said Thuillier, sententiously.

"Yes, that he has," replied Brigitte, extinguishing the lamps.

"He has religion," said Madame Thuillier, as she left the room.

"Monsieur," Phellion was saying to Colleville as they came abreast of
the Ecole de Mines, looking about him to see that no one was near, "it
is usually my custom to submit my insight to that of others, but it is
impossible for me not to think that that young lawyer plays the master
at our friend Thuillier's."

"My own opinion," said Colleville, who was walking with Phellion behind
his wife, Madame Phellion, and Celeste, "is that he's a Jesuit; and I
don't like Jesuits; the best of them are no good. To my mind a Jesuit
means knavery, and knavery for knavery's sake; they deceive for the
pleasure of deceiving, and, as the saying is, to keep their hand in.
That's my opinion, and I don't mince it."

"I understand you, monsieur," said Phellion, who was arm-in-arm with
Colleville.

"No, Monsieur Phellion," remarked Flavie in a shrill voice, "you don't
understand Colleville; but I know what he means, and I think he had
better stop saying it. Such subjects are not to be talked of in the
street, at eleven o'clock at night, and before a young lady."

"You are right, wife," said Colleville.

When they reached the rue des Deux-Eglises, which Phellion was to take,
they all stopped to say good-night, and Felix Phellion, who was bring up
the rear, said to Colleville:--

"Monsieur, your son Francois could enter the Ecole Polytechnique if he
were well-coached; I propose to you to fit him to pass the examinations
this year."

"That's an offer not to be refused! Thank you, my friend," said
Colleville. "We'll see about it."

"Good!" said Phellion to his son, as they walked on.

"Not a bad stroke!" said the mother.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Felix.

"You are very cleverly paying court to Celeste's parents."

"May I never find the solution of my problem if I even thought of it!"
cried the young professor. "I discovered, when talking with the little
Collevilles, that Francois has a strong turn for mathematics, and I
thought I ought to enlighten his father."

"Good, my son!" repeated Phellion. "I wouldn't have you otherwise. My
prayers are granted! I have a son whose honor, probity, and private and
civic virtues are all that I could wish."

Madame Colleville, as soon as Celeste had gone to bed, said to her
husband:--

"Colleville, don't utter those blunt o