said Madame Phellion, half beside herself, and
kissing Felix with effusion, "to whom that la Peyrade is preferred!"

"No, not preferred, madame," said Minard, "for the Thuilliers are not
the dupes of that adventurer. But he has made himself necessary to them.
Thuillier fancies that without la Peyrade he could not be elected; the
election is still doubtful, and they are sacrificing everything to it."

"But isn't it odious," cried Madame Phellion, "to consider such
interests before the happiness of their child!"

"Ah!" said Minard, "but Celeste is not their child, only their adopted
daughter."

"Brigitte's, if you like," said Madame Phellion; "but as for
Thuillier--"

"My good wife," said Phellion, "no censoriousness. The good God has just
sent us a great consolation; and, indeed, though certainly far advanced,
this marriage, about which I regret to say Felix does not behave with
all the philosophy I could desire, may still not take place."

Seeing that Felix shook his head with a look of incredulity, Minard
hastened to say:--

"Yes, yes, the commander is quite right. Last night there was a hitch
about signing the contract, and it was not signed. You were not there,
by the bye, and your absence was much remarked upon."

"We were invited," said Phellion, "and up to the last moment we
hesitated whether to go or not. But, as you will readily see, our
position was a false one; besides, Felix--and I see now it must have
been in consequence of his lecture at the Academy--was completely worn
out with fatigue and emotion. To present ourselves without him would
have seemed very singular; therefore we decided that it would be wisest
and best to absent ourselves."

The presence of the man whom he had just declared immortal did not deter
Minard, when the occasion was thus made for him, from plunging eagerly
into one of the most precious joys of bourgeois existence, namely, the
retailing of gossip.

"Just imagine!" he began; "last night at the Thuilliers' the most
extraordinary things took place, one after another."

First he related the curious episode of pere Picot. Then he told of the
hearty approbation given to Felix's conduct by the Abbe Gondrin, and the
desire the young preacher had expressed to meet him.

"I'll go and see him," said Felix; "do you know where he lives?"

"Rue de la Madeleine, No. 8," replied Minard. "But the great event of
the evening was the spectacle of that fine company assembled to listen
to