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as　a　tomb　out　of　which　nought　issues　to　contradict　the　epitaph

intended　for　the　passer's　eye；　bold　and　fearless　when　soliciting；

good…natured　and　witty　in　all　acceptations　of　the　word；　a　timely

jester；　full　of　tact；　knowing　how　to　compromise　others　by　a　glance　or

a　nudge；　shrinking　from　no　mudhole；　but　gracefully　leaping　it；

intrepid　Voltairean；　yet　punctual　at　mass　if　a　fashionable　company

could　be　met　in　Saint　Thomas　Aquinas；such　a　man　as　this　secretary…

general　resembled；　in　one　way　or　another；　all　the　mediocrities　who

form　the　kernel　of　the　political　world。　Knowing　in　the　science　of

human　nature；　he　assumed　the　character　of　a　listener；　and　none　was

ever　more　attentive。　Not　to　awaken　suspicion　he　was　flattering　ad

nauseum；　insinuating　as　a　perfume；　and　cajoling　as　a　woman。



Des　Lupeaulx　was　just　forty　years　old。　His　youth　had　long　been　a

vexation　to　him；　for　he　felt　that　the　making　of　his　career　depended　on

his　becoming　a　deputy。　How　had　he　reached　his　present　position？　may　be

asked。　By　very　simple　means。　He　began　by　taking　charge　of　certain

delicate　missions　which　can　be　given　neither　to　a　man　who　respects

himself　nor　to　a　man　who　does　not　respect　himself；　but　are　confided　to

grave　and　enigmatic　individuals　who　can　be　acknowledged　or　disavowed

at　will。　His　business　was　that　of　being　always　compromised；　but　his

fortunes　were　pushed　as　much　by　defeat　as　by　success。　He　well

understood　that　under　the　Restoration；　a　period　of　continual

compromises　between　men；　between　things；　between　accomplished　facts

and　other　facts　looking　on　the　horizon；　it　was　all…important　for　the

ruling　powers　to　have　a　household　drudge。　Observe　in　a　family　some　old

charwoman　who　can　make　beds；　sweep　the　floors；　carry　away　the　dirty

linen；　who　knows　where　the　silver　is　kept；　how　the　creditors　should　be

pacified；　what　persons　should　be　let　in　and　who　must　be　kept　out　of

the　house；　and　such　a　creature；　even　if　she　has　all　the　vices；　and　is

dirty；　decrepit；　and　toothless；　or　puts　into　the　lottery　and　steals

thirty　sous　a　day　for　her　stake；　and　you　will　find　the　masters　like

her　from　habit；　talk　and　consult　in　her　hearing　upon　even　critical

matters；　she　comes　and　goes；　suggests　resources；　gets　on　the　scent　of

secrets；　brings　the　rouge　or　the　shawl　at　the　right　moment；　lets

herself　be　scolded　and　pushed　downstairs；　and　the　next　morning

reappears　smiling　with　an　excellent　bouillon。　No　matter　how　high　a

statesman　may　stand；　he　is　certain　to　have　some　household　drudge；

before　whom　he　is　weak；　undecided；　disputations　with　fate；　self…

questioning；　self…answering；　and　buckling　for　the　fight。　Such　a

familiar　is　like　the　soft　wood　of　savages；　which；　when　rubbed　against

the　hard　wood；　strikes　fire。　Sometimes　great　geniuses　illumine

themselves　in　this　way。　Napoleon　lived　with　Berthier；　Richelieu　with

Pere　Joseph；　des　Lupeaulx　was　the　familiar　of　everybody。　He　continued

friends　with　fallen　ministers　and　made　himself　their　intermediary　with

their　successors；　diffusing　thus　the　perfume　of　the　last　flattery　and

the　first　compliment。　He　well　understood　how　to　arrange　all　the　little

matters　which　a　statesman　has　no　leisure　to　attend　to。　He　saw

necessities　as　they　arose；　he　obeyed　well；　he　could　gloss　a　base　act

with　a　jest　and　get　the　whole　value　of　it；　and　he　chose　for　the

services　he　thus　rendered　those　that　the　recipients　were　not　likely　to

forget。



Thus；　when　it　was　necessary　to　cross　the　ditch　between　the　Empire　and

the　Restoration；　at　a　time　when　every　one　was　looking　about　for

planks；　and　the　curs　of　the　Empire　were　howling　their　devotion　right

and　left；　des　Lupeaulx　borrowed　large　sums　from　the　usurers　and

crossed　the　frontier。　Risking　all　to　win　all；　he　bought　up　Louis

XVIII。's　most　pressing　debts；　and　was　the　first　to　settle　nearly　three

million　of　them　at　twenty　per　centfor　he　was　lucky　enough　to　be

backed　by　Gobseck　in　1814　and　1815。　It　is　true　that　Messrs。　Gobseck；

Werdet；　and　Gigonnet　swallowed　the　profits；　but　des　Lupeaulx　had

agreed　that　they　should　have　them；　he　was　not　playing　for　a　stake；　he

challenged　the　bank；　as　it　were；　knowing　very　well　that　the　king　was

not　a　man　to　forget　this　debt　of　honor。　Des　Lupeaulx　was　not　mistaken；

he　was　appointed　Master　of　petitions；　Knight　of　the　order　of　Saint

Louis；　and　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor。　Once　on　the　ladder　of

political　success；　his　clever　mind　looked　about　for　the　means　to

maintain　his　foothold；　for　in　the　fortified　city　into　which　he　had

wormed　himself；　generals　do　not　long　keep　useless　mouths。　So　to　his

general　trade　of　household　drudge　and　go…between　he　added　that　of

gratuitous　consultation　on　the　secret　maladies　of　power。



After　discovering　in　the　so…called　superior　men　of　the　Restoration

their　utter　inferiority　in　comparison　with　the　events　which　had

brought　them　to　the　front；　he　overcame　their　political　mediocrity　by

putting　into　their　mouths；　at　a　crisis；　the　word　of　command　for　which

men　of　real　talent　were　listening。　It　must　not　be　thought　that　this

word　was　the　outcome　of　his　own　mind。　Were　it　so；　des　Lupeaulx　would

have　been　a　man　of　genius；　whereas　he　was　only　a　man　of　talent。　He

went　everywhere；　collected　opinions；　sounded　consciences；　and　caught

all　the　tones　they　gave　out。　He　gathered　knowledge　like　a　true　and

indefatigable　political　bee。　This　walking　Bayle　dictionary　did　not

act；　however；　like　that　famous　lexicon；　he　did　not　report　all　opinions

without　drawing　his　own　conclusions；　he　had　the　talent　of　a　fly　which

drops　plumb　upon　the　best　bit　of　meat　in　the　middle　of　a　kitchen。　In

this　way　he　came　to　be　regarded　as　an　indispensable　helper　to

statesmen。　A　belief　in　his　capacity　had　taken　such　deep　root　in　all

minds　that　the　more　ambitious　public　men　felt　it　was　necessary　to

compromise　des　Lupeaulx　in　some　way　to　prevent　his　rising　higher；　they

made　up　to　him　for　his　subordinate　public　position　by　their　secret

confidence。



Nevertheless；　feeling　that　such　men　were　dependent　on　him；　this

gleaner　of　ideas　exacted　certain　dues。　He　received　a　salary　on　the

staff　of　the　National　Guard；　where　he　held　a　sinecure　which　was　paid

for　by　the　city　of　Paris；　he　was　government　commissioner　to　a　secret

society；　and　filled　a　position　of　superintendence　in　the　royal

household。　His　two　official　posts　which　appeared　on　the　budget　were

those　of　secretary…general　to　his　ministry　and　Master　of　petitions。

What　he　now　wanted　was　to　be　made　commander　of　the　Legion　of　honor；

gentleman　of　the　bed…chamber；　count；　and　deputy。　To　be　elected　deputy

it　was　necessary　to　pay　taxes　to　the　amount　of　a　thousand　francs；　and

the　miserable　homestead　of　the　des　Lupeaulx　was　rated　at　only　five

hundred。　Where　could　he　get　money　to　build　a　mansion　and　surround　it

with　sufficient　domain　to　throw　dust　in　the　eyes　of　a　constituency？

Though　he　dined　out　every　day；　and　was　lodged　for　the　last　nine　years

at　the　cost　of　the　State；　and　driven　about　in　the　minister's　equipage；

des　Lupeaulx　possessed　absolutely　nothing；　at　the　time　when　our　tale

opens；　but　thirty　thousand　francs　of　debtundisputed　property。　A

marriage　might　float　him　and　pump　the　waters　of　debt　out　of　his　bark；

but　a　good　marriage　depended　on　his　advancement；　and　his　advancement

required　that　he　should　be　a　deputy。　Searching　about　him　for　the　means

of　breaking　through　this　vicious　circle；　he　could　think　of　nothing

better　than　some　immense　service　to　render　or　some　delicate　intrigue

to　carry　through　for　persons　in　power。　Alas！　conspiracies　were　out　of

date；　the　Bourbons　were　apparently　on　good　terms　with　all　parties；

and；　unfortunately；　for　the　last　few　years　the　government　had　been　so

thoroughly　held　up　to　the　light　of　day　by　the　silly　discussions　of　the

Left；　whose　aim　seemed　to　be　to　make　government　of　any　kind　impossible

in　France；　that　no　good　strokes　of　business　could　be　made。　The　last

were　tried　in　Spain；　and　what　an　outcry　that　excited！



In　addition　to　all　this；　des　Lupeaulx　complicated　matters　by　believing

in　the　friendship　of　his　minister；　to　whom　he　had　the　imprudence　to

express　the　wish　to　sit　on　the　ministerial　benches。　The　minister

guessed　at　the　real　meaning　of　the　desire；　which　simply　was　that　des

Lupeaulx　wanted　to　strengthen　a　precarious　position；　so　that　he　might

throw　off　all　dependence　on　his　chief。　The　harrier　turned　against　the

huntsman；　the　minister　gave　him　cuts　with　the　whip　and　caresses；

alternately；　and　set　up　rivals　to　him。　But　des　Lupeaulx　behaved　like

an　adroit　courtier　with　all　competitors；　he　laid　traps　into　which　they

fell；　and　then　he　did　prompt　justice　upon　them。　The　more　he　felt

himself　in　danger　the　more　anxious　he　became　for　an　irremovable

position；　yet　he　was　compelled　to　play　low；　one　moment's　indiscretion；

and　he　might　lose　everything。　A　pen…stroke　might　demolish　his　civilian

epaulets；　his　place　at　court；　his　sinecure；　his　two　offices　and　their

advantages；　in　all；　six　salaries　retained　under　fire　of　the　law

against　pluralists。　Sometimes　he　threa