ife and a monastery.

A few days earlier the beautiful Madame Firmiani, one of the charming
women of the faubourg Saint-Germain who visited and liked Madame
Rabourdin, had said to des Lupeaulx (invited expressly to hear this
remark), "Why do you not call on Madame ----?" with a motion towards
Celestine; "she gives delightful parties, and her dinners, above all,
are--better than mine."

Des Lupeaulx allowed himself to be drawn into an engagement by the
handsome Madame Rabourdin, who, for the first time, turned her eyes on
him as she spoke. He had, accordingly, gone to the rue Duphot, and
that tells the tale. Woman has but one trick, cries Figaro, but that's
infallible. After dining once at the house of this unimportant official,
des Lupeaulx made up his mind to dine there often. Thanks to the
perfectly proper and becoming advances of the beautiful woman, whom her
rival, Madame Colleville, called the Celimene of the rue Duphot, he had
dined there every Friday for the last month, and returned of his own
accord for a cup of tea on Wednesdays.

Within a few days Madame Rabourdin, having watched him narrowly and
knowingly, believed she had found on the secretarial plank a spot where
she might safely set her foot. She was no longer doubtful of success.
Her inward joy can be realized only in the families of government
officials where for three or four years prosperity has been counted
on through some appointment, long expected and long sought. How many
troubles are to be allayed! how many entreaties and pledges given to the
ministerial divinities! how many visits of self-interest paid! At last,
thanks to her boldness, Madame Rabourdin heard the hour strike when she
was to have twenty thousand francs a year instead of eight thousand.

"And I shall have managed well," she said to herself. "I have had
to make a little outlay; but these are times when hidden merit is
overlooked, whereas if a man keeps himself well in sight before the
world, cultivates social relations and extends them, he succeeds. After
all, ministers and their friends interest themselves only in the people
they see; but Rabourdin knows nothing of the world! If I had not cajoled
those three deputies they might have wanted La Billardiere's place
themselves; whereas, now that I have invited them here, they will be
ashamed to do so and will become our supporters instead of rivals. I
have rather played the coquette, but--it is delightful that the first
nonsense wi