de, "after what we heard of the man, I
think he would have done exactly what was wanted of him."

"My dear friend, don't believe that," said the minister. "Fools are
often more tenacious of the flag under which they enlisted than we think
for. Besides, to go over to the enemy is to make a choice, and that
supposes an operation of the mind; it is much easier to be obstinate."

"I agree with the minister," said Sallenauve; "extreme innocence
and extreme rascality are equally able to defend themselves against
seduction."

Here Monsieur de l'Estorade, seeing, or pretending to see, a signal made
to him, looked over his shoulder and said,--

"I'm coming."

And the two adversaries being thus buckled together, he hastened away as
if summoned to some duty as master of the house.

Sallenauve was anxious not to seem disturbed at finding himself alone
with the minister. The meeting having come about, he decided to endure
it with a good grace, and, taking the first word, he asked if the
ministry had prepared, in view of the coming sessions, a large number of
bills.

"No, very few," replied Rastignac. "To tell the truth, we do not expect
to be in power very long; we brought about an election because in the
general confusion into which the press has thrown public opinion, our
constitutional duty was to force that opinion to reconstitute itself;
but the fact is, we did not expect the result to be favorable to us, and
we are therefore taken somewhat unawares."

"You are like the peasant," said Sallenauve, laughing, "who, expecting
the end of the world, did not sow his wheat."

"Well, we don't look upon our retirement as the end of the world," said
Rastignac, modestly; "there are men to come after us, and many of
them well able to govern; only, as we expected to give but few more
representations in that transitory abode called 'power,' we have
not unpacked either our costumes or our scenery. Besides, the coming
session, in any case, can only be a business session. The question now
is, of course, between the palace, that is, personal influence, and the
doctrine of parliamentary supremacy. This question will naturally come
up when the vote is taken on the secret-service fund. Whenever, in one
way or the other, that is settled, and the budget is voted, together
with a few bills of secondary interest, Parliament has really completed
its task; it will have put an end to a distressing struggle, and the
country will know to which of