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give　in　our　resignations！　Fleury；　Chazelle；　fling　yourselves　into

other　employments　and　become　the　great　men　you　really　are。〃



Chazelle　＇calmed　down　by　Bixiou's　allocution＇。　〃No；　I　thank　you〃

＇general　laughter＇。



Bixiou。　〃You　are　wrong；　in　your　situation　I　should　try　to　get　ahead　of

the　general…secretary。〃



Chazelle　＇uneasily＇。　〃What　has　he　to　do　with　me？〃



Bixiou。　〃You'll　find　out；　do　you　suppose　Baudoyer　will　overlook　what

happened　just　now？〃



Fleury。　〃Another　piece　of　Bixiou's　spite！　You've　a　queer　fellow　to

deal　with　in　there。　Now；　Monsieur　Rabourdin；there's　a　man　for　you！

He　put　work　on　my　table　to…day　that　you　couldn't　get　through　within

this　office　in　three　days；　well；　he　expects　me　to　have　it　done　by　four

o'clock　to…day。　But　he　is　not　always　at　my　heels　to　hinder　me　from

talking　to　my　friends。〃



Baudoyer　＇appearing　at　the　door＇。　〃Gentlemen；　you　will　admit　that　if

you　have　the　legal　right　to　find　fault　with　the　chamber　and　the

administration　you　must　at　least　do　so　elsewhere　than　in　this　office。〃

＇To　Fleury。＇　〃What　are　you　doing　here；　monsieur？〃



Fleury　＇insolently＇。　〃I　came　to　tell　these　gentlemen　that　there　was　to

be　a　general　turn…out。　Du　Bruel　is　sent　for　to　the　ministry；　and

Dutocq　also。　Everybody　is　asking　who　will　be　appointed。〃



Baudoyer　＇retiring＇。　〃It　is　not　your　affair；　sir；　go　back　to　your　own

office；　and　do　not　disturb　mine。〃



Fleury　＇in　the　doorway＇。　〃It　would　be　a　shameful　injustice　if

Rabourdin　lost　the　place；　I　swear　I'd　leave　the　service。　Did　you　find

that　anagram；　papa　Colleville？〃



Colleville。　〃Yes；　here　it　is。〃



Fleury　＇leaning　over　Colleville's　desk＇。　〃Capital！　famous！　This　is

just　what　will　happen　if　the　administration　continues　to　play　the

hypocrite。〃　＇He　makes　a　sign　to　the　clerks　that　Baudoyer　is

listening。＇　〃If　the　government　would　frankly　state　its　intentions

without　concealments　of　any　kind；　the　liberals　would　know　what　they

had　to　deal　with。　An　administration　which　sets　its　best　friends

against　itself；　such　men　as　those　of　the　'Debats；'　Chateaubriand；　and

Royer…Collard；　is　only　to　be　pitied！〃



Colleville　＇after　consulting　his　colleagues＇。　〃Come；　Fleury；　you're　a

good　fellow；　but　don't　talk　politics　here；　you　don't　know　what　harm

you　may　do　us。〃



Fleury　＇dryly＇。　〃Well；　adieu；　gentlemen；　I　have　my　work　to　do　by　four

o'clock。〃



While　this　idle　talk　had　been　going　on；　des　Lupeaulx　was　closeted　in

his　office　with　du　Bruel；　where；　a　little　later；　Dutocq　joined　them。

Des　Lupeaulx　had　heard　from　his　valet　of　La　Billardiere's　death；　and

wishing　to　please　the　two　ministers；　he　wanted　an　obituary　article　to

appear　in　the　evening　papers。



〃Good　morning；　my　dear　du　Bruel；〃　said　the　semi…minister　to　the　head…

clerk　as　he　entered；　and　not　inviting　him　to　sit　down。　〃You　have　heard

the　news？　La　Billardiere　is　dead。　The　ministers　were　both　present　when

he　received　the　last　sacraments。　The　worthy　man　strongly　recommended

Rabourdin；　saying　he　should　die　with　less　regret　if　he　could　know　that

his　successor　were　the　man　who　had　so　constantly　done　his　work。　Death

is　a　torture　which　makes　a　man　confess　everything。　The　minister　agreed

the　more　readily　because　his　intention　and　that　of　the　Council　was　to

reward　Monsieur　Rabourdin's　numerous　services。　In　fact；　the　Council　of

State　needs　his　experience。　They　say　that　young　La　Billardiere　is　to

leave　the　division　of　his　father　and　go　to　the　Commission　of　Seals；

that's　just　the　same　as　if　the　King　had　made　him　a　present　of　a

hundred　thousand　francs；the　place　can　always　be　sold。　But　I　know　the

news　will　delight　your　division；　which　will　thus　get　rid　of　him。　Du

Bruel；　we　must　get　ten　or　a　dozen　lines　about　the　worthy　late　director

into　the　papers；　his　Excellency　will　glance　them　over；he　reads　the

papers。　Do　you　know　the　particulars　of　old　La　Billardiere's　life？〃



Du　Bruel　made　a　sign　in　the　negative。



〃No？〃　continued　des　Lupeaulx。　〃Well　then；　he　was　mixed　up　in　the

affairs　of　La　Vendee；　and　he　was　one　of　the　confidants　of　the　late

King。　Like　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Fontaine　he　always　refused　to　hold

communication　with　the　First　Consul。　He　was　a　bit　of　a　'chouan'；　born

in　Brittany　of　a　parliamentary　family；　and　ennobled　by　Louis　XVIII。

How　old　was　he？　never　mind　about　that；　just　say　his　loyalty　was

untarnished；　his　religion　enlightened；the　poor　old　fellow　hated

churches　and　never　set　foot　in　one；　but　you　had　better　make　him　out　a

'pious　vassal。'　Bring　in；　gracefully；　that　he　sang　the　song　of　Simeon

at　the　accession　of　Charles　X。　The　Comte　d'Artois　thought　very　highly

of　La　Billardiere；　for　he　co…operated　in　the　unfortunate　affair　of

Quiberon　and　took　the　whole　responsibility　on　himself。　You　know　about

that；　don't　you？　La　Billardiere　defended　the　King　in　a　printed

pamphlet　in　reply　to　an　impudent　history　of　the　Revolution　written　by

a　journalist；　you　can　allude　to　his　loyalty　and　devotion。　But　be　very

careful　what　you　say；　weigh　your　words；　so　that　the　other　newspapers

can't　laugh　at　us；　and　bring　me　the　article　when　you've　written　it。

Were　you　at　Rabourdin's　yesterday？〃



〃Yes；　monseigneur；〃　said　du　Bruel；　〃Ah！　beg　pardon。〃



〃No　harm　done；〃　answered　des　Lupeaulx；　laughing。



〃Madame　Rabourdin　looked　delightfully　handsome；〃　added　du　Bruel。

〃There　are　not　two　women　like　her　in　Paris。　Some　are　as　clever　as　she；

but　there's　not　one　so　gracefully　witty。　Many　women　may　even　be

handsomer；　but　it　would　be　hard　to　find　one　with　such　variety　of

beauty。　Madame　Rabourdin　is　far　superior　to　Madame　Colleville；〃　said

the　vaudevillist；　remembering　des　Lupeaulx's　former　affair。　〃Flavie

owes　what　she　is　to　the　men　about　her；　whereas　Madame　Rabourdin　is　all

things　in　herself。　It　is　wonderful　too　what　she　knows；　you　can't　tell

secrets　in　Latin　before　HER。　If　I　had　such　a　wife；　I　know　I　should

succeed　in　everything。〃



〃You　have　more　mind　than　an　author　ought　to　have；〃　returned　des

Lupeaulx；　with　a　conceited　air。　Then　he　turned　round　and　perceived

Dutocq。　〃Ah；　good…morning；　Dutocq；〃　he　said。　〃I　sent　for　you　to　lend

me　your　Charletif　you　have　the　whole　complete。　Madame　la　comtesse

knows　nothing　of　Charlet。〃



Du　Bruel　retired。



〃Why　do　you　come　in　without　being　summoned？〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；

harshly；　when　he　and　Dutocq　were　left　alone。　〃Is　the　State　in　danger

that　you　must　come　here　at　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning；　just　as　I　am

going　to　breakfast　with　his　Excellency？〃



〃Perhaps　it　is；　monsieur；〃　said　Dutocq；　dryly。　〃If　I　had　had　the　honor

to　see　you　earlier；　you　would　probably　have　not　been　so　willing　to

support　Monsieur　Rabourdin；　after　reading　his　opinion　of　you。〃



Dutocq　opened　his　coat；　took　a　paper　from　the　left…hand　breast…pocket

and　laid　it　on　des　Lupeaulx's　desk；　pointing　to　a　marked　passage。　Then

he　went　to　the　door　and　slipped　the　bolt；　fearing　interruption。　While

he　was　thus　employed；　the　secretary…general　read　the　opening　sentence

of　the　article；　which　was　as　follows：



　　〃Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx。　A　government　degrades　itself　by　openly

　　employing　such　a　man；　whose　real　vocation　is　for　police　diplomacy。

　　He　is　fitted　to　deal　with　the　political　filibusters　of　other

　　cabinets；　and　it　would　be　a　pity　therefore　to　employ　him　on　our

　　internal　detective　police。　He　is　above　a　common　spy；　for　he　is

　　able　to　understand　a　plan；　he　could　skilfully　carry　through　a　dark

　　piece　of　work　and　cover　his　retreat　safely。〃



Des　Lupeaulx　was　succinctly　analyzed　in　five　or　six　such　paragraphs；

the　essence；　in　fact；　of　the　biographical　portrait　which　we　gave　at

the　beginning　of　this　history。　As　he　read　the　words　the　secretary　felt

that　a　man　stronger　than　himself　sat　in　judgment　on　him；　and　he　at

once　resolved　to　examine　the　memorandum；　which　evidently　reached　far

and　high；　without　allowing　Dutocq　to　know　his　secret　thoughts。　He

therefore　showed　a　calm；　grave　face　when　the　spy　returned　to　him。　Des

Lupeaulx；　like　lawyers；　magistrates；　diplomatists；　and　all　whose　work

obliges　them　to　pry　into　the　human　heart；　was　past　being　surprised　at

anything。　Hardened　in　treachery　and　in　all　the　tricks　and　wiles　of

hatred；　he　could　take　a　stab　in　the　back　and　not　let　his　face　tell　of

it。



〃How　did　you　get　hold　of　this　paper？〃



Dutocq　related　his　good　luck；　des　Lupeaulx's　face　as　he　listened

expressed　no　approbation；　and　the　spy　ended　in　terror　an　account　which

began　triumphantly。



〃Dutocq；　you　have　put　your　finger　between　the　bark　and　the　tree；〃　said

the　secretary；　coldly。　〃If　you　don't　want　to　make　powerful　enemies　I

advise　you　to　keep　this　paper　a　profound　secret；　it　is　a　work　of　the

utmost　importance　and　already　well　known　to　me。〃



So　saying；　des　Lupeaulx　dismissed　Dutocq　by　one　of　those　glances　that

are　more　expressive　than　words。



〃Ha！　that　scoundrel　of　a　Rabourdin　has　put　his　finger　in　this！〃

thought　Dutocq；　alarmed　on　finding　himself　anticipated；　〃he　has

reached　the　ear　of　the　administration；　while　I　am　left　out　in　t