t sum enters her treasury, and that sum goes out of it. She handles,
therefore, two thousand four hundred millions, and all she pays for the
labor of those who do the work is sixty millions,--two and a half per
cent; and for that she obtains the certainty that there is no leakage.
Our political and administrative kitchen costs us sixty millions, but
the gendarmerie, the courts of law, the galleys and the police cost just
as much, and give no return. Moreover, we employ a body of men who could
do no other work. Waste and disorder, if such there be, can only be
legislative; the Chambers lead to them and render them legal. Leakage
follows in the form of public works which are neither urgent nor
necessary; troops re-uniformed and gold-laced over and over again;
vessels sent on useless cruises; preparations for war without ever
making it; paying the debts of a State, and not requiring reimbursement
or insisting on security."

Baudoyer. "But such leakage has nothing to do with the subordinate
officials; this bad management of national affairs concerns the
statesmen who guide the ship."

The Minister [who has finished his conversation]. "There is a great deal
of truth in what des Lupeaulx has just said; but let me tell you" [to
Baudoyer], "Monsieur le directeur, that few men see from the standpoint
of a statesman. To order expenditure of all kinds, even useless ones,
does not constitute bad management. Such acts contribute to the movement
of money, the stagnation of which becomes, especially in France,
dangerous to the public welfare, by reason of the miserly and profoundly
illogical habits of the provinces which hoard their gold."

The Deputy [who listened to des Lupeaulx]. "But it seems to me that
if your Excellency was right just now, and if our clever friend here"
[takes Lupeaulx by the arm] "was not wrong, it will be difficult to come
to any conclusion on the subject."

Des Lupeaulx [after looking at the minister]. "No doubt something ought
to be done."

De la Briere [timidly]. "Monsieur Rabourdin seems to have judged
rightly."

The Minister. "I will see Rabourdin."

Des Lupeaulx. "The poor man made the blunder of constituting himself
supreme judge of the administration and of all the officials who compose
it; he wants to do away with the present state of things, and he demands
that there be only three ministries."

The Minister. "He must be crazy."

The Deputy. "How do you represent in three ministries the hea