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other　gentlemen？〃



Phellion。　〃They　have　gone　into　Monsieur　Baudoyer's　office　to　see　a

paper　which　it　is　said〃



Rabourdin　＇interrupting　him＇。　〃Enough。〃　＇Goes　out；　taking　Sebastien

with　him。　Poiret　and　Phellion　look　at　each　other　in　amazement；　and　do

not　know　what　to　say。＇



Poiret　＇to　Phellion＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin〃



Phellion　＇to　Poiret＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin〃



Poiret。　〃Well；　I　never！　Monsieur　Rabourdin！〃



Phellion。　〃But　did　you　notice　how　calm　and　dignified　he　was？〃



Poiret　＇with　a　sly　look　that　was　more　like　a　grimace＇。　〃I　shouldn't　be

surprised　if　there　were　something　under　it　all。〃



Phellion。　〃A　man　of　honor；　pure　and　spotless。〃



Poiret。　〃Who　is？〃



Phellion。　〃Monsieur　Poiret；　you　think　as　I　think　about　Dutocq；　surely

you　understand　me？〃



Poiret　＇nodding　his　head　three　times　and　answering　with　a　shrewd

look＇。　〃Yes。〃　＇The　other　clerks　return。＇



Fleury。　〃A　great　shock；　I　still　don't　believe　the　thing。　Monsieur

Rabourdin；　a　king　among　men！　If　such　men　are　spies；　it　is　enough　to

disgust　one　with　virtue。　I　have　always　put　Rabourdin　among　Plutarch's

heroes。〃



Vimeux。　〃It　is　all　true。〃



Poiret　＇reflecting　that　he　had　only　five　days　more　to　stay　in　the

office＇。　〃But；　gentlemen；　what　do　you　say　about　the　man　who　stole　that

paper；　who　spied　upon　Rabourdin？〃　＇Dutocq　left　the　room。＇



Fleury。　〃I　say　he　is　a　Judas　Iscariot。　Who　is　he？〃



Phellion　＇significantly＇。　〃He　is　not　here　at　THIS　MOMENT。〃



Vimeux　＇enlightened＇。　〃It　is　Dutocq！〃



Phellion。　〃I　have　no　proof　of　it；　gentlemen。　While　you　were　gone；　that

young　man；　Monsieur　de　la　Roche；　nearly　fainted　here。　See　his　tears　on

my　desk！〃



Poiret。　〃We　held　him　fainting　in　our　arms。My　key；　the　key　of　my

domicile！dear；　dear！　it　is　down　his　back。〃　＇Poiret　goes　hastily

out。＇



Vimeux。　〃The　minister　refused　to　transact　business　with　Rabourdin　to…

day；　and　Monsieur　Saillard；　to　whom　the　secretary　said　a　few　words；

came　to　tell　Monsieur　Baudoyer　to　apply　for　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of

honor；there　is　one　to　be　granted；　you　know；　on　New…Year's　day；　to

all　the　heads　of　divisions。　It　is　quite　clear　what　it　all　means。

Monsieur　Rabourdin　is　sacrificed　by　the　very　persons　who　employed　him。

Bixiou　says　so。　We　were　all　to　be　turned　out；　except　Sebastien　and

Phellion。〃



Du　Bruel　＇entering＇。　〃Well；　gentlemen；　is　it　true？〃



Thuillier。　〃To　the　last　word。〃



Du　Bruel　＇putting　his　hat　on　again＇。　〃Good…bye。〃　＇Hurries　out。＇



Thuillier。　〃He　may　rush　as　much　as　he　pleases　to　his　Duc　de　Rhetore

and　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　but　Colleville　is　to　be　our　under…head…clerk；

that's　certain。〃



Phellion。　〃Du　Bruel　always　seemed　to　be　attached　to　Monsieur

Rabourdin。〃



Poiret　＇returning＇。　〃I　have　had　a　world　of　trouble　to　get　back　my　key。

That　boy　is　crying　still；　and　Monsieur　Rabourdin　has　disappeared。〃

＇Dutocq　and　Bixiou　enter。＇



Bixiou。　〃Ha；　gentlemen！　strange　things　are　going　on　in　your　bureau。　Du

Bruel！　I　want　you。〃　＇Looks　into　the　adjoining　room。＇　〃Gone？〃



Thuillier。　〃Full　speed。〃



Bixiou。　〃What　about　Rabourdin？〃



Fleury。　〃Distilled；　evaporated；　melted！　Such　a　man；　the　king　of　men；

that　he〃



Poiret　＇to　Dutocq＇。　〃That　little　Sebastien；　in　his　trouble；　said　that

you；　Monsieur　Dutocq；　had　taken　the　paper　from　him　ten　days　ago。〃



Bixiou　＇looking　at　Dutocq＇。　〃You　must　clear　yourself　of　THAT；　my　good

friend。〃　＇All　the　clerks　look　fixedly　at　Dutocq。＇



Dutocq。　〃Where's　the　little　viper　who　copied　it？〃



Bixiou。　〃Copied　it？　How　did　you　know　he　copied　it？　Ha！　ha！　it　is　only

the　diamond　that　cuts　the　diamond。〃　＇Dutocq　leaves　the　room。＇



Poiret。　〃Would　you　listen　to　me；　Monsieur　Bixiou？　I　have　only　five

days　and　a　half　to　stay　in　this　office；　and　I　do　wish　that　once；　only

once；　I　might　have　the　pleasure　of　understanding　what　you　mean。　Do　me

the　honor　to　explain　what　diamonds　have　to　do　with　these　present

circumstances。〃



Bixiou。　〃I　meant　papa；for　I'm　willing　for　once　to　bring　my　intellect

down　to　the　level　of　yours；that　just　as　the　diamond　alone　can　cut

the　diamond；　so　it　is　only　one　inquisitive　man　who　can　defeat　another

inquisitive　man。〃



Fleury。　〃'Inquisitive　man'　stands　for　'spy。'〃



Poiret。　〃I　don't　understand。〃



Bixiou。　〃Very　well；　try　again　some　other　time。〃



Monsieur　Rabourdin；　after　taking　Sebastien　to　his　room；　had　gone

straight　to　the　minister；　but　the　minister　was　at　the　Chamber　of

Deputies。　Rabourdin　went　at　once　to　the　Chamber；　where　he　wrote　a　note

to　his　Excellency；　who　was　at　that　moment　in　the　tribune　engaged　in　a

hot　discussion。　Rabourdin　waited；　not　in　the　conference　hall；　but　in

the　courtyard；　where；　in　spite　of　the　cold；　he　resolved　to　remain　and

intercept　his　Excellency　as　he　got　into　his　carriage。　The　usher　of　the

Chamber　had　told　him　that　the　minister　was　in　the　thick　of　a

controversy　raised　by　the　nineteen　members　of　the　extreme　Left；　and

that　the　session　was　likely　to　be　stormy。　Rabourdin　walked　to　and　for

in　the　courtyard　of　the　palace　for　five　mortal　hours；　a　prey　to

feverish　agitation。　At　half…past　six　o'clock　the　session　broke　up；　and

the　members　filed　out。　The　minister's　chasseur　came　up　to　find　the

coachman。



〃Hi；　Jean！〃　he　called　out　to　him；　〃Monseigneur　has　gone　with　the

minister　of　war；　they　are　going　to　see　the　King；　and　after　that　they

dine　together；　and　we　are　to　fetch　him　at　ten　o'clock。　There's　a

Council　this　evening。〃



Rabourdin　walked　slowly　home；　in　a　state　of　despondency　not　difficult

to　imagine。　It　was　seven　o'clock；　and　he　had　barely　time　to　dress。



〃Well；　you　are　appointed？〃　cried　his　wife；　joyously；　as　he　entered　the

salon。



Rabourdin　raised　his　head　with　a　grievous　motion　of　distress　and

answered；　〃I　fear　I　shall　never　again　set　foot　in　the　ministry。〃



〃What？〃　said　his　wife；　quivering　with　sudden　anxiety。



〃My　memorandum　on　the　officials　is　known　in　all　the　offices；　and　I

have　not　been　able　to　see　the　minister。〃



Celestine's　eyes　were　opened　to　a　sudden　vision　in　which　the　devil；　in

one　of　his　infernal　flashes；　showed　her　the　meaning　of　her　last

conversation　with　des　Lupeaulx。



〃If　I　had　behaved　like　a　low　woman；〃　she　thought；　〃we　should　have　had

the　place。〃



She　looked　at　Rabourdin　with　grief　in　her　heart。　A　sad　silence　fell

between　them；　and　dinner　was　eaten　in　the　midst　of　gloomy　meditations。



〃And　it　is　my　Wednesday；〃　she　said　at　last。



〃All　is　not　lost；　dear　Celestine；〃　said　Rabourdin；　laying　a　kiss　on

his　wife's　forehead；　〃perhaps　to…morrow　I　shall　be　able　to　see　the

minister　and　explain　everything。　Sebastien　sat　up　all　last　night　to

finish　the　writing；　the　papers　are　copied　and　collated；　I　shall　place

them　on　the　minister's　desk　and　beg　him　to　read　them　through。　La

Briere　will　help　me。　A　man　is　never　condemned　without　a　hearing。〃



〃I　am　curious　to　see　if　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　will　come　here　to…

night。〃



〃He？　Of　course　he　will　come；〃　said　Rabourdin；　〃there's　something　of

the　tiger　in　him；　he　likes　to　lick　the　blood　of　the　wounds　he　has

given。〃



〃My　poor　husband；〃　said　his　wife；　taking　his　hand；　〃I　don't　see　how　it

is　that　a　man　who　could　conceive　so　noble　a　reform　did　not　also　see

that　it　ought　not　to　be　communicated　to　a　single　person。　It　is　one　of

those　ideas　that　a　man　should　keep　in　his　own　mind；　for　he　alone　can

apply　them。　A　statesman　must　do　in　our　political　sphere　as　Napoleon

did　in　his；　he　stooped；　twisted；　crawled。　Yes；　Bonaparte　crawled！　To

be　made　commander…in…chief　of　the　Army　of　Italy　he　married　Barrere's

mistress。　You　should　have　waited；　got　yourself　elected　deputy；

followed　the　politics　of　a　party；　sometimes　down　in　the　depths；　at

other　times　on　the　crest　of　the　wave；　and　you　should　have　taken；　like

Monsieur　de　Villele；　the　Italian　motto　'Col　tempo；'　in　other　words；

'All　things　are　given　to　him　who　knows　how　to　wait。'　That　great　orator

worked　for　seven　years　to　get　into　power；　he　began　in　1814　by

protesting　against　the　Charter　when　he　was　the　same　age　that　you　are

now。　Here's　your　fault；　you　have　allowed　yourself　to　be　kept

subordinate；　when　you　were　born　to　rule。〃



The　entrance　of　the　painter　Schinner　imposed　silence　on　the　wife　and

husband；　but　these　words　made　the　latter　thoughtful。



〃Dear　friend；〃　said　the　painter；　grasping　Rabourdin's　hand；　〃the

support　of　artists　is　a　useless　thing　enough；　but　let　me　say　under

these　circumstances　that　we　are　all　faithful　to　you。　I　have　just　read

the　evening　papers。　Baudoyer　is　appointed　director　and　receives　the

cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor〃



〃I　have　been　longer　in　the　department；　I　have　served　twenty…four

hours；〃　said　Rabourdin　with　a　smile。



〃I　know　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Serizy；　the　minister　of　State；　pretty

well；　and　if　he　can　help　you；　I　will　go　and　see　him；〃　said　Schinner。



The　salon　soon　filled　with　persons　who　knew　nothing　of　the　government

proceedings。　Du　Bruel　did　not　appear。　Madame　Rabourdin　was　gayer　and

more　g