r form, and bring
me the paper. I will see the archbishop, and with his help we may be
able to stop the matter here."

Birotteau left the house dismayed. Troubert assumed in his eyes the
dimensions of an Egyptian pyramid. The hands of that man were in Paris,
his elbows in the Cloister of Saint-Gatien.

"He!" said the victim to himself, "_He_ to prevent the Baron de
Listomere from becoming peer of France!--and, perhaps, 'by the help of
the archbishop we may be able to stop the matter here'!"

In presence of such great interests Birotteau felt he was a mere worm;
he judged himself harshly.

The news of Birotteau's removal from Madame de Listomere's house seemed
all the more amazing because the reason of it was wholly impenetrable.
Madame de Listomere said that her nephew was intending to marry and
leave the navy, and she wanted the vicar's apartment to enlarge her own.
Birotteau's relinquishment was still unknown. The advice of Monsieur de
Bourbonne was followed. Whenever the two facts reached the ears of the
vicar-general his self-love was certain to be gratified by the assurance
they gave that even if the Listomere family did not capitulate they
would at least remain neutral and tacitly recognize the occult power of
the Congregation,--to recognize it was, in fact, to submit to it. But the
lawsuit was still sub-judice; his opponents yielded and threatened at
the same time.

The Listomeres had thus taken precisely the same attitude as the
vicar-general himself; they held themselves aloof, and yet were able
to direct others. But just at this crisis an event occurred which
complicated the plans laid by Monsieur de Bourbonne and the Listomeres
to quiet the Gamard and Troubert party, and made them more difficult to
carry out.

Mademoiselle Gamard took cold one evening in coming out of the
cathedral; the next day she was confined to her bed, and soon after
became dangerously ill. The whole town rang with pity and false
commiseration: "Mademoiselle Gamard's sensitive nature has not been
able to bear the scandal of this lawsuit. In spite of the justice of
her cause she was likely to die of grief. Birotteau has killed his
benefactress." Such were the speeches poured through the capillary tubes
of the great female conclave, and taken up and repeated by the whole
town of Tours.

Madame de Listomere went the day after Mademoiselle Gamard took cold
to pay the promised visit, and she had the mortification of that act
without