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for　dinner；　his　wife　presided　at　his　toilet　and　presently　laid　before

him　the　fatal　memorandum　which；　like　the　slipper　in　the　Arabian

Nights；　the　luckless　man　was　fated　to　meet　at　every　turn。



〃Who　gave　you　that？〃　he　asked；　thunderstruck。



〃Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx。〃



〃So　he　has　been　here！〃　cried　Rabourdin；　with　a　look　which　would

certainly　have　made　a　guilty　woman　turn　pale；　but　which　Celestine

received　with　unruffled　brow　and　a　laughing　eye。



〃And　he　is　coming　back　to　dinner；〃　she　said。　〃Why　that　startled　air？〃



〃My　dear；〃　replied　Rabourdin；　〃I　have　mortally　offended　des　Lupeaulx；

such　men　never　forgive；　and　yet　he　fawns　upon　me！　Do　you　think　I　don't

see　why？〃



〃The　man　seems　to　me；〃　she　said；　〃to　have　good　taste；　you　can't　expect

me　to　blame　him。　I　really　don't　know　anything　more　flattering　to　a

woman　than　to　please　a　worn…out　palate。　After〃



〃A　truce　to　nonsense；　Celestine。　Spare　a　much…tried　man。　I　cannot　get

an　audience　of　the　minister；　and　my　honor　is　at　stake。〃



〃Good　heavens；　no！　Dutocq　can　have　the　promise　of　a　good　place　as　soon

as　you　are　named　head　of　the　division。〃



〃Ah！　I　see　what　you　are　about；　dear　child；〃　said　Rabourdin；　〃but　the

game　you　are　playing　is　just　as　dishonorable　as　the　real　thing　that　is

going　on　around　us。　A　lie　is　a　lie；　and　an　honest　woman〃



〃Let　me　use　the　weapons　employed　against　us。〃



〃Celestine；　the　more　that　man　des　Lupeaulx　feels　he　is　foolishly

caught　in　a　trap；　the　more　bitter　he　will　be　against　me。〃



〃What　if　I　get　him　dismissed　altogether？〃



Rabourdin　looked　at　his　wife　in　amazement。



〃I　am　thinking　only　of　your　advancement；　it　was　high　time；　my　poor

husband；〃　continued　Celestine。　〃But　you　are　mistaking　the　dog　for　the

game；〃　she　added；　after　a　pause。　〃In　a　few　days　des　Lupeaulx　will　have

accomplished　all　that　I　want　of　him。　While　you　are　trying　to　speak　to

the　minister；　and　before　you　can　even　see　him　on　business；　I　shall

have　seen　him　and　spoken　with　him。　You　are　worn　out　in　trying　to　bring

that　plan　of　your　brain　to　birth；a　plan　which　you　have　been　hiding

from　me；　but　you　will　find　that　in　three　months　your　wife　has

accomplished　more　than　you　have　done　in　six　years。　Come；　tell　me　this

fine　scheme　of　yours。〃



Rabourdin；　continuing　to　shave；　cautioned　his　wife　not　to　say　a　word

about　his　work；　and　after　assuring　her　that　to　confide　a　single　idea

to　des　Lupeaulx　would　be　to　put　the　cat　near　the　milk…jug；　he　began　an

explanation　of　his　labors。



〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　this　before；　Rabourdin？〃　said　Celestine；

cutting　her　husband　short　at　his　fifth　sentence。　〃You　might　have　saved

yourself　a　world　of　trouble。　I　can　understand　that　a　man　should　be

blinded　by　an　idea　for　a　moment；　but　to　nurse　it　up　for　six　or　seven

years；　that's　a　thing　I　cannot　comprehend！　You　want　to　reduce　the

budget；a　vulgar　and　commonplace　idea！　The　budget　ought；　on　the

contrary；　to　reach　two　hundred　millions。　Then；　indeed；　France　would　be

great。　If　you　want　a　new　system　let　it　be　one　of　loans；　as　Monsieur　de

Nucingen　keeps　saying。　The　poorest　of　all　treasuries　is　the　one　with　a

surplus　that　it　never　uses；　the　mission　of　a　minister　of　finance　is　to

fling　gold　out　of　the　windows。　It　will　come　back　to　him　through　the

cellars；　and　you；　you　want　to　hoard　it！　The　thing　to　do　is　to　increase

the　offices　and　all　government　employments；　instead　of　reducing　them！

So　far　from　lessening　the　public　debt；　you　ought　to　increase　the

creditors。　If　the　Bourbons　want　to　reign　in　peace；　let　them　seek

creditors　in　the　towns　and　villages；　and　place　their　loans　there；

above　all；　they　ought　not　to　let　foreigners　draw　interest　away　from

France；　some　day　an　alien　nation　might　ask　us　for　the　capital。　Whereas

if　capital　and　interest　are　held　only　in　France；　neither　France　nor

credit　can　perish。　That's　what　saved　England。　Your　plan　is　the

tradesman's　plan。　An　ambitious　public　man　should　produce　some　bold

scheme；he　should　make　himself　another　Law；　without　Law's　fatal　ill…

luck；　he　ought　to　exhibit　the　power　of　credit；　and　show　that　we　should

reduce；　not　principal；　but　interest；　as　they　do　in　England。〃



〃Come；　come；　Celestine；〃　said　Rabourdin；　〃mix　up　ideas　as　much　as　you

please；　and　make　fun　of　them；I'm　accustomed　to　that；　but　don't

criticise　a　work　of　which　you　know　nothing　as　yet。〃



〃Do　I　need；〃　she　asked；　〃to　know　a　scheme　the　essence　of　which　is　to

govern　France　with　a　civil　service　of　six　thousand　men　instead　of

twenty　thousand？　My　dear　friend；　even　allowing　it　were　the　plan　of　a

man　of　genius；　a　king　of　France　who　attempted　to　carry　it　out　would

get　himself　dethroned。　You　can　keep　down　a　feudal　aristocracy　by

levelling　a　few　heads；　but　you　can't　subdue　a　hydra　with　thousands。

And　is　it　with　the　present　ministersbetween　ourselves；　a　wretched

crewthat　you　expect　to　carry　out　your　reform？　No；　no；　change　the

monetary　system　if　you　will；　but　do　not　meddle　with　men；　with　little

men；　they　cry　out　too　much；　whereas　gold　is　dumb。〃



〃But；　Celestine；　if　you　will　talk；　and　put　wit　before　argument；　we

shall　never　understand　each　other。〃



〃Understand！　I　understand　what　that　paper；　in　which　you　have　analyzed

the　capacities　of　the　men　in　office；　will　lead　to；〃　she　replied；

paying　no　attention　to　what　her　husband　said。　〃Good　heavens！　you　have

sharpened　the　axe　to　cut　off　your　own　head。　Holy　Virgin！　why　didn't

you　consult　me？　I　could　have　at　least　prevented　you　from　committing

anything　to　writing；　or；　at　any　rate；　if　you　insisted　on　putting　it　to

paper；　I　would　have　written　it　down　myself；　and　it　should　never　have

left　this　house。　Good　God！　to　think　that　he　never　told　me！　That's　what

men　are！　capable　of　sleeping　with　the　wife　of　their　bosom　for　seven

years；　and　keeping　a　secret　from　her！　Hiding　their　thoughts　from　a

poor　woman　for　seven　years！doubting　her　devotion！〃



〃But；〃　cried　Rabourdin；　provoked；　〃for　eleven　years　and　more　I　have

been　unable　to　discuss　anything　with　you　because　you　insist　on　cutting

me　short　and　substituting　your　ideas　for　mine。　You　know　nothing　at　all

about　my　scheme。〃



〃Nothing！　I　know　all。〃



〃Then　tell　it　to　me！〃　cried　Rabourdin；　angry　for　the　first　time　since

his　marriage。



〃There！　it　is　half…past　six　o'clock；　finish　shaving　and　dress　at

once；〃　she　cried　hastily；　after　the　fashion　of　women　when　pressed　on　a

point　they　are　not　ready　to　talk　of。　〃I　must　go；　we'll　adjourn　the

discussion；　for　I　don't　want　to　be　nervous　on　a　reception…day。　Good

heavens！　the　poor　soul！〃　she　thought；　as　she　left　the　room；　〃it　IS

hard　to　be　in　labor　for　seven　years　and　bring　forth　a　dead　child！　And

not　trust　his　wife！〃



She　went　back　into　the　room。



〃If　you　had　listened　to　me　you　would　never　had　interceded　to　keep　your

chief　clerk；　he　stole　that　abominable　paper；　and　has；　no　doubt；　kept　a

fac…simile　of　it。　Adieu；　man　of　genius！〃



Then　she　noticed　the　almost　tragic　expression　of　her　husband's　grief；

she　felt　she　had　gone　too　far；　and　ran　to　him；　seized　him　just　as　he

was；　all　lathered　with　soap…suds；　and　kissed　him　tenderly。



〃Dear　Xavier；　don't　be　vexed；〃　she　said。　〃To…night；　after　the　people

are　gone；　we　will　study　your　plan；　you　shall　speak　at　your　ease；I

will　listen　just　as　long　as　you　wish　me　to。　Isn't　that　nice　of　me？

What　do　I　want　better　than　to　be　the　wife　of　Mohammed？〃



She　began　to　laugh；　and　Rabourdin　laughed　too；　for　the　soapsuds　were

clinging　to　Celestine's　lips；　and　her　voice　had　the　tones　of　the

purest　and　most　steadfast　affection。



〃Go　and　dress；　dear　child；　and　above　all；　don't　say　a　word　of　this　to

des　Lupeaulx。　Swear　you　will　not。　That　is　the　only　punishment　that　I

impose〃



〃IMPOSE！〃　she　cried。　〃Then　I　won't　swear　anything。〃



〃Come；　come；　Celestine；　I　said　in　jest　a　really　serious　thing。〃



〃To…night；〃　she　said；　〃I　mean　your　general…secretary　to　know　whom　I　am

really　intending　to　attack；　he　has　given　me　the　means。〃



〃Attack　whom？〃



〃The　minister；〃　she　answered；　drawing　himself　up。　〃We　are　to　be

invited　to　his　wife's　private　parties。〃



In　spite　of　his　Celestine's　loving　caresses；　Rabourdin；　as　he　finished

dressing；　could　not　prevent　certain　painful　thoughts　from　clouding　his

brow。



〃Will　she　ever　appreciate　me？〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃She　does　not　even

understand　that　she　is　the　sole　incentive　of　my　whole　work。　How　wrong…

headed；　and　yet　how　excellent　a　mind！If　I　had　not　married　I　might

now　have　been　high　in　office　and　rich。　I　could　have　saved　half　my

salary；　my　savings　well…invested　would　have　given　me　to…day　ten

thousand　francs　a　year　outside　of　my　office；　and　I　might　then　have

become；　through　a　good　marriage　Yes；　that　is　all　true；〃　he

exclaimed；　interrupting　himself；　〃but　I　have　Celestine　and　my　two

children。〃　The　man　flung　himself　back　on　his　happiness。　To　the　best　of

married　lives　there　come　moments　of　regret。　He　entered　the　salon　and

looked　around　him。　〃There　are　not　two　women　in　Paris　who　understand

making　life　pleasant