ent
clerk, you fellows. Gabriel, the stove in the large office draws like
the devil; you must turn the damper."

Antoine stationed himself at a corner of the landing whence he could see
all the officials as they entered the porte-cochere; he knew every one
at the ministry, and watched their behavior, observing narrowly the
contrasts in their dress and appearance.

The first to arrive after Sebastien was a clerk of deeds in Rabourdin's
office named Phellion, a respectable family-man. To the influence of his
chief he owed a half-scholarship for each of his two sons in the College
Henri IV.; while his daughter was being educated gratis at a boarding
school where his wife gave music lessons and he himself a course of
history and one of geography in the evenings. He was about forty-five
years of age, sergeant-major of his company in the National Guard, very
compassionate in feeling and words, but wholly unable to give away
a penny. Proud of his post, however, and satisfied with his lot, he
applied himself faithfully to serve the government, believed he was
useful to his country, and boasted of his indifference to politics,
knowing none but those of the men in power. Monsieur Rabourdin pleased
him highly whenever he asked him to stay half an hour longer to finish
a piece of work. On such occasions he would say, when he reached home,
"Public affairs detained me; when a man belongs to the government he is
no longer master of himself." He compiled books of questions and answers
on various studies for the use of young ladies in boarding-schools.
These little "solid treatises," as he called them, were sold at
the University library under the name of "Historical and Geographic
Catechisms." Feeling himself in duty bound to offer a copy of each
volume, bound in red morocco, to Monsieur Rabourdin, he always came in
full dress to present them,--breeches and silk stockings, and shoes
with gold buckles. Monsieur Phellion received his friends on Thursday
evenings, on which occasions the company played bouillote, at five sous
a game, and were regaled with cakes and beer. He had never yet dared
to invite Monsieur Rabourdin to honor him with his presence, though he
would have regarded such an event as the most distinguished of his life.
He said if he could leave one of his sons following in the steps of
Monsieur Rabourdin he should die the happiest father in the world.

One of his greatest pleasures was to explore the environs of Paris,
w