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

more　graceful　than　ever；　like　the　charger　wounded　in　battle；　that

still　finds　strength　to　carry　his　master　from　the　field。



〃She　is　very　courageous；〃　said　a　few　women　who　knew　the　truth；　and　who

were　charmingly　attentive　to　her；　understanding　her　misfortunes。



〃But　she　certainly　did　a　great　deal　to　attract　des　Lupeaulx；〃　said　the

Baronne　du　Chatelet　to　the　Vicomtesse　de　Fontaine。



〃Do　you　think〃　began　the　vicomtesse。



〃If　so；〃　interrupted　Madame　de　Camps；　in　defence　of　her　friend；

〃Monsieur　Rabourdin　would　at　least　have　had　the　cross。〃



About　eleven　o'clock　des　Lupeaulx　appeared；　and　we　can　only　describe

him　by　saying　that　his　spectacles　were　sad　and　his　eyes　joyous；　the

glasses；　however；　obscured　the　glances　so　successfully　that　only　a

physiognomist　would　have　seen　the　diabolical　expression　which　they

wore。　He　went　up　to　Rabourdin　and　pressed　the　hand　which　the　latter

could　not　avoid　giving　him。



Then　he　approached　Madame　Rabourdin。



〃We　have　much　to　say　to　each　other；〃　he　remarked　as　he　seated　himself

beside　the　beautiful　woman；　who　received　him　admirably。



〃Ah！〃　he　continued；　giving　her　a　side　glance；　〃you　are　grand　indeed；　I

find　you　just　what　I　expected；　glorious　under　defeat。　Do　you　know　that

it　is　a　very　rare　thing　to　find　a　superior　woman　who　answers　to　the

expectations　formed　of　her。　So　defeat　doesn't　dishearten　you？　You　are

right；　we　shall　triumph　in　the　end；〃　he　whispered　in　her　ear。　〃Your

fate　is　always　in　your　own　hands；so　long；　I　mean；　as　your　ally　is　a

man　who　adores　you。　We　will　hold　counsel　together。〃



〃But　is　Baudoyer　appointed？〃　she　asked。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　secretary。



〃Does　he　get　the　cross？〃



〃Not　yet；　but　he　will　have　it　later。〃



〃Amazing！〃



〃Ah！　you　don't　understand　political　exigencies。〃



During　this　evening；　which　seemed　interminable　to　Madame　Rabourdin；

another　scene　was　occurring　in　the　place　Royale；one　of　those

comedies　which　are　played　in　seven　Parisian　salons　whenever　there　is　a

change　of　ministry。　The　Saillards'　salon　was　crowded。　Monsieur　and

Madame　Transon　arrived　at　eight　o'clock；　Madame　Transon　kissed　Madame

Baudoyer；　nee　Saillard。　Monsieur　Bataille；　captain　of　the　National

Guard；　came　with　his　wife　and　the　curate　of　Saint　Paul's。



〃Monsieur　Baudoyer；〃　said　Madame　Transon。　〃I　wish　to　be　the　first　to

congratulate　you；　they　have　done　justice　to　your　talents。　You　have

indeed　earned　your　promotion。〃



〃Here　you　are；　director；〃　said　Monsieur　Transon；　rubbing　his　hands；

〃and　the　appointment　is　very　flattering　to　this　neighborhood。〃



〃And　we　can　truly　say　it　came　to　pass　without　any　intriguing；〃　said

the　worthy　Saillard。　〃We　are　none　of　us　political　intriguers；　WE　don't

go　to　select　parties　at　the　ministry。〃



Uncle　Mitral　rubbed　his　nose　and　grinned　as　he　glanced　at　his　niece

Elisabeth；　the　woman　whose　hand　had　pulled　the　wires；　who　was　talking

with　Gigonnet。　Falleix；　honest　fellow；　did　not　know　what　to　make　of

the　stupid　blindness　of　Saillard　and　Baudoyer。　Messieurs　Dutocq；

Bixiou；　du　Bruel；　Godard；　and　Colleville　（the　latter　appointed　head　of

the　bureau）　entered。



〃What　a　crew！〃　whispered　Bixiou　to　du　Bruel。　〃I　could　make　a　fine

caricature　of　them　in　the　shapes　of　fishes；dorys；　flounders；　sharks；

and　snappers；　all　dancing　a　saraband！〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Colleville；　〃I　come　to　offer　you　my　congratulations；

or　rather　we　congratulate　ourselves　in　having　such　a　man　placed　over

us；　and　we　desire　to　assure　you　of　the　zeal　with　which　we　shall　co…

operate　in　your　labors。　Allow　me　to　say　that　this　event　affords　a

signal　proof　to　the　truth　of　my　axiom　that　a　man's　destiny　lies　in　the

letters　of　his　name。　I　may　say　that　I　knew　of　this　appointment　and　of

your　other　honors　before　I　heard　of　them；　for　I　spend　the　night　in

anagrammatizing　your　name　as　follows：〃　＇proudly＇　〃Isidore　C。　T。

Baudoyer；Director；　decorated　by　us　（his　Majesty　the　King；　of

course）。〃



Baudoyer　bowed　and　remarked　piously　that　names　were　given　in　baptism。



Monsieur　and　Madame　Baudoyer；　senior；　father　and　mother　of　the　new

director；　were　there　to　enjoy　the　glory　of　their　son　and　daughter…in…

law。　Uncle　Gigonnet…Bidault；　who　had　dined　at　the　house；　had　a

restless；　fidgety　look　in　his　eye　which　frightened　Bixiou。



〃There's　a　queer　one；〃　said　the　latter　to　du　Bruel；　calling　his

attention　to　Gigonnet；　〃who　would　do　in　a　vaudeville。　I　wonder　if　he

could　be　bought。　Such　an　old　scarecrow　is　just　the　thing　for　a　sign

over　the　Two　Baboons。　And　what　a　coat！　I　did　think　there　was　nobody

but　Poiret　who　could　show　the　like　after　that　after　ten　years'　public

exposure　to　the　inclemencies　of　Parisian　weather。〃



〃Baudoyer　is　magnificent；〃　said　du　Bruel。



〃Dazzling；〃　answered　Bixiou。



〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Baudoyer；　〃let　me　present　you　to　my　own　uncle；

Monsieur　Mitral；　and　to　my　great…uncle　through　my　wife；　Monsieur

Bidault。〃



Gigonnet　and　Mitral　gave　a　glance　at　the　three　clerks　so　penetrating；

so　glittering　with　gleams　of　gold；　that　the　two　scoffers　were　sobered

at　once。



〃Hein？〃　said　Bixiou；　when　they　were　safely　under　the　arcades　in　the

place　Royale；　〃did　you　examine　those　uncles？two　copies　of　Shylock。

I'll　bet　their　money　is　lent　in　the　market　at　a　hundred　per　cent　per

week。　They　lend　on　pawn；　and　sell　most　that　they　lay　hold　of；　coats；

gold　lace；　cheese；　men；　women；　and　children；　they　are　a　conglomeration

of　Arabs；　Jews；　Genoese；　Genevese；　Greeks；　Lombards；　and　Parisians；

suckled　by　a　wolf　and　born　of　a　Turkish　woman。〃



〃I　believe　you；〃　said　Godard。　〃Uncle　Mitral　used　to　be　a　sheriff's

officer。〃



〃That　settles　it；〃　said　du　Bruel。



〃I'm　off　to　see　the　proof　of　my　caricature；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃but　I

should　like　to　study　the　state　of　things　in　Rabourdin's　salon　to…

night。　You　are　lucky　to　be　able　to　go　there；　du　Bruel。〃



〃I！〃　said　the　vaudevillist；　〃what　should　I　do　there？　My　face　doesn't

lend　itself　to　condolences。　And　it　is　very　vulgar　in　these　days　to　go

and　see　people　who　are　down。〃







CHAPTER　IX



THE　RESIGNATION



By　midnight　Madame　Rabourdin's　salon　was　deserted；　only　two　or　three

guests　remained　with　des　Lupeaulx　and　the　master　and　mistress　of　the

house。　When　Schinner　and　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Camps　had　likewise

departed；　des　Lupeaulx　rose　with　a　mysterious　air；　stood　with　his　back

to　the　fireplace　and　looked　alternately　at　the　husband　and　wife。



〃My　friends；〃　he　said；　〃nothing　is　really　lost；　for　the　minister　and　I

are　faithful　to　you。　Dutocq　simply　chose　between　two　powers　the　one　he

thought　strongest。　He　has　served　the　court　and　the　Grand　Almoner；　he

has　betrayed　me。　But　that　is　in　the　order　of　things；　a　politician

never　complains　of　treachery。　Nevertheless；　Baudoyer　will　be　dismissed

as　incapable　in　a　few　months；　no　doubt　his　protectors　will　find　him　a

place；in　the　prefecture　of　police；　perhaps；for　the　clergy　will　not

desert　him。〃



From　this　point　des　Lupeaulx　went　on　with　a　long　tirade　about　the

Grand　Almoner　and　the　dangers　the　government　ran　in　relying　upon　the

church　and　upon　the　Jesuits。　We　need　not；　we　think；　point　out　to　the

intelligent　reader　that　the　court　and　the　Grand　Almoner；　to　whom　the

liberal　journals　attributed　an　enormous　influence　under　the

administration；　had　little　really　to　do　with　Monsieur　Baudoyer's

appointment。　Such　petty　intrigues　die　in　the　upper　sphere　of　great

self…interests。　If　a　few　words　in　favor　of　Baudoyer　were　obtained　by

the　importunity　of　the　curate　of　Saint…Paul's　and　the　Abbe　Gaudron；

they　would　have　been　withdrawn　immediately　at　a　suggestion　from　the

minister。　The　occult　power　of　the　Congregation　of　Jesus　（admissible

certainly　as　confronting　the　bold　society　of　the　〃Doctrine；〃　entitled

〃Help　yourself　and　heaven　will　help　you；〃）　was　formidable　only　through

the　imaginary　force　conferred　on　it　by　subordinate　powers　who

perpetually　threatened　each　other　with　its　evils。　The　liberal　scandal…

mongers　delighted　in　representing　the　Grand　Almoner　and　the　whole

Jesuitical　Chapter　as　political；　administrative；　civil；　and　military

giants。　Fear　creates　bugbears。　At　this　crisis　Baudoyer　firmly　believed

in　the　said　Chapter；　little　aware　that　the　only　Jesuits　who　had　put

him　where　he　now　was　sat　by　his　own　fireside；　and　in　the　Cafe　Themis

playing　dominoes。



At　certain　epochs　in　history　certain　powers　appear；　to　whom　all　evils

are　attributed；　though　at　the　same　time　their　genius　is　denied；　they

form　an　efficient　argument　in　the　mouth　of　fools。　Just　as　Monsieur　de

Talleyrand　was　supposed　to　hail　all　events　of　whatever　kind　with　a　bon

mot；　so　in　these　days　of　the　Restoration　the　clerical　party　had　the

credit　of　doing　and　undoing　everything。　Unfortunately；　it　did　and

undid　nothing。　Its　influence　was　not　wielded　by　a　Cardinal　Richelieu

or　a　Cardinal　Mazarin；　it　was　in　the　hands　of　a　species　of　Cardinal　de

Fleury；　who；　timid　for　over　fi