ng of the government subsidy he wanted for his
iron-mine. The new deputy, on his side, foresaw an inevitable meeting
with the minister, and wondered what his friends in the Opposition would
say when they read in the "National" that a representative of the Left
was seen to have an interview with a minister celebrated for his art in
converting political opponents. Anxious also to return to Marie-Gaston,
he resolved to profit by the general stir created by the minister's
arrival to slip away; and by a masterly manoeuvre he made his way slyly
to the door of the salon, expecting to escape without being seen. But
he reckoned without Nais, to whom he was engaged for a quadrille. That
small girl sounded the alarm at the moment when he laid his hand on the
handle of the door; and Monsieur de l'Estorade, mindful of his promise
to Rastignac, hastened to put a stop to the desertion. Finding his quiet
retreat impossible, Sallenauve was afraid that an open departure after
the arrival of the minister might be construed as an act of puritanical
opposition in the worst taste; he therefore accepted the situation
promptly, and decided to remain.

Monsieur de l'Estorade knew that Sallenauve was far too wise to be the
dupe of any artifices he might have used to bring about his introduction
to the minister. He therefore went straight to the point, and soon after
Rastignac's arrival he slipped his arm through that of the statesman,
and, approaching the deputy, said to him,--

"Monsieur the minister of Public Works, who, on the eve of the battle,
wishes me to introduce him to a general of the enemy's army."

"Monsieur le ministre does me too much honor," replied Sallenauve,
ceremoniously. "Far from being a general, I am a private soldier, and a
very unknown one."

"Hum!" said the minister; "it seems to me that the battle at
Arcis-sur-Aube was not an insignificant victory; you routed our ranks,
monsieur, in a singular manner."

"There was nothing wonderful in that; you must have heard that a saint
fought for us."

"Well, at any rate," said Rastignac, "I prefer this result to the one
arranged for us by a man I thought cleverer than he proved to be, whom
I sent down there. It seems that Beauvisage is a perfect nonentity;
he'd have rubbed off upon us; and after all, he was really as much Left
centre as the other man, Giguet. Now the Left centre is our real enemy,
because it is aiming to get our portfolios."

"Oh!" said Monsieur de l'Estora