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

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

plays。　Du　Bruel；　or　to　give　him　his　pen　name；　Cursy；　was　working　just

now　at　a　piece　in　five　acts　for　the　Francais。　Sebastien　was　devoted　to

the　author；who　occasionally　gave　him　tickets　to　the　pit；and

applauded　his　pieces　at　the　parts　which　du　Bruel　told　him　were　of

doubtful　interest；　with　all　the　faith　and　enthusiasm　of　his　years。　In

fact；　the　youth　looked　upon　the　playwright　as　a　great　author；　and　it

was　to　Sebastien　that　du　Bruel　said；　the　day　after　a　first

representation　of　a　vaudeville　produced；　like　all　vaudevilles；　by

three　collaborators；　〃The　audience　preferred　the　scenes　written　by

two。〃



〃Why　don't　you　write　alone？〃　asked　Sebastien　naively。



There　were　good　reasons　why　du　Bruel　did　not　write　alone。　He　was　the

third　of　an　author。　A　dramatic　writer；　as　few　people　know；　is　made　up

of　three　individuals；　first；　the　man　with　brains　who　invents　the

subject　and　maps　out　the　structure；　or　scenario；　of　the　vaudeville；

second；　the　plodder；　who　works　the　piece　into　shape；　and　third；　the

toucher…up；　who　sets　the　songs　to　music；　arranges　the　chorus　and

concerted　pieces　and　fits　them　into　their　right　place；　and　finally

writes　the　puffs　and　advertisements。　Du　Bruel　was　a　plodder；　at　the

office　he　read　the　newest　books；　extracted　their　wit；　and　laid　it　by

for　use　in　his　dialogues。　He　was　liked　by　his　collaborators　on　account

of　his　carefulness；　the　man　with　brains；　sure　of　being　understood；

could　cross　his　arms　and　feel　that　his　ideas　would　be　well　rendered。

The　clerks　in　the　office　liked　their　companion　well　enough　to　attend　a

first　performance　of　his　plays　in　a　body　and　applaud　them；　for　he

really　deserved　the　title　of　a　good　fellow。　His　hand　went　readily　to

his　pocket；　ices　and　punch　were　bestowed　without　prodding；　and　he

loaned　fifty　francs　without　asking　them　back。　He　owned　a　country…house

at　Aulnay；　laid　by　his　money；　and　had；　besides　the　four　thousand　five

hundred　francs　of　his　salary　under　government；　twelve　hundred　francs

pension　from　the　civil　list；　and　eight　hundred　from　the　three　hundred

thousand　francs　fund　voted　by　the　Chambers　for　encouragement　of　the

Arts。　Add　to　these　diverse　emoluments　nine　thousand　francs　earned　by

his　quarters；　thirds；　and　halves　of　plays　in　three　different　theatres；

and　you　will　readily　understand　that　such　a　man　must　be　physically

round；　fat；　and　comfortable；　with　the　face　of　a　worthy　capitalist。　As

to　morals；　he　was　the　lover　and　the　beloved　of　Tullia　and　felt　himself

preferred　in　heart　to　the　brilliant　Duc　de　Rhetore；　the　lover　in

chief。



Dutocq　had　seen　with　great　uneasiness　what　he　called　the　liaison　of

des　Lupeaulx　with　Madame　Rabourdin；　and　his　silent　wrath　on　the

subject　was　accumulating。　He　had　too　prying　an　eye　not　to　have　guessed

that　Rabourdin　was　engaged　in　some　great　work　outside　of　his　official

labors；　and　he　was　provoked　to　feel　that　he　knew　nothing　about　it；

whereas　that　little　Sebastien　was；　wholly　or　in　part；　in　the　secret。

Dutocq　was　intimate　with　Godard；　under…head…clerk　to　Baudoyer；　and　the

high　esteem　in　which　Dutocq　held　Baudoyer　was　the　original　cause　of

his　acquaintance　with　Godard；　not　that　Dutocq　was　sincere　even　in

this；　but　by　praising　Baudoyer　and　saying　nothing　of　Rabourdin　he

satisfied　his　hatred　after　the　fashion　of　little　minds。



Joseph　Godard；　a　cousin　of　Mitral　on　the　mother's　side；　made

pretension　to　the　hand　of　Mademoiselle　Baudoyer；　not　perceiving　that

her　mother　was　laying　siege　to　Falliex　as　a　son…in…law。　He　brought

little　gifts　to　the　young　lady；　artificial　flowers；　bonbons　on　New…

Year's　day　and　pretty　boxes　for　her　birthday。　Twenty…six　years　of　age；

a　worker　working　without　purpose；　steady　as　a　girl；　monotonous　and

apathetic；　holding　cafes；　cigars；　and　horsemanship　in　detestation；

going　to　bed　regularly　at　ten　o'clock　and　rising　at　seven；　gifted　with

some　social　talents；　such　as　playing　quadrille　music　on　the　flute；

which　first　brought　him　into　favor　with　the　Saillards　and　the

Baudoyers。　He　was　moreover　a　fifer　in　the　National　Guard；to　escape

his　turn　of　sitting　up　all　night　in　a　barrack…room。　Godard　was　devoted

more　especially　to　natural　history。　He　made　collections　of　shells　and

minerals；　knew　how　to　stuff　birds；　kept　a　mass　of　curiosities　bought

for　nothing　in　his　bedroom；　took　possession　of　phials　and　empty

perfume　bottles　for　his　specimens；　pinned　butterflies　and　beetles

under　glass；　hung　Chinese　parasols　on　the　walls；　together　with　dried

fishskins。　He　lived　with　his　sister；　an　artificial…flower　maker；　in

the　due　de　Richelieu。　Though　much　admired　by　mammas　this　model　young

man　was　looked　down　upon　by　his　sister's　shop…girls；　who　had　tried　to

inveigle　him。　Slim　and　lean；　of　medium　height；　with　dark　circles　round

his　eyes；　Joseph　Godard　took　little　care　of　his　person；　his　clothes

were　ill…cut；　his　trousers　bagged；　he　wore　white　stockings　at　all

seasons　of　the　year；　a　hat　with　a　narrow　brim　and　laced　shoes。　He　was

always　complaining　of　his　digestion。　His　principal　vice　was　a　mania

for　proposing　rural　parties　during　the　summer　season；　excursions　to

Montmorency；　picnics　on　the　grass；　and　visits　to　creameries　on　the

boulevard　du　Mont…Parnasse。　For　the　last　six　months　Dutocq　had　taken

to　visiting　Mademoiselle　Godard　from　time　to　time；　with　certain　views

of　his　own；　hoping　to　discover　in　her　establishment　some　female

treasure。



Thus　Baudoyer　had　a　pair　of　henchmen　in　Dutocq　and　Godard。　Monsieur

Saillard；　too　innocent　to　judge　rightly　of　Dutocq；　was　in　the　habit　of

paying　him　frequent　little　visits　at　the　office。　Young　La　Billardiere；

the　director's　son；　placed　as　supernumerary　with　Baudoyer；　made

another　member　of　the　clique。　The　clever　heads　in　the　offices　laughed

much　at　this　alliance　of　incapables。　Bixiou　named　Baudoyer；　Godard；

and　Dutocq　a　〃Trinity　without　the　Spirit；〃　and　little　La　Billardiere

the　〃Pascal　Lamb。〃



〃You　are　early　this　morning；〃　said　Antoine　to　Dutocq；　laughing。



〃So　are　you；　Antoine；〃　answered　Dutocq；　〃you　see；　the　newspapers　do

come　earlier　than　you　let　us　have　them　at　the　office。〃



〃They　did　to…day；　by　chance；〃　replied　Antoine；　not　disconcerted；　〃they

never　come　two　days　together　at　the　same　hour。〃



The　two　nephews　looked　at　each　other　as　if　to　say；　in　admiration　of

their　uncle；　〃What　cheek　he　has！〃



〃Though　I　make　two　sous　by　all　his　breakfasts；〃　muttered　Antoine；　as

he　heard　Monsieur　Dutocq　close　the　office　door；　〃I'd　give　them　up　to

get　that　man　out　of　our　division。〃



〃Ah；　Monsieur　Sebastien；　you　are　not　the　first　here　to…day；〃　said

Antoine；　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later；　to　the　supernumerary。



〃Who　is　here？〃　asked　the　poor　lad；　turning　pale。



〃Monsieur　Dutocq；〃　answered　Laurent。



Virgin　natures　have；　beyond　all　others；　the　inexplicable　gift　of

second…sight；　the　reason　of　which　lies　perhaps　in　the　purity　of　their

nervous　systems；　which　are；　as　it　were；　brand…new。　Sebastien　had　long

guessed　Dutocq's　hatred　to　his　revered　Rabourdin。　So　that　when　Laurent

uttered　his　name　a　dreadful　presentiment　took　possession　of　the　lad's

mind；　and　crying　out；　〃I　feared　it！〃　he　flew　like　an　arrow　into　the

corridor。



〃There　is　going　to　be　a　row　in　the　division；〃　said　Antoine；　shaking

his　white　head　as　he　put　on　his　livery。　〃It　is　very　certain　that

Monsieur　le　baron　is　off　to　his　account。　Yes；　Madame　Gruget；　the

nurse；　told　me　he　couldn't　live　through　the　day。　What　a　stir　there'll

be！　oh！　won't　there！　Go　along；　you　fellows；　and　see　if　the　stoves　are

drawing　properly。　Heavens　and　earth！　our　world　is　coming　down　about

our　ears。〃



〃That　poor　young　one；〃　said　Laurent；　〃had　a　sort　of　sunstroke　when　he

heard　that　Jesuit　of　a　Dutocq　had　got　here　before　him。〃



〃I　have　told　him　a　dozen　times；for　after　all　one　ought　to　tell　the

truth　to　an　honest　clerk；　and　what　I　call　an　honest　clerk　is　one　like

that　little　fellow　who　gives　us　〃recta〃　his　ten　francs　on　New…Year's

day；I　have　said　to　him　again　and　again：　The　more　you　work　the　more

they'll　make　you　work；　and　they　won't　promote　you。　He　doesn't　listen

to　me；　he　tires　himself　out　staying　here　till　five　o'clock；　an　hour

after　all　the　others　have　gone。　Folly！　he'll　never　get　on　that　way！

The　proof　is　that　not　a　word　has　been　said　about　giving　him　an

appointment；　though　he　has　been　here　two　years。　It's　a　shame！　it　makes

my　blood　boil。〃



〃Monsieur　Rabourdin　is　very　fond　of　Monsieur　Sebastien；〃　said　Laurent。



〃But　Monsieur　Rabourdin　isn't　a　minister；〃　retorted　Antoine；　〃it　will

be　a　hot　day　when　that　happens；　and　the　hens　will　have　teeth；　he　is

toobut　mum！　When　I　think　that　I　carry　salaries　to　those　humbugs　who

stay　away　and　do　as　they　please；　while　that　poor　little　La　Roche　works

himself　to　death；　I　ask　myself　if　God　ever　thinks　of　the　civil

service。　And　what　do　they　give　you；　these　pets　of　Monsieur　le　marechal

and　Monsieur　le　duc？　'Thank　yo