ds of all
the parties in the Chamber?"

Baudoyer [with an air that he imagined to be shrewd]. "Perhaps Monsieur
Rabourdin desired to change the Constitution, which we owe to our
legislative sovereign."

The Minister [thoughtful, takes La Briere's arm and leads him into the
study]. "I want to see that work of Rabourdin's, and as you know about
it--"

De la Briere. "He has burned it. You allowed him to be dishonored and he
has resigned from the ministry. Do not think for a moment, Monseigneur,
that Rabourdin ever had the absurd thought (as des Lupeaulx tries to
make it believed) to change the admirable centralization of power."

The Minister [to himself]. "I have made a mistake" [is silent a moment].
"No matter; we shall never be lacking in plans for reform."

De la Briere. "It is not ideas, but men capable of executing them that
we lack."

Des Lupeaulx, that adroit advocate of abuses came into the minister's
study at this moment.

"Monseigneur, I start at once for my election."

"Wait a moment," said his Excellency, leaving the private secretary and
taking des Lupeaulx by the arm into the recess of a window. "My dear
friend, let me have that arrondissement,--if you will, you shall be
made count and I will pay your debts. Later, if I remain in the ministry
after the new Chamber is elected, I will find a way to send in your name
in a batch for the peerage."

"You are a man of honor, and I accept."

This is how it came to pass that Clement Chardin des Lupeaulx, whose
father was ennobled under Louis XV., and who beareth quarterly, first,
argent, a wolf ravisant carrying a lamb gules; second, purpure, three
mascles argent, two and one; third, paly of twelve, gules and argent;
fourth, or, on a pale endorsed, three batons fleurdelises gules;
supported by four griffon's-claws jessant from the sides of the
escutcheon, with the motto "En Lupus in Historia," was able to surmount
these rather satirical arms with a count's coronet.

Towards the close of the year 1830 Monsieur Rabourdin did some business
on hand which required him to visit the old ministry, where the
bureaus had all been in great commotion, owing to a general removal
of officials, from the highest to the lowest. This revolution bore
heaviest, in point of fact, upon the lackeys, who are not fond of seeing
new faces. Rabourdin had come early, knowing all the ways of the place,
and he thus chanced to overhear a dialogue between the two nephews of
old Antoi