e　in　silent　recommendation　to　discretion。　A　provincial　flavour　characterized　it　all；　varieties　of　intonation；　the　violence　of　southern　speech；　drawling　accents　of　the　central　districts；　the　sing…song　of　Brittany；　fused　into　one　and　the　same　imbecile　self…conceit；　frock…coats　as　they　cut　them　at　Landerneau；　mountain　shoes；　home…spun　linen；　and　a　self…assurance　begotten　in　a　village　or　in　the　club　of　some　insignificant　town；　local　expressions；　provincialisms　abruptly　introduced　into　the　speech　of　the　political　and　administrative　world；　that　flabby　and　colourless　phraseology　which　has　invented　such　expressions　as　〃burning　questions　that　come　again　to　the　surface〃　and　〃individualities　without　mandate。〃
  To　see　these　excited　or　thoughtful　people；　you　might　have　supposed　them　the　greatest　apostles　of　ideas　in　the　world；　unfortunately；　on　the　days　of　the　sittings　they　underwent　a　transformation；　sat　in　hushed　silence　in　their　places；　laughing　in　servile　fashion　at　the　jests　of　the　clever　man　who　presided　over　them；　or　only　rising　to　make　ridiculous　propositions；　the　kind　of　interruption　which　would　tempt　one　to　believe　that　it　is　not　a　type　only；　but　a　whole　race；　that　Henri　Monnier　has　satirized　in　his　immortal　sketch。　Two　or　three　orators　in　all　the　Chamber；　the　rest　well　qualified　to　plant　themselves　before　the　fireplace　of　a　provincial　drawing…room；　after　an　excellent　meal　at　the　Prefect's；　and　to　say　in　nasal　voice；　〃The　administration；　gentlemen；〃　or　〃The　Government　of　the　Emperor；〃　but　incapable　of　anything　further。
  Ordinarily　the　good　Nabob　had　been　dazzled　by　these　poses；　that　buzzing　as　of　an　empty　spinning…wheel　which　is　made　by　would…be　important　people；　but　to…day　he　found　his　own　place；　and　fell　in　with　the　general　note。　Seated　at　the　centre　of　the　green　table；　his　portfolio　open　before　him；　his　elbows　planted　well　forward　upon　it；　he　read　the　report　drawn　up　by　de　Gery；　and　the　members　of　the　committee　looked　at　him　in　amazement。
  It　was　a　concise；　clear；　and　rapid　summary　of　their　fortnight's　proceedings；　in　which　they　found　their　ideas　so　well　expressed　that　they　had　great　difficulty　in　recognising　them。　Then；　as　two　or　three　among　them　considered　the　report　too　favourable；　that　it　passed　too　lightly　over　certain　protests　that　had　reached　the　committee；　the　examiner　addressed　the　meeting　with　an　astonishing　assurance；　with　the　prolixity；　the　verbosity　of　his　own　people；　demonstrated　that　a　deputy　ought　not　to　be　held　responsible　beyond　a　certain　point　for　the　imprudence　of　his　election　agents；　that　no　election；　otherwise；　would　bear　a　minute　examination；　and　since　in　reality　it　was　his　own　cause　that　he　was　pleading；　he　brought　to　the　task　a　conviction；　an　irresistible　enthusiasm；　taking　care　to　let　out　now　and　then　one　of　those　long；　dull　substantives　with　a　thousand　feet；　such　as　the　committee　loved。
  The　others　listened　to　him　thoughtfully；　communicating　their　sentiments　to　each　other　by　nods　of　the　head；　making　flourishes；　in　order　the　better　to　concentrate　their　attention；　and　drawing　heads　on　their　blotting…padsa　proceeding　which　harmonized　well　with　the　schoolboyish　noises　in　the　corridors；　a　murmur　of　lessons　in　course　of　repetition；　and　those　droves　of　sparrows　which　you　could　hear　chirping　under　the　casements　in　a　flagged　court…yard；　just　like　the　court…yard　of　a　school。　The　report　having　been　adopted；　M。　Sarigue　was　summoned　in　order　that　he　might　offer　some　supplementary　explanations。　He　arrived；　pale；　emaciated；　stuttering　like　a　criminal　before　conviction；　and　you　would　have　laughed　to　see　with　what　an　air　of　authority　and　protection　Jansoulet　encouraged　and　reassured　him。　〃Calm　yourself；　my　dear　colleague。〃　But　the　members　of　Committee　No。　8　did　not　laugh。　They　were　all；　or　nearly　all；　Sarigues　in　their　way；　two　or　three　of　them　being　absolutely　broken　down；　stricken　by　partial　paralysis。　So　much　assurance；　such　great　eloquence；　had　moved　them　to　enthusiasm。
  When　Jansoulet　issued　from　the　legislative　assembly；　reconducted　to　his　carriage　by　his　grateful　colleague；　it　was　about　six　o'clock。　The　splendid　weathera　beautiful　sunset　over　the　Seine；　which　lay　stretching　away　like　molten　gold　on　the　Trocadero　sidewas　a　temptation　to　a　walk　for　this　robust　plebeian；　on　whom　it　was　imposed　by　the　conventions　that　he　should　ride　in　a　carriage　and　wear　gloves；　but　who　escaped　such　encumbrances　as　often　as　he　possibly　could。　He　dismissed　his　servants；　and；　with　his　portfolio　under　his　arm；　set　forth　across　the　Pont　de　la　Concorde。
  Since　the　first　of　May　he　had　not　experienced　such　a　sense　of　well…　being。　With　rolling　gait；　hat　a　little　to　the　back　of　his　head；　in　the　position　in　which　he　had　seen　it　worn　by　overworked　politicians　harassed　by　pressure　of　business；　allowing　all　the　laborious　fever　of　their　brain　to　evaporate　in　the　coolness　of　the　air；　as　a　factory　discharges　its　steam　into　the　gutter　at　the　end　of　a　day's　work；　he　moved　forward　among　other　figures　like　his　own；　evidently　coming　too　from　that　colonnaded　temple　which　faces　the　Madeleine　above　the　fountains　of　the　/Place/。　As　they　passed；　people　turned　to　look　after　them；　saying；　〃Those　are　deputies。〃　And　Jansoulet　felt　the　delight　of　a　child；　a　plebeian　joy；　compounded　of　ignorance　and　naive　vanity。
  〃Ask　for　the　/Messenger/；　evening　edition。〃
  The　words　came　from　a　newspaper　kiosk　at　the　corner　of　the　bridge；　full　at　that　hour　of　fresh　printed　sheets　in　heaps；　which　two　women　were　quickly　folding；　and　which　smelt　of　the　damp　presslate　news；　the　success　of　the　day　or　its　scandal。
  Nearly　all　the　deputies　bought　a　copy　as　they　passed；　and　glanced　over　it　quickly　in　the　hope　of　finding　their　name。　Jansoulet；　for　his　part；　feared　to　see　his　in　it　and　did　not　stop。　Then　suddenly　he　reflected：　〃Must　not　a　public　man　be　above　these　weaknesses？　I　am　strong　enough　now　to　read　everything。〃　He　retraced　his　steps　and　took　a　newspaper　like　his　colleagues。　He　opened　it；　very　calmly；　right　at　the　place　usually　occupied　by　Moessard's　articles。　As　it　happened；　there　was　one。　Still　the　same　title：　〃/Chinoiseries/；〃　and　an　/M。/　for　signature。
  〃Ah！　ah！〃　said　the　public　man；　firm　and　cold　as　marble；　with　a　fine　smile　of　disdain。　Mora's　lesson　still　rung　in　his　ears；　and；　had　he　forgotten　it；　the　air　from　/Norma/　which　was　being　slowly　played　in　little　ironical　notes　not　far　off　would　have　sufficed　to　recall　it　to　him。　Only；　after　all　calculations　have　been　made　amid　the　fleeting　happenings　of　our　existence；　there　is　always　the　unforeseen　to　be　reckoned　with；　and　that　is　how　it　came　that　the　poor　Nabob　suddenly　felt　a　wave　of　blood　blind　him；　a　cry　of　rage　strangle　itself　in　the　sudden　contraction　of　his　throat。　This　time　his　mother；　his　old　Frances；　had　been　dragged　into　the　infamous　joke　of　the　〃Bateau　de　fleurs。〃　How　well　he　aimed　his　blows；　this　Moessard；　how　well　he　knew　the　really　sensitive　spots　in　that　heart；　so　frankly　exposed！
  〃Be　quiet；　Jansoulet；　be　quiet。〃
  It　was　in　vain　that　he　repeated　the　words　to　himself　again　and　again：　anger；　a　wild　anger；　that　intoxication　of　the　blood　that　demands　blood；　took　possession　of　him。　His　first　impulse　was　to　hail　a　cab；　that　he　might　escape　from　the　irritating　street；　free　his　body　from　the　preoccupation　of　walking　and　maintaining　a　physical　composureto　hail　a　cab　as　for　a　wounded　man。　But　the　carriages　which　thronged　the　square　at　that　hour　of　general　home…going　were　victorias；　landaus；　private　broughams；　hundreds　of　them；　passing　down　from　the　lurid　splendour　of　the　Arc　de　Triomphe　towards　the　violet　shadows　of　the　Tuileries；　rushing；　it　seemed；　one　over　another；　in　the　sloping　perspective　of　the　avenue；　down　to　the　great　square　where　the　motionless　statues；　with　their　circular　crowns　on　their　brows；　watched　them　as　they　separated　towards　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　the　Rue　Royale　and　the　Rue　de　Rivoli。
  Jansoulet；　his　newspaper　in　his　hand；　traversed　this　tumult　without　giving　it　a　thought；　carried　by　force　of　habit　towards　the　club　where　he　went　every　day　for　his　game　of　cards　from　six　to　seven。　A　public　man；　he　was　that　still；　but　excited；　speaking　aloud；　muttering　oaths　and　threats　in　a　voice　that　had　suddenly　grown　tender　again　at　the　memory　of　the　dear　old　woman。　To　have　dragged　her　into　thather　also！　Oh；　if　she　should　read　it；　if　she　should　understand！　What　punishment　could　he　invent　for　such　an　infamy？　He　had　reached　the　Rue　Royale；　up　which　were　disappearing　with　the　speed　of　horses　that　knew　they　were　going　home　and　with　glancings　of　shining　axles；　visions　of　veiled　women；　heads　of　fair…haired　children；　equipages　of　all　kinds　returning　from　the　Bois；　depositing　a　little　genuine　earth　upon　the　Paris　pavement；　and　bringing　odours　of　spring　mingled　with　the　scent　of　/poudre　de　riz/。
  Opposite　the　Ministry　of　Marine；　a　very　high　phaeton　on　light　wheels；　rather　like　a　great　spider；　its　body　represented　by　the　little　groom　hanging　on　to　the　box　and　the　two　persons　occupying　the　front　seat；　just　missed　a　collision　with　the　curb　as　it　turned　the　corner。
  The　Nabob　raised　his　head　and　stifled　a　cry。
  Beside　a　painted　woman；　with　red　hair　and　wearing　a　tiny　hat　with　wide　strings；　who；　perched　on　her　leathern　cushion；　sat　leaning　stiffly　forward；　hands；　eyes；　her　whole　factitious　person　intent　on