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〃He is a rude fellow！〃 cried the Southerner as they left the room。
〃His paper has twenty…two thousand subscribers；〃 said Leon de Lora。
〃He is one of the five great powers of the day； and he hasn't； in the
morning； the time to be polite。 Now；〃 continued Leon； speaking to
Bixiou； 〃if we are going to the Chamber to help him with his lawsuit
let us take the longest way round。〃
〃Words said by great men are like silver…gilt spoons with the gilt
washed off； by dint of repetition they lose their brilliancy；〃 said
Bixiou。 〃Where shall we go？〃
〃Here； close by； to our hatter？〃 replied Leon。
〃Bravo！〃 cried Bixiou。 〃If we keep on in this way； we shall have an
amusing day of it。〃
〃Gazonal；〃 said Leon； 〃I shall make the man pose for you； but mind
that you keep a serious face； like the king on a five…franc piece； for
you are going to see a choice original； a man whose importance has
turned his head。 In these days； my dear fellow； under our new
political dispensation； every human being tries to cover himself with
glory； and most of them cover themselves with ridicule； hence a lot of
living caricatures quite new to the world。〃
〃If everybody gets glory； who can be famous？〃 said Gazonal。
〃Fame！ none but fools want that；〃 replied Bixiou。 〃Your cousin wears
the cross； but I'm the better dressed of the two； and it is I whom
people are looking at。〃
After this remark； which may explain why orators and other great
statesmen no longer put the ribbon in their buttonholes when in Paris；
Leon showed Gazonal a sign； bearing； in golden letters； the
illustrious name of 〃Vital； successor to Finot； manufacturer of hats〃
（no longer 〃hatter〃 as formerly）； whose advertisements brought in more
money to the newspapers than those of any half…dozen vendors of pills
or sugarplums；the author； moreover； of an essay on hats。
〃My dear fellow；〃 said Bixiou to Gazonal； pointing to the splendors of
the show…window； 〃Vital has forty thousand francs a year from invested
property。〃
〃And he stays a hatter！〃 cried the Southerner； with a bound that
almost broke the arm which Bixiou had linked in his。
〃You shall see the man；〃 said Leon。 〃You need a hat and you shall have
one gratis。〃
〃Is Monsieur Vital absent？〃 asked Bixiou； seeing no one behind the
desk。
〃Monsieur is correcting proof in his study；〃 replied the head clerk。
〃Hein！ what style！〃 said Leon to his cousin； then he added； addressing
the clerk： 〃Could we speak to him without injury to his inspiration？〃
〃Let those gentlemen enter；〃 said a voice。
It was a bourgeois voice； the voice of one eligible to the Chamber； a
powerful voice； a wealthy voice。
Vital deigned to show himself； dressed entirely in black cloth； with a
splendid frilled shirt adorned with one diamond。 The three friends
observed a young and pretty woman sitting near the desk； working at
some embroidery。
Vital is a man between thirty and forty years of age； with a natural
joviality now repressed by ambitious ideas。 He is blessed with that
medium height which is the privilege of sound organizations。 He is
rather plump； and takes great pains with his person。 His forehead is
getting bald； but he uses that circumstance to give himself the air of
a man consumed by thought。 It is easy to see by the way his wife looks
at him and listens to him that she believes in the genius and glory of
her husband。 Vital loves artists； not that he has any taste for art；
but from fellowship； for he feels himself an artist； and makes this
felt by disclaiming that title of nobility； and placing himself with
constant premeditation at so great a distance from the arts that
persons may be forced to say to him： 〃You have raised the construction
of hats to the height of a science。〃
〃Have you at last discovered a hat to suit me？〃 asked Leon de Lora。
〃Why； monsieur！ in fifteen days？〃 replied Vital； 〃and for you！ Two
months would hardly suffice to invent a shape in keeping with your
countenance。 See； here is your lithographic portrait： I have studied
it most carefully。 I would not give myself that trouble for a prince；
but you are more； you are an artist； and you understand me。〃
〃This is one of our greatest inventors；〃 said Bixiou presenting
Gazonal。 〃He might be as great as Jacquart if he would only let
himself die。 Our friend； a manufacturer of cloth； has discovered a
method of replacing the indigo in old blue coats； and he wants to see
you as another great phenomenon； because he has heard of your saying；
'The hat is the man。' That speech of yours enraptured him。 Ah！ Vital；
you have faith； you believe in something； you have enthusiasm for your
work。〃
Vital scarcely listened； he grew pale with pleasure。
〃Rise； my wife！ Monsieur is a man of science。〃
Madame Vital rose at her husband's gesture。 Gazonal bowed to her。
〃Shall I have the honor to cover your head？〃 said Vital； with joyful
obsequiousness。
〃At the same price as mine；〃 interposed Bixiou。
〃Of course； of course； I ask no other fee than to be quoted by you；
messieurs Monsieur needs a picturesque hat； something in the style
of Monsieur Lousteau's；〃 he continued； looking at Gazonal with the eye
of a master。 〃I will consider it。〃
〃You give yourself a great deal of trouble；〃 said Gazonal。
〃Oh！ for a few persons only； for those who know how to appreciate the
value of the pains I bestow upon them。 Now； take the aristocracy
there is but one man there who has truly comprehended the Hat； and
that is the Prince de Bethune。 How is it that men do not consider； as
women do； that the hat is the first thing that strikes the eye？ And
why have they never thought of changing the present system； which is；
let us say it frankly； ignoble？ Yes； ignoble； and yet a Frenchman is；
of all nationalities； the one most persistent in this folly！ I know
the difficulties of a change； messieurs。 I don't speak of my own
writings on the matter； which； as I think； approach it
philosophically； but simply as a hatter。 I have myself studied means
to accentuate the infamous head…covering to which France is now
enslaved until I succeed in overthrowing it。
So saying he pointed to the hideous hat in vogue at the present day。
〃Behold the enemy； messieurs；〃 he continued。 〃How is it that the
wittiest and most satirical people on earth will consent to wear upon
their heads a bit of stove…pipe？as one of our great writers has
called it。 Here are some of the infections I have been able to give to
those atrocious lines；〃 he added； pointing to a number of his
creations。 〃But； although I am able to conform them to the character
of each wearerfor； as you see； there are the hats of a doctor； a
grocer； a dandy； an artist； a fat man； a thin man； and so forththe
style itself remains horrible。 Seize； I beg of you； my whole
thought〃
He took up a hat； low…crowned and wide…brimmed。
〃This；〃 he continued； 〃is the old hat of Claude Vignon； a great
critic； in the days when he was a free man and a free…liver。 He has
lately come round to the ministry； they've made him a professor； a
librarian； he writes now for the Debats only； they've appointed him
Master of Petitions with a salary of sixteen thousand francs； he earns
four thousand more out of his paper； and he is decorated。 Well； now
see his new hat。〃
And Vital showed them a hat of a form and design which was truly
expressive of the juste…milieu。
〃You ought to have made him a Punch and Judy hat！〃 cried Gazonal。
〃You are a man of genius； Monsieur Vital；〃 said Leon。
Vital bowed。
〃Would you kindly tell me why the shops of your trade in Paris remain
open late at night；later than the cafes and the wineshops？ That fact
puzzles me very much；〃 said Gazonal。
〃In the first place； our shops are much finer when lighted up than
they are in the daytime； next； where we sell ten hats in the daytime
we sell fifty at night。〃
〃Everything is queer in Paris；〃 said Leon。
〃Thanks to my efforts and my successes；〃 said Vital； returning to the
course of his self…laudation； 〃we are coming to hats with round
headpieces。 It is to that I tend！〃
〃What obstacle is there？〃 asked Gazonal。
〃Cheapness； monsieur。 In the first place； very handsome silk hats can
be built for fifteen francs； which kills our business； for in Paris no
one ever has fifteen francs in his pocket to spend on a hat。 If a
beaver hat costs thirty； it is still the same thing When I say
beaver； I ought to state that there are not ten pounds of beaver skins
left in France。 That article is worth three hundred and fifty francs a
pound； and it takes an ounce for a hat。 Besides； a beaver hat isn't
really worth anything； the skin takes a wretched dye； gets rusty in
ten minutes under the sun； and heat puts it out of shape as well。 What
we call 'beaver' in the trade is neither more nor less than hare's…
skin。 The best qualities are made from