Phellion　by　the　hand　and　shaking　it；　〃but　they　are　honorable
  illusions；　and　I　envy　them。　Madame；　I　have　the　honor〃　added　the
  mayor；　with　a　respectful　bow　to　Madame　Phellion。
  And　each　party　took　its　way。
  CHAPTER　II
  THE　PROVENCAL'S　PRESENT　POSITION
  The　information　acquired　by　the　mayor　of　the　11th　arrondissement　was
  by　no　means　incorrect。　In　the　Thuillier　salon；　since　the　emigration　to
  the　Madeleine　quarter；　might　be　seen　daily；　between　the　tart　Brigitte
  and　the　plaintive　Madame　Thuillier；　the　graceful　and　attractive　figure
  of　a　woman　who　conveyed　to　this　salon　an　appearance　of　the　most
  unexpected　elegance。　It　was　quite　true　that　through　the　good　offices
  of　this　lady；　who　had　become　her　tenant　in　the　new　house；　Brigitte　had
  made　a　speculation　in　furniture　not　less　advantageous　in　its　way；　but
  more　avowable；　than　the　very　shady　purchase　of　the　house　itself。　For
  six　thousand　francs　in　ready　money　she　had　obtained　furniture　lately
  from　workshops　representing　a　value　of　at　least　thirty　thousand。
  It　was　still　further　true　that　in　consequence　of　a　service　which　went
  deep　into　her　heart；　Brigitte　was　showing　to　the　beautiful　foreign
  countess　the　respectful　deference　which　the　bourgeoisie；　in　spite　of
  its　sulky　jealousy；　is　much　less　indisposed　to　give　to　titles　of
  nobility　and　high　positions　in　the　social　hierarchy　than　people　think。
  As　this　Hungarian　countess　was　a　woman　of　great　tact　and　accomplished
  training；　in　taking　the　direction　which　she　had　thought　it　wise　to
  assume　over　the　affairs　of　her　proteges；　she　had　been　careful　to　guard
  her　influence　from　all　appearance　of　meddlesome　and　imperious
  dictation。　On　the　contrary；　she　flattered　Brigitte's　claim　to　be　a
  model　housekeeper；　in　her　own　household　expenses　she　affected　to　ask
  the　spinster's　advice；　so　that　by　reserving　to　herself　the　department
  of　luxurious　expenses；　she　had　more　the　air　of　giving　information　than
  of　exercising　supervision。
  La　Peyrade　could　not　disguise　from　himself　that　a　change　was　taking
  place。　His　influence　was　evidently　waning　before　that　of　this
  stranger；　but　the　antagonism　of　the　countess　was　not　confined　to　a
  simple　struggle　for　influence。　She　made　no　secret　of　being　opposed　to
  his　suit　for　Celeste；　she　gave　her　unequivocal　approval　to　the　love　of
  Felix　Phellion；　the　professor。　Minard；　by　whom　this　fact　was　not
  unobserved；　took　very　good　care；　in　the　midst　of　his　other
  information；　not　to　mention　it　to　those　whom　it　most　concerned。
  La　Peyrade　was　all　the　more　anxious　at　being　thus　undermined　by　a
  hostility　the　cause　of　which　was　inexplicable　to　him；　because　he　knew
  he　had　himself　to　blame　for　bringing　this　disquieting　adversary　into
  the　very　heart　of　his　citadel。　His　first　mistake　was　in　yielding　to
  the　barren　pleasure　of　disappointing　Cerizet　in　the　lease　of　the
  house。　If　Brigitte　by　his　advice　and　urging　had　not　taken　the
  administration　of　the　property　into　her　own　hands　there　was　every
  probability　that　she　would　never　have　made　the　acquaintance　of　Madame
  de　Godollo。　Another　imprudence　had　been　to　urge　the　Thuilliers　to
  leave　their　old　home　in　the　Latin　quarter。
  At　this　period；　when　his　power　and　credit　had　reached　their　apogee；
  Theodose　considered　his　marriage　a　settled　thing；　and　he　now　felt　an
  almost　childish　haste　to　spring　into　the　sphere　of　elegance　which
  seemed　henceforth　to　be　his　future。　He　had　therefore　furthered　the
  inducements　of　the　countess；　feeling　that　he　thus　sent　the　Thuilliers
  before　him　to　make　his　bed　in　the　splendid　apartment　he　intended　to
  share　with　them。　By　thus　removing　them　from　their　old　home　he　saw
  another　advantage；that　of　withdrawing　Celeste　from　daily　intercourse
  with　a　rival　who　seemed　to　him　dangerous。　Deprived　of　the　advantage　of
  propinquity；　Felix　would　be　forced　to　make　his　visits　farther　apart；
  and　therefore　there　would　be　greater　facilities　to　ruin　him　in　the
  girl's　heart；　where　he　was　installed　on　condition　of　giving　religious
  satisfaction；a　requirement　to　which　he　showed　himself　refractory。
  But　in　all　these　plans　and　schemes　various　drawbacks　confronted　him。
  To　enlarge　the　horizon　of　the　Thuilliers　was　for　la　Peyrade　to　run　the
  chance　of　creating　competition　for　the　confidence　and　admiration　of
  which　he　had　been　till　then　the　exclusive　object。　In　the　sort　of
  provincial　life　they　had　hitherto　lived；　Brigitte　and　his　dear；　good
  friend　placed　him；　for　want　of　comparison；　at　a　height　from　which　the
  juxtaposition　of　other　superiorities　and　elegances　must　bring　him
  down。　So；　then；　apart　from　the　blows　covertly　dealt　him　by　Madame　de
  Godollo；　the　idea　of　the　transpontine　emigration　had　proved　to　be；　on
  the　whole；　a　bad　one。
  The　Collevilles　had　followed　their　friends　the　Thuilliers；　to　the　new
  house　near　the　Madeleine；　where　an　entresol　at　the　back　had　been
  conceded　to　them　at　a　price　conformable　to　their　budget。　But
  Colleville　declared　it　lacked　light　and　air；　and　being　obliged　to　go
  daily　from　the　boulevard　of　the　Madeleine　to　the　faubourg　Saint…
  Jacques；　where　his　office　was；　he　fumed　against　the　arrangement　of
  which　he　was　the　victim；　and　felt　at　times　that　la　Peyrade　was　a
  tyrant。　Madame　Colleville；　on　the　other　hand；　had　flung　herself　into
  an　alarming　orgy　of　bonnets；　mantles；　and　new　gowns；　requiring　the
  presentation　of　a　mass　of　bills；　which　led　not　infrequently　to　scenes
  in　the　household　which　were　more　or　less　stormy。　As　for　Celeste；　she
  had　undoubtedly　fewer　opportunities　to　see　young　Phellion；　but　she　had
  also　fewer　chances　to　rush　into　religious　controversy；　and　absence；
  which　is　dangerous　to　none　but　inferior　attachments；　made　her　think
  more　tenderly　and　less　theologically　of　the　man　of　her　dreams。
  But　all　these　false　calculations　of　Theodose　were　as　nothing　in　the
  balance　with　another　cause　for　his　diminishing　influence　which　was　now
  to　weigh　heavily　on　his　situation。
  He　had　assured　Thuillier　that；　after　a　short　delay　and　the　payment　of
  ten　thousand　francs；　to　which　his　dear；　good　friend　submitted　with
  tolerable　grace；　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor　would　arrive　to
  realize　the　secret　desire　of　all　his　life。　Two　months　had　now　passed
  without　a　sign　of　that　glorious　rattle；　and　the　former　sub…director；
  who　would　have　felt　such　joy　in　parading　his　red　ribbon　on　the
  boulevard　of　the　Madeleine；　of　which　he　was　now　one　of　the　most
  assiduous　promenaders；　had　nothing　to　adorn　his　buttonhole　but　the
  flowers　of　the　earth；　the　privilege　of　everybody；of　which　he　was　far
  less　proud　than　Beranger。
  La　Peyrade　had；　to　be　sure；　mentioned　an　unforeseen　and　inexplicable
  difficulty　by　which　all　the　efforts　of　the　Comtesse　du　Bruel　had　been
  paralyzed；　but　Thuillier　did　not　take　comfort　in　the　explanation；　and
  on　certain　days；　when　the　disappointment　became　acute；　he　was　very
  near　saying　with　Chicaneau　in　Les　Plaideurs；　〃Return　my　money。〃
  However；　no　outbreak　happened；　for　la　Peyrade　held　him　in　leash　by　the
  famous　pamphlet　on　〃Taxation　and　the　Sliding…Scale〃；　the　conclusion　of
  which　had　been　suspended　during　the　excitement　of　the　moving；　for
  during　that　agitating　period　Thuillier　had　been　unable　to　give　proper
  care　to　the　correction　of　proofs；　about　which；　we　may　remember；　he　had
  reserved　the　right　of　punctilious　examination。　La　Peyrade　had　now
  reached　a　point　when　he　was　forced　to　see　that；　in　order　to　restore
  his　influence；　which　was　daily　evaporating；　he　must　strike　some　grand
  blow；　and　it　was　precisely　this　nagging　and　vexatious　fancy　about　the
  proofs　that　the　barrister　decided　to　take　as　the　starting…point　of　a
  scheme；　both　deep　and　adventurous；　which　came　into　his　mind。
  One　day；　when　the　pair　were　engaged　on　the　sheets　of　the　pamphlet；　a
  discussion　arose　upon　the　word　〃nepotism；〃　which　Thuillier　wished　to
  eliminate　from　one　of　la　Peyrade's　sentences；　declaring　that　never　had
  he　met　with　it　anywhere；　it　was　pure　neologismwhich；　to　the　literary
  notions　of　the　bourgeoisie；　is　equivalent　to　the　idea　of　1793　and　the
  Terror。
  Generally　la　Peyrade　took　the　ridiculous　remarks　of　his　dear；　good
  friend　pretty　patiently；　but　on　this　occasion　he　made　himself
  exceedingly　excited；　and　signified　to　Thuillier　that　he　might
  terminate　himself　a　work　to　which　he　applied　such　luminous　and
  intelligent　criticism；　after　which　remark　he　departed　and　was　not　seen
  again　for　several　days。
  At　first　Thuillier　supposed　this　outbreak　to　be　a　mere　passing　effect
  of　ill…humor；　but　when　la　Peyrade's　absence　grew　prolonged　he　felt　the
  necessity　of　taking　some　conciliatory　step；　and　accordingly　he　went　to
  see　the　barrister；　intending　to　make　honorable　amends　and　so　put　an
  end　to　his　sulkiness。　Wishing；　however；　to　give　this　advance　an　air
  which　allowed　an　honest　issue　to　his　own　self…love；　he　entered　la
  Peyrade's　room　with　an　easy　manner；　and　said；　cheerfully：
  〃Well；　my　dear　fellow；　it　turns　out　that　we　were　both　right：
  'nepotism'　means　the　authority　that　the　nephews　of　popes　take　in
  public　affairs。　I　have　searched　the　dictionary　and　it　gives　no　other
  explanation；　but；　from　what　Phellion　tells　me；　I　find　that　in　the
  political　vocabulary　the　meaning　of　the　word　has　been　extended　to
  cover　the　influence　which　corrupt　ministers　permit　certain　persons　to
  exercise　illegally。　I　think；　therefore；