ted　of　stealing　a　name　which　does　not　belong　to　him！　What　will　result？　why；　the　opportunity　for　a　fierce　challenge　in　the　Chamber。〃
  〃Which　you　will　take　upon　yourself　to　make？〃　asked　Rastignac。
  〃Ah！　I　don't　know　about　that。　The　matter　would　have　to　be　rather　more　studied；　and　the　turn　the　case　might　take　more　certain；　if　I　had　anything　to　do　with　it。〃
  〃So；　for　the　present；〃　remarked　the　minister；　〃the　whole　thing　amounts　to　an　application　of　Basile's　famous　theory　about　calumny：　'good　to　set　a…going；　because　some　of　it　will　always　stick。'〃
  〃Calumny！〃　exclaimed　Vinet；　〃that　remains　to　be　seen。　Perhaps　a　good　round　of　gossip　is　all　that　can　be　made　of　it。　Monsieur　de　Trailles；　here；　knows　better　than　I　do　the　state　of　things　down　there。　He　can　tell　you　that　the　disappearance　of　the　father　immediately　after　the　recognition　had　a　bad　effect　upon　people's　minds；　and　every　one　in　Arcis　has　a　vague　impression　of　secret　plotting　in　this　affair　of　the　election。　You　don't　know；　my　dear　minister；　all　that　can　be　made　in　the　provinces　of　a　judicial　affair　when　adroitly　manipulated；cooked；　as　I　may　say。　In　my　long　and　laborious　career　at　the　bar　I　saw　plenty　of　that　kind　of　miracle。　But　a　parliamentary　debate　is　another　thing。　In　that　there's　no　need　of　proof；　one　can　kill　one's　man　with　probabilities　and　assertions；　if　hotly　maintained。〃
  〃But；　to　come　to　the　point；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃how　do　you　think　the　affair　ought　to　be　managed？〃
  〃In　the　first　place；〃　replied　Vinet；　〃I　should　leave　the　Beauvisage　people　to　pay　all　costs　of　whatever　kind；　inasmuch　as　they　propose　to　do　so。〃
  〃Do　I　oppose　that？〃　said　the　minister。　〃Have　I　the　right　or　the　means　to　do　so？〃
  〃The　affair；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃should　be　placed　in　the　hands　of　some　capable　and　wily　solicitor；　like　Desroches；　for　example；　Monsieur　de　Trailles'　lawyer。　He'll　know　how　to　put　flesh　on　the　bones　of　a　case　you　justly　consider　rather　thin。〃
  〃Well；　it　is　certainly　not　my　place　to　say　to　Monsieur　de　Trailles　or　any　other　man；　'I　forbid　you　to　employ　whom　you　will　as　your　solicitor。'〃
  〃Then　we　need　some　pleader　who　can　talk　in　a　moving　way　about　that　sacred　thing　the　Family；　and　put　himself　into　a　state　of　indignation　about　these　surreptitious　and　furtive　ways　of　entering　its　honored　enclosure。〃
  〃Desroches　can　point　out　some　such　person　to　you。　The　government　cannot　prevent　a　man　from　saying　what　he　pleases。〃
  〃But；〃　interposed　Maxime；　who　was　forced　out　of　his　passive　role　by　the　minister's　coldness；　〃is　/not　preventing/　all　the　help　we　are　to　expect　in　this　affair　from　the　government？〃
  〃You　don't　expect　us；　I　hope；　to　take　this　matter　upon　ourselves？〃
  〃No；　of　course　not；　but　we　have　certainly　supposed　that　you　would　take　some　interest　in　the　matter。〃
  〃But　how？in　what　way？〃
  〃Well；　as　Monsieur　le　procureur　said　just　now；　by　giving　a　hint　to　the　subsidized　newspapers；　by　stirring　up　your　friends　to　spread　the　news；　by　using　a　certain　influence　which　power　always　exerts　on　the　minds　of　magistrates。〃
  〃Thank　you；　no！〃　replied　Rastignac。　〃When　you　want　the　government　for　an　accomplice；　my　dear　Maxime；　you　must　provide　a　better…laid　plot　than　that。　From　your　manner　this　morning　I　supposed　there　was　really　something　in　all　this；　and　so　I　ventured　to　disturb　our　excellent　attorney…general；　who　knows　how　I　value　his　advice。　But　really；　your　scheme　seems　to　me　too　transparent　and　also　too　narrow　not　to　be　doomed　to　inevitable　defeat。　If　I　were　not　married；　and　could　pretend　to　the　hand　of　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage；　perhaps　I　should　feel　differently；　of　course　you　will　do　as　you　think　best。　I　do　not　say　that　the　government　will　not　wish　you　well　in　your　attempt；　but　it　certainly　cannot　descend　to　make　it　with　you。〃
  〃But　see；〃　said　Vinet；　interposing　to　cut　off　Maxime's　reply；　which　would　doubtless　have　been　bitter；　〃suppose　we　send　the　affair　to　the　criminal　courts；　and　the　peasant…woman；　instigated　by　the　Beauvisage　couple；　should　denounce　the　man　who　had　sworn　before　a　notary；　and　offered　himself　for　election　falsely；　as　a　Sallenauve：　the　question　is　one　for　the　court　of　assizes。〃
  〃But　proofs？　I　return　to　that；　you　must　have　proof；〃　said　Rastignac。　〃Have　you　even　a　shadow　of　it？〃
  〃You　said　yourself；　just　now；〃　remarked　Maxime；　〃that　it　was　always　possible　to　bring　a　bad　case。〃
  〃A　civil　case；　yes；　but　to　fail　in　a　criminal　case　is　a　far　more　serious　matter。　It　would　be　a　pretty　thing　if　you　were　shown　not　to　have　a　leg　to　stand　on；　and　the　case　ended　in　a　decision　of　/non…　lieu/。　You　couldn't　find　a　better　way　to　put　our　enemy　on　a　pedestal　as　high　as　the　column　of　July。〃
  〃So；〃　said　Maxime；　〃you　see　absolutely　nothing　that　can　be　done？〃
  〃For　us；　no。　For　you；　my　dear　Maxime；　who　have　no　official　character；　and　who；　if　need　be；　can　support　the　attack　on　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　pistol　in　hand；　as　it　were；　nothing　hinders　you　from　proceeding　in　the　matter。〃
  〃Oh；　yes！〃　said　Maxime；　bitterly；　〃I'm　a　sort　of　free　lance。〃
  〃Not　at　all；　you　are　a　man　intuitively　convinced　of　facts　impossible　to　prove　legally；　and　you　do　not　give　way　before　the　judgment　of　God　or　man。〃
  Monsieur　de　Trailles　rose　angrily。　Vinet　rose　also；　and；　shaking　hands　with　Rastignac　as　he　took　leave　of　him；　he　said；
  〃I　don't　deny　that　your　course　is　a　prudent　one；　and　I　don't　say　that　in　your　place　I　should　not　do　the　same　thing。〃
  〃Adieu；　Maxime；　without　bitterness；　I　hope；〃　said　Rastignac　to　Monsieur　de　Trailles；　who　bowed　coldly　and　with　dignity。
  When　the　two　conspirators　were　alone　in　the　antechamber；　Maxime　turned　to　his　companion。
  〃Do　you　understand　such　squeamishness？〃　he　asked。
  〃Perfectly；〃　replied　Vinet；　〃and　I　wonder　to　see　a　clever　man　like　you　so　duped。〃
  〃Yes；　duped　to　make　you　lose　your　time　and　I　mine　by　coming　here　to　listen　to　a　lecture　on　virtue！〃
  〃That's　not　it；　but　I　do　think　you　guileless　to　be　taken　in　by　that　refusal　to　co…operate。〃
  〃What！　do　you　think〃
  〃I　think　that　this　affair　is　risky；　if　it　succeeds；　the　government；　arms　folded；　will　reap　the　benefit。　But　if　on　the　contrary　we　fail；　it　will　not　take　a　share　in　the　defeat。　But　you　may　be　sure　of　this；　for　I　know　Rastignac　well：　without　seeming　to　know　anything；　and　without　compromising　himself　in　any　way；　he　will　help　us；　and　perhaps　more　usefully　than　by　open　connivance。　Think！　did　he　say　a　single　word　on　the　morality　of　the　affair？　Didn't　he　say；　again　and　again；　'I　don't　opposeI　have　no　right　to　prevent'？　And　as　to　the　venom　of　the　case；　the　only　fault　he　found　was　that　it　wasn't　sure　to　kill。　But　in　truth；　my　dear　monsieur；　this　is　going　to　be　a　hard　pull；　and　we　shall　want　all　the　cleverness　of　that　fellow　Desroches　to　get　us　through。〃
  〃Then　you　think　I　had　better　see　him？〃
  〃Better　see　him！　why；　my　good　friend；　you　ought　to　go　to　him　at　once。〃
  〃Wouldn't　it　be　better　if　he　talked　with　you？〃
  〃Oh！　no；　no！〃　exclaimed　Vinet。　〃I　may　be　the　man　to　put　the　question　in　the　Chamber；　and　if　Desroches　were　seen　with　me；　I　should　lose　my　virginity。〃
  So　saying；　he　took　leave　of　Maxime　with　some　haste；　on　the　ground　that　he　ought　then　to　be　at　the　Chamber。
  〃But　I；〃　said　Maxime；　running　after　him；〃suppose　I　want　to　consult　you　in　the　matter？〃
  〃I　leave　to…night　for　my　district；　to　get　things　into　order　before　the　opening　of　the　new　session。〃
  〃But　about　bringing　up　the　question　which　you　say　may　devolve　on　you？〃
  〃I　or　another。　I　will　hasten　back　as　soon　as　I　can；　but　you　understand；　I　must　put　my　department　in　order　for　a　six　months'　absence。〃
  〃A　good　journey　to　you；　then；　Monsieur　le　procureur…general；〃　replied　Maxime；　sarcastically。
  Left　to　himself；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　had　a　period　of　discouragement；　resulting　from　the　discovery　that　these　two　political　Bertrands　meant　that　his　paw　should　pull　the　chestnuts　from　the　fire。　Rastignac's　behavior　particularly　galled　him。　His　mind　went　back　to　their　first　interview　at　Madame　Restaud's；　twenty　years　earlier；　when　he　himself　held　the　sceptre　of　fashion；　and　Rastignac；　a　poor　student；　neither　knew　how　to　come　into　a　room　nor　how　to　leave　it。　＇See　〃Pere　Goriot。＇　And　now　Rastignac　was　peer　of　France　and　minister；　while　he；　Maxime；　become　his　agent；　was　obliged　with　folded　arms　to　hear　himself　told　that　his　plot　was　weak　and　he　must　carry　it　out　alone；　if　at　all。
  But　this　discouragement　did　not　last。
  〃Yes！〃　he　cried　to　himself；　〃I　/will/　carry　it　out；　my　instinct　tells　me　there　is　something　in　it。　What　nonsense！a　Dorlange；　a　nobody；　to　attempt　to　checkmate　Maxime　de　Trailles　and　make　a　stepping…stone　of　my　defeat！　To　my　solicitor's；〃　he　said　to　the　coachman；　opening　the　door　of　the　carriage　himself。
  Desroches　was　at　home；　and　Monsieur　de　Trailles　was　immediately　admitted　into　his　study。
  Desroches　was　a　lawyer　who　had　had；　like　Raffaelle；　several　manners。　First；　possessor　of　a　practice　without　clients；　he　had　made　fish　of　every　case　that　came　into　his　net；　and　he　felt　himself；　in　consequence；　little　respected　by　the　court。　But　he　was　a　hard　worker；　well　versed　in　all　the　ins　and　outs　of　chicanery；　a　keen　observer；　and　an　intelligent　reader　of　the　movements　of　the　human　heart。　Consequently　he　had　made　for　himself；　in　course　of　time；　a　very　good　practice；　he　had　married　a　rich　woman；　and　the　moment　that　he　th