ew
up a profession of faith, and went to read it to MM. Bouvard and
Pecuchet.

They congratulated him upon it. Their opinions were identical with his.
However, they wrote better, had a knowledge of history, and could cut as
good a figure as he in the Chamber. Why not? But which of them ought to
offer himself? And they entered upon a contest of delicacy.

Pecuchet preferred that it should be his friend rather than himself.

"No, it suits you better! you have a better deportment!"

"Perhaps so," returned Bouvard, "but you have a better tuft of hair!"
And, without solving the difficulty, they arranged their plans of
conduct.

This vertigo of deputyship had seized on others. The captain dreamed of
it under his foraging-cap while puffing at his pipe, and the
schoolmaster too in his school, and the cure also between two prayers,
so that he sometimes surprised himself with his eyes towards heaven, in
the act of saying, "Grant, O my God, that I may be a deputy!"

The doctor having received some encouragement, repaired to the house of
Heurtaux, and explained to him what his chances were. The captain did
not stand on ceremony about it. Vaucorbeil was known, undoubtedly, but
little liked by his professional brethren, especially in the case of
chemists. Everyone would bark at him; the people did not want a
gentleman; his best patients would leave him. And, when he weighed these
arguments, the physician regretted his weakness.

As soon as he had gone, Heurtaux went to see Placquevent. Between old
soldiers there should be mutual courtesy, but the rural guard, devoted
though he was to Foureau, flatly refused to help him.

The cure demonstrated to M. de Faverges that the hour had not come. It
was necessary to give the Republic time to get used up.

Bouvard and Pecuchet represented to Gorju that he would never be strong
enough to overcome the coalition of the peasants and the village
shop-keepers, filled him with uncertainty, and deprived him of all
confidence.

Petit, through pride, had allowed his ambition to be seen. Beljambe
warned him that, if he failed, his dismissal was certain.

Finally, the cure got orders from the bishop to keep quiet.

Then, only Foureau remained.

Bouvard and Pecuchet opposed him, bringing up against him his unfriendly
attitude about the guns, his opposition to the club, his reactionary
views, his avarice; and even persuaded Gouy that he wished to bring back
the old _regime_. Vague as was the