary。　His　real　work　was　that　of　dramatic　critic　to　a　leading

ministerial　journal；　in　which　he　also　wrote　articles　inspired　by　the

ministers；a　very　well　understood；　clearly　defined；　and　quite

unassailable　position。　Du　Bruel　was　not　lacking　in　those　diplomatic

little　tricks　which　go　so　far　to　conciliate　general　good…will。　He　sent

Madame　Rabourdin　an　opera…box　for　a　first　representation；　took　her

there　in　a　carriage　and　brought　her　back；an　attention　which

evidently　pleased　her。　Rabourdin；　who　was　never　exacting　with　his

subordinates　allowed　du　Bruel　to　go　off　to　rehearsals；　come　to　the

office　at　his　own　hours；　and　work　at　his　vaudevilles　when　there。

Monsieur　le　Duc　de　Chaulieu；　the　minister；　knew　that　du　Bruel　was

writing　a　novel　which　was　to　be　dedicated　to　himself。　Dressed　with　the

careless　ease　of　a　theatre　man；　du　Bruel　wore；　in　the　morning；

trousers　strapped　under　his　feet；　shoes　with　gaiters；　a　waistcoat

evidently　vamped　over；　an　olive　surtout；　and　a　black　cravat。　At　night

he　played　the　gentleman　in　elegant　clothes。　He　lived；　for　good

reasons；　in　the　same　house　as　Florine；　an　actress　for　whom　he　wrote

pla