me　that　you　were　guilty　of　that　abuse　of　confidence　（about　which　I
  intended　to　write　you　a　piece　of　my　mind）　in　order　to　give　a
  knock…down　blow　to　my　relations　by　proving　that　a　man　capable　of
  making　such　complicated　calculations　as　your　discovery　required
  was　not　a　man　to　put　in　a　lunatic　asylum　or　drag　before　a
  judiciary　council。　That　argument　pleases　me；　and　it　makes　such　a
  good　answer　to　the　infamous　proceedings　of　my　relations　that　I
  praise　you　for　having　had　the　idea。　But　you　sold　it　to　me；　that
  argument；　pretty　dear　when　you　put　me　in　company　with　a　star；　for
  you　know　very　well　THAT　propinquity　wouldn't　please　me　at　all。　It
  is　not　at　my　age；　and　after　solving　the　great　problem　of　perpetual
  motion；　that　a　man　could　take　up　with　such　rubbish　as　that；good
  only　for　boys　and　greenhorns　like　you；　and　that　is　what　I　have
  taken　the　liberty　this　morning　to　go　and　tell　the　minister　of
  public　instruction；　by　whom　I　must　say　I　was　received　with　the
  most　perfect　urbanity。　I　asked　him　to　see　whether；　as　he　had　made
  a　mistake　and　sent　them　to　the　wrong　address；　he　could　not　take
  back　his　cross　and　his　pension；though　to　be　sure；　as　I　told　him；
  I　deserved　them　for　other　things。
  〃The　government；〃　he　replied；　〃is　not　in　the　habit　of　making
  mistakes；　what　it　does　is　always　properly　done；　and　it　never
  annuls　an　ordinance　signed　by　the　hand　of　his　Majesty。　Your　great
  labors　have　deserved　the　two　favors　the　King　has　granted　you；　it
  is　a　long…standing　debt；　which　I　am　happy　to　pay　off　in　his　name。〃
  〃But　Felix？〃　I　said；　〃because　after　all　for　a　young　man　it　is　not
  such　a　bad　discovery。〃
  〃Monsieur　Felix　Phellion；〃　replied　the　minister；　〃will　receive　in
  the　course　of　the　day　his　appointment　to　the　rank　of　Chevalier　of
  the　Legion　of　honor；　I　will　have　it　signed　this　morning　by　the
  king。　Moreover；　there　is　a　vacant　place　at　the　Academy　of
  Sciences；　and　if　you　are　not　a　candidate　for　it〃
  〃I；　in　the　Academy！〃　I　interrupted；　with　the　frankness　of　speech
  you　know　I　always　use；　〃I　execrate　academies；　they　are　stiflers；
  extinguishers；　assemblages　of　sloths；　idlers；　shops　with　big　signs
  and　nothing　to　sell　inside〃
  〃Well；　then；〃　said　the　minister；　smiling；　〃I　think　that　at　the
  next　election　Monsieur　Felix　Phellion　will　have　every　chance；　and
  among　those　chances　I　count　the　influence　of　the　government　which
  is　secured　to　him。〃
  There；　my　poor　boy；　is　all　that　I　have　been　able　to　do　to　reward
  your　good　intentions　and　to　prove　to　you　that　I　am　no　longer
  angry。　I　think　the　relations　are　going　to　pull　a　long　face。　Come
  and　talk　about　it　to…day　at　four　o'clock；for　I　don't　dine　after
  bedtime；　as　I　saw　some　people　doing　last　night　in　a　house　where　I
  had　occasion　to　mention　your　talents　in　a　manner　that　was　very
  advantageous　to　you。　Madame　Lambert；　who　does　better　with　a
  saucepan　than　with　pen　and　ink；　shall　distinguish　herself；　though
  it　is　Friday；　and　she　never　lets　me　off　a　fast　day。　But　she　has
  promised　us　a　fish　dinner　worthy　of　an　archbishop；　with　a　fine
  half…bottle　of　champagne　（doubled　if　need　be）　to　wash　it　down。
  Your　old　professor　and　friend；
  Picot　（Nepomucene）；
  Chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　honor。
  P。S。Do　you　think　you　could　obtain　from　your　respectable　mother　a
  little　flask　of　that　old　and　excellent　cognac　you　once　gave　me？
  Not　a　drop　remains；　and　yesterday　I　was　forced　to　drink　some　stuff
  only　fit　to　bathe　horses'　feet；　as　I　did　not　hesitate　to　say　to
  the　beautiful　Hebe　who　served　it　to　me。
  〃Of　course　he　shall　have　some；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃not　a　flask；
  but　a　gallon。〃
  〃And　I；〃　said　Minard；　〃who　pique　myself　on　mine；　which　didn't　come
  from　Brigitte's　grocer　either；　I'll　send　him　several　bottles；　but
  don't　tell　him　who　sent　them；　Monsieur　le　chevalier；　for　you　never　can
  tell　how　that　singular　being　will　take　things。〃
  〃Wife；〃　said　Phellion；　suddenly；　〃get　me　my　black　coat　and　a　white
  cravat。〃
  〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　Madame　Phellion。　〃To　the　minister；　to
  thank　him？〃
  〃Bring　me；　I　say；　those　articles　of　habiliment。　I　have　an　important
  visit　to　make；　and　Monsieur　le　maire　will；　I　know；　excuse　me。〃
  〃I　myself　must　be　off；〃　said　Minard。　〃I；　too；　have　important　business；
  though　it　isn't　about　a　star。〃
  Questioned　in　vain　by　Felix　and　his　wife；　Phellion　completed　his
  attire　with　a　pair　of　white　gloves；　sent　for　a　carriage；　and；　at　the
  end　of　half　an　hour；　entered　the　presence　of　Brigitte；　whom　he　found
  presiding　over　the　careful　putting　away　of　the　china；　glass；　and
  silver　which　had　performed　their　several　functions　the　night　before。
  Leaving　these　housekeeping　details；　she　received　her　visitor。
  〃Well；　papa　Phellion；〃　she　said；　when　they　were　both　seated　in　the
  salon；　〃you　broke　your　word　yesterday；　you　were　luckier　than　the　rest。
  Do　you　know　what　a　trick　that　notary　played　us？〃
  〃I　know　all；〃　said　Phellion；　〃and　it　is　the　check　thus　unexpectedly
  given　to　the　execution　of　your　plans　that　I　shall　take　for　the　text　of
  an　important　conversation　which　I　desire　to　have　with　you。　Sometimes
  Providence　would　seem　to　take　pleasure　in　counteracting　our　best…laid
  schemes；　sometimes；　also；　by　means　of　the　obstacles　it　raises　in　our
  path；　it　seems　to　intend　to　indicate　that　we　are　bearing　too　far　to
  the　right　or　to　the　left；　and　should　pause　to　reflect　upon　our　way。〃
  〃Providence！〃　said　Brigitte　the　strong…minded；〃Providence　has
  something　else　to　do　than　to　look　after　us。〃
  〃That　is　one　opinion；〃　said　Phellion；　〃but　I　myself　am　accustomed　to
  see　its　decrees　in　the　little　as　well　as　the　great　things　of　life；　and
  certainly；　if　it　had　allowed　the　fulfilment　of　your　engagements　with
  Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　to　be　even　partially　begun　yesterday；　you　would
  not　have　seen　me　here　to…day。〃
  〃Then；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃do　you　think　that　by　default　of　a　notary　the
  marriage　will　not　take　place？　They　do　say　that　for　want　of　a　monk　the
  abbey　won't　come　to　a　standstill。〃
  〃Dear　lady；〃　said　the　great　citizen；　〃you　will　do　me　the　justice　to
  feel　that　neither　I；　nor　my　wife；　have　ever　attempted　to　influence
  your　decision；　we　have　allowed　our　young　people　to　love　each　other
  without　much　consideration　as　to　where　that　attachment　would　lead〃
  〃It　led　to　upsetting　their　minds；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃that's　what　love
  is；　and　that's　why　I　deprived　myself　of　it。〃
  〃What　you　say　is；　indeed；　true　of　my　unfortunate　son；〃　resumed
  Phellion；　〃for；　notwithstanding　the　noble　distractions　he　has
  endeavored　to　give　to　his　sorrow；　he　is　to…day　so　miserably　overcome
  by　it　that　this　morning；　in　spite　of　the　glorious　success　he　has　just
  obtained；　he　was　speaking　to　me　of　undertaking　a　voyage　of
  circumnavigation　around　the　globe；a　rash　enterprise　which　would
  detain　him　from　his　native　land　at　least　three　years；　if；　indeed；　he
  escaped　the　dangers　of　so　prolonged　a　journey。〃
  〃Well；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃it　isn't　a　bad　idea；　he'll　return　consoled；
  having　discovered　three　or　four　more　new　stars。〃
  〃His　present　discovery　suffices；〃　said　Phellion；　with　double　his
  ordinary　gravity；　〃and　it　is　under　the　auspices　of　that　triumph；　which
  has　placed　his　name　at　so　great　a　height　in　the　scientific　world；　that
  I　have　the　assurance　to　say　to　you；　point…blank：　Mademoiselle；　I　have
  come　to　ask　you；　on　behalf　of　my　son；　who　loves　as　he　is　beloved；　for
  the　hand　in　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Celeste　Colleville。〃
  〃But；　my　dear　man；〃　replied　Brigitte；　〃it　is　too　late；　remember　that
  we　are　DIAMETRICALLY　engaged　to　la　Peyrade。〃
  〃It　is　never；　they　say；　too　late　to　do　well；　and　yesterday　it　would
  have　been　in　my　judgment　too　early。　My　son；　having　to　offer　an
  equivalent　for　a　fortune；　could　not　say　to　you　until　to…day：　'Though
  Celeste；　by　your　generosity　has　a　〃dot〃　which　mine　is　far　from
  equalling；　yet　I　have　the　honor　to　be　a　member　of　the　Royal　order　of
  the　Legion　of　honor；　and　shortly；　according　to　appearance；　I　shall　be
  a　member　of　the　Royal　Academy　of　Sciences；　one　of　the　five　branches　of
  the　Institute。'〃
  〃Certainly；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃Felix　is　getting　to　be　a　very　pretty
  match；　but　we　have　passed　our　word　to　la　Peyrade；　the　banns　are
  published　at　the　mayor's　office；　and　unless　something　extraordinary
  happens　the　contract　will　be　signed。　La　Peyrade　is　very　busy　about
  Thuillier's　election；　which　he　has　now　got　into　good　shape；　we　have
  capital　engaged　with　him　in　the　affair　of　this　newspaper；　and　it　would
  be　impossible　to　go　back　on　our　promise；　even　if　we　wished　to　do　so。〃
  〃So；〃　said　Phellion；　〃in　one　of　the　rare　occasions　of　life　when　reason
  and　inclination　blend　together；　you　think　you　must　be　guided　solely　by
  the　question　of　material　interests。　Celeste；　as　we　know；　has　no
  inclination　for　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade。　Brought　up　with　Felix〃
  〃Brought　up　with　Felix！〃　interrupted　Brigitte。　〃She　was　given　a　period
  of　time　to　choose　between　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　and　your　son；that's
  how　we　coerce　her；　if　you　please；and　she　would　not　take　Monsieur
  Felix；　whose　atheism　is　too　well　known。〃
  〃You　are　mistaken；　mademoiselle；　my　son　is　not　an　atheist；　for
  Voltaire　himself　doubted　if　there　could　be　atheists；　and　no　later　than
  yesterday；　in　this　house；　an　ecclesiastic；　as　admira