the　matter　concerned　anything　that　comes　within　his　department；　I　should　not　hesitate　to　give　you　a　letter　to　him；　but　the　affair　you　speak　of　is　delicate；　and　in　any　case　I　must　first　sound　him　and　see　if　he　is　willing　to　talk　with　you。〃
  〃I　thought　you　managed　him　despotically。　Let　us　say　no　more　about　it；　if　you　think　it　so　very　difficult。〃
  〃The　greatest　difficulty　is　that　I　never　see　him；　and　I　naturally　cannot　write　to　him　for　such　an　object。　I　should　have　to　watch　for　an　occasion；　a　chance　meeting。　But　why　don't　you　speak　of　this　to　Rastignac？　He　could　give　him　an　order　to　act　at　once。〃
  〃Don't　you　understand　that　Rastignac　will　receive　me　very　ill　indeed？　I　had　assured　him；　by　letter；　of　success；　and　now　I　am　forced　to　report　in　person　our　defeat。　Besides；　on　every　account；　I　would　rather　owe　this　service　to　your　friendship。〃
  〃Well；　it　sha'n't　fail　you；〃　said　the　colonel；　rising。　〃I'll　do　my　best　to　satisfy　you；　only；　there　must　be　a　delay。〃
  The　visit　had　lasted　long；　and　Maxime　felt　that　a　hint　was　given　him　to　abridge　it。　He　therefore　took　leave；　putting　into　his　manner　a　certain　coldness　which　the　colonel　appeared　not　to　notice。
  No　sooner　had　Monsieur　de　Trailles　departed　than　Franchessini　opened　a　pack　of　cards　and　took　out　the　knave　of　spades。　This　he　cut　up　in　a　curious　manner；　leaving　the　figure　untouched。　Placing　this　species　of　hieroglyphic　between　two　sheets　of　paper；　he　consigned　it　to　an　envelope。　On　this　envelope　and　disguising　his　hand　the　colonel　wrote　as　follows：
  Monsieur　de　Saint…Esteve；　rue　Saint…Anne；　near　the　Quai　des　　　Orfevres。
  That　done；　he　rang　the　bell　and　gave　orders　to　put　up　his　carriage；　which　he　had　ordered　before　Maxime's　arrival；　after　which　he　went　out　alone　on　foot；　and　threw　his　singular　missive　into　the　first　street　letter…box　that　he　passed。　He　had　taken　care；　before　he　left　the　house；　to　see　if　it　were　properly　sealed。
  II
  A　CONVERSATION　BETWEEN　ELEVEN　O'CLOCK　AND　MIDNIGHT
  As　a　result　of　the　elections　which　had　just　taken　place；　the　ministry；　contrary　to　expectation；　maintained　a　majority　in　the　Chamber；a　doubtful　and　provisional　majority　which　would　give　it　an　uncertain　and　struggling　existence。　But；　at　any　rate；　it　had　obtained　that　merely　numerical　success　which　parties　seek　at　any　price　to　prolong　their　power。　The　Te　Deum　was　sung　in　all　its　camps；a　paean　which　serves　as　well　to　celebrate　victorious　defeats　as　honest　victories。
  On　the　evening　of　the　day　when　Colonel　Franchessini　received　the　visit　from　Maxime　de　Trailles；　the　general　result　of　the　elections　was　made　known。　The　ministers　of　the　left　bank；　whose　wives　received　on　that　day；　found　their　salons　crowded；　particularly　the　Comte　de　Rastignac；　the　minister　of　Public　Works。
  Madame　de　l'Estorade；　too　much　absorbed　in　her　children　to　be　very　exact　in　the　fulfilment　of　her　social　duties；　had　owed　a　visit　to　Madame　de　Rastignac　ever　since　the　evening　when　the　minister's　wife　had　interrupted　her　conversation　with　the　sculptor　apropos　of　the　famous　statue。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　zealous　conservative　as　we　know　already；　had　insisted　that　politics　and　politeness　now　combined　to　oblige　them　both　to　pay　this　social　debt。　Arriving　early；　in　order　to　be　rid　the　sooner　of　such　a　bore；　Madame　de　l'Estorade　found　herself　seated　at　the　upper　end　of　a　circle　of　women；　while　the　men　stood　about　them　conversing。　Her　chair　was　side　by　side　with　that　of　Madame　de　Rastignac。
  In　hoping　to　make　her　visit　short；　Madame　de　l'Estorade　had　not　counted　on　the　allurements　of　conversation　which；　under　the　circumstances　of　this　so…called　political　victory；　laid　hold　of　her　husband。　A　man　of　more　influence　by　his　judgment　than　by　his　oratory　in　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　as　he　circulated　through　the　salons；　was　stopped　at　every　turn　by　the　various　notabilities　of　politics；　finance；　and　diplomacy；　and　requested　to　give　his　opinion　on　the　future　of　the　session　now　about　to　begin。　To　all　such　questions　he　replied　with　more　or　less　extended　observations；　and　sometimes　he　had　the　pleasure　of　finding　himself　the　centre　of　a　group　respectfully　receptive　of　his　opinions。　This　success　rendered　him　very　inattentive　to　the　telegraphy　of　his　wife；　who；　watching　his　various　evolutions；　made　him　signs　whenever　she　could　catch　his　eye　that　she　wished　to　go　away。
  The　years　that　had　elapsed　since　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　had　obtained　the　hand　of　the　beautiful　Renee　de　Maucombe；　while　they　had　scarcely　dimmed　the　splendor　of　her　beauty；　had　considerably　aged　her　husband。　The　twenty　years'　difference　in　their　ageshe　being　now　fifty…two；　she　thirty…twowas　growing　all　the　more　apparent　because　even　at　the　time　of　the　marriage　he　was　turning　gray　and　his　health　was　failing。　An　affection　of　the　liver；　latent　for　several　years；　was　now　developing；　and　at　the　same　time　the　wilful　disposition　which　is　noticeable　in　statesmen　and　men　of　ambition　made　his　mouth　less　sensitive　to　the　conjugal　bit。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　talked　so　long　and　so　well　that　after　a　time　the　salons　thinned；　leaving　a　group　of　the　intimates　of　the　house　around　his　wife　and　their　hostess。　At　this　moment　the　minister　himself　slipped　an　arm　through　his；　and；　leading　him　up　to　the　group　surrounding　their　two　wives；　Rastignac　said　to　Madame　de　l'Estorade；
  〃I　bring　you　back　your　husband；　I　have　just　found　him　in　criminal　conversation　with　a　member　of　the　Zollverin；　who　would　probably　have　clung　to　him　all　night　if　it　had　not　been　for　me。〃
  〃I　was　myself　on　the　point　of　asking　Madame　de　Rastignac　for　a　bed；　that　I　might　release　her　from　the　burden　of　my　company；　which　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade's　interminable　conversations　have　put　upon　her。〃
  Madame　de　Rastignac　protested　that；　on　the　contrary；　she　desired　to　enjoy　as　long　as　possible　Madame　de　l'Estorade's　company；　only　regretting　that　she　had　been　so　often　obliged　to　interrupt　their　conversation　to　receive　those　strange　objects；　the　newly　fledged　deputies；　who　had　come　in　relays　to　make　their　bow　to　her。
  〃Oh！　my　dear；〃　cried　Rastignac；　〃here's　the　session　about　to　open；　and　we　really　must　not　take　these　disdainful　airs　toward　the　elect　of　the　nation。　Besides　which；　you　will　get　into　difficulties　with　madame；　who；　I　am　told；　is　the　protectress　of　one　of　these　sovereigns　of　late　date。〃
  〃I？〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　rather　surprised；　and　blushing　a　little。　She　had　one　of　those　complexions；　still　fresh　and　dazzling；　which　are　predisposed　to　these　flushes　of　color。
  〃Ah！　true；〃　said　Madame　de　Rastignac；　〃I　had　forgotten　that　artist　who　cut　out　the　pretty　figures　for　your　children　the　last　time　I　had　the　pleasure　of　paying　you　a　visit。　I　own　I　was　far　from　thinking　then　that　he　would　be　one　of　our　masters。〃
  〃And　yet；　ever　since　then；〃　replied　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　〃his　election　has　been　talked　about；　though　it　must　be　owned　that　until　now　no　one　thought　seriously　of　it。〃
  〃I　did；〃　said　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　rather　eagerly；　seizing　the　occasion　to　put　another　star　to　his　reputation　for　prophecy；　〃from　the　first　political　conversation　that　I　had　with　him　I　saidand　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles　is　here　to　bear　me　outthat　I　was　surprised　at　the　ability　and　the　breadth　of　aim　he　manifested。〃
  〃Certainly；〃　said　the　personage　thus　interpellated；　〃he　is　not　an　ordinary　fellow；　but　I　do　not　believe　in　his　future。　He　is　a　man　who　goes　by　the　first　impulsion；　and；　as　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand　has　wisely　remarked；　the　first　impulse　is　the　good　impulse。〃
  〃Well；　monsieur？〃　inquired　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　ingenuously。
  〃Well；　madame；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　who　was　vain　of　his　scepticism；　〃heroism　is　not　of　our　day；　it　is　heavy　baggage；　horribly　embarrassing；　which　gets　us　into　mud…holes　continually。〃
  〃Nevertheless；　I　believe　that　great　qualities　of　heart　and　mind　have　some　share　in　the　composition　of　a　distinguished　man。〃
  〃Qualities　of　mind？　Yes；　you　are　right　there；　provided　always　they　work　in　a　certain　direction。　But　as　for　qualities　of　the　heart　in　political　life；　what　good　are　they？to　hoist　you　on　stilts　with　which　you　can't　walk　as　well　as　you　can　on　the　ground；　and　from　which　you　are　liable　to　fall　and　break　your　neck　at　the　first　push。〃
  〃At　that　rate；〃　said　Madame　de　Rastignac；　laughing；　while　Madame　de　l'Estorade　was　silent；　disdaining　to　reply；　〃the　political　world　must　be　peopled　by　none　but　scoundrels。〃
  〃That　is　so；　madame；ask　Lazarille〃；　and　as　he　made　this　allusion　to　a　famous　stage　joke；　he　laid　his　hand　on　the　minister's　shoulder。
  〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃I　think　your　generalities　are　a　little　too　particular。〃
  〃No；　no；　but　come；〃　returned　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　〃let　us　talk　seriously。　To　my　knowledge；　this　Monsieur　de　Sallenauvethat　is　the　name　I　think　he　has　taken　in　exchange　for　Dorlange；　which　he　himself　called　theatricalhas　done；　within　a　short　time；　two　fine　actions。　I；　being　present　and　assisting；　saw　him　stand　up　to　be　killed　by　the　Duc　de　Rhetore；　on　account　of　certain　ill…sounding　words　said　about　a　friend。　Those　words；　in　the　first　place；　he　could　not　help　hearing；　and　having　heard　them　it　was；　I　will　not　say　his　duty；　but　his　/right/　to　resent　them。〃
  〃Ah！〃　said　Madame　de　Rastignac；　〃then　it　was　he　who　fought　that　duel　people　said　so　much　a