of the house."

"Well, we haven't got to that point yet," said Thuillier, with a capable
air.

"As for you, my old fellow," resumed la Peyrade, "I must postpone our
business until after Celeste's decision. Be that in my favor or not, I
will then go to work, and in three days the pamphlet can be finished."

"Now," said Thuillier, "I know what you have had on your mind. I'll talk
about it with Brigitte."

"That's a sad conclusion," said la Peyrade; "but, unhappily, so it is."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I would rather, as you can easily imagine, hear you say of yourself
that the thing shall be done; but old habits can't be broken up."

"Ah ca! do you think I'm a man without any will, any initiative of my
own?"

"No! but I'd like to be hidden in a corner and hear how you will open
the subject with your sister."

"Parbleu! I shall open it frankly. I WILL, very firmly said, shall meet
every one of her objections."

"Ah, my poor fellow!" said la Peyrade, clapping him on the shoulder,
"from Chrysale down how often have we seen brave warriors lowering their
penants before the wills of women accustomed to master them!"

"We'll see about _that_," replied Thuillier, making a theatrical exit.

The eager desire to publish his pamphlet, and the clever doubt thrown
upon the strength of his will had made him furious,--an actual tiger;
and he went away resolved, in case of opposition, to reduce his
household, as the saying is, by fire and sword.

When he reached home Thuillier instantly laid the question before
Brigitte. She, with her crude good sense and egotism, pointed out to him
that by thus hastening the period formerly agreed upon for the marriage,
they committed the blunder of disarming themselves; they could not be
sure that when the election took place la Peyrade would put the same
zeal into preparing for it. "It might be," said the old maid, "just as
it has been about the cross."

"There's this difference," said Thuillier; "the cross doesn't depend
directly upon la Peyrade, whereas the influence he exerts in the 12th
arrondissement he can employ as he will."

"And suppose he willed, after we have feathered his nest," said
Brigitte, "to work his influence for his own election? He is very
ambitious, you know."

This danger did not fail to strike the mind of the future legislator,
who thought, however, that he might feel some security in the honor and
morality of la Peyrade.

"A man's honor can't be very