de Vandenesse, Monsieur
de Marsay, Monsieur de Ronquerolles, Monsieur d'Aiglemont, in short, all
your customers? You are mad; your honors have turned your head!"

"Well, but there's Monsieur le Comte de Fontaine and his family,
hein?--the one that always went by the name of GRAND-JACQUES,--and
the YOUNG SCAMP, who was the Marquis de Montauran, and Monsieur de la
Billardiere, who was called the NANTAIS at 'The Queen of Roses' before
the 13th Vendemiaire. In those days it was all hand-shaking, and
'Birotteau, take courage; let yourself be killed, like us, for the good
cause.' Why, we are all comrades in conspiracy."

"Very good, put them down," said Constance. "If Monsieur de la
Billardiere comes he will want somebody to speak to."

"Cesarine, write," said Birotteau. "_Primo_, Monsieur the prefect of
the Seine; he'll come or he won't come, but any way he commands the
municipality,--honor to whom honor is due. Monsieur de la Billardiere
and his son, the mayor. Put the number of the guests after their names.
My colleague, Monsieur Granet, deputy-mayor, and his wife. She is very
ugly, but never mind, we can't dispense with her. Monsieur Curel, the
jeweller, colonel of the National Guard, his wife, and two daughters.
Those are what I call the authorities. Now come the big wigs,--Monsieur
le Comte and Madame la Comtesse de Fontaine, and their daughter,
Mademoiselle Emilie de Fontaine."

"An insolent girl, who makes me leave the shop and speak to her at the
door of the carriage, no matter what the weather is," said Madame Cesar.
"If she comes, it will only be to ridicule me."

"Then she'll be sure to come," said Cesar, bent on getting everybody.
"Go on, Cesarine. Monsieur le Comte and Madame la Comtesse de
Grandville, my landlord,--the longest head at the royal court, so
Derville says. Ah ca! Monsieur de la Billardiere is to present me as
a chevalier to-morrow to Monsieur le Comte de Lacepede himself, high
chancellor of the Legion of honor. It is only proper that I should
send him an invitation for the ball, and also to the dinner. Monsieur
Vauquelin; put him down for ball and dinner both, Cesarine. And (so
as not to forget them) put down all the Chiffrevilles and the Protez;
Monsieur and Madame Popinot, judge of the Lower Court of the Seine;
Monsieur and Madame Thirion, gentleman-usher of the bedchamber to the
king, friends of Ragon, and their daughter, who, they tell me, is to
marry the son of Monsieur Camusot by his fir