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state of belonging to the State。〃
Fleury。 〃Because it has a constitutional government。〃
Colleville。 〃Gentlemen； gentlemen！ no politics！〃
Bixiou。 〃Fleury is right。 Serving the State in these days is no longer
serving a prince who knew how to punish and reward。 The State now is
EVERYBODY。 Everybody of course cares for nobody。 Serve everybody； and
you serve nobody。 Nobody is interested in nobody； the government clerk
lives between two negations。 The world has neither pity nor respect；
neither heart nor head； everybody forgets to…morrow the service of
yesterday。 Now each one of you may be； like Monsieur Baudoyer； an
administrative genius； a Chateaubriand of reports； a Bossouet of
circulars； the Canalis of memorials； the gifted son of diplomatic
despatches； but I tell you there is a fatal law which interferes with
all administrative genius；I mean the law of promotion by average。
This average is based on the statistics of promotion and the
statistics of mortality combined。 It is very certain that on entering
whichever section of the Civil Service you please at the age of
eighteen； you can't get eighteen hundred francs a year till you reach
the age of thirty。 Now there's no free and independent career in
which； in the course of twelve years； a young man who has gone through
the grammar…school； been vaccinated； is exempt from military service；
and possesses all his faculties （I don't mean transcendent ones） can't
amass a capital of forty…five thousand francs in centimes； which
represents a permanent income equal to our salaries； which are； after
all； precarious。 In twelve years a grocer can earn enough to give him
ten thousand francs a year； a painter can daub a mile of canvas and be
decorated with the Legion of honor； or pose as a neglected genius。 A
literary man becomes professor of something or other； or a journalist
at a hundred francs for a thousand lines； he writes 〃feuilletons；〃 or
he gets into Saint…Pelagie for a brilliant article that offends the
Jesuits；which of course is an immense benefit to him and makes him a
politician at once。 Even a lazy man； who does nothing but make debts；
has time to marry a widow who pays them； a priest finds time to become
a bishop 〃in partibus。〃 A sober； intelligent young fellow； who begins
with a small capital as a money…changer； soon buys a share in a
broker's business； and； to go even lower； a petty clerk becomes a
notary； a rag…picker lays by two or three thousand francs a year； and
the poorest workmen often become manufacturers； whereas； in the
rotatory movement of this present civilization； which mistakes
perpetual division and redivision for progress； an unhappy civil
service clerk； like Chazelle for instance； is forced to dine for
twenty…two sous a meal； struggles with his tailor and bootmaker； gets
into debt； and is an absolute nothing； worse than that； he becomes an
idiot！ Come； gentlemen； now's the time to make a stand！ Let us all
give in our resignations！ Fleury； Chazelle； fling yourselves into
other employments and become the great men you really are。〃
Chazelle ＇calmed down by Bixiou's allocution＇。 〃No； I thank you〃
＇general laughter＇。
Bixiou。 〃You are wrong； in your situation I should try to get ahead of
the general…secretary。〃
Chazelle ＇uneasily＇。 〃What has he to do with me？〃
Bixiou。 〃You'll find out； do you suppose Baudoyer will overlook what
happened just now？〃
Fleury。 〃Another piece of Bixiou's spite！ You've a queer fellow to
deal with in there。 Now； Monsieur Rabourdin；there's a man for you！
He put work on my table to…day that you couldn't get through within
this office in three days； well； he expects me to have it done by four
o'clock to…day。 But he is not always at my heels to hinder me from
talking to my friends。〃
Baudoyer ＇appearing at the door＇。 〃Gentlemen； you will admit that if
you have the legal right to find fault with the chamber and the
administration you must at least do so elsewhere than in this office。〃
＇To Fleury。＇ 〃What are you doing here； monsieur？〃
Fleury ＇insolently＇。 〃I came to tell these gentlemen that there was to
be a general turn…out。 Du Bruel is sent for to the ministry； and
Dutocq also。 Everybody is asking who will be appointed。〃
Baudoyer ＇retiring＇。 〃It is not your affair； sir； go back to your own
office； and do not disturb mine。〃
Fleury ＇in the doorway＇。 〃It would be a shameful injustice if
Rabourdin lost the place； I swear I'd leave the service。 Did you find
that anagram； papa Colleville？〃
Colleville。 〃Yes； here it is。〃
Fleury ＇leaning over Colleville's desk＇。 〃Capital！ famous！ This is
just what will happen if the administration continues to play the
hypocrite。〃 ＇He makes a sign to the clerks that Baudoyer is
listening。＇ 〃If the government would frankly state its intentions
without concealments of any kind； the liberals would know what they
had to deal with。 An administration which sets its best friends
against itself； such men as those of the 'Debats；' Chateaubriand； and
Royer…Collard； is only to be pitied！〃
Colleville ＇after consulting his colleagues＇。 〃Come； Fleury； you're a
good fellow； but don't talk politics here； you don't know what harm
you may do us。〃
Fleury ＇dryly＇。 〃Well； adieu； gentlemen； I have my work to do by four
o'clock。〃
While this idle talk had been going on； des Lupeaulx was closeted in
his office with du Bruel； where； a little later； Dutocq joined them。
Des Lupeaulx had heard from his valet of La Billardiere's death； and
wishing to please the two ministers； he wanted an obituary article to
appear in the evening papers。
〃Good morning； my dear du Bruel；〃 said the semi…minister to the head…
clerk as he entered； and not inviting him to sit down。 〃You have heard
the news？ La Billardiere is dead。 The ministers were both present when
he received the last sacraments。 The worthy man strongly recommended
Rabourdin； saying he should die with less regret if he could know that
his successor were the man who had so constantly done his work。 Death
is a torture which makes a man confess everything。 The minister agreed
the more readily because his intention and that of the Council was to
reward Monsieur Rabourdin's numerous services。 In fact； the Council of
State needs his experience。 They say that young La Billardiere is to
leave the division of his father and go to the Commission of Seals；
that's just the same as if the King had made him a present of a
hundred thousand francs；the place can always be sold。 But I know the
news will delight your division； which will thus get rid of him。 Du
Bruel； we must get ten or a dozen lines about the worthy late director
into the papers； his Excellency will glance them over；he reads the
papers。 Do you know the particulars of old La Billardiere's life？〃
Du Bruel made a sign in the negative。
〃No？〃 continued des Lupeaulx。 〃Well then； he was mixed up in the
affairs of La Vendee； and he was one of the confidants of