e minister could not work
with him until Saturday, on which day the Chamber was occupied with
private bills, and his Excellency had more time at his disposal.

Just at this moment Saillard, having brought the monthly stipend, was
slipping his little speech into the ear of the minister's wife, who
drew herself up and answered with dignity that she did not meddle in
political matters, and besides, she had heard that Monsieur Rabourdin
was already appointed. Saillard, terrified, rushed up to Baudoyer's
office, where he found Dutocq, Godard, and Bixiou in a state of
exasperation difficult to describe; for they were reading the terrible
paper on the administration in which they were all discussed.

Bixiou [with his finger on a paragraph]. "Here /you/ are, pere Saillard.
Listen" [reads]:--

"Saillard.--The office of cashier to be suppressed in all the
ministries; their accounts to be kept in future at the Treasury.
Saillard is rich and does not need a pension.

"Do you want to hear about your son-in-law?" [Turns over the leaves.]
"Here he is" [reads]:--

"Baudoyer.--Utterly incapable. To be thanked and dismissed. Rich; does
not need a pension.

"And here's for Godard" [reads]:--

"Godard.--Should be dismissed; pension one-third of his present salary.

"In short, here we all are. Listen to what I am" [reads]: "An artist
who might be employed by the civil list, at the Opera, or the
Menus-Plaisirs, or the Museum. Great deal of capacity, little
self-respect, no application,--a restless spirit. Ha! I'll give you a
touch of the artist, Monsieur Rabourdin!"

Saillard. "Suppress cashiers! Why, the man's a monster?"

Bixiou. "Let us see what he says of our mysterious Desroys." [Turns over
the pages; reads.]

"Desroys.--Dangerous; because he cannot be shaken in principles that are
subversive of monarchial power. He is the son of the Conventionel, and
he admires the Convention. He may become a very mischievous journalist."

Baudoyer. "The police are not worse spies!"

Godard. "I shall go the general-secretary and lay a complaint in form;
we must all resign in a body if such a man as that is put over us."

Dutocq. "Gentlemen, listen to me; let us be prudent. If you rise at
once in a body, we may all be accused of rancor and revenge. No, let
the thing work, let the rumor spread quietly. When the whole ministry is
aroused your remonstrances will meet with general approval."

Bixiou. "Dutocq believes in the principles of t