y you insist on giving
that title to a man who is, really and truly, a mere acquaintance, and,
I may add, a passing acquaintance, if the rumors you have just mentioned
to us take actual shape."

"I am glad to hear you say that," said the minister, "because the
friendly relations which I supposed you to hold towards him would have
embarrassed me a good deal in the hostilities which I foresee must break
out between him and the government."

"Most grateful, I am sure, for that sentiment," replied the peer of
France; "but be kind enough to remember that I give you _carte blanche_.
You are free to handle Monsieur de Sallenauve as your political enemy,
without a moment's fear of troubling me."

Thereupon they parted, and Messieurs Vinet and de Trailles were
introduced.

The attorney-general, Vinet, was the most devoted and the most consulted
champion of the government among its various officials. In a possible
reconstitution of the ministry he was obviously the candidate for the
portfolio of justice. Being thoroughly initiated into all the business
of that position, and versed in its secret dealings, nothing was hatched
in that department on which he was not consulted, if not actually
engaged. The electoral matters of Arcis-sur-Aube had a double claim to
his interest, partly on account of his wife, a Chargeboeuf of Brie, and
a relative of the Cinq-Cygnes, but chiefly because of the office held
by his son in the local administration. So that when, earlier in the
morning, Monsieur de Trailles carried to Rastignac a letter from
Madame Beauvisage, wife of the defeated governmental candidate, full
of statements injurious to the new deputy, the minister had replied,
without listening to any explanations,--

"See Vinet about it; and tell him, from me, to come here with you."

Notified by de Trailles, who offered to fetch him in his carriage, Vinet
was ready enough to go to the minister; and now that we find the three
together in Rastignac's study, we shall be likely to obtain some better
knowledge of the sort of danger hanging over Sallenauve's head than
we gained from Jacques Bricheteau's or Monsieur de l'Estorade's very
insufficient information.

"You say, my dear friends," said the minister, "that we can win a game
against that puritan, who seemed to me, when I met him at l'Estorade's
last evening, to be an out-and-out enemy to the government?"

Admitted to this interview without official character, Maxime de
Trailles k