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〃Do you know Arcis well?〃 he asked of Goulard。

〃I am the sub…prefect and I was born here。〃

〃What is the best way to balk curiosity?〃

〃By satisfying it。 For instance; Monsieur le Comte has a baptismal name; let him register that with the title of count。〃

〃Very good; Comte Maxime。〃

〃And if monsieur will assume the position of a railway official; Arcis will be content; it will amuse itself by floating that stick at least for a fortnight。〃

〃No; I prefer to be concerned in irrigation; it is less common。 I have come down to survey the wastelands of Champagne in order to reclaim them。 That will be; my good Monsieur Goulard; a reason for inviting me to dine with you to…morrow to meet the mayor and his family; I wish to see them; and study them。〃

〃I shall be only to happy to receive you;〃 said the sub…prefect; 〃but I must ask your indulgence for the deficiencies of my little household。〃

〃If I succeed in managing the election of Arcis according to the wishes of those who have sent me here; you; my dear friend; will be made a prefect。 Here; read these〃; and he held out two letters to his visitor。

〃Very good; Monsieur le comte;〃 said Antonin; returning them。

〃Make a list of all the votes on which the ministry may count。 Above all; let no one suspect that you and I understand each other。 I am a speculator in land; and I don't care a fig for elections。〃

〃I will send the commissary of police to force you to inscribe your name on Poupart's register。〃

〃So do。 Adieu; monsieur。 Heavens! what a region this is;〃 said the count; in a loud voice; 〃one can't take a step without having the community; sub…prefect and all; on one's back。〃

〃You will have to answer to the commissary of police; monsieur;〃 said Antonin; in an equally loud tone。

And for the next twenty minutes Madame Mollot talked of the altercation that took place between the sub…prefect and the stranger。

〃Well; what wood is the beam that has plumped into our bog made of?〃 said Olivier Vinet when Antonin Goulard rejoined them on leaving the Mulet。

〃He is a Comte Maxime who is here to study the geological system of Champagne; with a view to finding mineral waters;〃 replied the sub… prefect; with an easy manner。

〃Say a speculator;〃 said Oliver。

〃Does he expect to get the natives to lay out capital?〃 asked Monsieur Martener。

〃I doubt if our royalists will go into that kind of mining;〃 remarked Vinet; laughing。

〃What should you think from the air and gestures of Madame Marion?〃 said the sub…prefect turning off the subject by pointing to Madame Marion and Simon; who were deep in conversation。

Simon had gone toward the bridge to meet his aunt; and was now walking with her up the square。

〃If he was accepted one word would suffice;〃 said the shrewd Olivier。

〃Well?〃 said all the officials when Simon came to them under the lindens。

〃My aunt thinks the matter very hopeful;〃 replied Simon。 〃Madame Beauvisage and old Grevin; who has just gone to Gondreville; were not at all surprised at my proposals; they talked of our respective fortunes; and said they wished to leave Cecile perfectly free to make her choice。 Besides which; Madame Beauvisage said that; as for herself; she saw no objection to an alliance by which she should feel herself honored; although she postponed all answer until after my election; and possibly my first appearance in the Chamber。 Old Grevin said he should consult the Comte de Gondreville; without whose advice he never took any important step。〃

〃All of which means;〃 said Goulard; point…blank; 〃that you will never marry Cecile; my old fellow。〃

〃Why not?〃 said Giguet; ironically。

〃My dear friend; Madame Beauvisage and her daughter spend four evenings every week in the salon of your aunt; your aunt is the most distinguished woman in Arcis; and she is; though twenty years the elder; an object of envy to Madame Beauvisage; don't you see; therefore; that they wished to wrap up their refusal in certain civilities?〃

〃Not to say entire yes or no in such cases;〃 said Vinet; 〃is to say /no/; with due regard to the intimacy of the two families。 Though Madame Beauvisage has the largest fortune in Arcis; Madame Marion is the most esteemed woman in the place; for; with the exception of our chief…justice's wife; who sees no one now; she is the only woman who knows how to hold a salon; she is the queen of Arcis。 Madame Beauvisage has tried to make her refusal polite; that's all。〃

〃I think that old Grevin was fooling your mother;〃 said Frederic Marest。

〃Yesterday you attacked the Comte de Gondreville; you insulted and grievously affronted him; and he is to be consulted about your marriage to Cecile!〃

〃Pere Grevin is a sly old dog;〃 said Vinet。

〃Madame Beauvisage is very ambitious;〃 pursued Antonin Goulard。 〃She knows very well her daughter is to have two millions; she means to be mother…in…law of a minister; or an ambassador; in order to play the great lady in Paris。〃

〃Well; why not?〃 said Simon Giguet。

〃I wish you may get it!〃 replied the sub…prefect looking at Vinet; with whom he went off into a hearty laugh as soon as they were out of hearing。 〃He won't even be deputy;〃 added Antonin; addressing Vinet; 〃the ministry have other views。 You will find a letter from your father when you get home; enjoining you to make sure of the votes of all the persons in your department; and see that they go for the ministerial candidate。 Your own promotion depends on this; and he requests you to be very discreet。〃

〃But who is the candidate for whom our ushers and sheriffs and clerks; and solicitors and notaries are to vote?〃 asked Vinet。

〃The one I shall name to you。〃

〃How do you know my father has written to me; and what he wrote?〃

〃The stranger told me〃

〃The man after water?〃

〃My dear Vinet; you and I are not to know; we must treat him as a stranger。 He saw your father at Provins as he came through。 Just now this same man gave me a note from the prefect instructing me to follow in every particular the instructions of Comte Maxime about this election。 I knew very well I should have a battle to fight! Come and dine somewhere and we will get out our batteries。 You are to be /procureur…du…roi/ at Mantes; and I am to be prefect; but we must /seem/ to have nothing to do with the election; for don't you see; we are between the hammer and the anvil。 Simon is the candidate of a party which wants to overturn the present ministry and may succeed; but for men as intelligent as you and I there is but one course to take。〃

〃What is that?〃

〃To serve those who make and unmake ministers。 A letter was shown to me from one of those personages who represent the stable and immovable thought of the State。〃

Before going farther; it is necessary to explain who this Unknown person was; and what his purpose was in coming to Champagne。



XII

THE SALON OF MADAME D'ESPARD

About two months before the nomination of Simon Giguet; at eleven o'clock one evening; in a mansion of the faubourg Saint…Honore belonging to the Marquise d'Espard; while tea was being served the Chevalier d'Espard; brother…in…law to the marquise; put down his tea… cup; and; looking round the circle; remarked:

〃Maxime was very melancholy to…night;didn't you think so?〃

〃Yes;〃 replied Rastignac; 〃but his sadness is easily accounted for。 He is forty…eight years old; at that age a man makes no new friends; and now that we have buried de Marsay; Maxime has lost the only man capable of understanding him; of being useful to him; and of using him。〃

〃He probably has pressing debts。 Couldn't you put him in the way of paying them?〃 said the marquise to Rastignac。

At this period Rastignac was; for the second time; in the ministry; he had just been made count almost against his will。 His father…in…law; the Baron de Nucingen; was peer of France; his younger brother a bishop; the Comte de Roche…Hugon; his brother…in…law; was an ambassador; and he himself was thought to be indispensable in all future combinations of the ministry。

〃You always forget; my dear marquise;〃 replied Rastignac; 〃that our government exchanges its silver for gold only; it pays no heed to men。〃

〃Is Maxime a man who would blow out his brains?〃 inquired the banker du Tillet。

〃Ha! you wish I were; we should be quits then;〃 said Comte Maxime de Trailles; whom everybody supposed to have left the house。

The count rose suddenly; like an apparition; from the depths of an arm…chair placed exactly behind that of the Chevalier d'Espard。

Every one present laughed。

〃Will you have a cup of tea?〃 said the young Comtesse de Rastignac; whom the marquise had asked to do the honors in her place。

〃Gladly;〃 replied the count; standing before the fireplace。

This man; the prince of fashionable scoundrels; had managed to maintain himself until now in the high and mighty position of a dandy in Paris; then called /Gants Jaunes/ (lemon…kid…glovers); and since; 〃lions。〃 It is useless to relate the history of his youth; full of questionable adventures; with now and then some horrible drama; in which he had always known how to save appearances。 To this man women were never anything else than a means; he believed no more in their griefs than he did in their joys; he regarded them; like

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