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openly　avowed　his　sympathy　for　Napoleon；　now　that　the　death　of　that

great　man　put　an　end　to　the　laws　enacted　against　〃the　partisans　of　the

usurper。〃　Fleury；　ex…captain　of　a　regiment　of　the　line　under　the

Emperor；　a　tall；　dark；　handsome　fellow；　was　now；　in　addition　to　his

civil…service　post；　box…keeper　at　the　Cirque…Olympique。　Bixiou　never

ventured　on　tormenting　Fleury；　for　the　rough　trooper；　who　was　a　good

shot　and　clever　at　fencing；　seemed　quite　capable　of　extreme　brutality

if　provoked。　An　ardent　subscriber　to　〃Victoires　et　Conquetes；〃　Fleury

nevertheless　refused　to　pay　his　subscription；　though　he　kept　and　read

the　copies；　alleging　that　they　exceeded　the　number　proposed　in　the

prospectus。　He　adored　Monsieur　Rabourdin；　who　had　saved　him　from

dismissal；　and　was　even　heard　to　say　that　if　any　misfortune　happened

to　the　chief　through　anybody's　fault　he　would　kill　that　person。　Dutocq

meanly　courted　Fleury　because　he　feared　him。　Fleury；　crippled　with

debt；　played　many　a　trick　on　his　creditors。　Expert　in　legal　matters；

he　never　signed　a　promissory　note；　and　had　prudently　attached　his　own

salary　under　the　names　of　fictitious　creditors；　so　that　he　was　able　to

draw　nearly　the　whole　of　it　himself。　He　played　ecarte；　was　the　life　of

evening　parties；　tossed　off　glasses　of　champagne　without　wetting　his

lips；　and　knew　all　the　songs　of　Beranger　by　heart。　He　was　proud　of　his

full；　sonorous　voice。　His　three　great　admirations　were　Napoleon；

Bolivar；　and　Beranger。　Foy；　Lafitte；　and　Casimir　Delavigne　he　only

esteemed。　Fleury；　as　you　will　have　guessed　already；　was　a　Southerner；

destined；　no　doubt；　to　become　the　responsible　editor　of　a　liberal

journal。



Desroys；　the　mysterious　clerk　of　the　division；　consorted　with　no　one；

talked　little；　and　hid　his　private　life　so　carefully　that　no　one　knew

where　he　lived；　nor　who　were　his　protectors；　nor　what　were　his　means

of　subsistence。　Looking　about　them　for　the　causes　of　this　reserve；

some　of　his　colleagues　thought　him　a　〃carbonaro；〃　others　an　Orleanist；

there　were　others　again　who　doubted　whether　to　call　him　a　spy　or　a　man

of　solid　merit。　Desroys　was；　however；　simple　and　solely　the　son　of　a

〃Conventionel；〃　who　did　not　vote　the　king's　death。　Cold　and　prudent　by

temperament；　he　had　judged　the　world　and　ended　by　relying　on　no　one

but　himself。　Republican　in　secret；　an　admirer　of　Paul…Louis　Courier

and　a　friend　of　Michael　Chrestien；　he　looked　to　time　and　public

intelligence　to　bring　about　the　triumph　of　his　opinions　from　end　to

end　of　Europe。　He　dreamed　of　a　new　Germany　and　a　new　Italy。　His　heart

swelled　with　that　dull；　collective　love　which　we　must　call

humanitarianism；　the　eldest　son　of　deceased　philanthropy；　and　which　is

to　the　divine　catholic　charity　what　system　is　to　art；　or　reasoning　to

deed。　This　conscientious　puritan　of　freedom；　this　apostle　of　an

impossible　equality；　regretted　keenly　that　his　poverty　forced　him　to

serve　the　government；　and　he　made　various　efforts　to　find　a　place

elsewhere。　Tall；　lean；　lanky；　and　solemn　in　appearance；　like　a　man　who

expects　to　be　called　some　day　to　lay　down　his　life　for　a　cause；　he

lived　on　a　page　of　Volney；　studied　Saint…Just；　and　employed　himself　on

a　vindication　of　Robespierre；　whom　he　regarded　as　the　successor　of

Jesus　Christ。



The　last　of　the　individuals　belonging　to　these　bureaus　who　merits　a

sketch　here　is　the　little　La　Billardiere。　Having；　to　his　great

misfortune；　lost　his　mother；　and　being　under　the　protection　of　the

minister；　safe　therefore　from　the　tyrannies　of　Baudoyer；　and　received

in　all　the　ministerial　salons；　he　was　nevertheless　detested　by　every

one　because　of　his　impertinence　and　conceit。　The　two　chiefs　were

polite　to　him；　but　the　clerks　held　him　at　arm's　length　and　prevented

all　companionship　by　means　of　the　extreme　and　grotesque　politeness

which　they　bestowed　upon　him。　A　pretty　youth　of　twenty…two；　tall　and

slender；　with　the　manners　of　an　Englishman；　a　dandy　in　dress；　curled

and　perfumed；　gloved　and　booted　in　the　latest　fashion；　and　twirling　an

eyeglass；　Benjamin　de　la　Billardiere　thought　himself　a　charming　fellow

and　possessed　all　the　vices　of　the　world　with　none　of　its　graces。　He

was　now　looking　forward　impatiently　to　the　death　of　his　father；　that

he　might　succeed　to　the　title　of　baron。　His　cards　were　printed　〃le

Chevalier　de　la　Billardiere〃　and　on　the　wall　of　his　office　hung；　in　a

frame；　his　coat　of　arms　（sable；　two　swords　in　saltire；　on　a　chief

azure　three　mullets　argent；　with　the　motto；　〃Toujours　fidele〃）。

Possessed　with　a　mania　for　talking　heraldry；　he　once　asked　the　young

Vicomte　de　Portenduere　why　his　arms　were　charged　in　a　certain　way；　and

drew　down　upon　himself　the　happy　answer；　〃I　did　not　make　them。〃　He

talked　of　his　devotion　to　the　monarchy　and　the　attentions　the　Dauphine

paid　him。　He　stood　very　well　with　des　Lupeaulx；　whom　he　thought　his

friend；　and　they　often　breakfasted　together。　Bixiou　posed　as　his

mentor；　and　hoped　to　rid　the　division　and　France　of　the　young　fool　by

tempting　him　to　excesses；　and　openly　avowed　that　intention。



Such　were　the　principal　figures　of　La　Billardiere's　division　of　the

ministry；　where　also　were　other　clerks　of　less　account；　who　resembled

more　or　less　those　that　are　represented　here。　It　is　difficult　even　for

an　observer　to　decide　from　the　aspect　of　these　strange　personalities

whether　the　goose…quill　tribe　were　becoming　idiots　from　the　effects　of

their　employment　or　whether　they　entered　the　service　because　they　were

natural　born　fools。　Possibly　the　making　of　them　lies　at　the　door　of

Nature　and　of　the　government　both。　Nature；　to　a　civil…service　clerk

is；　in　fact；　the　sphere　of　the　office；　his　horizon　is　bounded　on　all

sides　by　green　boxes；　to　him；　atmospheric　changes　are　the　air　of　the

corridors；　the　masculine　exhalations　contained　in　rooms　without

ventilators；　the　odor　of　paper；　pens；　and　ink；　the　soil　he　treads　is　a

tiled　pavement　or　a　wooden　floor；　strewn　with　a　curious　litter　and

moistened　by　the　attendant's　watering…pot；　his　sky　is　the　ceiling

toward　which　he　yawns；　his　element　is　dust。　Several　distinguished

doctors　have　remonstrated　against　the　influence　of　this　second　nature；

both　savage　and　civilized；　on　the　moral　being　vegetating　in　those

dreadful　pens　called　bureaus；　where　the　sun　seldom　penetrates；　where

thoughts　are　tied　down　to　occupations　like　that　of　horses　who　turn　a

crank　and　who；　poor　beasts；　yawn　distressingly　and　die　quickly。

Rabourdin　was；　therefore；　fully　justified　in　seeking　to　reform　their

present　condition；　by　lessening　their　numbers　and　giving　to　each　a

larger　salary　and　far　heavier　work。　Men　are　neither　wearied　nor　bored

when　doing　great　things。　Under　the　present　system　government　loses

fully　four　hours　out　of　the　nine　which　the　clerks　owe　to　the　service；

hours　wasted；　as　we　shall　see；　in　conversations；　in　gossip；　in

disputes；　and；　above　all；　in　underhand　intriguing。　The　reader　must

have　haunted　the　bureaus　of　the　ministerial　departments　before　he　can

realize　how　much　their　petty　and　belittling　life　resembles　that　of

seminaries。　Wherever　men　live　collectively　this　likeness　is　obvious；

in　regiments；　in　law…courts；　you　will　find　the　elements　of　the　school

on　a　smaller　or　larger　scale。　The　government　clerks；　forced　to　be

together　for　nine　hours　of　the　day；　looked　upon　their　office　as　a　sort

of　class…room　where　they　had　tasks　to　perform；　where　the　head　of　the

bureau　was　no　other　than　a　schoolmaster；　and　where　the　gratuities

bestowed　took　the　place　of　prizes　given　out　to　proteges；a　place；

moreover；　where　they　teased　and　hated　each　other；　and　yet　felt　a

certain　comradeship；　colder　than　that　of　a　regiment；　which　itself　is

less　hearty　than　that　of　seminaries。　As　a　man　advances　in　life　he

grows　more　selfish；　egoism　develops；　and　relaxes　all　the　secondary

bonds　of　affection。　A　government　office　is；　in　short；　a　microcosm　of

society；　with　its　oddities　and　hatreds；　its　envy　and　its　cupidity；　its

determination　to　push　on；　no　matter　who　goes　under；　its　frivolous

gossip　which　gives　so　many　wounds；　and　its　perpetual　spying。







CHAPTER　V



THE　MACHINE　IN　MOTION



At　this　moment　the　division　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　was　in　a

state　of　unusual　excitement；　resulting　very　naturally　from　the　event

which　was　about　to　happen；　for　heads　of　divisions　do　not　die　every

day；　and　there　is　no　insurance　office　where　the　chances　of　life　and

death　are　calculated　with　more　sagacity　than　in　a　government　bureau。

Self…interest　stifles　all　compassion；　as　it　does　in　children；　but　the

government　service　adds　hypocrisy　to　boot。



The　clerks　of　the　bureau　Baudoyer　arrived　at　eight　o'clock　in　the

morning；　whereas　those　of　the　bureau　Rabourdin　seldom　appeared　till

nine；a　circumstance　which　did　not　prevent　the　work　in　the　latter

office　from　being　more　rapidly　dispatched　than　that　of　the　former。

Dutocq　had　important　reasons　for　coming　early　on　this　particular

morning。　The　previous　evening　he　had　furtively　entered　the　study　where