n."

Poiret [returning]. "I have had a world of trouble to get back my key.
That boy is crying still, and Monsieur Rabourdin has disappeared."
[Dutocq and Bixiou enter.]

Bixiou. "Ha, gentlemen! strange things are going on in your bureau. Du
Bruel! I want you." [Looks into the adjoining room.] "Gone?"

Thuillier. "Full speed."

Bixiou. "What about Rabourdin?"

Fleury. "Distilled, evaporated, melted! Such a man, the king of men,
that he--"

Poiret [to Dutocq]. "That little Sebastien, in his trouble, said that
you, Monsieur Dutocq, had taken the paper from him ten days ago."

Bixiou [looking at Dutocq]. "You must clear yourself of /that/, my good
friend." [All the clerks look fixedly at Dutocq.]

Dutocq. "Where's the little viper who copied it?"

Bixiou. "Copied it? How did you know he copied it? Ha! ha! it is only
the diamond that cuts the diamond." [Dutocq leaves the room.]

Poiret. "Would you listen to me, Monsieur Bixiou? I have only five days
and a half to stay in this office, and I do wish that once, only once, I
might have the pleasure of understanding what you mean. Do me the honor
to explain what diamonds have to do with these present circumstances."

Bixiou. "I meant papa,--for I'm willing for once to bring my intellect
down to the level of yours,--that just as the diamond alone can cut
the diamond, so it is only one inquisitive man who can defeat another
inquisitive man."

Fleury. "'Inquisitive man' stands for 'spy.'"

Poiret. "I don't understand."

Bixiou. "Very well; try again some other time."

Monsieur Rabourdin, after taking Sebastien to his room, had gone
straight to the minister; but the minister was at the Chamber of
Deputies. Rabourdin went at once to the Chamber, where he wrote a note
to his Excellency, who was at that moment in the tribune engaged in a
hot discussion. Rabourdin waited, not in the conference hall, but in
the courtyard, where, in spite of the cold, he resolved to remain and
intercept his Excellency as he got into his carriage. The usher of the
Chamber had told him that the minister was in the thick of a controversy
raised by the nineteen members of the extreme Left, and that the session
was likely to be stormy. Rabourdin walked to and for in the courtyard
of the palace for five mortal hours, a prey to feverish agitation. At
half-past six o'clock the session broke up, and the members filed out.
The minister's chasseur came up to find the coachman.

"Hi, Jean!" he cal