the idea of co-operating with the wishes of her Royal
Highness."

"You ought to designate the vacant post," said Baudoyer.

"'Madame la comtesse,'" began Saillard, rising, and bowing to his wife,
with an agreeable smile.

"Goodness! Saillard; how ridiculous you look. Take care, my man, you'll
make the woman laugh."

"'Madame la comtesse,'" resumed Saillard. "Is that better, wife?"

"Yes, my duck."

"'The place of the worthy Monsieur de la Billardiere is vacant; my
son-in-law, Monsieur Baudoyer--'"

"'Man of talent and extreme piety,'" prompted Gaudron.

"Write it down, Baudoyer," cried old Saillard, "write that sentence
down."

Baudoyer proceeded to take a pen and wrote, without a blush, his own
praises, precisely as Nathan or Canalis might have reviewed one of their
own books.

"'Madame la comtesse'--Don't you see, mother?" said Saillard to his
wife; "I am supposing you to be the minister's wife."

"Do you take me for a fool?" she answered sharply. "I know that."

"'The place of the late worthy de la Billardiere is vacant; my
son-in-law, Monsieur Baudoyer, a man of consummate talent and extreme
piety--'" After looking at Monsieur Gaudron, who was reflecting, he
added, "'will be very glad if he gets it.' That's not bad; it's brief
and it says the whole thing."

"But do wait, Saillard; don't you see that Monsieur l'abbe is turning it
over in his mind?" said Madame Saillard; "don't disturb him."

"'Will be very thankful if you would deign to interest yourself in his
behalf,'" resumed Gaudron. "'And in saying a word to his Excellency you
will particularly please Madame la Dauphine, by whom he has the honor
and the happiness to be protected.'"

"Ah! Monsieur Gaudron, that sentence is worth more than the monstrance;
I don't regret the four thousand eight hundred--Besides, Baudoyer, my
lad, you'll pay them, won't you? Have you written it all down?"

"I shall make you repeat it, father, morning and evening," said Madame
Saillard. "Yes, that's a good speech. How lucky you are, Monsieur
Gaudron, to know so much. That's what it is to be brought up in a
seminary; they learn there how to speak to God and his saints."

"He is as good as he is learned," said Baudoyer, pressing the priest's
hand. "Did you write that article?" he added, pointing to the newspaper.

"No, it was written by the secretary of his Eminence, a young abbe
who is under obligations to me, and who takes an interest in Monsieur
Colleville; he