〃Oh；　stay；　father！　You　are　the　keystone　of　the　arch。〃
  III
  OPPOSITION　DEFINES　ITSELF
  The　mayor；　Monsieur　Phileas　Beauvisage；　was　the　first　to　present　himself；　accompanied　by　the　successor　of　his　father…in…law；　the　busiest　notary　in　town；　Achille　Pigoult；　grandson　of　an　old　man　who　had　continued　justice　of　the　peace　in　Arcis　during　the　Revolution；　the　Empire；　and　the　Restoration。　Achille　Pigoult；　thirty…two　years　of　age；　had　been　eighteen　years　a　clerk　in　Grevin's　office　with　no　means　of　becoming　himself　a　notary。　His　father；　son　of　the　justice　of　peace；　had　died　of　a　so…called　apoplexy；　having　gone　wrong　in　business。
  The　Comte　de　Gondreville；　however；　with　whom　old　Pigoult　had　relations　dating　back　to　1793；　lent　money　for　the　necessary　security；　and　thus　enabled　the　grandson　of　the　judge　who　made　the　first　examination　in　the　Simeuse　case　to　buy　the　practice　of　his　master；　Grevin。　Achille　had　set　up　his　office　in　the　Place　de　l'Eglise；　in　a　house　belonging　to　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　which　the　latter　had　leased　to　him　at　so　low　a　price　that　any　one　could　see　how　desirous　that　crafty　politician　was　to　hold　the　leading　notary　of　Arcis　in　the　hollow　of　his　hand。
  Young　Pigoult；　a　short；　skinny　man；　whose　eyes　seemed　to　pierce　the　green　spectacles　which　could　not　modify　the　spitefulness　of　his　glance；　well…informed　as　to　all　the　interests　of　the　neighborhood；　owing　his　aptitude　in　managing　affairs　to　a　certain　facility　of　speech；　passed　for　what　is　called　a　/quizzer/；　saying　things　plainly　and　with　more　cleverness　than　the　aborigines　could　put　into　their　conversations。　Still　a　bachelor；　he　was　awaiting　a　rich　marriage　through　the　offices　of　his　two　protectors；　Grevin　and　the　Comte　de　Gondreville。　Consequently；　barrister　Giguet　was　not　a　little　surprised　on　seeing　Achille　appear　at　the　meeting　in　company　with　Monsieur　Phileas　Beauvisage。
  The　notary；　whose　face　was　so　seamed　by　the　smallpox　that　it　seemed　to　be　covered　with　a　white　net；　formed　a　perfect　contrast　to　the　rotund　person　of　the　mayor；　whose　face　resembled　a　full　moon；　but　a　warm　and　lively　moon；　its　tones　of　lily　and　of　rose　being　still　further　brightened　by　a　gracious　smile；　the　result　not　so　much　of　a　disposition　of　the　soul　as　of　that　formation　of　the　lips　for　which　the　word　〃simpering〃　seems　to　have　been　created。　Phileas　Beauvisage　was　endowed　with　so　great　a　contentment　with　himself　that　he　smiled　on　all　the　world　and　under　all　circumstances。　Those　simpering　lips　smiled　at　a　funeral。　The　liveliness　that　abounded　in　his　infantine　blue　eyes　did　not　contradict　that　perpetual　and　well…nigh　intolerable　smile。
  This　internal　satisfaction　passed　all　the　more　readily　for　benevolence　and　affability；　because　Phileas　had　made　himself　a　language　of　his　own；　remarkable　for　its　immoderate　use　of　the　formulas　of　politeness。　He　always　〃had　the　honor〃；　to　all　his　inquiries　as　to　the　health　of　absent　persons　he　added　the　adjectives　〃dear；〃　〃good；〃　〃excellent。〃　He　lavished　condoling　or　congratulatory　phrases　apropos　of　all　the　petty　miseries　and　all　the　little　felicities　of　life。　He　concealed　under　a　deluge　of　commonplaces　his　native　incapacity；　his　total　want　of　education；　and　a　weakness　of　character　which　can　only　be　expressed　by　the　old　word　〃weathercock。〃　Be　not　uneasy：　the　weathercock　had　for　its　axis　the　beautiful　Madame　Beauvisage；　Severine　Grevin；　the　most　remarkable　woman　in　the　arrondissement。
  When　Severine　heard　of　what　she　called　her　husband's　〃freak〃　as　to　the　election；　she　said　to　him　on　the　morning　of　the　meeting　at　Madame　Marion's：
  〃It　was　well　enough　to　give　yourself　an　air　of　independence；　but　you　mustn't　go　to　that　Giguet　meeting　unless　Achille　Pigoult　accompanies　you；　I've　told　him　to　come　and　take　you。〃
  Giving　Achille　Pigoult　as　mentor　to　Beauvisage　meant　sending　a　spy　from　the　Gondreville　party　to　the　Giguet　assemblage。　We　may　therefore　imagine　the　grimace　which　contracted　the　puritan　visage　of　Simon；　who　was　forced　to　welcome　graciously　an　/habitue/　of　his　aunt's　salon　and　an　influential　elector；　in　whom；　nevertheless；　he　saw　an　enemy。
  〃Ah！〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃what　a　mistake　I　made　in　refusing　him　that　security　when　he　asked　for　it！　Old　Gondreville　had　more　sense　than　IGood…day　to　you；　Achille；〃　he　said；　assuming　a　jaunty　manner；　〃I　suppose　you　mean　to　trip　me　up。〃
  〃Your　meeting　isn't　a　conspiracy　against　the　independence　of　our　votes；〃　replied　the　notary；　smiling。　〃We　are　all　playing　above…board；　I　take　it。〃
  〃Above…board；〃　echoed　Beauvisage。
  And　the　mayor　began　to　laugh　with　that　expressionless　laugh　by　which　some　persons　end　all　their　sentences；　which　may；　perhaps；　be　called　the　/ritornello/　of　their　conversation。　After　which　he　placed　himself　in　what　we　must　describe　as　his　third　position；　standing　full…front；　his　chest　expanded；　and　his　hands　behind　his　back。　He　was　dressed　in　black　coat　and　trousers；　with　an　effulgent　white　waistcoat；　opened　in　such　a　way　as　to　show　two　diamond　shirt…buttons　worth　several　thousand　francs。
  〃We　shall　fight；　but　we　shall　not　be　the　less　good　friends；〃　he　said。　〃That　is　the　essence　of　constitutional　morals；　he！　he！　he！　That　is　how　/I/　understand　the　alliance　of　monarchy　with　liberty；　ha！　ha！　ha！〃
  Whereupon　the　mayor　took　Simon's　hand；　saying：
  〃How　are　you；　my　good　friend？　Your　dear　aunt　and　our　worthy　colonel　are　no　doubt　as　well　to…day　as　they　were　yesterday；that　is；　I　presume　so；he！　he！　he！〃　adding；　with　an　air　of　perfect　beatitude；　〃perhaps　a　little　agitated　by　the　ceremony　now　about　to　take　place。　Ha！　ha！　young　man；　so　we　intend　to　enter　a　political　career？　Ha！　ha！　ha！　This　is　our　first　stepmustn't　step　backit　is　a　great　career。　I'd　rather　it　were　you　than　I　to　rush　into　the　storms　and　tempests　of　the　legislative　body；　hi！　hi！however　agreeable　it　may　be　to　see　that　body　in　our　own　person；　hi！　hi！　hi！the　sovereign　power　of　France　in　one　four　hundred　and　fifty…third！　Hi！　hi！　hi！〃
  The　vocal　organ　of　Phileas　Beauvisage　had　an　agreeable　sonority　altogether　in　harmony　with　the　leguminous　curves　of　his　face　（of　the　color　of　a　light　yellow　pumpkin）；　his　solid　back；　and　his　broadly　expanded　chest。　That　voice；　bass　in　volume；　could　soften　to　a　baritone　and　utter；　in　the　giggle　with　which　Phileas　ended　his　phrases；　a　silvery　note。　When　God　desired；　in　order　to　place　all　species　of　mankind　in　this　his　terrestrial　paradise；　to　create　within　it　a　provincial　bourgeois；　his　hands　never　made　a　more　perfect　and　complete　type　than　Phileas　Beauvisage。
  〃I　admire；〃　said　that　great　work；　〃the　devotion　of　those　who　fling　themselves　into　the　tumult　of　political　life；　he！　he！　he！　It　takes　more　nerve　than　I　possess。　Who　could　have　told　us　in　1812　or　1813　that　we　should　come　to　this？　As　for　me；　nothing　can　surprise　me　in　these　days；　when　asphalt；　India…rubber；　railroads；　and　steam　have　changed　the　ground　we　tread　on；　and　overcoats；　and　distances；　he；　he！〃
  These　last　words　were　seasoned　with　a　prolonged　laugh；　and　accompanied　by　a　gesture　which　he　had　made　more　especially　his　own：　he　closed　his　right　fist；　struck　it　into　the　rounded　palm　of　his　left　hand；　and　rubbed　it　there　with　joyous　satisfaction。　This　performance　coincided　with　his　laughs　on　the　frequent　occasions　when　he　thought　he　had　said　a　witty　thing。　Perhaps　it　is　superfluous　to　add　that　Phileas　Beauvisage　was　regarded　in　Arcis　as　an　amiable　and　charming　man。
  〃I　shall　endeavor；〃　replied　Simon　Giguet；　〃to　worthily　represent〃
  〃The　sheep　of　Champagne；〃　interpolated　Achille　Pigoult；　interrupting　him。
  The　candidate　swallowed　that　shaft　without　reply；　for　he　was　forced　at　that　moment　to　go　forward　and　receive　two　more　influential　electors。
  One　was　the　landlord　of　the　Mulet；　the　best　inn　in　Arcis；　standing　on　the　Grande…Place　at　the　corner　of　the　rue　de　Brienne。　This　worthy　landlord；　named　Poupart；　had　married　the　sister　of　a　man…servant　attached　to　the　Comtesse　de　Cinq…Cygne；　the　well…known　Gothard；　one　of　the　actors　and　witnesses　in　the　Simeuse　affair。
  Poupart；　though　a　most　devoted　adherent　of　the　Cinq…Cygne　family；　had　been　sounded　during　the　last　day　or　two；　by　Colonel　Giguet's　valet；　with　so　much　cleverness　and　perseverance　that　he　thought　he　was　doing　an　ill…turn　to　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　the　enemy　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes；　by　giving　his　influence　to　the　election　of　Simon　Giguet；　and　he　was　now　conversing　on　that　point　with　the　man　who　accompanied　him；　an　apothecary　named　Fromaget；　who；　as　he　did　not　furnish　his　wares　to　the　chateau　de　Gondreville；　desired　nothing　better　than　to　cabal　against　the　Kellers。
  These　two　individuals　of　the　lesser　bourgeoisie　could；　in　consequence　of　their　connections；　determine　a　certain　number　of　floating　votes；　for　they　influenced　and　advised　a　number　of　persons　to　whom　the　political　opinions　of　the　candidate　were　a　matter　of　indifference。　Consequently；　Simon　took　possession　of　Poupart；　and　delivered　the　apothecary　Fromaget　to　his　father；　who　had　just　come　in　to　make　his　bow　to　the　electors。
  The　sub…engineer　of　the　arrondissement；　the　secretary　of　the　mayor's　office；　four　sheriffs；　three　solicitors；　the　clerk　of　the　court；　and　the　clerk　of　the　justice　of　the　peace；　the　registry…clerk；　and　the　tax…collector；　all　officials　under　government；　two　doctors；　rivals　of　Varlet；　Grevin's　brother…in…l