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

making　life　pleasant　as　she　does。　To　keep　such　a　home　as　this　on

twelve　thousand　francs　a　year！〃　he　thought；　looking　at　the　flower…

stands　bright　with　bloom；　and　thinking　of　the　social　enjoyments　that

were　about　to　gratify　his　vanity。　〃She　was　made　to　be　the　wife　of　a

minister。　When　I　think　of　his　Excellency's　wife；　and　how　little　she

helps　him！　the　good　woman　is　a　comfortable　middle…class　dowdy；　and

when　she　goes　to　the　palace　or　into　society〃　He　pinched　his　lips

together。　Very　busy　men　are　apt　to　have　very　ignorant　notions　about

household　matters；　and　you　can　make　them　believe　that　a　hundred

thousand　francs　afford　little　or　that　twelve　thousand　afford　all。



Though　impatiently　expected；　and　in　spite　of　the　flattering　dishes

prepared　for　the　palate　of　the　gourmet…emeritus；　des　Lupeaulx　did　not

come　to　dinner；　in　fact　he　came　in　very　late；　about　midnight；　an　hour

when　company　dwindles　and　conversations　become　intimate　and

confidential。　Andoche　Finot；　the　journalist；　was　one　of　the　few

remaining　guests。



〃I　now　know　all；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　when　he　was　comfortably　seated　on

a　sofa　at　the　corner　of　the　fireplace；　a　cup　of　tea　in　his　hand　and

Madame　Rabourdin　standing　before　him　with　a　plate　of　sandwiches　and

some　slices　of　cake　very　appropriately　called　〃leaden　cake。〃　〃Finot；

my　dear　and　witty　friend；　you　can　render　a　great　service　to　our

gracious　queen　by　letting　loose　a　few　dogs　upon　the　men　we　were

talking　of。　You　have　against　you；〃　he　said　to　Rabourdin；　lowering　his

voice　so　as　to　be　heard　only　by　the　three　persons　whom　he　addressed；

〃a　set　of　usurers　and　priestsmoney　and　the　church。　The　article　in

the　liberal　journal　was　instituted　by　an　old　money…lender　to　whom　the

paper　was　under　obligations；　but　the　young　fellow　who　wrote　it　cares

nothing　about　it。　The　paper　is　about　to　change　hands；　and　in　three

days　more　will　be　on　our　side。　The　royalist　opposition；for　we　have；

thanks　to　Monsieur　de　Chateaubriand；　a　royalist　opposition；　that　is　to

say；　royalists　who　have　gone　over　to　the　liberals；however；　there's

no　need　to　discuss　political　matters　now；these　assassins　of　Charles

X。　have　promised　me　to　support　your　appointment　at　the　price　of　our

acquiescence　in　one　of　their　amendments。　All　my　batteries　are　manned。

If　they　threaten　us　with　Baudoyer　we　shall　say　to　the　clerical

phalanx；　'Such　and　such　a　paper　and　such　and　such　men　will　attack　your

measures　and　the　whole　press　will　be　against　you'　（for　even　the

ministerial　journals　which　I　influence　will　be　deaf　and　dumb；　won't

they；　Finot？）。　'Appoint　Rabourdin；　a　faithful　servant；　and　public

opinion　is　with　you'〃



〃Hi；　hi！〃　laughed　Finot。



〃So；　there's　no　need　to　be　uneasy；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。　〃I　have

arranged　it　all　to…night；　the　Grand　Almoner　must　yield。〃



〃I　would　rather　have　had　less　hope；　and　you　to　dinner；〃　whispered

Celestine；　looking　at　him　with　a　vexed　air　which　might　very　well　pass

for　an　expression　of　wounded　love。



〃This　must　win　my　pardon；〃　he　returned；　giving　her　an　invitation　to

the　ministry　for　the　following　Tuesday。



Celestine　opened　the　letter；　and　a　flush　of　pleasure　came　into　her

face。　No　enjoyment　can　be　compared　to　that　of　gratified　vanity。



〃You　know　what　the　countess's　Tuesdays　are；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　with　a

confidential　air。　〃To　the　usual　ministerial　parties　they　are　what　the

'Petit…Chateau'　is　to　a　court　ball。　You　will　be　at　the　heart　of　power！

You　will　see　there　the　Comtesse　Feraud；　who　is　still　in　favor

notwithstanding　Louis　XVIII。's　death；　Delphine　de　Nucingen；　Madame　de

Listomere；　the　Marquise　d'Espard；　and　your　dear　Firmiani；　I　have　had

her　invited　to　give　you　her　support　in　case　the　other　women　attempt　to

black…ball　you。　I　long　to　see　you　in　the　midst　of　them。〃



Celestine　threw　up　her　head　like　a　thoroughbred　before　the　race；　and

re…read　the　invitation　just　as　Baudoyer　and　Saillard　had　re…read　the

articles　about　themselves　in　the　newspapers；　without　being　able　to

quaff　enough　of　it。



〃THERE　first；　and　NEXT　at　the　Tuileries；〃　she　said　to　des　Lupeaulx；

who　was　startled　by　the　words　and　by　the　attitude　of　the　speaker；　so

expressive　were　they　of　ambition　and　security。



〃Can　it　be　that　I　am　only　a　stepping…stone？〃　he　asked　himself。　He

rose；　and　went　into　Madame　Rabourdin's　bedroom；　where　she　followed

him；　understanding　from　a　motion　of　his　head　that　he　wished　to　speak

to　her　privately。



〃Well；　your　husband's　plan；〃　he　said；　〃what　of　it？〃



〃Bah！　the　useless　nonsense　of　an　honest　man！〃　she　replied。　〃He　wants

to　suppress　fifteen　thousand　offices　and　do　the　work　with　five　or　six

thousand。　You　never　heard　of　such　nonsense；　I　will　let　you　read　the

whole　document　when　copied；　it　is　written　in　perfect　good　faith。　His

analysis　of　the　officials　was　prompted　only　by　his　honesty　and

rectitude；poor　dear　man！〃



Des　Lupeaulx　was　all　the　more　reassured　by　the　genuine　laugh　which

accompanied　these　jesting　and　contemptuous　words；　because　he　was　a

judge　of　lying　and　knew　that　Celestine　spoke　in　good　faith。



〃But　still；　what　is　at　the　bottom　of　it　all？〃　he　asked。



〃Well；　he　wants　to　do　away　with　the　land…tax　and　substitute　taxes　on

consumption。〃



〃Why　it　is　over　a　year　since　Francois　Keller　and　Nucingen　proposed

some　such　plan；　and　the　minister　himself　is　thinking　of　a　reduction　of

the　land…tax。〃



〃There！〃　exclaimed　Celestine；　〃I　told　him　there　was　nothing　new　in　his

scheme。〃



〃No；　but　he　is　on　the　same　ground　with　the　best　financier　of　the

epoch；the　Napoleon　of　finance。　Something　may　come　of　it。　Your

husband　must　surely　have　some　special　ideas　in　his　method　of　putting

the　scheme　into　practice。〃



〃No；　it　is　all　commonplace；〃　she　said；　with　a　disdainful　curl　of　her

lip。　〃Just　think　of　governing　France　with　five　or　six　thousand

offices；　when　what　is　really　needed　is　that　everybody　in　France　should

be　personally　enlisted　in　the　support　of　the　government。〃



Des　Lupeaulx　seemed　satisfied　that　Rabourdin；　to　whom　in　his　own　mind

he　had　granted　remarkable　talents；　was　really　a　man　of　mediocrity。



〃Are　you　quite　sure　of　the　appointment？　You　don't　want　a　bit　of

feminine　advice？〃　she　said。



〃You　women　are　greater　adepts　than　we　in　refined　treachery；〃　he　said；

nodding。



〃Well；　then；　say　BAUDOYER　to　the　court　and　clergy；　to　divert　suspicion

and　put　them　to　sleep；　and　then；　at　the　last　moment；　write　RABOURDIN。〃



〃There　are　some　women　who　say　YES　as　long　as　they　need　a　man；　and　NO

when　he　has　played　his　part；〃　returned　des　Lupeaulx；　significantly。



〃I　know　they　do；〃　she　answered；　laughing；　〃but　they　are　very　foolish；

for　in　politics　everything　recommences。　Such　proceedings　may　do　with

fools；　but　you　are　a　man　of　sense。　In　my　opinion　the　greatest　folly

any　one　can　commit　is　to　quarrel　with　a　clever　man。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　〃for　such　a　man　pardons。　The

real　danger　is　with　the　petty　spiteful　natures　who　have　nothing　to　do

but　study　revenge；I　spend　my　life　among　them。〃



When　all　the　guests　were　gone；　Rabourdin　came　into　his　wife's　room；

and　after　asking　for　her　strict　attention；　he　explained　his　plan　and

made　her　see　that　it　did　not　cut　down　the　revenue　but　on　the　contrary

increased　it；　he　showed　her　in　what　ways　the　public　funds　were

employed；　and　how　the　State　could　increase　tenfold　the　circulation　of

money　by　putting　its　own；　in　the　proportion　of　a　third；　or　a　quarter；

into　the　expenditures　which　would　be　sustained　by　private　or　local

interests。　He　finally　proved　to　her　plainly　that　his　plan　was　not　mere

theory；　but　a　system　teeming　with　methods　of　execution。　Celestine；

brightly　enthusiastic；　sprang　into　her　husband's　arms　and　sat　upon　his

knee　in　the　chimney…corner。



〃At　last　I　find　the　husband　of　my　dreams！〃　she　cried。　〃My　ignorance　of

your　real　merit　has　saved　you　from　des　Lupeaulx's　claws。　I　calumniated

you　to　him　gloriously　and　in　good　faith。〃



The　man　wept　with　joy。　His　day　of　triumph　had　come　at　last。　Having

labored　for　many　years　to　satisfy　his　wife；　he　found　himself　a　great

man　in　the　eyes　of　his　sole　public。



〃To　one　who　knows　how　good　you　are；　how　tender；　how　equable　in　anger；

how　loving；　you　are　tenfold　greater　still。　But；〃　she　added；　〃a　man　of

genius　is　always　more　or　less　a　child；　and　you　are　a　child；　a　dearly

beloved　child；〃　she　said；　caressing　him。　Then　she　drew　that　invitation

from　that　particular　spot　where　women　put　what　they　sacredly　hide；　and

showed　it　to　him。



〃Here　is　what　I　wanted；〃　she　said；　〃Des　Lupeaulx　has　put　me　face　to

face　with　the　minister；　and　were　he　a　man　of　iron；　his　Excellency

shall　be　made　for　a　time　to　bend　the　knee　to　me。〃



The　next　day　Celestine　began　her　preparations　for　entrance　into　the

inner　circle　of　the　ministry。　It　was　her　day　of　triumph；　her　own！

Never　courtesan　took　such　pains　with　herself　as　this　honest　woman

bestowed　upon　her　person。　No　dressmaker　was