middle of a kitchen. In this way he came to
be regarded as an indispensable helper to statesmen. A belief in his
capacity had taken such deep root in all minds that the more ambitious
public men felt it was necessary to compromise des Lupeaulx in some way
to prevent his rising higher; they made up to him for his subordinate
public position by their secret confidence.

Nevertheless, feeling that such men were dependent on him, this gleaner
of ideas exacted certain dues. He received a salary on the staff of the
National Guard, where he held a sinecure which was paid for by the city
of Paris; he was government commissioner to a secret society; and filled
a position of superintendence in the royal household. His two official
posts which appeared on the budget were those of secretary-general to
his ministry and Master of petitions. What he now wanted was to be made
commander of the Legion of honor, gentleman of the bed-chamber, count,
and deputy. To be elected deputy it was necessary to pay taxes to the
amount of a thousand francs; and the miserable homestead of the des
Lupeaulx was rated at only five hundred. Where could he get money to
build a mansion and surround it with sufficient domain to throw dust
in the eyes of a constituency? Though he dined out every day, and was
lodged for the last nine years at the cost of the State, and driven
about in the minister's equipage, des Lupeaulx possessed absolutely
nothing, at the time when our tale opens, but thirty thousand francs
of debt--undisputed property. A marriage might float him and pump the
waters of debt out of his bark; but a good marriage depended on his
advancement, and his advancement required that he should be a deputy.
Searching about him for the means of breaking through this vicious
circle, he could think of nothing better than some immense service to
render or some delicate intrigue to carry through for persons in power.
Alas! conspiracies were out of date; the Bourbons were apparently on
good terms with all parties; and, unfortunately, for the last few years
the government had been so thoroughly held up to the light of day by the
silly discussions of the Left, whose aim seemed to be to make government
of any kind impossible in France, that no good strokes of business could
be made. The last were tried in Spain, and what an outcry that excited!

In addition to all this, des Lupeaulx complicated matters by believing
in the friendship of his minister, to whom he