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landlords only made him the more persistent in going to see them。 He
was a bachelor and had various vices； he therefore concealed his life
carefully； knowing well how to maintain his position by flattering his
superiors。 The justice of peace was much attached to Dutocq。 This man；
base as he was； managed； in the end； to make himself tolerated by the
Thuilliers； chiefly by coarse and cringing adulation。 He knew the
facts of Thuillier's whole life； his relations with Colleville； and；
above all； with Madame Colleville。 One and all they feared his tongue；
and the Thuilliers； without admitting him to any intimacy； endured his
visits。
The family which became the flower of the Thuillier salon was that of
a former ministerial clerk； once an object of pity in the government
offices； who； driven by poverty； left the public service； in 1827； to
fling himself into a business enterprise； having； as he thought； an
idea。 Minard （that was his name） foresaw a fortune in one of those
wicked conceptions which reflect such discredit on French commerce；
but which； in the year 1827； had not yet been exposed and blasted by
publicity。 Minard bought tea and mixed it with tea…leaves already
used； also he adulterated the elements of chocolate in a manner which
enabled him to sell the chocolate itself very cheaply。 This trade in
colonial products； begun in the quartier Saint…Marcel； made a merchant
of Minard。 He started a factory； and through these early connections
he was able to reach the sources of raw material。 He then did
honorably； and on a large scale； a business begun in the first
instance dishonorably。 He became a distiller； worked upon untold
quantities of products； and； by the year 1835； was considered the
richest merchant in the region of the Place Maubert。 By that time he
had bought a handsome house in the rue des Macons…Sorbonne； he had
been assistant mayor； and in 1839 became mayor of his arrondissement
and judge in the Court of Commerce。 He kept a carriage； had a country…
place near Lagny； his wife wore diamonds at the court balls； and he
prided himself on the rosette of an officer of the Legion of honor in
his buttonhole。
Minard and his wife were exceedingly benevolent。 Perhaps he wished to
return in retail to the poor the sums he had mulcted from the public
by the wholesale。 Phellion； Colleville； and Thuillier met their old
comrade； Minard； at election； and an intimacy followed； all the closer
with the Thuilliers and Collevilles because Madame Minard seemed
enchanted to make an acquaintance for her daughter in Celeste
Colleville。 It was at a grand ball given by the Minards that Celeste
made her first appearance in society （being at that time sixteen and a
half years old）； dressed as her Christian named demanded； which seemed
to be prophetic of her coming life。 Delighted to be friendly with
Mademoiselle Minard； her elder by four years； she persuaded her father
and godfather to cultivate the Minard establishment； with its gilded
salons and great opulence； where many political celebrities of the
〃juste milieu〃 were wont to congregate； such as Monsieur Popinot； who
became； after a time； minister of commerce； Cochin； since made Baron
Cochin； a former employee at the ministry of finance； who； having a
large interest in the drug business； was now the oracle of the Lombard
and Bourdonnais quarters； conjointly with Monsieur Anselme Popinot。
Minard's eldest son； a lawyer； aiming to succeed those barristers who
were turned down from the Palais for political reasons in 1830； was
the genius of the household； and his mother； even more than his
father； aspired to marry him well。 Zelie Minard； formerly a flower…
maker； felt an ardent passion for the upper social spheres； and
desired to enter them through the marriages of her son and daughter；
whereas Minard； wiser than she； and imbued with the vigor of the
middle classes； which the revolution of July had infiltrated into the
fibres of government； thought only of wealth and fortune。
He frequented the Thuillier salon to gain information as to Celeste's
probable inheritance。 He knew； like Dutocq and Phellion； the reports
occasioned by Thuillier's former intimacy with Flavie； and he saw at a
glance the idolatry of the Thuilliers for their godchild。 Dutocq； to
gain admittance to Minard's house； fawned upon him grossly。 When
Minard； the Rothschild of the arrondissement； appeared at the
Thuilliers'； he compared him cleverly to Napoleon； finding him stout；
fat； and blooming； having left him at the ministry thin； pale； and
puny。
〃You looked； in the division Billardiere；〃 he said； 〃like Napoleon
before the 18th Brumaire； and I behold you now the Napoleon of the
Empire。〃
Notwithstanding which flattery； Minard received Dutocq very coldly and
did not invite him to his house； consequently； he made a mortal enemy
of the former clerk。
Monsieur and Madame Phellion； worthy as they were； could not keep
themselves from making calculations and cherishing hopes； they thought
that Celeste would be the very wife for their son the professor；
therefore； to have； as it were； a watcher in the Thuillier salon； they
introduced their son…in…law； Monsieur Barniol； a man much respected in
the faubourg Saint…Jacques； and also an old employee at the mayor's
office； an intimate friend of theirs； named Laudigeois。 Thus the
Phellions formed a phalanx of seven persons； the Collevilles were not
less numerous； so that on Sundays it often appeared that thirty
persons were assembled in the Thuillier salon。 Thuillier renewed
acquaintance with the Saillards； Baudoyers； and Falleixs；all persons
of respectability in the quarter of the Palais…Royal； whom they often
invited to dinner。
Madame Colleville was； as a woman； the most distinguished member of
this society； just as Minard junior and Professor Phellion were
superior among the men。 All the others； without ideas or education；
and issuing from the lower ranks； presented the types and the
absurdities of the lesser bourgeoisie。 Though all success； especially
if won from distant sources； seems to presuppose some genuine merit；
Minard was really an inflated balloon。 Expressing himself in empty
phrases； mistaking sycophancy for politeness； and wordiness for wit；
he uttered his commonplaces with a brisk assurance that passed for
eloquence。 Certain words which said nothing but answered all things；
progress； steam； bitumen； National guard； order； democratic element；
spirit of association； legality； movement； resistance；seemed； as
each political phase developed； to have been actually made for Minard；
whose talk was a paraphrase on the ideas of his newspaper。 Julien
Minard； the young lawyer； suffered from his father as much as his
father suffered from his wife。 Zelie had grown pretentious with
wealth； without； at the same time； learning to speak French。 She was
now very fat； and gave the idea； in her rich surroundings； of a cook
married to her master。
Phellion； that type and model of the petty bourgeois； exhibited as
many virtues as he did absurdities。 Accustomed to subordination during
his bureaucratic life； he respected all social superiority。 He was
therefore silent before Minard。 During the critical period of
retirement from office； he had held his own admirably； for the
following reason。 Never until now had that worthy and excellent man
been able to indulge his own tastes。 He loved the city of Paris； he
was interested in its embellishment； in the laying out of its streets；
he was capable of standing for hours to watch the demolition of
houses。 He might now have been observed； stolidly planted on his legs；
his nose in the air； watching for the fall of a stone which some mason
was loosening at the top of a wall； and never moving till the stone
fell； when it had fallen he went away as happy as an academician at
the fall of a romantic drama。 Veritable supernumeraries of the social
comedy； Phellion； Laudigeois； and their kind； fulfilled the functions
of the antique chorus。 They wept when weeping was in order； laughed
when they should laugh； and sang in parts the public joys and sorrows；
they triumphed in their corner with the triumphs of Algiers； of
Constantine； of Lisbon； of Sainte…Jean d'Ulloa； they deplored the
death of Napoleon and the fatal catastrophes of the Saint…Merri and
the rue Transnonnain； grieving over celebrated men who were utterly
unknown to them。 Phellion alone presents a double side： he divides
himself conscientiously between the reasons of the opposition and
those of the government。 When fighting went on in the streets；
Phellion had the courage to declare himself before his neighbors； he
went to the Place Saint…Michel； the place where his battalion
assembled； he felt for the government and did his duty。 Before and
during the riot； he supported the dynasty； the product of July； but；
as soon as the political trials began； he stood by the accused。 This
innocent 〃weather…cockism〃 prevails in his political opinions； he
produces； in reply to all arguments； the 〃colossus of the North。〃
England is； to his thinking； as to that of the old 〃Constitutionnel；〃
a crone with two faces；Machiavellian Albion； and the model nation：
Machiavellian； when the interests