te moments; for women are stronger
through emotion than men through power. She wept and laughed and sobbed
in turns.

When Rabourdin left the house at eight o'clock, the porter gave him
the satirical cards suggested by Bixiou. Nevertheless, he went to the
ministry, where he found Sebastien waiting near the door to entreat him
not to enter any of the bureaus, because an infamous caricature of him
was making the round of the offices.

"If you wish to soften the pain of my downfall," he said to the lad,
"bring me that drawing; I am now taking my resignation to Ernest de la
Briere myself, that it may not be altered or distorted while passing
through the routine channels. I have my own reasons for wishing to see
that caricature."

When Rabourdin came back to the courtyard, after making sure that his
letter would go straight into the minister's hands, he found Sebastien
in tears, with a copy of the lithograph, which the lad reluctantly
handed over to him.

"It is very clever," said Rabourdin, showing a serene brow to his
companion, though the crown of thorns was on it all the same.

He entered the bureaus with a calm air, and went at once into Baudoyer's
section to ask him to come to the office of the head of the division and
receive instructions as to the business which that incapable being was
henceforth to direct.

"Tell Monsieur Baudoyer that there must be no delay," he added, in the
hearing of all the clerks; "my resignation is already in the minister's
hands, and I do not wish to stay here longer than is necessary."

Seeing Bixiou, Rabourdin went straight up to him, showed him the
lithograph, and said, to the great astonishment of all present,--

"Was I not right in saying you were an artist? Still, it is a pity you
directed the point of your pencil against a man who cannot be judged in
this way, nor indeed by the bureaus at all;--but everything is laughed
at in France, even God."

Then he took Baudoyer into the office of the late La Billardiere. At the
door he found Phellion and Sebastien, the only two who, under his great
disaster, dared to remain openly faithful to the fallen man. Rabourdin
noticed that Phellion's eyes were moist, and he could not refrain from
wringing his hand.

"Monsieur," said the good man, "if we can serve you in any way, make use
of us."

Monsieur Rabourdin shut himself up in the late chief's office with
Monsieur Baudoyer, and Phellion helped him to show the new incumbent all
the