s to the 'Journal des Debats,' a
dangerous newspaper, which made war on Monsieur le Comte de Villele to
please the wounded vanity of Monsieur de Chateaubriand. His Eminence
will read the newspaper to-night, if only to see what is said of his
poor friend Monsieur de la Billardiere; and Monseigneur the coadjutor
will speak of you to the King. When I think of what you have now done
for his dear church, I feel sure he will not forget you in his prayers;
more than that, he is dining at this moment with the coadjutor at the
house of the curate of Saint-Roch."

These words made Saillard and Baudoyer begin to perceive that Elisabeth
had not been idle ever since Godard had informed her of Monsieur de la
Billardiere's decease.

"Isn't she clever, that Elisabeth of mine?" cried Saillard,
comprehending more clearly than Monsieur l'abbe the rapid undermining,
like the path of a mole, which his daughter had undertaken.

"She sent Godard to Rabourdin's door to find out what newspaper he
takes," said Gaudron; "and I mentioned the name to the secretary of his
Eminence,--for we live at a crisis when the Church and Throne must keep
themselves informed as to who are their friends and who their enemies."

"For the last five days I have been trying to find the right thing to
say to his Excellency's wife," said Saillard.

"All Paris will read that," cried Baudoyer, whose eyes were still
riveted on the paper.

"Your eulogy costs us four thousand eight hundred francs, son-in-law!"
exclaimed Madame Saillard.

"You have adorned the house of God," said the Abbe Gaudron.

"We might have got salvation without doing that," she returned. "But
if Baudoyer gets the place, which is worth eight thousand more, the
sacrifice is not so great. If he doesn't get it! hey, papa," she added,
looking at her husband, "how we shall have bled!--"

"Well, never mind," said Saillard, enthusiastically, "we can always make
it up through Falleix, who is going to extend his business and use his
brother, whom he has made a stockbroker on purpose. Elisabeth might have
told us, I think, why Falleix went off in such a hurry. But let's invent
my little speech. This is what I thought of: 'Madame, if you would say a
word to his Excellency--'"

"'If you would deign,'" said Gaudron; "add the word 'deign,' it is
more respectful. But you ought to know, first of all, whether Madame la
Dauphine will grant you her protection, and then you could suggest to
Madame la comtesse