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him；　she　would　even　be；　if　needful；　his　secretary；　she　would　sit　up

all　night　to　do　the　work！　All　this　to　drive　in　the　Bois　in　a　pretty

carriage；　to　equal　Madame　Delphine　de　Nucingen；　to　raise　her　salon　to

the　level　of　Madame　Colleville's；　to　be　invited　to　the　great

ministerial　solemnities；　to　win　listeners　and　make　them　talk　of　her　as

〃Madame　Rabourdin　DE　something　or　other〃　（she　had　not　yet　determined

on　the　estate）；　just　as　they　did　of　Madame　Firmiani；　Madame　d'Espard；

Madame　d'Aiglemont；　Madame　de　Carigliano；　and　thus　efface　forever　the

odious　name　of　Rabourdin。



These　secret　schemes　brought　some　changes　into　the　household。　Madame

Rabourdin　began　to　walk　with　a　firm　step　in　the　path　of　DEBT。　She　set

up　a　manservant；　and　put　him　in　livery　of　brown　cloth　with　red　pipins；

she　renewed　parts　of　her　furniture；　hung　new　papers　on　the　walls；

adorned　her　salon　with　plants　and　flowers；　always　fresh；　and　crowded

it　with　knick…knacks　that　were　then　in　vogue；　then　she；　who　had　always

shown　scruples　as　to　her　personal　expenses；　did　not　hesitate　to　put

her　dress　in　keeping　with　the　rank　to　which　she　aspired；　the　profits

of　which　were　discounted　in　several　of　the　shops　where　she　equipped

herself　for　war。　To　make　her　〃Wednesdays〃　fashionable　she　gave　a

dinner　on　Fridays；　the　guests　being　expected　to　pay　their　return　visit

and　take　a　cup　of　tea　on　the　following　Wednesday。　She　chose　her　guests

cleverly　among　influential　deputies　or　other　persons　of　note　who；

sooner　or　later；　might　advance　her　interests。　In　short；　she　gathered

an　agreeable　and　befitting　circle　about　her。　People　amused　themselves

at　her　house；　they　said　so　at　least；　which　is　quite　enough　to　attract

society　in　Paris。　Rabourdin　was　so　absorbed　in　completing　his　great

and　serious　work　that　he　took　no　notice　of　the　sudden　reappearance　of

luxury　in　the　bosom　of　his　family。



Thus　the　wife　and　the　husband　were　besieging　the　same　fortress；

working　on　parallel　lines；　but　without　each　other's　knowledge。







CHAPTER　II



MONSIEUR　DES　LUPEAULX



At　the　ministry　to　which　Rabourdin　belonged　there　flourished；　as

general…secretary；　a　certain　Monsieur　Clement　Chardin　des　Lupeaulx；

one　of　those　men　whom　the　tide　of　political　events　sends　to　the

surface　for　a　few　years；　then　engulfs　on　a　stormy　night；　but　whom　we

find　again　on　a　distant　shore；　tossed　up　like　the　carcass　of　a　wrecked

ship　which　still　seems　to　have　life　in　her。　We　ask　ourselves　if　that

derelict　could　ever　have　held　goodly　merchandise　or　served　a　high

emprize；　co…operated　in　some　defence；　held　up　the　trappings　of　a

throne；　or　borne　away　the　corpse　of　a　monarchy。　At　this　particular

time　Clement　des　Lupeaulx　（the　〃Lupeaulx〃　absorbed　the　〃Chardin〃）　had

reached　his　culminating　period。　In　the　most　illustrious　lives　as　in

the　most　obscure；　in　animals　as　in　secretary…generals；　there　is　a

zenith　and　there　is　a　nadir；　a　period　when　the　fur　is　magnificent；　the

fortune　dazzling。　In　the　nomenclature　which　we　derive　from　fabulists；

des　Lupeaulx　belonged　to　the　species　Bertrand；　and　was　always　in

search　of　Ratons。　As　he　is　one　of　the　principal　actors　in　this　drama

he　deserves　a　description；　all　the　more　precise　because　the　revolution

of　July　has　suppressed　his　office；　eminently　useful　as　it　was；　to　a

constitutional　ministry。



Moralists　usually　employ　their　weapons　against　obstructive

administrations。　In　their　eyes；　crime　belongs　to　the　assizes　or　the

police…courts；　but　the　socially　refined　evils　escape　their　ken；　the

adroitness　that　triumphs　under　shield　of　the　Code　is　above　them　or

beneath　them；　they　have　neither　eye…glass　nor　telescope；　they　want

good　stout　horrors　easily　visible。　With　their　eyes　fixed　on　the

carnivora；　they　pay　no　attention　to　the　reptiles；　happily；　they

abandon　to　the　writers　of　comedy　the　shading　and　colorings　of　a

Chardin　des　Lupeaulx。　Vain　and　egotistical；　supple　and　proud；

libertine　and　gourmand；　grasping　from　the　pressure　of　debt；　discreet

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

gl