What a glory for Provence to have found a Mirabeau,
to return the only statesman since 1830 that the revolution of July had
produced!

Under the pressure of this eloquence, all the audience believed it great
enough to become a splendid political instrument in the hands of their
representative. They all saw in Albert Savaron, Savarus the great
Minister. And, reading the secret calculations of his constituents, the
clever candidate gave them to understand that they would be the first to
enjoy the right of profiting by his influence.

This confession of faith, this ambitious programme, this retrospect of
his life and character was, according to the only man present who was
capable of judging of Savarus (he has since become one of the leading
men of Besancon), a masterpiece of skill and of feeling, of fervor,
interest, and fascination. This whirlwind carried away the electors.
Never had any man had such a triumph. But, unfortunately, speech, a
weapon only for close warfare, has only an immediate effect. Reflection
kills the word when the word ceases to overpower reflection. If the
votes had then been taken, Albert's name would undoubtedly have come out
of the ballot-box. At the moment, he was conqueror. But he must conquer
every day for two months.

Albert went home quivering. The townsfolk had applauded him, and he had
achieved the great point of silencing beforehand the malignant talk
to which his early career might give rise. The commercial interest of
Besancon had nominated the lawyer, Albert Savaron de Savarus, as its
candidate.

Alfred Boucher's enthusiasm, at first infectious, presently became
blundering.

The Prefet, alarmed by this success, set to work to count the
Ministerial votes, and contrived to have a secret interview with
Monsieur de Chavoncourt, so as to effect a coalition in their common
interests. Every day, without Albert's being able to discover how, the
voters in the Boucher committee diminished in number.

Nothing could resist the slow grinding of the Prefecture. Three of four
clever men would say to Albert's clients, "Will the deputy defend you
and win your lawsuits? Will he give you advice, draw up your contracts,
arrange your compromises?--He will be your slave for five years longer,
if, instead of returning him to the Chamber, you only hold out the hope
of his going there five years hence."

This calculation did Savarus all the more mischief, because the wives of
some of the merchants ha