And；　after　all；〃　he　continued；　after　a　pause；　〃who　are　they　who
  despise　it？　Imbeciles；　who　don't　know　any　better　than　to　insult　their
  protectors。　Suppress　the　police；　and　you　destroy　civilization。　Do　the
  police　ask　for　the　respect　of　such　people？　No；　they　want　to　inspire
  them　with　one　sentiment　only：　fear；　that　great　lever　with　which　to
  govern　mankind；an　impure　race　whose　odious　instincts　God；　hell；　the
  executioner；　and　the　gendarmes　can　scarcely　restrain！〃
  Stopping　short　before　la　Peyrade；　and　looking　at　him　with　a　disdainful
  smile；　he　continued：
  〃So　you　are　one　of　those　ninnies　who　see　in　the　police　nothing　more
  than　a　horde　of　spies　and　informers？　Have　you　never　suspected　the
  statesmen；　the　diplomats；　the　Richelieus　it　produces？　Mercury；
  monsieur；Mercury；　the　cleverest　of　the　gods　of　paganism；what　was
  he　but　the　police　incarnate？　It　is　true　that　he　was　also　the　god　of
  thieves。　We　are　better　than　he；　for　we　don't　allow　that　junction　of
  forces。〃
  〃And　yet；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃Vautrin；　or；　I　should　say；　Jacques
  Collin；　the　famous　chief　of　the　detective　police〃
  〃Yes；　yes！　but　that's　in　the　lower　ranks；〃　replied　Corentin；　resuming
  his　walk；　〃there's　always　a　muddy　place　somewhere。　Still；　don't　be
  mistaken　even　in　that。　Vautrin　is　a　man　of　genius；　but　his　passions；
  like　those　of　your　uncle；　dragged　him　down。　But　go　up　higher　（for
  there　lies　the　whole　question；　namely；　the　rung　of　the　ladder　on　which
  a　man　has　wits　enough　to　perch）。　Take　the　prefect；　for　instance；　that
  honored　minister；　flattered　and　respected；　is　he　a　spy？　Well；　I；
  monsieur；　am　the　prefect　of　the　secret　police　of　diplomacyof　the
  highest　statesmanship。　And　you　hesitate　to　mount　that　throne！to　seem
  small　and　do　great　things；　to　live　in　a　cave　comfortably　arranged　like
  this；　and　command　the　light；　to　have　at　your　orders　an　invisible　army；
  always　ready；　always　devoted；　always　submissive；　to　know　the　OTHER
  SIDE　of　everything；　to　be　duped　by　no　intrigue　because　you　hold　the
  threads　of　all　within　your　fingers；　to　see　through　all　partitions；　to
  penetrate　all　secrets；　search　all　hearts；　all　consciences；these　are
  the　things　you　fear！　And　yet　you　were　not　afraid　to　go　and　wallow　in　a
  Thuillier　bog；　you；　a　thoroughbred；　allowed　yourself　to　be　harnessed
  to　a　hackney…coach；　to　the　ignoble　business　of　electing　that　parvenu
  bourgeois。〃
  〃A　man　does　what　he　can；〃　said　la　Peyrade。
  〃Here's　a　very　remarkable　thing；〃　pursued　Corentin；　replying　to　his
  own　thought；　〃the　French　language；　more　just　than　public　opinion；　has
  given　us　our　right　place；　for　it　has　made　the　word　police　the　synonym
  of　civilization　and　the　antipodes　of　savage　life；　when　it　said　and
  wrote：　'l'Etat　police；'　from　the　Greek　words　state　and　city。　So；　I　can
  assure　you；　we　care　little　for　the　prejudice　that　tries　to　brand　us；
  none　know　men　as　we　do；　and　to　know　them　brings　contempt　for　their
  contempt　as　well　as　for　their　esteem。〃
  〃There　is　certainly　much　truth　in　what　you　say　with　such　warmth；〃　said
  la　Peyrade；　finally。
  〃Much　truth！〃　exclaimed　Corentin；　going　back　to　his　chair；　〃say；
  rather；　that　it　is　all　true；　and　nothing　but　the　truth；　yet　it　is　not
  the　whole　truth。　But　enough　for　to…day；　monsieur。　To　succeed　me　in　my
  functions；　and　to　marry　your　cousin　with　a　'dot'　that　will　not　be　less
  than　five　hundred　thousand　francs；　that　is　my　offer。　I　do　not　ask　you
  for　an　answer　now。　I　should　have　no　confidence　in　a　determination　not
  seriously　reflected　upon。　To…morrow；　I　shall　be　at　home　all　the
  morning。　I　trust　that　my　conviction　may　then　have　formed　yours。〃
  Dismissing　his　visitor　with　a　curt　little　bow；　he　added：　〃I　do　not　bid
  you　adieu；　but　au　revoir；　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade。〃
  Whereupon　Corentin　went　to　a　side…table；　where　he　found　all　that　he
  needed　to　prepare　a　glass　of　〃eau　sucree；〃　which　he　had　certainly
  earned；　and；　without　looking　at　la　Peyrade；　who　left　the　room　rather
  stunned；　he　seemed　to　have　no　other　interest　on　his　mind　than　that
  prosaic　preparation。
  Was　it；　indeed；　necessary　that　the　morning　after　this　meeting　with
  Corentin　a　visit　from　Madame　Lambert；　now　become　an　exacting　and
  importunate　creditor；　should　come　to　bear　its　weight　on　la　Peyrade's
  determination？　As　the　great　chief　had　pointed　out　to　him　the　night
  before；　was　there　not　in　his　nature；　in　his　mind；　in　his　aspirations；
  in　the　mistakes　and　imprudences　of　his　past　life；　a　sort　of
  irresistible　incline　which　drew　him　down　toward　the　strange　solution
  of　existence　thus　suddenly　offered　to　him？
  Fatality；　if　we　may　so　call　it；　was　lavish　of　the　inducements　to　which
  he　was　destined　to　succumb。　This　day　was　the　31st　of　October；　the
  vacation　of　the　Palais　was　just　over。　The　2nd　of　November　was　the　day
  on　which　the　courts　reopened；　and　as　Madame　Lambert　left　his　room　he
  received　a　summons　to　appear　on　that　day　before　the　Council　of　his
  order。
  To　Madame　Lambert；　who　pressed　him　sharply　to　repay　her；　under
  pretence　that　she　was　about　to　leave　Monsieur　Picot　and　return　to　her
  native　place；　he　replied：　〃Come　here　the　day　after　to…morrow；　at　the
  same　hour；　and　your　money　will　be　ready　for　you。〃
  To　the　summons　to　give　account　of　his　actions　to　his　peers　he　replied
  that　he　did　not　recognize　the　right　of　the　Council　to　question　him　on
  the　facts　of　his　private　life。　That　was　an　answer　of　one　sort；
  certainly。　Inevitably　it　would　result　in　his　being　stricken　from　the
  roll　of　the　barristers　of　the　Royal　courts；　but；　at　least；　it　had　an
  air　of　dignity　and　protestation　which　saved；　in　a　measure；　his　self…
  love。
  Finally；　he　wrote　a　letter　to　Thuillier；　in　which　he　said　that　his
  visit　to　du　Portail　had　resulted　in　his　being　obliged　to　accept
  another　marriage。　He　therefore　returned　to　Thuillier　his　promise；　and
  took　back　his　own。　All　this　was　curtly　said；　without　the　slightest
  expression　of　regret　for　the　marriage　he　renounced。　In　a　postscript　he
  added：　〃We　shall　be　obliged　to　discuss　my　position　on　the　newspaper；〃
  indicating　that　it　might　enter　into　his　plans　not　to　retain　it。
  He　was　careful　to　make　a　copy　of　this　letter；　and　an　hour　later；　when；
  in　Corentin's　study；　he　was　questioned　as　to　the　result　of　his　night's
  reflections；　he　gave　that　great　general；　for　all　answer；　the
  matrimonial　resignation　he　had　just　despatched。
  〃That　will　do；〃　said　Corentin。　〃But　as　for　your　position　on　the
  newspaper；　you　may　perhaps　have　to　keep　it　for　a　time。　The　candidacy
  of　that　fool　interferes　with　the　plans　of　the　government；　and　we　must
  manage　in　some　way　to　trip　up　the　heels　of　the　municipal　councillor。
  In　your　position　as　editor…in…chief　you　may　find　a　chance　to　do　it；
  and　I　think　your　conscience　won't　kick　at　the　mission。〃
  〃No；　indeed！〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃the　thought　of　the　humiliations　to
  which　I　have　been　so　long　subjected　will　make　it　a　precious　joy　to
  lash　that　bourgeois　brood。〃
  〃Take　care！〃　said　Corentin；　〃you　are　young；　and　you　must　watch　against
  those　revengeful　emotions。　In　our　austere　profession　we　love　nothing
  and　we　hate　nothing。　Men　are　to　us　mere　pawns　of　wood　or　ivory；
  according　to　their　qualitywith　which　we　play　our　game。　We　are　like
  the　blade　that　cuts　what　is　given　it　to　cut；　but；　careful　only　to　be
  delicately　sharpened；　wishes　neither　harm　nor　good　to　any　one。　Now　let
  us　speak　of　your　cousin；　to　whom；　I　suppose；　you　have　some　curiosity
  to　be　presented。〃
  La　Peyrade　was　not　obliged　to　pretend　to　eagerness；　that　which　he　felt
  was　genuine。
  〃Lydie　de　la　Peyrade；〃　said　Corentin；　〃is　nearly　thirty；　but　her
  innocence；　joined　to　a　gentle　form　of　insanity；　has　kept　her　apart
  from　all　those　passions；　ideas；　and　impressions　which　use　up　life；　and
  has；　if　I　may　say　so；　embalmed　her　in　a　sort　of　eternal　youth。　You
  would　not　think　her　more　than　twenty。　She　is　fair　and　slender；　her
  face；　which　is　very　delicate；　is　especially　remarkable　for　an
  expression　of　angelic　sweetness。　Deprived　of　her　full　reason　by　a
  terrible　catastrophe；　her　monomania　has　something　touching　about　it。
  She　always　carries　in　her　arms　or　keeps　beside　her　a　bundle　of　linen
  which　she　nurses　and　cares　for　as　though　it　were　a　sick　child；　and；
  excepting　Bruneau　and　myself；　whom　she　recognizes；　she　thinks　all
  other　men　are　doctors；　whom　she　consults　about　the　child；　and　to　whom
  she　listens　as　oracles。　A　crisis　which　lately　happened　in　her　malady
  has　convinced　Horace　Bianchon；　that　prince　of　science；　that　if　the
  reality　could　be　substituted　for　this　long　delusion　of　motherhood；　her
  reason　would　assert　itself。　It　is　surely　a　worthy　task　to　bring　back
  light　to　a　soul　in　which　it　is　scarcely　veiled；　and　the　existing　bond
  of　relationship　has　seemed　to　me　to　point　you　out　as　specially
  designated　to　effect　this　cure；　the　success　of　which　Bianchon　and　two
  other　eminent　doctors　who　have　consulted　with　him　declare　to　be　beyond
  a　doubt。　Now；　I　will　take　you　to　Lydie's　presence；　remember　to　play
  the　part　of　doctor；　for　the　only　thing　that　makes　her　lose　her
  customary　serenity　is　not　to　enter　into　her　notion　of　medical
  consultation。〃
  After　crossing　several　rooms　Corentin　was　on　the　point　of　taking　la
  Peyrade　into　that　usually　occupied　by　Lydie　when　employed　in　cradling
  or　dandling　her　imaginary　child；　when　suddenly　they　were　stopped　by
  the　sound　of　two　or　three　c