envy. Ah! you will soon know that, young man," he said to
Grindot; "if we are calumniated, at least let us give no handle to the
calumny."

"Neither calumny nor evil-speaking can touch you," said Lourdois; "your
position is unassailable. But your business habits are so strong that
you must argue over every enterprise; you are a deep one--"

"True, I have some experience in business. You know, of course, why I
make this enlargement? If I insist on punctuality in the completion of
the work, it is--"

"No."

"Well, my wife and I are about to assemble our friends, as much to
celebrate the emancipation of our territory as to commemorate my
promotion to the order of the Legion of honor--"

"What do you say?" said Lourdois, "have they given you the cross?"

"Yes; I may possibly have shown myself worthy of that signal royal
favor by my services on the Bench of commerce, and by fighting for the
Bourbons upon the steps of Saint-Roch, on the 13th Vendemiaire, where
I was wounded by Napoleon. Come to the ball, and bring your wife and
daughter."

"Charmed with the honor you deign to pay me," said Lourdois (a liberal).
"But you are a deep one, Papa Birotteau; you want to make sure that I
shall not break my word,--that's the reason you invite me. Well, I'll
employ my best workmen; we'll build the fires of hell and dry the paint.
I must find some desiccating process; it would never do to dance in a
fog from the wet plaster. We will varnish it to hide the smell."

Three days later the commercial circles of the quarter were in a
flutter at the announcement of Birotteau's ball. Everybody could see for
themselves the props and scaffoldings necessitated by the change of the
staircase, the square wooden funnels down which the rubbish was thrown
into the carts stationed in the street. The sight of men working by
torchlight--for there were day workmen and night workmen--arrested
all the idlers and busybodies in the street; gossip, based on these
preparations, proclaimed a sumptuous forthcoming event.

On Sunday, the day Cesar had appointed to conclude the affair of
the lands about the Madeleine, Monsieur and Madame Ragon, and uncle
Pillerault arrived about four o'clock, just after vespers. In view of
the demolition that was going on, so Cesar said, he could only invite
Charles Claparon, Crottat, and Roguin. The notary brought with him the
"Journal des Debats" in which Monsieur de la Billardiere had inserted
the following article:--