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

against　pluralists。　Sometimes　he　threatened　his　minister　as　a　mistress

threatens　her　lover；　telling　him　he　was　about　to　marry　a　rich　widow。

At　such　times　the　minister　petted　and　cajoled　des　Lupeaulx。　After　one

of　these　reconciliations　he　received　the　formal　promise　of　a　place　in

the　Academy　of　Belles…lettres　on　the　first　vacancy。　〃It　would　pay；〃　he

said；　〃the　keep　of　a　horse。〃　His　position；　so　far　as　it　went；　was　a

good　one；　and　Clement　Chardin　des　Lupeaulx　flourished　in　it　like　a

tree　planted　in　good　soil。　He　could　satisfy　his　vices；　his　caprices；

his　virtues　and　his　defects。



The　following　were　the　toils　of　his　life。　He　was　obliged　to　choose；

among　five　or　six　daily　invitations；　the　house　where　he　could　be　sure

of　the　best　dinner。　Every　morning　he　went　to　his　minister's　morning

reception　to　amuse　that　official　and　his　wife；　and　to　pet　their

children。　Then　he　worked　an　hour　or　two；　that　is　to　say；　he　lay　back

in　a　comfortable　chair　and　read　the　newspapers；　dictated　the　meaning

of　a　letter；　received　visitors　when　the　minister　was　not　present；

explained　the　work　in　a　general　way；　caught　or　shed　a　few　drops　of　the

holy…water　of　the　court；　looked　over　the　petitions　with　an　eyeglass；

or　wrote　his　name　on　the　margin；a　signature　which　meant　〃I　think　it

absurd；　do　what　you　like　about　it。〃　Every　body　knew　that　when　des

Lupeaulx　was　interested　in　any　person　or　in　any　thing　he　attended　to

the　matter　personally。　He　allowed　the　head…clerks　to　converse

privately　about　affairs　of　delicacy；　but　he　listened　to　their　gossip。

From　time　to　time　he　went　to　the　Tuileries　to　get　his　cue。　And　he

always　waited　for　the　minister's　return　from　the　Chamber；　if　in

session；　to　hear　from　him　what　intrigue　or　manoeuvre　he　was　to　set

about。　This　official　sybarite　dressed；　dined；　and　visited　a　dozen　or

fifteen　salons　between　eight　at　night　and　three　in　the　morning。　At　the

opera　he　talked　with　journalists；　for　he　stood　high　in　their　favor；　a

perpetual　exchange　of　little　services　went　on　between　them；　he　poured

into　their　ears　his　misleading　news　and　swallowed　theirs；　he　prevented

them　from　attacking　this　or　that　minister　on　such　or　such　a　matter；　on

the　plea　that　it　would　cause　real　pain　to　their　wives　or　their

mistresses。



〃Say　that　his　bill　is　worth　nothing；　and　prove　it　if　you　can；　but　do

not　say　that　Mariette　danced　badly。　The　devil！　haven't　we　all　played

our　little　plays；　and　which　of　us　knows　what　will　become　of　him　in

times　like　these？　You　may　be　minister　yourself　to…morrow；　you　who　are

spicing　the　cakes　of　the　'Constitutionel'　to…day。〃



Sometimes；　in　return；　he　helped　editors；　or　got　rid　of　obstacles　to

the　performances　of　some　play；　gave　gratuities　and　good　dinners　at　the

right　moment；　or　promised　his　services　to　bring　some　affair　to　a　happy

conclusion。　Moreover；　he　really　liked　literature　and　the　arts；　he

collected　autographs；　obtained　splendid　albums　gratis；　and　possessed

sketches；　engravings；　and　pictures。　He　did　a　great　deal　of　good　to

artists　by　simply　not　injuring　them　and　by　furthering　their　wishes　on

certain　occasions　when　their　self…love　wanted　some　rather　costly

gratification。　Consequently；　he　was　much　liked　in　the　world　of　actors

and　actresses；　journalists　and　artists。　For　one　thing；　they　had　the

same　vices　and　the　same　indolence　as　himself。　Men　who　could　all　say

such　witty　things　in　their　cups　or　in　company　with　a　danseuse；　how

could　they　help　being　friends？　If　des　Lupeaulx　had　not　been　a　general…

secretary　he　would　certainly　have　been　a　journalist。　Thus；　in　that

fifteen　years'　struggle　in　which　the　harlequin　sabre　of　epigram　opened

a　breach　by　which　insurrection　entered　the　citadel；　des　Lupeaulx　never

received　so　much　as　a　scratch。



As　the　young　fry　of　clerks　looked　at　this　man　playing　bowls　in　the

gardens　of　the　ministry　with　the　minister's　children；　they　cracked

their　brains　to　guess　the　secret　of　his　influence　and　the　nature　of

his　services；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　the　aristocrats　in　all　the

various　ministries　looked　upon　him　as　a　dangerous　Mephistopheles；

courted　him；　and　gave　him　back　with　usury　the　flatteries　he　bestowed

in　the　higher　sphere。　As　difficult　to　decipher　as　a　hieroglyphic

inscription　to　the　clerks；　the　vocation　of　the　secretary　and　his

usefulness　were　as　plain　as　the　rule　of　three　to　the　self…interested。

This　lesser　Prince　de　Wagram　of　the　administration；　to　whom　the　duty

of　gathering　opinions　and　ideas　and　making　verbal　reports　thereon　was

entrusted；　knew　all　the　secrets　of　parliamentary　politics；　dragged　in

the　lukewarm；　fetched；　carried；　and　buried　propositions；　said　the　Yes

and　the　No　that　the　ministers　dared　not　say　for　themselves。　Compelled

to　receive　the　first　fire　and　the　first　blows　of　despair　and　wrath；　he

laughed　or　bemoaned　himself　with　the　minister；　as　the　case　might　be。

Mysterious　link　by　which　many　interests　were　in　some　way　connected

with　the　Tuileries；　and　safe　as　a　confessor；　he　sometimes　knew

everything　and　sometimes　nothing；　and；　in　addition　to　all　these

functions　came　that　of　saying　for　the　minister　those　things　that　a

minister　cannot　say　for　himself。　In　short；　with　his　political

Hephaestion　the　minister　might　dare　to　be　himself；　to　take　off　his　wig

and　his　false　teeth；　lay　aside　his　scruples；　put　on　his　slippers；

unbutton　his　conscience；　and　give　way　to　his　trickery。　However；　it　was

not　all　a　bed　of　roses　for　des　Lupeaulx；　he　flattered　and　advised　his

master；　forced　to　flatter　in　order　to　advise；　to　advise　while

flattering；　and　disguise　the　advice　under　the　flattery。　All

politicians　who　follow　this　trade　have　bilious　faces；　and　their

constant　habit　of　giving　affirmative　nods　acquiescing　in　what　is　said

to　them；　or　seeming　to　do　so；　gives　a　certain　peculiar　turn　to　their

heads。　They　agree　indifferently　with　whatever　is　said　before　them。

Their　talk　is　full　of　〃buts；〃　〃notwithstandings；〃　〃for　myself　I

should；〃　〃were　I　in　your　place〃　（they　often　say　〃in　your　place〃）；

phrases；　however；　which　pave　the　way　to　opposition。



In　person；　Clement　des　Lupeaulx　had　the　remains　of　a　handsome　man；

five　feet　six　inches　tall；　tolerably　stout；　complexion　flushed　with

good　living；　powdered　head；　delicate　spectacles；　and　a　worn…out　air；

the　natural　skin　blond；　as　shown　by　the　hand；　puffy　like　that　of　an

old　woman；　rather　too　square；　and　with　short　nailsthe　hand　of　a

satrap。　His　foot　was　elegant。　After　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　des

Lupeaulx　was　always　to　be　seen　in　open…worked　silk　stockings；　low

shoes；　black　trousers；　cashmere　waistcoat；　cambric　handkerchief

（without　perfume）；　gold　chain；　blue　coat　of　the　shade　called　〃king's

blue；〃　with　brass　buttons　and　a　string　of　orders。　In　the　morning　he

wore　creaking　boots　and　gray　trousers；　and　the　short　close　surtout

coat　of　the　politician。　His　general　appearance　early　in　the　day　was

that　of　a　sharp　lawyer　rather　than　that　of　a　ministerial　officer。　Eyes

glazed　by　the　constant　use　of　spectacles　made　him　plainer　than　he

really　was；　if　by　chance　he　took　those　appendages　off。　To　real　judges

of　character；　as　well　as　to　upright　men　who　are　at　ease　only　with

honest　natures；　des　Lupeaulx　was　intolerable。　To　them；　his　gracious

manners　only　draped　his　lies；　his　amiable　protestations　and　hackneyed

courtesies；　new　to　the　foolish　and　ignorant；　too　plainly　showed　their

texture　to　an　observing　mind。　Such　minds　considered　him　a　rotten

plank；　on　which　no　foot　should　trust　itself。



No　sooner　had　the　beautiful　Madame　Rabourdin　decided　to　interfere　in

her　husband's　administrative　advancement　than　she　fathomed　Clement　des

Lupeaulx's　true　character；　and　studied　him　thoughtfully　to　discover

whether　in　this　thin　strip　of　deal　there　were　ligneous　fibres　strong

enough　to　let　her　lightly　trip　across　it　from　the　bureau　to　the

department；　from　a　salary　of　eight　thousand　a　year　to　twelve　thousand。

The　clever　woman　believed　she　could　play　her　own　game　with　this

political　roue；　and　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　was　partly　the　cause　of　the

unusual　expenditures　which　now　began　and　were　continued　in　the

Rabourdin　household。



The　rue　Duphot；　built　up　under　the　Empire；　is　remarkable　for　several

houses　with　handsome　exteriors；　the　apartments　of　which　are　skilfully

laid　out。　That　of　the　Rabourdins　was　particularly　well　arranged；a

domestic　advantage　which　has　much　to　do　with　the　nobleness　of　private

lives。　A　pretty　and　rather　wide　antechamber；　lighted　from　the

courtyard；　led　to　the　grand　salon；　the　windows　of　which　looked　on　the

street。　To　the　right　of　the　salon　were　Rabourdin's　study　and　bedroom；

and　behind　them　the　dining…room；　which　was　entered　from　the

antechamber；　to　the　left　was　Madame's　bedroom　and　dressing…room；　and

behind　them　her　daughter's　little　bedroom。　On　reception　days　the　door

of　Rabourdin's　study　and　that　of　his　wife's　bedroom　were　thrown　open。

The　rooms　were　thus　spacious　enough　to　contain　a　select　company；

without　the　absurdity　which