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〃No；〃 said Thuillier； 〃it ought to be success'ress； just as we say
may'ress； dropping the O； you know。〃
〃Is it full dress？〃 asked Madame Minard。
〃Heavens！ no；〃 replied Thuillier； 〃you would get me finely scolded by
my sister。 No； it is only a family party。 Under the Empire； madame； we
all devoted ourselves to dancing。 At that great epoch of our national
life they thought as much of a fine dancer as they did of a good
soldier。 Nowadays the country is so matter…of…fact。〃
〃Well； we won't talk politics；〃 said the mayor； smiling。 〃The King is
grand； he is very able。 I have a deep admiration for my own time； and
for the institutions which we have given to ourselves。 The King； you
may be sure； knows very well what he is doing by the development of
industries。 He is struggling hand to hand against England； and we are
doing him more harm during this fruitful peace than all the wars of
the Empire would have done。〃
〃What a deputy Minard would make！〃 cried Zelie； naively。 〃He practises
speechifying at home。 You'll help us to get him elected； won't you；
Thuillier？〃
〃We won't talk politics now；〃 replied Thuillier。 〃Come at five。〃
〃Will that little Vinet be there？〃 asked Minard； 〃he comes； no doubt；
for Celeste。〃
〃Then he may go into mourning；〃 replied Thuillier。 〃Brigitte won't
hear of him。〃
Zelie and Minard exchanged a smile of satisfaction。
〃To think that we must hob…nob with such common people； all for the
sake of our son！〃 cried Zelie； when Thuillier was safely down the
staircase； to which the mayor had accompanied him。
〃Ha！ he thinks to be deputy！〃 thought Thuillier； as he walked away。
〃These grocers！ nothing satisfies them。 Heavens！ what would Napoleon
say if he could see the government in the hands of such people！ I'm a
trained administrator； at any rate。 What a competitor； to be sure！ I
wonder what la Peyrade will say？〃
The ambitious ex…beau now went to invite the whole Laudigeois family
for the evening； after which he went to the Collevilles'； to make sure
that Celeste should wear a becoming gown。 He found Flavie rather
pensive。 She hesitated about coming； but Thuillier overcame her
indecision。
〃My old and ever young friend；〃 he said； taking her round the waist；
for she was alone in her little salon； 〃I won't have any secret from
you。 A great affair is in the wind for me。 I can't tell you more than
that； but I can ask you to be particularly charming to a certain young
man〃
〃Who is it？〃
〃La Peyrade。〃
〃Why； Charles？〃
〃He holds my future in his hands。 Besides； he's a man of genius。 I
know what that is。 He's got this sort of thing；〃and Thuillier made
the gesture of a dentist pulling out a back tooth。 〃We must bind him
to us； Flavie。 But； above all； don't let him see his power。 As for me；
I shall just give and take with him。〃
〃Do you want me to be coquettish？〃
〃Not too much so； my angel；〃 replied Thuillier； with a foppish air。
And he departed； not observing the stupor which overcame Flavie。
〃That young man is a power；〃 she said to herself。 〃Well； we shall
see！〃
For these reasons she dressed her hair with marabouts； put on her
prettiest gown of gray and pink； which allowed her fine shoulders to
be seen beneath a pelerine of black lace； and took care to keep
Celeste in a little silk frock made with a yoke and a large plaited
collarette； telling her to dress her hair plainly； a la Berthe。
CHAPTER VIII
AD MAJOREM THEODOSIS GLORIAM
At half…past four o'clock Theodose was at his post。 He had put on his
vacant； half…servile manner and soft voice； and he drew Thuillier at
once into the garden。
〃My friend；〃 he said； 〃I don't doubt your triumph； but I feel the
necessity of again warning you to be absolutely silent。 If you are
questioned about anything； especially about Celeste； make evasive
answers which will keep your questioners in suspense。 You must have
learned how to do that in a government office。〃
〃I understand！〃 said Thuillier。 〃But what certainty have you？〃
〃You'll see what a fine dessert I have prepared for you。 But please be
modest。 There come the Minards； let me pipe to them。 Bring them out
here； and then disappear yourself。〃
After the first salutations； la Peyrade was careful to keep close to
the mayor； and presently at an opportune moment he drew him aside to
say：
〃Monsieur le maire； a man of your political importance doesn't come to
bore himself in a house of this kind without an object。 I don't want
to fathom your motiveswhich； indeed； I have no right to doand my
part in this world is certainly not to mingle with earthly powers； but
please pardon my apparent presumption； and deign to listen to a piece
of advice which I shall venture to give you。 If I do you a service
to…day you are in a position to return it to me to…morrow； therefore；
in case I should be so fortunate as to do you a good turn； I am really
only obeying the law of self…interest。 Our friend Thuillier is in
despair at being a nobody； he has taken it into his head that he wants
to become a personage in this arrondissement〃
〃Ah！ ah！〃 exclaimed Minard。
〃Oh！ nothing very exalted； he wants to be elected to the municipal
council。 Now； I know that Phellion； seeing the influence such a
service would have on his family interests； intends to propose your
poor friend as candidate。 Well； perhaps you might think it wise； in
your own interests； to be beforehand with him。 Thuillier's nomination
could only be favorable for youI mean agreeable； and he'll fill his
place in the council very well； there are some there who are not as
strong as he。 Besides； owing to his place to your support； he will see
with your eyes； he already looks to you as one of the lights of the
town。〃
〃My dear fellow； I thank you very much；〃 replied Minard。 〃You are
doing me a service I cannot sufficiently acknowledge； and which proves
to me〃
〃That I don't like those Phellions；〃 said la Peyrade； taking advantage
of a slight hesitation on the part of the mayor； who feared to express
an idea in which the lawyer might see contempt。 〃I hate people who
make capital out of their honesty and coin money from fine
sentiments。〃
〃You know them well；〃 said Minard； 〃they are sycophants。 That man's
whole life for the last ten years is explained by this bit of red
ribbon；〃 added the mayor； pointing to his own buttonhole。
〃Take care！〃 said the lawyer； 〃his son is in love with Celeste； and
he's fairly in the heart of the family。〃
〃Yes； but my son has twelve thousand a year in his own right。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Theodose； with a start； 〃Mademoiselle Brigitte was saying
the other day that she wanted at least as much as that in Celeste's
suitor。 Moreover； six months hence you'll probably hear that Thuillier
has a property worth forty thousand francs a year。〃
〃The devil！ well； I thought as much。 Yes； certainly； he shall be made
a member of the municipal council。〃
〃In any case； don't say anything about me to him；〃 said the advocate
of the poor； who now hastened away to speak to Madame Phellion。 〃Well；
my fair lady；〃 he said； when he reached her； 〃have you succeeded？〃
〃I waited till four o'clock； and then that worthy and excellent man
would not let me finish what I had to say。 He is much to busy to
accept such an office； and he sent a letter which Monsieur Phellion
has read； saying that he； Doctor Bianchon； thanked him for his good
intentions； and assured him that his own candidate was Monsieur
Thuillier。 He said that he should use all his influence in his favor；
and begged my husband to do the same。〃
〃And what did your excellent husband say？〃
〃'I have done my duty；' he said。 'I have not been false to my
conscience； and now I am all for Thuillier。'〃
〃Well； then； the thing is settled；〃 said la Peyrade。 〃Ignore my visit；
and take all the credit of the idea to yourselves。〃
Then he went to Madame Colleville； composing himself in the attitude
and manner of the deepest respect。
〃Madame；〃 he said； 〃have the goodness to send out to me here that
kindly papa Colleville。 A surprise is to be given to Monsieur
Thuillier； and I want Monsieur Colleville to be in the secret。〃
While la Peyrade played the part of man of the world with Colleville；
and allowed himself various witty sarcasms when explaining to him
Thuillier's candidacy； telling him he ought to support it； if only to
exhibit his incapacity； Flavie was listening in the salon to the
following conversation； which bewildered her for the moment and made
her ears ring。
〃I should like to know what Monsieur Colleville and Monsieur de la
Peyrade can be saying to each other to make them laugh like that；〃
said Madame Thuillier； foolishly； looking out of the window。
〃A lot of improper things； as men always do when they talk together；〃
replied Mademoiselle Thuillier； who often attacked men with the sort
of instinct natural to old maids。
〃No； they are incapable of that；〃 said Phellion； gravely。 〃Monsieur de
la Peyrade is one of the most virtuous young men I have ever met。
People know what I think of Felix； well； I put the two on the same
line； indeed； I wish my son had a little more of Monsieur de la
Peyrade's beautiful piety。〃
〃You are right； he is a man of great meri