ers' party; you
risk nothing in supporting his election."

"The present ministry could dismiss me before its fall," replied the
sub-prefect, "and who knows when I should be reappointed?"

"Collinet, the grocer!--that makes the sixty-sixth elector who has
entered the Giguet house," said Monsieur Martener, who was practising
his trade as examining-judge by counting the electors.

"If Charles Keller is the ministerial candidate," resumed the
sub-prefect, "I ought to have been told of it; the government makes a
mistake in giving time for Simon Giguet to get hold of the electors."

These four individuals had now reached, walking slowly, the spot where
the avenue ceases and becomes an open square.

"There's Monsieur Groslier," said the judge, catching sight of a man on
horseback.

This was the commissary of police; he saw the government of Arcis
collected on the public square, and he rode up to the four gentlemen.

"Well, Monsieur Groslier?" said the sub-prefect, taking the commissary a
little apart from his three colleagues.

"Monsieur," said the commissary of police in a low voice, "Monsieur
la prefet has sent me to tell you some sad news; Monsieur le Vicomte
Charles Keller is dead. The news reached Paris by telegram night before
last, and the two Messieurs Keller, the Comte de Gondreville, the
Marechale Carigliano, in fact the whole family are now at Gondreville.
Abd-el-Kader has resumed the offensive in Africa; the war is being
vigorously carried on. This poor young man was among the first
victims of the renewal of hostilities. You will receive confidential
instructions, so Monsieur le prefet told me, in relation to the coming
election."

"By whom?" asked the sub-prefect.

"If I knew that, the matter would not be confidential," replied the
commissary. "In fact, I think the prefect himself does not know. He told
me that the matter would be a secret one between you and the ministry."

Then he rode on, after seeing the sub-prefect lay his fingers on his
lips as a warning to keep silence.

"Well, what news from the prefecture?" said the _procureur-du-roi_, when
Goulard returned to the group of the three functionaries.

"Nothing satisfactory," replied Goulard, stepping quickly, as if he
wanted to get away from the others, who now walked silently toward the
middle of the square, somewhat piqued by the manner of the sub-prefect.
There Monsieur Martener noticed old Madame Beauvisage, the mother of
Phileas, surroun