f the price, the
church of Saint-Paul possesses to-day a masterpiece of the
jeweller's art designed by Monsieur de Sommervieux. It gives us
pleasure to make known this fact, which proves how powerless the
declamations of liberals have been on the mind of the Parisian
bourgeoisie. The upper ranks of that body have at all times been
royalist and they prove it when occasion offers."

"The price was five thousand francs," said the Abbe Gaudron; "but as the
payment was in cash, the court jeweller reduced the amount."

"Representing one of the oldest bourgeois families in Paris!" Saillard
was saying to himself; "there it is printed,--in the official paper,
too!"

"Dear Monsieur Gaudron," said Madame Baudoyer, "please help my father to
compose a little speech that he could slip into the countess's ear when
he takes her the monthly stipend,--a single sentence that would cover
all! I must leave you. I am obliged to go out with my uncle Mitral.
Would you believe it? I was unable to find my uncle Bidault at home this
afternoon. Oh, what a dog-kennel he lives in! But Monsieur Mitral, who
knows his ways, says he does all his business between eight o'clock in
the morning and midday, and that after that hour he can be found only at
a certain cafe called the Cafe Themis,--a singular name."

"Is justice done there?" said the abbe, laughing.

"Do you ask why he goes to a cafe at the corner of the rue Dauphine and
the quai des Augustins? They say he plays dominoes there every night
with his friend Monsieur Gobseck. I don't wish to go to such a place
alone; my uncle Mitral will take me there and bring me back."

At this instant Mitral showed his yellow face, surmounted by a wig which
looked as though it might be made of hay, and made a sign to his niece
to come at once, and not keep a carriage waiting at two francs an hour.
Madame Baudoyer rose and went away without giving any explanation to her
husband or father.

"Heaven has given you in that woman," said Monsieur Gaudron to Baudoyer
when Elisabeth had disappeared, "a perfect treasure of prudence
and virtue, a model of wisdom, a Christian who gives sure signs of
possessing the Divine spirit. Religion alone is able to form such
perfect characters. To-morrow I shall say a mass for the success of your
good cause. It is all-important, for the sake of the monarchy and of
religion itself that you should receive this appointment. Monsieur
Rabourdin is a liberal; he subscribe