〃Joker！〃　replied　the　old　maid；　〃you　know　very　well　you　settled　that
  business　last　night；　but　you　also　know；　of　course；　that　her　own
  inclinations　incline　her　that　way。〃
  〃Short　of　being　blind；　I　must　have　seen　that；〃　replied　la　Peyrade。
  〃It　is　not　an　obstacle　to　my　projects；〃　continued　Mademoiselle
  Thuillier；　〃but　it　serves　to　explain　why　I　ask　for　Celeste　a　little
  more　time；　and　also　why　I　have　wished　all　along　to　postpone　the
  marriage　to　a　later　date。　I　wanted　to　give　you　time　to　insinuate
  yourself　into　the　heart　of　my　dear　little　girlbut　you　and　Thuillier
  upset　my　plans。〃
  〃Nothing；　I　think；　has　been　done　without　your　sanction；〃　said　la
  Peyrade；　〃and　if；　during　these　fifteen　days；　I　have　not　talked　with
  you　on　the　subject；　it　was　out　of　pure　delicacy。　Thuillier　told　me
  that　everything　was　agreed　upon　with　you。〃
  〃On　the　contrary；　Thuillier　knows　very　well　that　I　refused　to　mix
  myself　up　on　your　new　arrangements。　If　you　had　not　made　yourself　so
  scarce　lately；　I　might　have　been　the　first　to　tell　you　that　I　did　not
  approve　of　them。　However；　I　can　truly　say　I　did　nothing　to　hinder
  their　success。〃
  〃But　that　was　too　little；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃your　active　help　was
  absolutely　necessary。〃
  〃Possibly；　but　I；　who　know　women　better　than　you；　being　one　of　them；
  I　felt　very　sure　that　if　Celeste　was　told　to　choose　between　two
  suitors　she　would　consider　that　a　permission　to　think　at　her　ease　of
  the　one　she　liked　best。　I　myself　had　always　left　her　in　the　vague　as
  to　Felix；　knowing　as　I　did　the　proper　moment　to　settle　her　mind　about
  him。〃
  〃So；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃you　mean　that　she　refuses　me。〃
  〃It　is　much　worse　than　that；〃　returned　Brigitte；　〃she　accepts　you；　and
  is　willing　to　pledge　her　word；　but　it　is　so　easy　to　see　she　regards
  herself　as　a　victim；　that　if　I　were　in　your　place　I　should　feel
  neither　flattered　nor　secure　in　such　a　position。〃
  In　any　other　condition　of　mind　la　Peyrade　would　probably　have　answered
  that　he　accepted　the　sacrifice；　and　would　make　it　his　business　to　win
  the　heart　which　at　first　was　reluctantly　given；　but　delay　now　suited
  him；　and　he　replied　to　Brigitte　with　a　question：
  〃Then　what　do　you　advise？　What　course　had　I　better　take？〃
  〃Finish　Thuillier's　pamphlet；　in　the　first　place；　or　he'll　go　crazy；
  and　leave　me　to　work　the　other　affair　in　your　interests；〃　replied
  Brigitte。
  〃But　am　I　in　friendly　hands？　For；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　little　aunt；
  I　have　not　been　able　to　conceal　from　myself　that　you　have；　for　some
  time　past；　changed　very　much　to　me。〃
  〃Changed　to　you！　What　change　do　you　see　in　me；　addled…pate　that　you
  are？〃
  〃Oh！　nothing　very　tangible；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃but　ever　since　that
  Countess　Torna　has　had　a　footing　in　your　house〃
  〃My　poor　boy；　the　countess　has　done　me　many　services；　and　I　am　very
  grateful　to　her；　but　is　that　any　reason　why　I　should　be　false　to　you；
  who　have　done　us　still　greater　services？〃
  〃But　you　must　admit；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　craftily；　〃that　she　has　told
  you　a　great　deal　of　harm　of　me。〃
  〃Naturally　she　has；　these　fine　ladies　are　all　that　way；　they　expect
  the　whole　world　to　adore　them；　and　she　sees　that　you　are　thinking　only
  of　Celeste；　but　all　she　has　said　to　me　against　you　runs　off　my　mind
  like　water　from　varnished　cloth。〃
  〃So；　then；　little　aunt；　I　may　continue　to　count　on　you？〃　persisted　la
  Peyrade。
  〃Yes；　provided　you　are　not　tormenting；　and　will　let　me　manage　this
  affair。〃
  〃Tell　me　how　you　are　going　to　do　it？〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　with　an　air　of
  great　good…humor。
  〃In　the　first　place；　I　shall　signify　to　Felix　that　he　is　not　to　set
  foot　in　this　house　again。〃
  〃Is　that　possible？〃　said　the　barrister；　〃I　mean　can　it　be　done
  civilly？〃
  〃Very　possible；　I　shall　make　Phellion　himself　tell　him。　He's　a　man　who
  is　always　astride　of　principles；　and　he'll　be　the　first　to　see　that　if
  his　son　will　not　do　what　is　necessary　to　obtain　Celeste's　hand　he
  ought　to　deprive　us　of　his　presence。〃
  〃What　next？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。
  〃Next；　I　shall　signify　to　Celeste　that　she　was　left　at　liberty　to
  choose　one　husband　or　the　other；　and　as　she　did　not　choose　Felix　she
  must　make　up　her　mind　to　take　you；　a　pious　fellow；　such　as　she　wants。
  You　needn't　be　uneasy；　I'll　sing　your　praises；　especially　your
  generosity　in　not　profiting　by　the　arrangement　she　agreed　to　make
  to…day。　But　all　that　will　take　a　week　at　least；　and　if　Thuillier's
  pamphlet　isn't　out　before　then；　I　don't　know　but　what　we　shall　have　to
  put　him　in　a　lunatic　asylum。〃
  〃The　pamphlet　can　be　out　in　two　days。　But　is　it　very　certain；　little
  aunt；　that　we　are　playing　above…board？　Mountains；　as　they　say；　never
  meet；　but　men　do；　and　certainly；　when　the　time　comes　to　promote　the
  election；　I　can　do　Thuillier　either　good　or　bad　service。　Do　you　know；
  the　other　day　I　was　terribly　frightened。　I　had　a　letter　from　him　in　my
  pocket；　in　which　he　spoke　of　the　pamphlet　as　being　written　by　me。　I
  fancied　for　a　moment　that　I　had　dropped　it　in　the　Luxembourg。　If　I
  had；　what　a　scandal　it　would　have　caused　in　the　quarter。〃
  〃Who　would　dare　to　play　tricks　with　such　a　wily　one　as　you？〃　said
  Brigitte；　fully　comprehending　the　comminatory　nature　of　la　Peyrade's
  last　words；　interpolated　into　the　conversation　without　rhyme　or
  reason。　〃But　really；〃　she　added；　〃why　should　you　complain　of　us？　It　is
  you　who　are　behindhand　in　your　promises。　That　cross　which　was　to　have
  been　granted　within　a　week；　and　that　pamphlet；　which　ought　to　have
  appeared　a　long　time　ago〃
  〃The　pamphlet　and　the　cross　will　both　appear　in　good　time；　the　one
  will　bring　the　other；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　rising。　〃Tell　Thuillier　to
  come　and　see　me　to…morrow　evening；　and　I　think　we　can　then　correct　the
  last　sheet。　But；　above　all；　don't　listen　to　the　spitefulness　of　Madame
  de　Godollo；　I　have　an　idea　that　in　order　to　make　herself　completely
  mistress　of　this　house　she　wants　to　alienate　all　your　old　friends；　and
  also　that　she　is　casting　her　net　for　Thuillier。〃
  〃Well；　in　point　of　fact；〃　said　the　old　maid；　whom　the　parting　shot　of
  the　infernal　barrister　had　touched　on　the　ever…sensitive　point　of　her
  authority；　〃I　must　look　into　that　matter　you　speak　of　there；　she　is
  rather　coquettish；　that　little　woman。〃
  La　Peyrade　gained　a　second　benefit　out　of　that　speech　so　adroitly
  flung　out；　he　saw　by　Brigitte's　answer　to　it　that　the　countess　had　not
  mentioned　to　her　the　visit　he　had　paid　her　during　the　day。　This
  reticence　might　have　a　serious　meaning。
  Four　days　later；　the　printer；　the　stitcher；　the　paper　glazier　having
  fulfilled　their　offices；　Thuillier　had　the　inexpressible　happiness　of
  beginning　on　the　boulevards　a　promenade；　which　he　continued　through
  the　Passages；　and　even　to　the　Palais…Royal；　pausing　before　all　the
  book…shops　where　he　saw；　shining　in　black　letters　on　a　yellow　poster；
  the　famous　title：
  TAXATION　AND　THE　SLIDING…SCALE
  by　J。　Thuillier；
  Member　of　the　Council…General　of　the　Seine。
  Having　reached　the　point　of　persuading　himself　that　the　care　he　had
  bestowed　upon　the　correction　of　proofs　made　the　merit　of　the　work　his
  own；　his　paternal　heart；　like　that　of　Maitre　Corbeau；　could　not
  contain　itself　for　joy。　We　ought　to　add　that　he　held　in　very　low
  esteem　those　booksellers　who　did　not　announce　the　sale　of　the　new
  work；　destined　to　become；　as　he　believed；　a　European　event。　Without
  actually　deciding　the　manner　in　which　he　would　punish　their
  indifference；　he　nevertheless　made　a　list　of　these　rebellious　persons；
  and　wished　them　as　much　evil　as　if　they　had　offered　him　a　personal
  affront。
  The　next　day　he　spent　a　delightful　morning　in　writing　a　certain　number
  of　letters；　sending　the　publication　to　friends；　and　putting　into　paper
  covers　some　fifty　copies；　to　which　the　sacramental　phrase；　〃From　the
  author；〃　imparted　to　his　eyes　an　inestimable　value。
  But　the　third　day　of　the　sale　brought　a　slight　diminution　of　his
  happiness。　He　had　chosen　for　his　editor　a　young　man；　doing　business　at
  a　breakneck　pace；　who　had　lately　established　himself　in　the　Passage
  des　Panoramas；　where　he　was　paying　a　ruinous　rent。　He　was　the　nephew
  of　Barbet　the　publisher；　whom　Brigitte　had　had　as　a　tenant　in　the　rue
  Saint…Dominique　d'Enfer。　This　Barbet　junior　was　a　youth　who　flinched
  at　nothing；　and　when　he　was　presented　to　Thuillier　by　his　uncle；　he
  pledged　himself；　provided　he　was　not　shackled　in　his　advertising；　to
  sell　off　the　first　edition　and　print　a　second　within　a　week。
  Now；　Thuillier　had　spent　about　fifteen　hundred　francs　himself　on　costs
  of　publication；　such；　for　instance；　as　copies　sent　in　great　profusion
  to　the　newspapers；　but　at　the　close　of　the　third　day　SEVEN　copies　only
  had　been　sold；　and　three　of　those　on　credit。　It　might　be　believed　that
  in　revealing　to　the　horror…stricken　Thuillier　this　paltry　result　the
  young　publisher　would　have　lost　at　least　something　of　his　assurance。
  On　the　contrary；　this　Guzman　of　the　book…trade　hastened　to　say：
  〃I　am　delighted　at　what　has　happened。　If　we　had　sold　a　hundred　copies
  it　would　trouble　me　far　more　than　the　fifteen　hundred　now　on　our
  hands；　that's　what　I　call　hanging　fire；　whereas　this　insignificant
  sale　only　proves　that　the　edition　will　go　off　like　a　rocket。〃
  〃But　when？〃　asked　Thuillier；　who　thought　this　view　paradoxical。
  〃Pa