d　the　ministry；　/sub　rosa/；　can　envenom　the　vague　accusation　through　its　friends。〃
  〃/Parbleu/！　my　dear　fellow；〃　cried　Maxime；　delighted　to　find　a　way　open　to　his　hatred；　〃you've　a　strong　head；stronger　than　that　of　these　so…called　statesmen。　But　this　request　for　permission　addressed　to　the　president　of　the　Chamber；　who　is　to　draw　it　up？〃
  〃Oh！　not　I；〃　said　Desroches；　who　did　not　wish　to　mix　himself　up　any　farther　in　this　low　intrigue。　〃It　isn't　legal　assistance　that　you　want；　this　is　simply　firing　your　first　gun；　and　I　don't　undertake　that　business。　But　you　can　find　plenty　of　briefless　barristers　always　ready　to　put　their　finger　in　the　political　pie。　Massol；　for　instance；　can　draw　it　up　admirably。　But　you　must　not　tell　him　that　the　idea　came　from　me。〃
  〃Oh！　as　for　that；〃　said　Maxime；　〃I'll　take　it　all　on　my　own　shoulders。　Perhaps　in　this　form　Rastignac　may　come　round　to　the　project。〃
  〃Yes；　but　take　care　you　don't　make　an　enemy　of　Vinet；　who　will　think　you　very　impertinent　to　have　an　idea　which　ought；　naturally；　to　have　come　into　the　head　of　so　great　a　parliamentary　tactician　as　himself。〃
  〃Well；　before　long；〃　said　Maxime；　rising；　〃I　hope　to　bring　the　Vinets　and　Rastignacs；　and　others　like　them；　to　heel。　Where　do　you　dine　this　evening？〃　he　added。
  〃In　a　cave；〃　replied　Desroches；　〃with　a　band。〃
  〃Where's　that？〃
  〃I　suppose；　in　the　course　of　your　erotic　existence；　you　have　had　recourse　to　the　good　offices　of　a　certain　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve？〃
  〃No；〃　replied　Maxime；　〃I　have　always　done　my　own　business　in　that　line。〃
  〃True；〃　said　Desroches；　〃you　conquer　in　the　upper　ranks；　where；　as　a　general　thing；　they　don't　use　go…betweens。　But；　at　any　rate；　you　have　heard　of　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve？〃
  〃Of　course；　her　establishment　is　in　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…Marc；　and　it　was　she　who　got　that　pot　of　money　out　of　Nucingen　for　La　Torpille。　Isn't　she　some　relation　to　the　chief　of　detective　police；　who　bears　the　same　name；　and　used　to　be　one　of　the　same　kind　as　herself？〃
  〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Desroches；　〃but　what　I　can　tell　you　is　that　in　her　business　as　procuressas　it　was　called　in　days　less　decorous　than　our　ownthe　worthy　woman　has　made　a　fortune；　and　now；　without　any　serious　change　of　occupation；　she　lives　magnificently　in　the　rue　de　Provence；　where　she　carries　on　the　business　of　a　matrimonial　agency。〃
  〃Is　that　where　you　are　going　to　dine？〃　asked　Maxime。
  〃Yes；　with　the　director　of　the　London　opera…house；　Emile　Blondet；　Finot；　Lousteau；　Felicien　Vernon；　Theodore　Gaillard；　Hector　Merlin；　and　Bixiou；　who　was　commissioned　to　invite　me；　as　it　seems　they　are　in　want　of　my　/experience/　and　/capacity　for　business/！〃
  〃/Ah　ca/！　then　there's　some　financial　object　in　this　dinner？〃
  〃No；　it　merely　concerns　a　theatrical　venture；the　engagement　of　a　prima　donna；　and　they　want　to　submit　the　terms　of　the　contract　to　my　judgment。　You　understand　that　the　rest　of　the　guests　are　invited　to　trumpet　the　affair　as　soon　as　the　papers　are　signed。〃
  〃Who　is　the　object　of　all　this　preparation？〃
  〃Oh！　a　/star/；destined；　they　say；　to　European　success；　an　Italian；　discovered　by　a　Swedish　nobleman；　Comte　Halphertius；　through　the　medium　of　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。　The　illustrious　manager　of　the　London　opera…house　is　negotiating　this　treaty　in　order　that　she　shall　make　her　first　appearance　at　his　theatre。〃
  〃Well；　adieu；　my　dear　fellow；　a　pleasant　dinner；〃　said　Maxime；　preparing　to　depart。　〃If　your　star　shines　in　London；　it　will　probably　appear　in　our　firmament　next　winter。　As　for　me；　I　must　go　and　attend　to　the　sunrise　in　Arcis。　By　the　bye；　where　does　Massol　live？〃
  〃Faith！　I　couldn't　tell　you　that。　I　never　myself　trust　him　with　a　case；　for　I　will　not　employ　barristers　who　dabble　in　politics。　But　you　can　get　his　address　from　the　'Gazette　des　Tribuneaux'；　he　is　one　of　their　reporters。〃
  Maxime　went　to　the　office　of　that　newspaper；　but；　probably　on　account　of　creditors；　the　office　servant　had　express　orders　not　to　give　the　barrister's　address；　so　that；　in　spite　of　his　arrogant；　imperious　manner；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　obtained　no　information。　Happily；　he　bethought　him　that　he　frequently　saw　Massol　at　the　Opera；　and　he　resolved　to　seek　him　there　that　evening。　Before　going　to　dinner；　he　went　to　the　lodgings　in　the　rue　Montmartre；　where　he　had　installed　the　Romilly　peasant…woman　and　her　counsel；　whom　Madame　Beauvisage　had　already　sent　to　Paris。　He　found　them　at　dinner；　making　the　most　of　the　Beauvisage　funds；　and　he　gave　them　an　order　to　come　to　his　apartment　the　next　day　at　half…past　eleven　without　breakfasting。
  In　the　evening　he　found　Massol；　as　he　expected；　at　the　opera…house。　Going　up　to　the　lawyer　with　the　slightly　insolent　manner　which　was　natural　to　him；　he　said；
  〃Monsieur；　I　have　an　affair；　half　legal；　half　political；　which　I　desire　to　talk　over　with　you。　If　it　did　not　demand　a　certain　amount　of　secrecy；　I　would　go　to　your　office；　but　I　think　we　could　talk　with　more　safety　in　my　own　apartment；　where；　moreover；　I　shall　be　able　to　put　you　in　communication　with　other　persons　concerned　in　the　affair。　May　I　hope　that　to…morrow　morning；　at　eleven　o'clock；　you　will　do　me　the　favor　to　take　a　cup　of　tea　with　me？〃
  If　Massol　had　had　an　office；　he　might　possibly　not　have　consented；　for　the　sake　of　his　legal　dignity；　to　reverse　the　usual　order　of　things；　but　as　he　perched　rather　than　lodged　in　any　particular　place；　he　was　glad　of　an　arrangement　which　left　his　abode；　if　he　had　any；　incognito。
  〃I　shall　have　the　honor　to　be　with　you　at　the　hour　named；〃　he　replied　ceremoniously。
  〃Rue　Pigalle；〃　said　Maxime；　〃No。　6。〃
  〃Yes；　I　know；〃　returned　Massol；〃a　few　steps　from　the　corner　of　the　rue　de　la　Rochefoucauld。〃
  VIII
  SOME　OLD　ACQUAINTANCES
  A　few　evenings　after　the　one　on　which　Sallenauve　and　Marie…Gaston　had　taken　Jacques　Bricheteau　to　Saint…Sulpice　to　hear　the　Signora　Luigia's　voice；　the　church　was　the　scene　of　a　curious　little　incident　that　passed　by　almost　wholly　unperceived。　A　young　man　entered　hastily　by　a　side…door；　he　seemed　agitated；　and　so　absorbed　in　some　anxiety　that　he　forgot　to　remove　his　hat。　The　beadle　caught　him　by　the　arm；　and　his　face　became　livid；　but；　turning　round；　he　saw　at　once　that　his　fears　were　causeless。
  〃Is　your　hat　glued　on　your　head；　young　man？〃　said　the　beadle；　pompously。
  〃Oh；　pardon　me；　monsieur；〃　he　replied；　snatching　it　off；　〃I　forgot　myself。〃
  Then　he　slipped　into　the　thickest　of　the　crowd　and　disappeared。
  A　few　seconds　after　the　irruption　of　this　youth　the　same　door　gave　access　to　a　man　around　whose　powerful；　seamed　face　was　the　collar　of　a　white　beard；　which；　combined　with　a　thick　shock　of　hair；　also　white　but　slightly　reddish　in　tone　and　falling　almost　to　his　shoulders；　gave　him　very　much　the　air　of　an　old　Conventional；　or　a　Bernardin　de　Saint…　Pierre　who　had　had　the　small…pox。　His　face　and　his　hair　placed　him　in　the　sixties；　but　his　robust　figure；　the　energetic　decision　of　his　movements；　and；　above　all；　the　piercing　keenness　of　the　glance　which　he　cast　about　him　on　entering　the　church；　showed　a　powerful　organization　on　which　the　passage　of　years　had　made　little　or　no　impression。　No　doubt；　he　was　in　search　of　the　young　fellow　who　had　preceded　him；　but　he　did　not　commit　the　mistake　of　entering　the　crowd；　where　he　knew　of　course　that　the　youth　had　lost　himself。　Like　a　practised　hunter；　he　saw　that　pursuit　was　useless；　and　he　was　just　about　to　leave　the　church　when；　after　a　short　organ　prelude；　the　contralto　of　the　signora　delivering　its　solemn　notes　gave　forth　that　glorious　harmony　to　which　is　sung　the　Litany　of　the　Virgin。　The　beauty　of　the　voice；　the　beauty　of　the　chant；　the　beauty　of　the　words　of　the　sacred　hymn；　which　the　fine　method　of　the　singer　brought　out　distinctly；　made　a　singular　impression　on　the　stalwart　stranger。　Instead　of　leaving　the　church；　he　put　himself　in　the　shadow　of　a　column；　against　which　he　leaned　as　he　stood；　but　as　the　last　notes　of　the　divine　canticle　died　away　among　the　arches　of　the　church；　he　knelt　on　the　pavement；　and　whoever　had　chanced　to　look　that　way　would　have　seen　two　heavy　tears　rolling　slowly　down　his　cheeks。　The　benediction　given；　and　the　crowd　dispersing；　he　rose；　wiped　his　eyes；　and；　muttering；　〃What　a　fool　I　am！〃　left　the　church。　Then　he　went　to　the　Place　Saint…Sulpice；　and；　beckoning　to　a　coach　on　the　stand；　he　said　to　the　driver；
  〃Rue　de　Provence；　my　man；　quick！　there's　fat　in　it。〃
  Reaching　the　house；　he　went　rapidly　up　the　stairway；　and　rang　at　the　door　of　an　apartment　on　the　first　floor。
  〃Is　my　aunt　at　home？〃　he　inquired　of　the　Negro　who　opened　it。　Then　he　followed　the　man；　and　was　presently　ushered　into　a　salon　where　the　Negro　announced；
  〃Monsieur　de　Saint…Esteve。〃
  The　salon　which　the　famous　chief　of　the　detective　police　now　entered　was　remarkable　for　the　luxury；　but　still　more　for　the　horribly　bad　taste；　of　its　appointments。　Three　women　of　advanced　age　were　seated　round　a　card…table　earnestly　employed　in　a　game　of　dominoes。　Three　glasses　and　an　empty　silver　bowl　which　gave　forth　a　vinous　odor　showed　that　the　worship　of　double…sixes　was　not　without　its　due　libations。
  〃Good　evening；　mesdames；〃　said　the　chief　of　police；　sitting　down；　〃for　I　have　something　to　say　to　each　of　you。〃
  〃We'll　listen　presently；〃　said　his　aun