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a crone with two faces；Machiavellian Albion； and the model nation：
Machiavellian； when the interests of France and of Napoleon are
concerned； the model nation when the faults of the government are in
question。 He admits； with his chosen paper； the democratic element；
but refuses in conversation all compact with the republican spirit。
The republican spirit to him means 1793； rioting； the Terror； and
agrarian law。 The democratic element is the development of the lesser
bourgeoisie； the reign of Phellions。
The worthy old man is always dignified； dignity serves to explain his
life。 He has brought up his children with dignity； he has kept himself
a father in their eyes； he insists on being honored in his home； just
as he himself honors power and his superiors。 He has never made debts。
As a juryman his conscience obliges him to sweat blood and water in
the effort to follow the debates of a trial； he never laughs； not even
if the judge； and audience； and all the officials laugh。 Eminently
useful； he gives his services； his time； everythingexcept his money。
Felix Phellion； his son； the professor； is his idol； he thinks him
capable of attaining to the Academy of Sciences。 Thuillier； between
the audacious nullity of Minard； and the solid silliness of Phellion；
was a neutral substance； but connected with both through his dismal
experience。 He managed to conceal the emptiness of his brain by
commonplace talk； just as he covered the yellow skin of his bald pate
with thready locks of his gray hair； brought from the back of his head
with infinite art by the comb of his hairdresser。
〃In any other career；〃 he was wont to say； speaking of the government
employ； 〃I should have made a very different fortune。〃
He had seen the RIGHT； which is possible in theory and impossible in
practice；results proving contrary to premises；and he related the
intrigues and the injustices of the Rabourdin affair。
〃After that； one can believe all； and believe nothing；〃 he would say。
〃Ah！ it is a queer thing； government！ I'm very glad not to have a son；
and never to see him in the career of a place…hunter。〃
Colleville； ever gay； rotund； and good…humored； a sayer of
〃quodlibets；〃 a maker of anagrams； always busy； represented the
capable and bantering bourgeois； with faculty without success；
obstinate toil without result； he was also the embodiment of jovial
resignation； mind without object； art with usefulness； for； excellent
musician that he was； he never played now except for his daughter。
The Thuillier salon was in some sort a provincial salon； lighted；
however； by continual flashes from the Parisian conflagration； its
mediocrity and its platitudes followed the current of the times。 The
popular saying and thing （for in Paris the thing and its saying are
like the horse and its rider） ricochetted； so to speak； to this
company。 Monsieur Minard was always impatiently expected； for he was
certain to know the truth of important circumstances。 The women of the
Thuillier salon held by the Jesuits； the men defended the University；
and； as a general thing； the women listened。 A man of intelligence
（could he have borne the dulness of these evenings） would have
laughed； as he would at a comedy of Moliere； on hearing； amid endless
discussion； such remarks as the following：
〃How could the Revolution of 1789 have been avoided？ The loans of
Louis XIV。 prepared the way for it。 Louis XV。； an egotist； a man of
narrow mind （didn't he say； 'If I were lieutenant of police I would
suppress cabriolets'？）； that dissolute kingyou remember his Parc aux
Cerfs？did much to open the abyss of revolution。 Monsieur de Necker；
an evil…minded Genovese； set the thing a…going。 Foreigners have always
tried to injure France。 The maximum did great harm to the Revolution。
Legally Louis XVI。 should never have been condemned； a jury would have
acquitted him。 Why did Charles X。 fall？ Napoleon was a great man； and
the facts that prove his genius are anecdotal： he took five pinches of
snuff a minute out of a pocket lined with leather made in his
waistcoat。 He looked into all his tradesmen's accounts； he went to
Saint…Denis to judge for himself the prices of things。 Talma was his
friend； Talma taught him his gestures； nevertheless； he always refused
to give Talma the Legion of honor！ The emperor mounted guard for a
sentinel who went to sleep； to save him from being shot。 Those were
the things that made his soldiers adore him。 Louis XVIII。； who
certainly had some sense； was very unjust in calling him Monsieur de
Buonaparte。 The defect of the present government is in letting itself
be led instead of leading。 It holds itself too low。 It is afraid of
men of energy。 It ought to have torn up all the treaties of 1815 and
demanded the Rhine。 They keep the same men too long in the ministry〃；
etc。； etc。
〃Come； you've exerted your minds long enough；〃 said Mademoiselle
Thuillier； interrupting one of these luminous talks； 〃the altar is
dressed； begin your little game。〃
If these anterior facts and all these generalities were not placed
here as the frame of the present Scene； to give an idea of the spirit
of this society； the following drama would certainly have suffered
greatly。 Moreover； this sketch is historically faithful； it shows a
social stratum of importance in any portrayal of manners and morals；
especially when we reflect that the political system of the Younger
branch rests almost wholly upon it。
The winter of the year 1839 was； it may be said； the period when the
Thuillier salon was in its greatest glory。 The Minards came nearly
every Sunday； and began their evening by spending an hour there； if
they had other engagements elsewhere。 Often Minard would leave his
wife at the Thuilliers and take his son and daughter to other houses。
This assiduity on the part of the Minards was brought about by a
somewhat tardy meeting between Messieurs Metivier； Barbet； and Minard
on an evening when the two former； being tenants of Mademoiselle
Thuillier； remained rather longer than usual in discussing business
with her。 From Barbet； Minard learned that the old maid had money
transactions with himself and Metivier to the amount of sixty thousand
francs； besides having a large deposit in the Bank。
〃Has she an account at the Bank？〃 asked Minard。
〃I believe so；〃 replied Barbet。 〃I give her at least eighty thousand
francs there。〃
Being on intimate terms with a governor of the Bank； Minard
ascertained that Mademoiselle Thuillier had； in point of fact； an
account of over two hundred thousand francs； the result of her
quarterly deposits for many years。 Besides this； she owned the house
they lived in； which was not mortgaged； and was worth at least one
hundred thousand francs； if not more。
〃Why should Mademoiselle Thuillier work in this way？〃 said Minard to
Metivier。 〃She'd be a good match for you；〃 he added。
〃I？ oh； no；〃 replied Metivier。 〃I shall do better by marrying a
cousin； my uncle Metivier has given me the succession to his business；
he has a hundred thousand francs a year and only two daughters。〃
However secretive Mademoiselle Thuillier might be；and she said
nothing of her investments to any one； not even to her brother；
although a large amount of Madame Thuillier's fortune went to swell
the amount of her own savings；it was difficult to prevent some ray
of light from gliding under the bushel which covered her treasure。
Dutocq； who frequented Barbet； with whom he had some resemblance in
character and countenance； had appraised； even more correctly than
Minard； the Thuillier finances。 He knew that their savings amounted；
in 1838； to one hundred and fifty thousand francs； and he followed
their progress secretly； calculating profits by the help of that all…
wise money…lender； Barbet。
〃Celeste will have from my brother and myself two hundred thousand
francs in ready money；〃 the old maid had said to Barbet in confidence；
〃and Madame Thuillier wishes to secure to her by the marriage contract
the ultimate possession of her own fortune。 As for me； my will is
made。 My brother will have everything during his lifetime； and Celeste
will be my heiress with that reservation。 Monsieur Cardot； the notary；
is my executor。〃
Mademoiselle Thuillier now instigated her brother to renew his former
relations with the Saillards； Baudoyers； and others； who held a
position similar to that of the Thuilliers in the quartier Saint…
Antoine； of which Monsieur Saillard was mayor。 Cardot； the notary； had
produced his aspirant for Celeste's hand in the person of Monsieur
Godeschal； attorney and successor to Derville； an able man； thirty…six
years of age； who had paid one hundred thousand francs for his
practice； which the two hundred thousand of the 〃dot〃 would doubly
clear off。 Minard； however； got rid of Godeschal by informing
Mademoiselle Thuillier that Celeste's sister…in…law would be the
famous Mariette of the Opera。
〃She came from the stage；〃 said Colleville； alluding to his wife； 〃and
there's no need she should return to it。〃
〃Besides； Monsieur Godeschal is too old for Celeste；〃 remarked
Brigitte。
〃And ought we not；〃 added Madame Thuillier； timidly； 〃to let her marry
according to her own t