ving panegyric on marriage.'

"In fact a great change, and such an one as many people would call a
change for the better, had taken place in my friend: he had grown fat,
and announced a decided disposition to become what French people call a
bel homme: that is, a very fat one. His complexion, bronzed before, was
now clear white and red: there were no more political allusions in his
hair, which was, on the contrary, neatly frizzed, and brushed over
the forehead, shell-shape. This head-dress, joined to a thin pair of
whiskers, cut crescent-wise from the ear to the nose, gave my friend a
regular bourgeois physiognomy, wax-doll-like: he looked a great deal too
well; and, added to this, the solemnity of his prefectural costume, gave
his whole appearance a pompous well-fed look that by no means pleased.

"'I surprise you,' said I, 'in the midst of your splendor: do you know
that this costume and yonder attendants have a look excessively awful
and splendid? You entered your palace just now with the air of a pasha.'

"'You see me in uniform in honor of Monseigneur the Bishop, who has just
made his diocesan visit, and whom I have just conducted to the limit of
the arrondissement.'

"'What!' said I, 'you have gendarmes for guards, and dance attendance
on bishops? There are no more janissaries and Jesuits, I suppose?' The
sub-prefect smiled.

"'I assure you that my gendarmes are very worthy fellows; and that among
the gentlemen who compose our clergy there are some of the very
best rank and talent: besides, my wife is niece to one of the
vicars-general.'

"'What have you done with that great Tasso beard that poor Armandine
used to love so?'

"'My wife does not like a beard; and you know that what is permitted to
a student is not very becoming to a magistrate.'

"I began to laugh. 'Harmodius and a magistrate!--how shall I ever couple
the two words together? But tell me, in your correspondences, your
audiences, your sittings with village mayors and petty councils, how do
you manage to remain awake?'

"'In the commencement,' said Harmodius, gravely, 'it WAS very difficult;
and, in order to keep my eyes open, I used to stick pins into my legs:
now, however, I am used to it; and I'm sure I don't take more than fifty
pinches of snuff at a sitting.'

"'Ah! apropos of snuff: you are near Spain here, and were always a
famous smoker. Give me a cigar,--it will take away the musty odor of
these piles of papers.'

"'Impossible, m