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to　reach　it　that　no　one　ventured　to　blame　a　system　invented　by

mediocrity　to　please　minds　of　its　own　calibre。　The　Restoration；　like

the　Polish　revolution；　proved　to　nations　as　to　princes　the　true　value

of　a　Man；　and　what　will　happen　if　that　necessary　man　is　wanting。　The

last　and　the　greatest　weakness　of　the　public　men　of　the　Restoration

was　their　honesty；　in　a　struggle　in　which　their　adversaries　employed

the　resources　of　political　dishonesty；　lies；　and　calumnies；　and　let

loose　upon　them；　by　all　subversive　means；　the　clamor　of　the

unintelligent　masses；　able　only　to　understand　revolt。



Rabourdin　told　himself　all　these　things。　But　he　had　made　up　his　mind

to　win　or　lose；　like　a　man　weary　of　gambling　who　allows　himself　a　last

stake；　ill…luck　had　given　him　as　adversary　in　the　game　a　sharper　like

des　Lupeaulx。　With　all　his　sagacity；　Rabourdin　was　better　versed　in

matters　of　administration　than　in　parliamentary　optics；　and　he　was　far

indeed　from　imagining　how　his　confidence　would　be　received；　he　little

thought　that　the　great　work　that　filled　his　mind　would　seem　to　the

minister　nothing　more　than　a　theory；　and　that　a　man　who　held　the

position　of　a　statesman　would　confound　his　reform　with　the　schemes　of

political　and　self…interested　talkers。



As　the　minister　rose　from　table；　thinking　of　Francois　Keller；　his　wife

detained　him　with　the　offer　of　a　bunch　of　grapes；　and　at　that　moment

Rabourdin　was　announced。　Des　Lupeaulx　had　counted　on　the　minister's

preoccupation　and　his　desire　to　get　away；　seeing　him　for　the　moment

occupied　with　his　wife；　the　general…secretary　went　forward　to　meet

Rabourdin；　whom　he　petrified　with　his　first　words；　said　in　a　low　tone

of　voice：



〃His　Excellency　and　I　know　what　the　subject　is　that　occupies　your

mind；　you　have　nothing　to　fear〃；　then；　raising　his　voice；　he　added；

〃neither　from　Dutocq　nor　from　any　one　else。〃



〃Don't　feel　uneasy；　Rabourdin；〃　said　his　Excellency；　kindly；　but

making　a　movement　to　get　away。



Rabourdin　came　forward　respectfully；　and　the　minister　could　not　evade

him。



〃Will　your　Excellency　permit　me　to　see　you　for　a　moment　in　private？〃

he　said；　with　a　mysterious　glance。



The　minister　looked　at　the　clock　and　went　towards　the　window；　whither

the　poor　man　followed　him。



〃When　may　I　have　the　honor　of　submitting　the　matter　of　which　I　spoke

to　your　Excellency？　I　desire　to　fully　explain　the　plan　of

administration　to　which　the　paper　that　was　taken　belongs〃



〃Plan　of　administration！〃　exclaimed　the　minister；　frowning；　and

hurriedly　interrupting　him。　〃If　you　have　anything　of　that　kind　to

communicate　you　must　wait　for　the　regular　day　when　we　do　business

together。　I　ought　to　be　at　the　Council　now；　and　I　have　an　answer　to

make　to　the　Chamber　on　that　point　which　the　opposition　raised　before

the　session　ended　yesterday。　Your　day　is　Wednesday　next；　I　could　not

work　yesterday；　for　I　had　other　things　to　attend　to；　political　matters

are　apt　to　interfere　with　purely　administrative　ones。〃



〃I　place　my　honor　with　all　confidence　in　your　Excellency's　hands；〃

said　Rabourdin　gravely；　〃and　I　entreat　you　to　remember　that　you　have

not　allowed　me　time　to　give　you　an　immediate　explanation　of　the　stolen

paper〃



〃Don't　be　uneasy；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　interposing　between　the　minister

and　Rabourdin；　whom　he　thus　interrupted；　〃in　another　week　you　will

probably　be　appointed〃



The　minister　smiled　as　he　thought　of　des　Lupeaulx's　enthusiasm　for

Madame　Rabourdin；　and　he　glanced　knowingly　at　his　wife。　Rabourdin　saw

the　look；　and　tried　to　imagine　its　meaning；　his　attention　was　diverted

for　a　moment；　and　his　Excellency　took　advantage　of　the　fact　to　make

his　escape。



〃We　will　talk　of　all　this；　you　and　I；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　with　whom

Rabourdin；　much　to　his　surprise；　now　found　himself　alone。　〃Don't　be

angry　with　Dutocq；　I'll　answer　for　his　discretion。〃



〃Madame　Rabourdin　is　charming；〃　said　the　minister's　wife；　wishing　to

say　the　civil　thing　to　the　head　of　a　bureau。



The　children　all　gazed　at　Rabourdin　with　curiosity。　The　poor　man　had

come　there　expecting　some　serious；　even　solemn；　result；　and　he　was

like　a　great　fish　caught　in　the　threads　of　a　flimsy　net；　he　struggled

with　himself。



〃Madame　la　comtesse　is　very　good；〃　he　said。



〃Shall　I　not　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　Madame　here　some　Wednesday？〃

said　the　countess。　〃Pray　bring　her；　it　will　give　me　pleasure。〃



〃Madame　Rabourdin　herself　receives　on　Wednesdays；〃　interrupted　des

Lupeaulx；　who　knew　the　empty　civility　of　an　invitation　to　the　official

Wednesdays；　〃but　since　you　are　so　kind　as　to　wish　for　her；　you　will

soon　give　one　of　your　private　parties；　and〃



The　countess　rose　with　some　irritation。



〃You　are　the　master　of　my　ceremonies；〃　she　said　to　des　Lupeaulx；

ambiguous　words；　by　which　she　expressed　the　annoyance　she　felt　with

the　secretary　for　presuming　to　interfere　with　her　private　parties；　to

which　she　admitted　only　a　select　few。　She　left　the　room　without　bowing

to　Rabourdin；　who　remained　alone　with　des　Lupeaulx；　the　latter　was

twisting　in　his　fingers　the　confidential　letter　to　the　minister　which

Rabourdin　had　intrusted　to　La　Briere。　Rabourdin　recognized　it。



〃You　have　never　really　known　me；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。　〃Friday　evening

we　will　come　to　a　full　understanding。　Just　now　I　must　go　and　receive

callers；　his　Excellency　saddles　me　with　that　burden　when　he　has　other

matters　to　attend　to。　But　I　repeat；　Rabourdin；　don't　worry　yourself；

you　have　nothing　to　fear。〃



Rabourdin　walked　slowly　through　the　corridors；　amazed　and　confounded

by　this　singular　turn　of　events。　He　had　expected　Dutocq　to　denounce

him；　and　found　he　had　not　been　mistaken；　des　Lupeaulx　had　certainly

seen　the　document　which　judged　him　so　severely；　and　yet　des　Lupeaulx

was　fawning　on　his　judge！　It　was　all　incomprehensible。　Men　of　upright

minds　are　often　at　a　loss　to　understand　complicated　intrigues；　and

Rabourdin　was　lost　in　a　maze　of　conjecture　without　being　able　to

discover　the　object　of　the　game　which　the　secretary　was　playing。



〃Either　he　has　not　read　the　part　about　himself；　or　he　loves　my　wife。〃



Such　were　the　two　thoughts　to　which　his　mind　arrived　as　he　crossed　the

courtyard；　for　the　glance　he　had　intercepted　the　night　before　between

des　Lupeaulx　and　Celestine　came　back　to　his　memory　like　a　flash　of

lightning。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　WORMS　AT　WORK



Rabourdin's　bureau　was　during　his　absence　a　prey　to　the　keenest

excitement；　for　the　relation　between　the　head　officials　and　the　clerks

in　a　government　office　is　so　regulated　that；　when　a　minister's

messenger　summons　the　head　of　a　bureau　to　his　Excellency's　presence

（above　all　at　the　latter's　breakfast　hour）；　there　is　no　end　to　the

comments　that　are　made。　The　fact　that　the　present　unusual　summons

followed　so　closely　on　the　death　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　seemed

to　give　special　importance　to　the　circumstance；　which　was　made　known

to　Monsieur　Saillard；　who　came　at　once　to　confer　with　Baudoyer。

Bixiou；　who　happened　at　the　moment　to　be　at　work　with　the　latter；　left

him　to　converse　with　his　father…in…law　and　betook　himself　to　the

bureau　Rabourdin；　where　the　usual　routine　was　of　course　interrupted。



Bixiou　＇entering＇。　〃I　thought　I　should　find　you　at　a　white　heat！　Don't

you　know　what's　going　on　down　below？　The　virtuous　woman　is　done　for！

yes；　done　for；　crushed！　Terrible　scene　at　the　ministry！〃



Dutocq　＇looking　fixedly　at　him＇。　〃Are　you　telling　the　truth？〃



Bixiou。　〃Pray；　who　would　regret　it？　Not　you；　certainly；　for　you　will

be　made　under…head…clerk　and　du　Bruel　head　of　the　bureau。　Monsieur

Baudoyer　gets　the　division。〃



Fleury。　〃I'll　bet　a　hundred　francs　that　Baudoyer　will　never　be　head　of

the　division。〃



Vimeux。　〃I'll　join　in　the　bet；　will　you；　Monsieur　Poiret？〃



Poiret。　〃I　retire　in　January。〃



Bixiou。　〃Is　it　possible？　are　we　to　lose　the　sight　of　those　shoe…ties？

What　will　the　ministry　be　without　you？　Will　nobody　take　up　the　bet　on

my　side？〃



Dutocq。　〃I　can't；　for　I　know　the　facts。　Monsieur　Rabourdin　is

appointed。　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　requested　it　of　the　two

ministers　on　his　death…bed；　blaming　himself　for　having　taken　the

emoluments　of　an　office　of　which　Rabourdin　did　all　the　work；　he　felt

remorse　of　conscience；　and　the　ministers；　to　quiet　him；　promised　to

appoint　Rabourdin　unless　higher　powers　intervened。〃



Bixiou。　〃Gentlemen；　are　you　all　against　me？　seven　to　one；for　I　know

which　side　you'll　take；　Monsieur　Phellion。　Well；　I'll　bet　a　dinner

costing　five　hundred　francs　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale　that　Rabourdin

does　not　get　La　Billardiere's　place。　That　will　cost　you　only　a　hundred

francs　each；　and　I'm　risking　five　hundred；five　to　one　against　me！　Do

you　take　it　up？〃　＇Shouting　into　the　next　room。＇　〃Du　Bruel；　what　say

you？〃



Phellion　＇laying　down　his　pen＇。　〃Monsieur；　may　I　ask　on　what　you　base

that　contingent　proposal？for　contingent　it　is。　But　stay；　I　am　wrong

to　call