me　and　see　me　just　before　the　elections。　Between　now　and　then　I　shall　know　in　what　locality　the　chances　of　the　ministry　are　worst；　and　what　resources　two　heads　like　yours　and　mine　can　find　there。〃
  〃But　my　twenty…five　thousand　francs　are　needed；〃　replied　de　Trailles。
  〃Well；　you　must　hide　yourself；　that's　all。〃
  Fifty　days　later；　one　morning　before　dawn；　the　Comte　de　Trailles　went　to　the　rue　de　Varennes；　mysteriously　in　a　hired　cab。　At　the　gate　of　the　ministry　of　Public　Works；　he　sent　the　cab　away；　looked　about　him　to　see　that　he　was　not　watched；　and　then　waited　in　a　little　salon　on　the　first　floor　until　Rastignac　should　awake。　A　few　moments　later　the　valet　who　had　taken　in　his　card　ushered　Maxime　into　the　minister's　bed…chamber；　where　that　statesman　was　making　his　morning　toilet。
  〃My　dear　Maxime；〃　said　the　latter；　〃I　can　tell　you　a　secret　which　will　be　in　the　newspapers　two　days　hence；　and　which；　meantime；　you　can　turn　to　your　own　profit。　That　poor　Charles　Keller；　who　danced　the　mazurka　so　well；　as　been　killed　in　Africa。　His　death　leaves　a　vacancy；　he　was　our　candidate　in　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis。　Here　is　a　copy　of　two　reports；　one　from　the　sub…prefect；　the　other　from　the　commissary　of　police；　informing　the　ministry　that　the　election　of　the　poor　fellow　would　meet　with　opposition。　In　that　of　the　commissary　of　police　you　will　find　some　information　about　the　state　of　the　town　which　ought　to　be　useful　to　a　man　of　your　shrewdness；　it　seems　that　the　ambition　of　the　rival　candidate　comes　chiefly　from　his　desire　to　marry　a　certain　heiress。　To　one　of　your　calibre　that　word　is　enough。　The　Cinq…Cygnes；　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan；　and　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse　are　living　at　Cinq…Cygne；　close　to　Arcis；　you　can　certainly　obtain　through　them　all　the　Legitimist　votes；　therefore〃
  〃Don't　waste　your　breath；〃　said　Maxime。　〃Is　the　commissary　still　there？〃
  〃Yes。〃
  〃Give　me　a　letter　to　him。〃
  〃My　dear　fellow；〃　replied　Rastignac；　giving　Maxime　quite　a　bundle　of　papers；　〃you　will　find　there　two　letters　written　to　Gondreville　for　you。　You　have　been　a　page　and　he　has　been　a　senator；　you　can't　fail　therefore　to　understand　each　other。　Madame　Francois　Keller　is　pious；　here　is　a　letter　introducing　you　to　her　from　the　Marechale　de　Carigliano。　The　marechale　has　become　dynastic；　she　recommends　you　warmly；　and　may　go　down　herself。　I　will　only　add　one　word：　Distrust　the　sub…prefect；　whom　I　think　capable　of　working　this　candidate；　this　Simon　Giguet；　into　a　support　for　himself　with　the　president　of　the　council。　If　you　want　letters；　powers；　credentials；　write　to　me。〃
  〃And　those　twenty…five　thousand　francs？〃　said　Maxime。
  〃Sign　this　note　to　the　order　of　du　Tillet；　and　here's　the　money。〃
  〃I　shall　succeed；〃　said　the　count；　〃and　you　may　tell　the　king　that　the　deputy　of　Arcis　shall　belong　to　him　body　and　soul。　If　I　fail；　I　give　you　leave　to　abandon　me。〃
  An　hour　later　Maxime　de　Trailles　was　in　his　tilbury　on　the　road　to　Arcis。
  XIII
  PREFACE　BEFORE　LETTERING
  Once　in　possession　of　the　information　furnished　by　the　landlady　of　the　Mulet　and　by　the　sub…prefect　Antonin　Goulard；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　had　soon　arranged　his　plan　of　electoral　operations；　and　this　plan　evinces　itself　so　readily　that　the　reader　must　already　have　perceived　it。
  To　the　candidacy　of　Simon　Giguet；　the　wily　agent　of　the　government　policy　suddenly　and　abruptly　opposed　that　of　Phileas　Beauvisage；　and　in　spite　of　the　nullity　and　unfitness　of　that　individual　this　new　combination；　we　must　admit；　had　several　incontestable　chances　of　success。　In　the　light　of　his　municipal　halo　Beauvisage　had　one　enormous　advantage　with　the　mass　of　indifferent　voters；　as　mayor　of　the　town　his　name　was　known　to　them。　Logic　has　much　more　to　do　with　the　conducting　of　matters　and　things　here　below　than　it　seems　to　have；　it　is　like　a　woman　to　whom；　after　many　infidelities；　we　still　return。　What　common…sense　prescribes　is　that　voters　called　upon　to　choose　their　representative　in　public　matters　should　be　thoroughly　informed　as　to　his　capacity；　his　honesty；　and　his　general　character。　Too　often；　in　practice；　unfortunate　twists　are　given　to　this　principle；　but　whenever　the　electoral　sheep；　left　to　their　own　instincts；　can　persuade　themselves　that　they　are　voting　from　their　own　intelligence　and　their　own　lights；　we　may　be　certain　to　see　them　following　that　line　eagerly　and　with　a　sentiment　of　self…love。　Now　to　know　a　man's　name；　electorally　speaking；　is　a　good　beginning　toward　a　knowledge　of　the　man　himself。
  Passing　from　indifferent　to　interested　electors；　we　may　be　sure　that　Phileas　was　certain　of　rallying　to　himself　the　Gondreville　party；　now　deprived　by　death　of　their　own　candidate。　The　question　for　them　was　to　punish　the　presumption　of　Simon　Giguet；　and　any　candidate　would　be　acceptable　to　the　viceroy　of　Arcis。　The　mere　nomination　of　a　man　against　his　grandson　was　a　flagrant　act　of　hostility　and　ingratitude；　and　a　check　to　the　count's　provincial　importance　which　must　be　removed　and　punished　at　any　cost。
  Still；　when　the　first　news　of　his　electoral　ambition　reached　his　father…in…law；　Beauvisage　was　met　by　an　astonishment　little　flattering　to　his　feelings　and　not　encouraging。　The　old　notary　had　gauged　his　son…in…law　once　for　all；　and　to　his　just　and　upright　mind　the　idea　of　Phileas　as　a　public　man　produced　in　its　way　the　disagreeable　effect　that　discordant　instruments　produce　upon　the　ear。　If　it　be　true　that　no　man　is　a　prophet　in　his　own　country；　he　is　often　even　less　so　in　his　own　family。　Still；　the　first　impression　once　passed；　Grevin　would　doubtless　acclimatize　himself　to　the　idea　of　an　expedient　which　would　chime　in　with　the　plans　he　had　already　made　for　Severine's　future。　Besides；　for　the　safety　of　Gondreville's　interests；　so　seriously　threatened；　what　sacrifice　of　his　own　opinion　would　the　old　notary　not　have　made？
  With　the　legitimist　and　the　republican　parties　who　could　have　no　weight　in　the　election；　except　that　of　increasing　a　majority；　the　candidacy　of　Beauvisage　had　a　singular　recommendation；namely；　his　utter　incapacity。　Conscious　of　not　possessing　sufficient　strength　to　elect　a　deputy　of　their　own；　the　two　extremes　of　the　antidynastic　opposition　seized；　almost　with　ardor；　the　opportunity　to　stick　a　thorn　in　the　side　in　what　they　called　〃the　present　order　of　things；〃　and　it　might　confidently　be　expected　that　in　this　frame　of　mind　they　would　joyfully　and　with　all　their　hearts　support　a　candidate　so　supremely　ridiculous　that　a　large　slice　of　the　ridicule　must　fall　upon　the　government　which　supported　him。
  Moreover；　in　the　opinions　of　the　Left…Centre　which　had　provisionally　adopted　Simon　Giguet　as　its　candidate；　this　move　of　Beauvisage　was　likely　to　produce　a　serious　split；　for　he　too　had　declared　himself　a　man　of　the　dynastic　opposition；　and；　until　further　orders；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　（though　all　the　while　assuring　him　of　the　support　of　the　ministry）　encouraged　his　retaining　that　political　tint；　which　was　clearly　the　most　popular　in　that　region。　But　whatever　baggage　of　political　convictions　the　incorruptible　deputy　of　Arcis　might　bring　with　him　to　Paris；　his　horoscope　was　drawn：　it　was　very　certain　that　after　his　first　appearance　in　the　salons　of　the　Tuileries　an　august　seduction　would　make　a　henchman　of　him；　if　ministerial　blandishments　had　not　already　produced　that　result。
  The　public　side　of　this　matter　being　thus　well…planned　and　provided　for；　the　ministerial　agent　could　turn　his　attention　to　the　personal　aspect　of　the　question；　namely；　that　of　turning　the　stuff　he　was　making　into　a　deputy　to　the　still　further　use　of　being　made　into　a　father…in…law。
  First　point；　the　/dot/；　second　point；　the　daughter；　and　both　appeared　to　suit　him。　The　first　did　not　dazzle　him；　but　as　to　the　second；　he　did　not　conceal　from　himself　the　imperfections　of　a　provincial　education　which　he　should　have　to　unmake；　but　this　was　no　serious　objection　to　his　sapient　conjugal　pedagogy。
  Madame　Beauvisage；　when　the　matter　was　laid　before　her；　swept　her　husband　into　it　at　a　single　bound。　Maxime　recognized　her　for　an　ambitious　woman　who；　in　spite　of　her　forty…four　years；　still　had　the　air　of　being　conscious　of　a　heart。　Hence　he　saw　that　the　game　had　better　begin　with　a　false　attack　on　her　to　fall　back　later　on　the　daughter。　How　far　these　advanced　works　could　be　pushed；　circumstances　would　show。　In　either　case；　Maxime　was　well　aware　that　his　title；　his　reputation　as　a　man　of　the　world；　and　his　masterly　power　of　initiating　them　into　the　difficult　and　elegant　mysteries　of　Parisian　society　were　powerful　reasons　to　bind　the　two　women　to　him；　not　to　speak　of　their　gratitude　for　the　political　success　of　Monsieur　Beauvisage　of　which　he　was　the　author。
  But　however　all　this　might　be；　his　matrimonial　campaign　offered　one　very　serious　difficulty。　The　consent　of　old　Grevin　would　have　to　be　obtained；　and　he　was　not　a　man　to　allow　Cecile　to　be　married　without　investigating　to　its　depths　the　whole　past　of　a　suitor。　This　inquiry　made；　was　it　not　to　be　feared　that　the　thirty　years'　stormy　biography　of　a　roue　would　seem　to　the　cautious　old　man　a　poor　security　for　the　future？
  However；　the　species　of　governmental　mission　with　which　Monsieur　de　Trailles　appeared　in　Arcis　might　seem　to　be　an　offset　and　even　a　condonation　that