ixty thousand francs' income at the most."

"That's why he gets angry. Every day there is some new story about
his son. He had an apartment in the house; he went in and out when he
pleased; he passed his nights in gaming and drinking; he cut up so with
the actresses that the police had to interfere. Besides all this, I have
many a time had to help him up to his room, and put him to bed, when the
waiters from the restaurants brought him home in a carriage, so drunk
that he could scarcely say a word."

"Ha!" exclaimed Joseph enthusiastically, "this fellow's service must be
mighty profitable."

"That was according to circumstances. When he was at play, he was lavish
with his money; but he always lost: and, when he was drunk, he had a
quick temper, and didn't spare the blows. I must do him the justice to
say, though, that his cigars were splendid. But he was a ruffian; while
the viscount here is a true child of wisdom. He is severe upon our
faults, it is true; but he is never harsh nor brutal to his servants.
Then he is uniformly generous; which in the long run pays us best. I
must say that he is better than the majority, and that the count is very
unreasonable."

Such was the judgment of the servants. That of society was perhaps less
favorable.

The Viscount de Commarin was not one of those who possess the rather
questionable and at times unenviable accomplishment of pleasing every
one. He was wise enough to distrust those astonishing personages who
are always praising everybody. In looking about us, we often see men of
success and reputation, who are simply dolts, without any merit except
their perfect insignificance. That stupid propriety which offends
no one, that uniform politeness which shocks no one's vanity, have
peculiarly the gift of pleasing and of succeeding.

One cannot meet certain persons without saying, "I know that face; I
have seen it somewhere, before;" because it has no individuality, but
simply resembles faces seen in a common crowd. It is precisely so with
the minds of certain other people. When they speak, you know exactly
what they are going to say; you have heard the same thing so many times
already from them, you know all their ideas by heart. These people are
welcomed everywhere: because they have nothing peculiar about them; and
peculiarity, especially in the upper classes, is always irritating and
offensive; they detest all innovations.

Albert was peculiar; consequently much discussed,