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servant　came　in　with　a　letter；　which　he　begged　Antoine　to　give

secretly　to　Dutocq；　saying　that　the　general…secretary　had　ordered　him

to　deliver　it　without　fail　at　Monsieur　Dutocq's　house　by　seven

o'clock。



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know　how　it　happened；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　overslept

myself。　I've　only　just　waked　up；　and　he'd　play　the　devil's　tattoo　on

me　if　he　knew　the　letter　hadn't　gone。　I　know　a　famous　secret；　Antoine；

but　don't　say　anything　about　it　to　the　clerks　if　I　tell　you；　promise？

He　would　send　me　off　if　he　knew　I　had　said　a　single　word；　he　told　me

so。〃



〃What's　inside　the　letter？〃　asked　Antoine；　eying　it。



〃Nothing；　I　looked　this　waysee。〃



He　made　the　letter　gape　open；　and　showed　Antoine　that　there　was

nothing　but　blank　paper　to　be　seen。



〃This　is　going　to　be　a　great　day　for　you；　Laurent；〃　went　on　the

secretary's　man。　〃You　are　to　have　a　new　director。　Economy　must　be　the

order　of　the　day；　for　they　are　going　to　unite　the　two　divisions　under

one　directoryou　fellows　will　have　to　look　out！〃



〃Yes；　nine　clerks　are　put　on　the　retired　list；〃　said　Dutocq；　who　came

in　at　the　moment；　〃how　did　you　hear　that？〃



Antoine　gave　him　the　letter；　and　he　had　no　sooner　opened　it　than　he

rushed　headlong　downstairs　in　the　direction　of　the　secretary's　office。



The　bureaus　Rabourdin　and　Baudoyer；　after　idling　and　gossiping　since

the　death　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere；　were　now　recovering　their

usual　official　look　and　the　dolce　far　niente　habits　of　a　government

office。　Nevertheless；　the　approaching　end　of　the　year　did　cause　rather

more　application　among　the　clerks；　just　as　porters　and　servants　become

at　that　season　more　unctuously　civil。　They　all　came　punctually；　for

one　thing；　more　remained　after　four　o'clock　than　was　usual　at　other

times。　It　was　not　forgotten　that　fees　and　gratuities　depend　on　the

last　impressions　made　upon　the　minds　of　masters。　The　news　of　the　union

of　the　two　divisions；　that　of　La　Billardiere　and　that　of　Clergeot；

under　one　director；　had　spread　through　the　various　offices。　The　number

of　the　clerks　to　be　retired　was　known；　but　all　were　in　ignorance　of

the　names。　It　was　taken　for　granted　that　Poiret　would　not　be　replaced；

and　that　would　be　a　retrenchment。　Little　La　Billardiere　had　already

departed。　Two　new　supernumeraries　had　made　their　appearance；　and；

alarming　circumstance！　they　were　both　sons　of　deputies。　The　news　told

about　in　the　offices　the　night　before；　just　as　the　clerks　were

dispersing；　agitated　all　minds；　and　for　the　first　half…hour　after

arrival　in　the　morning　they　stood　around　the　stoves　and　talked　it

over。　But　earlier　than　that；　Dutocq；　as　we　have　seen；　had　rushed　to

des　Lupeaulx　on　receiving　his　note；　and　found　him　dressing。　Without

laying　down　his　razor；　the　general…secretary　cast　upon　his　subordinate

the　glance　of　a　general　issuing　an　order。



〃Are　we　alone？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Very　good。　March　on　Rabourdin；　forward！　steady！　Of　course　you　kept　a

copy　of　that　paper？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃You　understand　me？　Inde　iroe！　There　must　be　a　general　hue　and　cry

raised　against　him。　Find　some　way　to　start　a　clamor〃



〃I　could　get　a　man　to　make　a　caricature；　but　I　haven't　five　hundred

francs　to　pay　for　it。〃



〃Who　would　make　it？〃



〃Bixou。〃



〃He　shall　have　a　thousand　and　be　under…head…clerk　to　Colleville；　who

will　arrange　with　them；　tell　him　so。〃



〃But　he　wouldn't　believe　it　on　nothing　more　than　my　word。〃



〃Are　you　trying　to　make　me　compromise　myself？　Either　do　the　thing　or

let　it　alone；　do　you　hear　me？〃



〃If　Monsieur　Baudoyer　were　director〃



〃Well；　he　will　be。　Go　now；　and　make　haste；　you　have　no　time　to　lose。

Go　down　the　back…stairs；　I　don't　want　people　to　know　you　have　just

seen　me。〃



While　Dutocq　was　returning　to　the　clerks'　office　and　asking　himself

how　he　could　best　incite　a　clamor　against　his　chief　without

compromising　himself；　Bixiou　rushed　to　the　Rabourdin　office　for　a　word

of　greeting。　Believing　that　he　had　lost　his　bet　the　incorrigible　joker

thought　it　amusing　to　pretend　that　he　had　won　it。



Bixiou　＇mimicking　Phellion's　voice＇。　〃Gentlemen；　I　salute　you　with　a

collective　how　d'ye　do；　and　I　appoint　Sunday　next　for　the　dinner　at

the　Rocher　de　Cancale。　But　a　serious　question　presents　itself。　Is　that

dinner　to　include　the　clerks　who　are　dismissed？〃



Poiret。　〃And　those　who　retire？〃



Bixiou。　〃Not　that　I　care；　for　it　isn't　I　who　pay。〃　＇General

stupefaction。＇　〃Baudoyer　is　appointed。　I　think　I　already　hear　him

calling　Laurent〃　＇mimicking　Baudoyer＇；　〃Laurent！　lock　up　my　hair…

shirt；　and　my　scourge。〃　＇They　all　roar　with　laughter。＇　〃Yes；　yes；　he

laughs　well　who　laughs　last。　Gentlemen；　there's　a　great　deal　in　that

anagram　of　Colleville's。　'Xavier　Rabourdin；　chef　de　bureauD'abord

reva　bureaux；　e…u　fin　riche。'　If　I　were　named　'Charles　X。；　par　la

grace　de　Dieu　roi　de　France　et　de　Navarre；'　I　should　tremble　in　my

shoes　at　the　fate　those　letters　anagrammatize。〃



Thuillier。　〃Look　here！　are　you　making　fun？〃



Bixiou。　〃No；　I　am　not。　Rabourdin　resigns　in　a　rage　at　finding　Baudoyer

appointed　director。〃



Vimeux　＇entering。＇　〃Nonsense；　no　such　thing！　Antoine　（to　whom　I　have

just　been　paying　forty　francs　that　I　owed　him）　tells　me　that　Monsieur

and　Madame　Rabourdin　were　at　the　minister's　private　party　last　night

and　stayed　till　midnight。　His　Excellency　escorted　Madame　Rabourdin　to

the　staircase。　It　seems　she　was　divinely　dressed。　In　short；　it　is

quite　certain　that　Rabourdin　is　to　be　director。　Riffe；　the　secretary's

copying　clerk；　told　me　he　sat　up　all　the　night　before　to　draw　the

papers；　it　is　no　longer　a　secret。　Monsieur　Clergeot　is　retired。　After

thirty　years'　service　that's　no　misfortune。　Monsieur　Cochlin；　who　is

rich〃



Bixiou。　〃By　cochineal。〃



Vimeux。　〃Yes；　cochineal；　he's　a　partner　in　the　house　of　Matifat；　rue

des　Lombards。　Well；　he　is　retired；　so　is　Poiret。　Neither　is　to　be

replaced。　So　much　is　certain；　the　rest　is　all　conjecture。　The

appointment　of　Monsieur　Rabourdin　is　to　be　announced　this　morning；

they　are　afraid　of　intrigues。〃



Bixiou。　〃What　intrigues？〃



Fleury。　〃Baudoyer's；　confound　him！　The　priests　uphold　him；　here's

another　article　in　the　liberal　journal；only　half　a　dozen　lines；　but

they　are　queer〃　＇reads＇：



　　〃Certain　persons　spoke　last　night　in　the　lobby　of　the　Opera…house

　　of　the　return　of　Monsieur　de　Chateaubriand　to　the　ministry；　basing

　　their　opinion　on　the　choice　made　of　Monsieur　Rabourdin　（the

　　protege　of　friends　of　the　noble　viscount）　to　fill　the　office　for

　　which　Monsieur　Baudoyer　was　first　selected。　The　clerical　party　is

　　not　likely　to　withdraw　unless　in　deference　to　the　great　writer。



〃Blackguards！〃



Dutocq　＇entering；　having　heard　the　whole　discussion＇。　〃Blackguards！

Who？　Rabourdin？　Then　you　know　the　news？〃



Fleury　＇rolling　his　eyes　savagely＇。　〃Rabourdin　a　blackguard！　Are　you

mad；　Dutocq？　do　you　want　a　ball　in　your　brains　to　give　them　weight？〃



Dutocq。　〃I　said　nothing　against　Monsieur　Rabourdin；　only　it　has　just

been　told　to　me　in　confidence　that　he　has　written　a　paper　denouncing

all　the　clerks　and　officials；　and　full　of　facts　about　their　lives；　in

short；　the　reason　why　his　friends　support　him　is　because　he　has

written　this　paper　against　the　administration；　in　which　we　are　all

exposed〃



Phellion　＇in　a　loud　voice＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin　is　incapable　of〃



Bixiou。　〃Very　proper　in　you　to　say　so。　Tell　me；　Dutocq〃　＇they　whisper

together　and　then　go　into　the　corridor＇。



Bixiou。　〃What　has　happened？〃



Dutocq。　〃Do　you　remember　what　I　said　to　you　about　that　caricature？〃



Bixiou。　〃Yes；　what　then？〃



Dutocq。　〃Make　it；　and　you　shall　be　under…head…clerk　with　a　famous　fee。

The　fact　is；　my　dear　fellow；　there's　dissension　among　the　powers　that

be。　The　minister　is　pledged　to　Rabourdin；　but　if　he　doesn't　appoint

Baudoyer　he　offends　the　priests　and　their　party。　You　see；　the　King；

the　Dauphin　and　the　Dauphine；　the　clergy；　and　lastly　the　court；　all

want　Baudoyer；　the　minister　wants　Rabourdin。〃



Bixiou。　〃Good！〃



Dutocq。　〃To　ease　the　matter　off；　the　minister；　who　sees　he　must　give

way；　wants　to　strangle　the　difficulty。　We　must　find　some　good　reason

for　getting　rid　of　Rabourdin。　Now　somebody　has　lately　unearthed　a

paper　of　his；　exposing　the　present　system　of　administration　and

wanting　to　reform　it；　and　that　paper　is　going　the　rounds；at　least；

this　is　how　I　understand　the　matter。　Make　the　drawing　we　talked　of；　in

so　doing　you'll　play　the　game　of　all　the　big　people；　and　help　the

minister；　the　court；　the　clergy；in　short；　everybody；　and　you'll　get

your　appointment。　Now　do　you　understand　me？〃



Bixiou。　〃I　don't　understand　how　you　came　to　know　all　that；　perhaps　you

are　inventing　it。〃



Dutocq。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　let　you　see　what　Rabourdin　wrote　about

you？〃



Bixiou。　〃Yes。〃



Dutocq。　〃Then　come　home　with　me；　for　I　must　put　the　document　into　safe

keeping。〃



Bixiou。　〃You　go　first