e la Billardiere; in fact he did not hear of
it until young La Briere, who was able to appreciate his sterling value,
came to tell him. About ten o'clock, in the bureau Baudoyer, Bixiou
was relating the last moments of the life of the director to Minard,
Desroys, Monsieur Godard, whom he had called from his private office,
and Dutocq, who had rushed in with private motives of his own.
Colleville and Chazelle were absent.

Bixiou [standing with his back to the stove and holding up the sole
of each boot alternately to dry at the open door]. "This morning, at
half-past seven, I went to inquire after our most worthy and respectable
director, knight of the order of Christ, et caetera, et caetera. Yes,
gentlemen, last night he was a being with twenty et caeteras, to-day he
is nothing, not even a government clerk. I asked all particulars of his
nurse. She told me that this morning at five o'clock he became uneasy
about the royal family. He asked for the names of all the clerks who had
called to inquire after him; and then he said: 'Fill my snuff-box,
give me the newspaper, bring my spectacles, and change my ribbon of the
Legion of honor,--it is very dirty.' I suppose you know he always wore
his orders in bed. He was fully conscious, retained his senses and all
his usual ideas. But, presto! ten minutes later the water rose, rose,
rose and flooded his chest; he knew he was dying for he felt the cysts
break. At that fatal moment he gave evident proof of his powerful mind
and vast intellect. Ah, we never rightly appreciated him! We used to
laugh at him and call him a booby--didn't you, Monsieur Godard?"

Godard. "I? I always rated Monsieur de la Billardiere's talents higher
than the rest of you."

Bixiou. "You and he could understand each other!"

Godard. "He wasn't a bad man; he never harmed any one."

Bixiou. "To do harm you must do something, and he never did anything. If
it wasn't you who said he was a dolt, it must have been Minard."

Minard [shrugging his shoulders]. "I!"

Bixiou. "Well, then it was you, Dutocq!" [Dutocq made a vehement gesture
of denial.] "Oh! very good, then it was nobody. Every one in this office
knew his intellect was herculean. Well, you were right. He ended, as I
have said, like the great man that he was."

Desroys [impatiently]. "Pray what did he do that was so great? he had
the weakness to confess himself."

Bixiou. "Yes, monsieur, he received the holy sacraments. But do you
know what he di