cate in the Court of Appeal, and he
entered, bowing ceremoniously to Sulpice, who with a pleased face and
outstretched hands, went to welcome the old companion of his youth.

Jeliotte bowed with a certain affectation of respect, and smiled
nervously.

"How happy I am to see you," Vaudrey said.

"You still address me in the old familiar way," Jeliotte answered,
showing his slightly broken and yellow teeth.

"What an idea! Have I forfeited your good opinion, that I should abandon
our familiar form of address?"

"Honors, then, have not changed you; well! so much the better," said
Jeliotte. "You ask me how I am? Oh! always the same!--I work hard--I am
out of your sight--but I applaud all your successes."

While Jeliotte was speaking of Vaudrey's successes, he sat on the edge
of a chair, staring at his hat, and wagging his jaw as if he were
cracking a nut between his frail teeth.

"I have been delighted at your getting into the cabinet. Delighted for
your sake--"

"You ought also to be delighted on your own account, my good Jeliotte.
Whatever I may hereafter be able to do--"

Jeliotte cut the minister short and said in a tone as dry as tinder:

"Oh! my dear Sulpice, believe one thing,--that I ask you nothing."

"Why?"

"Because--no, nothing. And I repeat, nothing."

"And you would be wrong if I could be friendly to you or useful."

"I have said _nothing_, and I stick to _nothing_. You will meet quite
enough office-seekers in your career--"

"Evidently!"

"Petitioners also!"

"Most assuredly!"

"Well! I am neither a petitioner nor an office-seeker nor a sycophant. I
am your friend."

"And you are right, for I have great affection for you."

"I am your friend and your devoted friend. I should consider it a
rascally thing to ask you for anything. A rascally thing, I say! You are
in office, you are a minister, so much the better, yes, so much the
better! But, at least, don't let your friends pester you, like vermin
crawling before you, because you are all-powerful. I will never crawl
before you, I warn you. I shall remain just what I am. You will take me
just as I am or not at all. That will depend altogether upon the change
of humor that the acquisition of honors may produce in you--"

"Jeliotte! we shall see, Jeliotte!"

"Well! You can take me or leave me. And as I do not wish to be
confounded with the cringing valets who crowd your antechambers--"

"You crowd nothing, you will not dance attendanc