followed so closely
on the death of Monsieur de la Billardiere seemed to give special
importance to the circumstance, which was made known to Monsieur
Saillard, who came at once to confer with Baudoyer. Bixiou, who happened
at the moment to be at work with the latter, left him to converse with
his father-in-law and betook himself to the bureau Rabourdin, where the
usual routine was of course interrupted.

Bixiou [entering]. "I thought I should find you at a white heat! Don't
you know what's going on down below? The virtuous woman is done for!
yes, done for, crushed! Terrible scene at the ministry!"

Dutocq [looking fixedly at him]. "Are you telling the truth?"

Bixiou. "Pray, who would regret it? Not you, certainly, for you will be
made under-head-clerk and du Bruel head of the bureau. Monsieur Baudoyer
gets the division."

Fleury. "I'll bet a hundred francs that Baudoyer will never be head of
the division."

Vimeux. "I'll join in the bet; will you, Monsieur Poiret?"

Poiret. "I retire in January."

Bixiou. "Is it possible? are we to lose the sight of those shoe-ties?
What will the ministry be without you? Will nobody take up the bet on my
side?"

Dutocq. "I can't, for I know the facts. Monsieur Rabourdin is appointed.
Monsieur de la Billardiere requested it of the two ministers on his
death-bed, blaming himself for having taken the emoluments of an office
of which Rabourdin did all the work; he felt remorse of conscience, and
the ministers, to quiet him, promised to appoint Rabourdin unless higher
powers intervened."

Bixiou. "Gentlemen, are you all against me? seven to one,--for I know
which side you'll take, Monsieur Phellion. Well, I'll bet a dinner
costing five hundred francs at the Rocher de Cancale that Rabourdin does
not get La Billardiere's place. That will cost you only a hundred francs
each, and I'm risking five hundred,--five to one against me! Do you take
it up?" [Shouting into the next room.] "Du Bruel, what say you?"

Phellion [laying down his pen]. "Monsieur, may I ask on what you base
that contingent proposal?--for contingent it is. But stay, I am wrong
to call it a proposal; I should say contract. A wager constitutes a
contract."

Fleury. "No, no; you can only apply the word 'contract' to agreements
that are recognized in the Code. Now the Code allows of no action for
the recovery of a bet."

Dutocq. "Proscribe a thing and you recognize it."

Bixiou. "Good! my little man."

Poiret.