who was ill, to be submitted to the minister.

The Baron de Listomere went immediately to an uncle of his, a deputy,
who could see the minister of the Navy at the chamber without loss of
time, and begged him to find out the real intentions of his Excellency
in a matter which threatened the loss of his whole future. He waited in
his uncle's carriage with the utmost anxiety for the end of the session.
His uncle came out before the Chamber rose, and said to him at once as
they drove away: "Why the devil have you meddled in a priest's quarrel?
The minister began by telling me you had put yourself at the head of the
Radicals in Tours; that your political opinions were objectionable; you
were not following in the lines of the government,--with other remarks
as much involved as if he were addressing the Chamber. On that I said
to him, 'Nonsense; let us come to the point.' The end was that his
Excellency told me frankly you were in bad odor with the diocese. In
short, I made a few inquiries among my colleagues, and I find that
you have been talking slightingly of a certain Abbe Troubert, the
vicar-general, but a very important personage in the province, where he
represents the Jesuits. I have made myself responsible to the minister
for your future conduct. My good nephew, if you want to make your way be
careful not to excite ecclesiastical enmities. Go at once to Tours and
try to make your peace with that devil of a vicar-general; remember that
such priests are men with whom we absolutely _must_ live in harmony.
Good heavens! when we are all striving and working to re-establish
religion it is actually stupid, in a lieutenant who wants to be made a
captain, to affront the priests. If you don't make up matters with that
Abbe Troubert you needn't count on me; I shall abandon you. The minister
of ecclesiastical affairs told me just now that Troubert was certain to
be made bishop before long; if he takes a dislike to our family he could
hinder me from being included in the next batch of peers. Don't you
understand?"

These words explained to the naval officer the nature of Troubert's
secret occupations, about which Birotteau often remarked in his silly
way: "I can't think what he does with himself,--sitting up all night."

The canon's position in the midst of his female senate, converted so
adroitly into provincial detectives, and his personal capacity,
had induced the Congregation of Jesus to select him out of all the
ecclesiasti