s of the understanding?

"Ans.--To know. It is the eye of the soul."

Fleury. "And the soul is the eye of what?"

Phellion [continuing]. "Quest.--What ought the understanding to know?

"Ans.--Truth.

"Quest.--Why does man possess volition?

"Ans.--To love good and hate evil.

"Quest.--What is good?

"Ans.--That which makes us happy."

Vimeux. "Heavens! do you teach that to young ladies?"

Phellion. "Yes" [continuing]. "Quest.--How many kinds of good are
there?"

Fleury. "Amazingly indecorous, to say the least."

Phellion [aggrieved]. "Oh, monsieur!" [Controlling himself.] "But here's
the answer,--that's as far as I have got" [reads]:--

"Ans.--There are two kinds of good,--eternal good and temporal good."

Poiret [with a look of contempt]. "And does that sell for anything?"

Phellion. "I hope it will. It requires great application of mind to
carry on a system of questions and answers; that is why I ask you to be
quiet and let me think, for the answers--"

Thuillier [interrupting]. "The answers might be sold separately."

Poiret. "Is that a pun?"

Thuillier. "No; a riddle."

Phellion. "I am sorry I interrupted you" [he dives into his office
desk]. "But" [to himself] "at any rate, I have stopped their talking
about Monsieur Rabourdin."

At this moment a scene was taking place between the minister and des
Lupeaulx which decided Rabourdin's fate. The general-secretary had gone
to see the minister in his private study before the breakfast-hour, to
make sure that La Briere was not within hearing.

"Your Excellency is not treating me frankly--"

"He means a quarrel," thought the minister; "and all because his
mistress coquetted with me last night. I did not think you so juvenile,
my dear friend," he said aloud.

"Friend?" said the general-secretary, "that is what I want to find out."

The minister looked haughtily at des Lupeaulx.

"We are alone," continued the secretary, "and we can come to an
understanding. The deputy of the arrondissement in which my estate is
situated--"

"So it is really an estate!" said the minister, laughing, to hide his
surprise.

"Increased by a recent purchase of two hundred thousand francs' worth of
adjacent property," replied des Lupeaulx, carelessly. "You knew of the
deputy's approaching resignation at least ten days ago, and you did not
tell me of it. You were perhaps not bound to do so, but you knew very
well that I am most anxious to take my seat in the centre