dacy that I have come to disturb your
Sunday joys; but perhaps in so doing we shall not go beyond the limits
of the family circle."

It would be impossible for Phellion to be more Phellion than Theodose
was Phellion at that moment.

"I shall not let you say another word," replied the commander, profiting
by the pause made by Theodose, who watched for the effect of his speech.
"My choice is made."

"We have had the same idea!" exclaimed Theodose; "men of the same
character agree as well as men of the same mind."

"In this case I do not believe in that phenomenon," replied Phellion.
"This arrondissement had for its representative in the municipal council
the most virtuous of men, as he was the noblest of magistrates. I allude
to the late Monsieur Popinot, the deceased judge of the Royal courts.
When the question of replacing him came up, his nephew, the heir to
his benevolence, did not reside in this quarter. He has since, however,
purchased, and now occupies, the house where his uncle lived in the
rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Genevieve; he is the physician of the Ecole
Polytechnique and that of our hospitals; he does honor to this quarter;
for these reasons, and to pay homage in the person of the nephew to the
memory of the uncle, we have decided to nominate Doctor Horace Bianchon,
member of the Academy of Sciences, as you are aware, and one of the most
distinguished young men in the illustrious faculty of Paris. A man is
not great in our eyes solely because he is celebrated; to my mind the
late Councillor Popinot was almost another Saint Vincent de Paul."

"But a doctor is not an administrator," replied Theodose; "and, besides,
I have come to ask your vote for a man to whom your dearest interests
require that you should sacrifice a predilection, which, after all, is
quite unimportant to the public welfare."

"Monsieur!" cried Phellion, rising and striking an attitude like that of
Lafon in "Le Glorieux," "Do you despise me sufficiently to suppose that
my personal interests could ever influence my political conscience? When
a matter concerns the public welfare, I am a citizen--nothing more, and
nothing less."

Theodose smiled to himself at the thought of the battle which was now to
take place between the father and the citizen.

"Do not bind yourself to your present ideas, I entreat you," he said,
"for this matter concerns the happiness of your dear Felix."

"What do you mean by those words?" asked Phellion, stoppi