ucation, by throwing them a scrap of the prey as
soon as the quarry was secured. However small the assistance his father
might render to him and to the cause, it would not be difficult to get
him appointed receiver of taxes. Nothing would be refused to one who
like Eugene had steeped his hands in the most secret machinations. His
letters were simply a kind attention on his part, a device to prevent
the Rougons from committing any act of imprudence, for which Felicite
felt deeply grateful. She read certain passages of the letters twice
over, notably those in which Eugene spoke, in vague terms, of "a final
catastrophe." This catastrophe, the nature or bearings of which she
could not well conceive became a sort of end of the world for her. God
would range the chosen ones on His right hand and the damned on His
left, and she placed herself among the former.

When she succeeded in replacing the key in her husband's waistcoat
pocket on the following night, she made up her mind to employ the same
expedient for reading every fresh letter that arrived. She resolved,
likewise, to profess complete ignorance. This plan was an excellent one.
Henceforward, she gave her husband the more assistance as she appeared
to render it unconsciously. When Pierre thought he was working alone
it was she who brought the conversation round to the desired topic,
recruiting partisans for the decisive moment. She felt hurt at Eugene's
distrust of her. She wanted to be able to say to him, after the triumph:
"I knew all, and so far from spoiling anything, I have secured the
victory." Never did an accomplice make less noise or work harder. The
marquis, whom she had taken into her confidence, was astounded at it.

The fate of her dear Aristide, however, continued to make her uneasy.
Now that she shared the faith of her eldest son, the rabid articles of
the "Independant" alarmed her all the more. She longed to convert the
unfortunate republican to Napoleonist ideas; but she did not know how
to accomplish this in a discreet manner. She recalled the emphasis with
which Eugene had told them to be on their guard against Aristide. At
last she submitted the matter to Monsieur de Carnavant, who was entirely
of the same opinion.

"Little one," he said to her, "in politics one must know how to look
after one's self. If you were to convert your son, and the 'Independant'
were to start writing in defence of Bonapartism, it would deal the party
a rude blow. The 'Ind