he　doctrine　of　parliamentary　supremacy。　This　question　will　naturally　come　up　when　the　vote　is　taken　on　the　secret…service　fund。　Whenever；　in　one　way　or　the　other；　that　is　settled；　and　the　budget　is　voted；　together　with　a　few　bills　of　secondary　interest；　Parliament　has　really　completed　its　task；　it　will　have　put　an　end　to　a　distressing　struggle；　and　the　country　will　know　to　which　of　the　two　parties　it　can　look　for　the　development　of　its　prosperity。〃
  〃And　you　think；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃that　in　a　well…balanced　system　of　government　that　question　is　a　useful　one　to　raise？〃
  〃Well；〃　replied　Rastignac；　〃we　have　not　raised　it。　It　is　born　perhaps　of　circumstances；　a　great　deal；　as　I　think；　from　the　restlessness　of　certain　ambitions；　and　also　from　the　tactics　of　parties。〃
  〃So　that；　in　your　opinion；　one　of　the　combatants　is　not　guilty　and　has　absolutely　nothing　to　reproach　himself　with？〃
  〃You　are　a　republican；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃and　therefore；　/a　priori/；　an　enemy　to　the　dynasty。　I　think　I　should　lose　my　time　in　trying　to　change　your　ideas　on　the　policy　you　complain　of。〃
  〃You　are　mistaken；〃　said　the　theoretical　republican　deputy；　〃I　have　no　preconceived　hatred　to　the　reigning　dynasty。　I　even　think　that　in　its　past；　/striped/；　if　I　may　say　so；　with　royal　affinities　and　revolutionary　memories；　it　has　all　that　is　needed　to　respond　to　the　liberal　and　monarchical　instincts　of　the　nation。　But　you　will　find　it　difficult　to　persuade　me　that　in　the　present　head　of　the　dynasty　we　shall　not　find　extreme　ideas　of　personal　influence；　which　in　the　long　run　will　undermine　and　subvert　the　finest　as　well　as　the　strongest　institutions。〃
  〃Yes；〃　said　Rastignac；　ironically；　〃and　they　are　saved　by　the　famous　axiom　of　the　deputy　of　Sancerre：　'The　king　reigns；　but　does　not　govern。'〃
  Whether　he　was　tired　of　standing　to　converse；　or　whether　he　wished　to　prove　his　ease　in　releasing　himself　from　the　trap　which　had　evidently　been　laid　for　him；　Sallenauve；　before　replying；　drew　up　a　chair　for　his　interlocutor；　and；　taking　one　himself；　said；
  〃Will　you　permit　me　to　cite　the　example　of　another　royal　behavior？　that　of　a　prince　who　was　not　considered　indifferent　to　his　royal　prerogative；　and　who　was　not　ignorant　of　constitutional　mechanism〃
  〃Louis　XVIII。；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃or；　as　the　newspapers　used　to　call　him；　'the　illustrious　author　of　the　Charter'？〃
  〃Precisely；　and　will　you　kindly　tell　me　where　he　died？〃
  〃/Parbleu/！　at　the　Tuileries。〃
  〃And　his　successor？〃
  〃In　exileOh！　I　see　what　you　are　coming　to。〃
  〃My　conclusion　is　certainly　not　difficult　to　guess。　But　have　you　fully　remarked　the　deduction　to　be　drawn　from　that　royal　career？for　which　I　myself　feel　the　greatest　respect。　Louis　XVIII。　was　not　a　citizen　king。　He　granted　this　Charter；　but　he　never　consented　to　it。　Born　nearer　to　the　throne　than　the　prince　whose　regrettable　tendencies　I　mentioned　just　now；　he　might　naturally　share　more　deeply　still　the　ideas；　the　prejudices；　and　the　infatuations　of　the　court；　in　person　he　was　ridiculous　（a　serious　princely　defect　in　France）；　he　bore　the　brunt　of　a　new　and　untried　regime；　he　succeeded　a　government　which　had　intoxicated　the　people　with　that　splendid　gilded　smoke　called　glory；　and　if　he　was　not　actually　brought　back　to　France　by　foreigners；　at　any　rate　he　came　as　the　result　of　the　armed　invasion　of　Europe。　Now；　shall　I　tell　you　why；　in　spite　of　all　these　defects　and　disadvantages；　in　spite；　too；　of　the　ceaseless　conspiracy　kept　up　against　his　government；　it　was　given　to　him　to　die　tranquilly　in　his　bed　at　the　Tuileries？〃
  〃Because　he　had　made　himself　a　constitutional　king；〃　said　Rastignac；　with　a　slight　shrug　of　his　shoulders。　〃But　do　you　mean　to　say　that　we　are　not　that？〃
  〃In　the　letter；　yes；　in　the　spirit；　no。　When　Louis　XVIII。　gave　his　confidence　to　a　minister；　he　gave　it　sincerely　and　wholly。　He　did　not　cheat　him；　he　played　honestly　into　his　hand；witness　the　famous　ordinance　of　September　5；　and　the　dissolution　of　the　Chamber；　which　was　more　Royalist　than　himself；a　thing　he　had　the　wisdom　not　to　desire。　Later；　a　movement　of　public　opinion　shook　the　minister　who　had　led　him　along　that　path；　that　minister　was　his　favorite；　his　son；　as　he　called　him。　No　matter；　yielding　to　the　constitutional　necessity；　he　bravely　sent　him　to　foreign　parts；　after　loading　him　with　crosses　and　titles；in　short；　with　everything　that　could　soften　the　pain　of　his　fall；　and　he　did　not　watch　and　manoeuvre　surreptitiously　to　bring　him　back　to　power；　which　that　minister　never　regained。〃
  〃For　a　man　who　declares　he　does　not　hate　us；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃you　treat　us　rather　roughly。　According　to　you　we　are　almost　faithless　to　the　constitutional　compact；　and　our　policy；　to　your　thinking　ambiguous　and　tortuous；　gives　us　a　certain　distant　likeness　to　Monsieur　Doublemain　in　the　'Mariage　de　Figaro。'〃
  〃I　do　not　say　that　the　evil　is　as　deep　as　that；〃　replied　Sallenauve；　〃perhaps；　after　all；　/we/　are　simply　a　/faiseur/；using　the　word；　be　it　understood；　in　the　sense　of　a　meddler；　one　who　wants　to　have　his　finger　in　everything。〃
  〃Ah！　monsieur；　but　suppose　we　are　the　ablest　politician　in　the　country。〃
  〃If　we　are；　it　does　not　follow　that　our　kingdom　ought　not　to　have　the　chance　of　becoming　as　able　as　ourselves。〃
  〃/Parbleu/！〃　cried　Rastignac；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　who　comes　to　the　climax　of　a　conversation；　〃I　wish　I　had　power　to　realize　a　wish〃
  〃And　that　is？〃
  〃To　see　you　grappling　with　that　ability　which　you　call　meddlesome。〃
  〃Well；　you　know；　Monsieur　le　ministre；　that　we　all　spend　three　fourths　of　life　in　wishing　for　the　impossible。〃
  〃Why　impossible？　Would　you　be　the　first　man　of　the　Opposition　to　be　seen　at　the　Tuileries？　An　invitation　to　dinner　given　publicly；　openly；　which　would；　by　bringing　you　into　contact　with　one　whom　you　misjudge　at　a　distance〃
  〃I　should　have　the　honor　to　refuse。〃
  And　he　emphasized　the　words　/have　the　honor/　in　a　way　to　show　the　meaning　he　attached　to　them。
  〃You　are　all　alike；　you　men　of　the　Opposition！〃　cried　the　minister；　〃you　won't　let　yourselves　be　enlightened　when　the　opportunity　presents　itself；　or；　to　put　it　better；　you〃
  〃Do　you　call　the　rays　of　those　gigantic　red　bottles　in　a　chemist's　shop　/light/；　when　they　flash　into　your　eyes　as　you　pass　them　after　dark？　Don't　they；　on　the　contrary；　seem　to　blind　you？〃
  〃It　is　not　our　rays　that　frighten　you；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃it　is　the　dark　lantern　of　your　party　watchmen　on　their　rounds。〃
  〃There　may　be　some　truth　in　what　you　say；　a　party　and　the　man　who　undertakes　to　represent　it　are　in　some　degree　a　married　couple；　who　in　order　to　live　peaceably　together　must　be　mutually　courteous；　frank；　and　faithful　in　heart　as　well　as　in　principle。〃
  〃Well；　try　to　be　moderate。　Your　dream　is　far　more　impossible　to　realize　than　mine；　the　day　will　come　when　you　will　have　more　to　say　about　the　courtesy　of　your　chaste　better　half。〃
  〃If　there　is　an　evil　for　which　I　ought　to　be　prepared；　it　is　that。〃
  〃Do　you　think　so？　With　the　lofty　and　generous　sentiments　so　apparent　in　your　nature；　shall　you　remain　impassive　under　political　attack；　under　calumny；　for　instance？〃
  〃You　yourself；　Monsieur　le　ministre；　have　not　escaped　its　venom；　but　it　did　not；　I　think；　deter　you　from　your　course。〃
  〃But；〃　said　Rastignac；　lowering　his　voice；　〃suppose　I　were　to　tell　you　that　I　have　already　sternly　refused　to　listen　to　a　proposal　to　search　into　your　private　life　on　a　certain　side　which；　being　more　in　the　shade　than　the　rest；　seems　to　offer　your　enemies　a　chance　to　entrap　you。〃
  〃I　do　not　thank　you　for　the　honor　you　have　done　yourself　in　rejecting　with　contempt　the　proposals　of　men　who　can　be　neither　of　my　party　nor　of　yours；　they　belong　to　the　party　of　base　appetites　and　selfish　passions。　But；　supposing　the　impossible；　had　they　found　some　acceptance　from　you；　pray　believe　that　my　course；　which　follows　the　dictates　of　my　conscience；　could　not　be　affected　thereby。〃
  〃But　your　party；consider　for　a　moment　its　elements：　a　jumble　of　foiled　ambitions；　brutal　greed；　plagiarists　of　'93；　despots　disguising　themselves　as　lovers　of　liberty。〃
  〃My　party　has　nothing；　and　seeks　to　gain　something。　Yours　calls　itself　conservative；　and　it　is　right；　its　chief　concern　is　how　to　preserve　its　power；　offices；　and　wealth；in　short；　all　it　now　monopolizes。〃
  〃But；　monsieur；　we　are　not　a　closed　way；　we　open　our　way；　on　the　contrary；　to　all　ambitions。　But　the　higher　you　are　in　character　and　intellect；　the　less　we　can　allow　you　to　pass；　dragging　after　you　your　train　of　democrats；　for　the　day　when　that　crew　gains　the　upper　hand　it　will　not　be　a　change　of　policy；　but　a　revolution。〃
  〃But　what　makes　you　think　I　want　an　opening　of　any　kind？〃
  〃What！　follow　a　course　without　an　aim？a　course　that　leads　nowhere？　A　certain　development　of　a　man's　faculties　not　only　gives　him　the　right　but　makes　it　his　duty　to　seek　to　govern。〃
  〃To　watch　the　governing　power　is　a　useful　career；　and；　I　may　add；　a　very　busy　one。〃
  〃You　can　fancy；　monsieur；〃　said　Rastignac；　good…humoredly；　〃that　if　Beauvisage　were　in　your　place　I　should　not　have　taken　the　trouble　to　argue　with　him；　I　may　say；　however；　that　he　would　have　made　my　effort　less　difficult。〃
  〃This　meeting；　which　/chance/　has　brought　about　between　us；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃will　have　one　ben