a　crone　with　two　faces；Machiavellian　Albion；　and　the　model　nation：
  Machiavellian；　when　the　interests　of　France　and　of　Napoleon　are
  concerned；　the　model　nation　when　the　faults　of　the　government　are　in
  question。　He　admits；　with　his　chosen　paper；　the　democratic　element；
  but　refuses　in　conversation　all　compact　with　the　republican　spirit。
  The　republican　spirit　to　him　means　1793；　rioting；　the　Terror；　and
  agrarian　law。　The　democratic　element　is　the　development　of　the　lesser
  bourgeoisie；　the　reign　of　Phellions。
  The　worthy　old　man　is　always　dignified；　dignity　serves　to　explain　his
  life。　He　has　brought　up　his　children　with　dignity；　he　has　kept　himself
  a　father　in　their　eyes；　he　insists　on　being　honored　in　his　home；　just
  as　he　himself　honors　power　and　his　superiors。　He　has　never　made　debts。
  As　a　juryman　his　conscience　obliges　him　to　sweat　blood　and　water　in
  the　effort　to　follow　the　debates　of　a　trial；　he　never　laughs；　not　even
  if　the　judge；　and　audience；　and　all　the　officials　laugh。　Eminently
  useful；　he　gives　his　services；　his　time；　everythingexcept　his　money。
  Felix　Phellion；　his　son；　the　professor；　is　his　idol；　he　thinks　him
  capable　of　attaining　to　the　Academy　of　Sciences。　Thuillier；　between
  the　audacious　nullity　of　Minard；　and　the　solid　silliness　of　Phellion；
  was　a　neutral　substance；　but　connected　with　both　through　his　dismal
  experience。　He　managed　to　conceal　the　emptiness　of　his　brain　by
  commonplace　talk；　just　as　he　covered　the　yellow　skin　of　his　bald　pate
  with　thready　locks　of　his　gray　hair；　brought　from　the　back　of　his　head
  with　infinite　art　by　the　comb　of　his　hairdresser。
  〃In　any　other　career；〃　he　was　wont　to　say；　speaking　of　the　government
  employ；　〃I　should　have　made　a　very　different　fortune。〃
  He　had　seen　the　RIGHT；　which　is　possible　in　theory　and　impossible　in
  practice；results　proving　contrary　to　premises；and　he　related　the
  intrigues　and　the　injustices　of　the　Rabourdin　affair。
  〃After　that；　one　can　believe　all；　and　believe　nothing；〃　he　would　say。
  〃Ah！　it　is　a　queer　thing；　government！　I'm　very　glad　not　to　have　a　son；
  and　never　to　see　him　in　the　career　of　a　place…hunter。〃
  Colleville；　ever　gay；　rotund；　and　good…humored；　a　sayer　of
  〃quodlibets；〃　a　maker　of　anagrams；　always　busy；　represented　the
  capable　and　bantering　bourgeois；　with　faculty　without　success；
  obstinate　toil　without　result；　he　was　also　the　embodiment　of　jovial
  resignation；　mind　without　object；　art　with　usefulness；　for；　excellent
  musician　that　he　was；　he　never　played　now　except　for　his　daughter。
  The　Thuillier　salon　was　in　some　sort　a　provincial　salon；　lighted；
  however；　by　continual　flashes　from　the　Parisian　conflagration；　its
  mediocrity　and　its　platitudes　followed　the　current　of　the　times。　The
  popular　saying　and　thing　（for　in　Paris　the　thing　and　its　saying　are
  like　the　horse　and　its　rider）　ricochetted；　so　to　speak；　to　this
  company。　Monsieur　Minard　was　always　impatiently　expected；　for　he　was
  certain　to　know　the　truth　of　important　circumstances。　The　women　of　the
  Thuillier　salon　held　by　the　Jesuits；　the　men　defended　the　University；
  and；　as　a　general　thing；　the　women　listened。　A　man　of　intelligence
  （could　he　have　borne　the　dulness　of　these　evenings）　would　have
  laughed；　as　he　would　at　a　comedy　of　Moliere；　on　hearing；　amid　endless
  discussion；　such　remarks　as　the　following：
  〃How　could　the　Revolution　of　1789　have　been　avoided？　The　loans　of
  Louis　XIV。　prepared　the　way　for　it。　Louis　XV。；　an　egotist；　a　man　of
  narrow　mind　（didn't　he　say；　'If　I　were　lieutenant　of　police　I　would
  suppress　cabriolets'？）；　that　dissolute　kingyou　remember　his　Parc　aux
  Cerfs？did　much　to　open　the　abyss　of　revolution。　Monsieur　de　Necker；
  an　evil…minded　Genovese；　set　the　thing　a…going。　Foreigners　have　always
  tried　to　injure　France。　The　maximum　did　great　harm　to　the　Revolution。
  Legally　Louis　XVI。　should　never　have　been　condemned；　a　jury　would　have
  acquitted　him。　Why　did　Charles　X。　fall？　Napoleon　was　a　great　man；　and
  the　facts　that　prove　his　genius　are　anecdotal：　he　took　five　pinches　of
  snuff　a　minute　out　of　a　pocket　lined　with　leather　made　in　his
  waistcoat。　He　looked　into　all　his　tradesmen's　accounts；　he　went　to
  Saint…Denis　to　judge　for　himself　the　prices　of　things。　Talma　was　his
  friend；　Talma　taught　him　his　gestures；　nevertheless；　he　always　refused
  to　give　Talma　the　Legion　of　honor！　The　emperor　mounted　guard　for　a
  sentinel　who　went　to　sleep；　to　save　him　from　being　shot。　Those　were
  the　things　that　made　his　soldiers　adore　him。　Louis　XVIII。；　who
  certainly　had　some　sense；　was　very　unjust　in　calling　him　Monsieur　de
  Buonaparte。　The　defect　of　the　present　government　is　in　letting　itself
  be　led　instead　of　leading。　It　holds　itself　too　low。　It　is　afraid　of
  men　of　energy。　It　ought　to　have　torn　up　all　the　treaties　of　1815　and
  demanded　the　Rhine。　They　keep　the　same　men　too　long　in　the　ministry〃；
  etc。；　etc。
  〃Come；　you've　exerted　your　minds　long　enough；〃　said　Mademoiselle
  Thuillier；　interrupting　one　of　these　luminous　talks；　〃the　altar　is
  dressed；　begin　your　little　game。〃
  If　these　anterior　facts　and　all　these　generalities　were　not　placed
  here　as　the　frame　of　the　present　Scene；　to　give　an　idea　of　the　spirit
  of　this　society；　the　following　drama　would　certainly　have　suffered
  greatly。　Moreover；　this　sketch　is　historically　faithful；　it　shows　a
  social　stratum　of　importance　in　any　portrayal　of　manners　and　morals；
  especially　when　we　reflect　that　the　political　system　of　the　Younger
  branch　rests　almost　wholly　upon　it。
  The　winter　of　the　year　1839　was；　it　may　be　said；　the　period　when　the
  Thuillier　salon　was　in　its　greatest　glory。　The　Minards　came　nearly
  every　Sunday；　and　began　their　evening　by　spending　an　hour　there；　if
  they　had　other　engagements　elsewhere。　Often　Minard　would　leave　his
  wife　at　the　Thuilliers　and　take　his　son　and　daughter　to　other　houses。
  This　assiduity　on　the　part　of　the　Minards　was　brought　about　by　a
  somewhat　tardy　meeting　between　Messieurs　Metivier；　Barbet；　and　Minard
  on　an　evening　when　the　two　former；　being　tenants　of　Mademoiselle
  Thuillier；　remained　rather　longer　than　usual　in　discussing　business
  with　her。　From　Barbet；　Minard　learned　that　the　old　maid　had　money
  transactions　with　himself　and　Metivier　to　the　amount　of　sixty　thousand
  francs；　besides　having　a　large　deposit　in　the　Bank。
  〃Has　she　an　account　at　the　Bank？〃　asked　Minard。
  〃I　believe　so；〃　replied　Barbet。　〃I　give　her　at　least　eighty　thousand
  francs　there。〃
  Being　on　intimate　terms　with　a　governor　of　the　Bank；　Minard
  ascertained　that　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　had；　in　point　of　fact；　an
  account　of　over　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　the　result　of　her
  quarterly　deposits　for　many　years。　Besides　this；　she　owned　the　house
  they　lived　in；　which　was　not　mortgaged；　and　was　worth　at　least　one
  hundred　thousand　francs；　if　not　more。
  〃Why　should　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　work　in　this　way？〃　said　Minard　to
  Metivier。　〃She'd　be　a　good　match　for　you；〃　he　added。
  〃I？　oh；　no；〃　replied　Metivier。　〃I　shall　do　better　by　marrying　a
  cousin；　my　uncle　Metivier　has　given　me　the　succession　to　his　business；
  he　has　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　and　only　two　daughters。〃
  However　secretive　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　might　be；and　she　said
  nothing　of　her　investments　to　any　one；　not　even　to　her　brother；
  although　a　large　amount　of　Madame　Thuillier's　fortune　went　to　swell
  the　amount　of　her　own　savings；it　was　difficult　to　prevent　some　ray
  of　light　from　gliding　under　the　bushel　which　covered　her　treasure。
  Dutocq；　who　frequented　Barbet；　with　whom　he　had　some　resemblance　in
  character　and　countenance；　had　appraised；　even　more　correctly　than
  Minard；　the　Thuillier　finances。　He　knew　that　their　savings　amounted；
  in　1838；　to　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs；　and　he　followed
  their　progress　secretly；　calculating　profits　by　the　help　of　that　all…
  wise　money…lender；　Barbet。
  〃Celeste　will　have　from　my　brother　and　myself　two　hundred　thousand
  francs　in　ready　money；〃　the　old　maid　had　said　to　Barbet　in　confidence；
  〃and　Madame　Thuillier　wishes　to　secure　to　her　by　the　marriage　contract
  the　ultimate　possession　of　her　own　fortune。　As　for　me；　my　will　is
  made。　My　brother　will　have　everything　during　his　lifetime；　and　Celeste
  will　be　my　heiress　with　that　reservation。　Monsieur　Cardot；　the　notary；
  is　my　executor。〃
  Mademoiselle　Thuillier　now　instigated　her　brother　to　renew　his　former
  relations　with　the　Saillards；　Baudoyers；　and　others；　who　held　a
  position　similar　to　that　of　the　Thuilliers　in　the　quartier　Saint…
  Antoine；　of　which　Monsieur　Saillard　was　mayor。　Cardot；　the　notary；　had
  produced　his　aspirant　for　Celeste's　hand　in　the　person　of　Monsieur
  Godeschal；　attorney　and　successor　to　Derville；　an　able　man；　thirty…six
  years　of　age；　who　had　paid　one　hundred　thousand　francs　for　his
  practice；　which　the　two　hundred　thousand　of　the　〃dot〃　would　doubly
  clear　off。　Minard；　however；　got　rid　of　Godeschal　by　informing
  Mademoiselle　Thuillier　that　Celeste's　sister…in…law　would　be　the
  famous　Mariette　of　the　Opera。
  〃She　came　from　the　stage；〃　said　Colleville；　alluding　to　his　wife；　〃and
  there's　no　need　she　should　return　to　it。〃
  〃Besides；　Monsieur　Godeschal　is　too　old　for　Celeste；〃　remarked
  Brigitte。
  〃And　ought　we　not；〃　added　Madame　Thuillier；　timidly；　〃to　let　her　marry
  according　to　her　own　t