police courts. But though the law compels the bankrupt to
appear, it has no power to oblige the creditor to do so. A meeting
of creditors is a ceremony of no real importance except in special
cases,--when, for instance, a swindler is to be dispossessed and a
coalition among the creditors agreed upon, when there is difference of
opinion between the privileged creditors and the unsecured creditors, or
when the _concordat_ is specially dishonest, and the bankrupt is in need
of a deceptive majority. But in the case of a failure when all has
been given up, the meeting is a mere formality. Pillerault went to each
creditor, one after the other, and asked him to give his proxy to his
attorney. Every creditor, except du Tillet, sincerely pitied Cesar,
after striking him down. Each knew that his conduct was scrupulously
honest, that his books were regular, and his business as clear as the
day. All were pleased to find no "gay and illegitimate creditor" among
them. Molineux, first the agent and then the provisional assignee, had
found in Cesar's house everything the poor man owned, even the engraving
of Hero and Leander which Popinot had given him, his personal trinkets,
his breast-pin, his gold buckles, his two watches,--things which an
honest man might have taken without thinking himself less than honest.
Constance had left her modest jewel-case. This touching obedience to
the law struck the commercial mind keenly. Birotteau's enemies called
it foolishness; but men of sense held it up to its true light as a
magnificent supererogation of integrity. In two months the opinion of
the Bourse had changed; every one, even those who were most indifferent,
admitted this failure to be a rare commercial wonder, seldom seen in the
markets of Paris. Thus the creditors, knowing that they were secure
of nearly sixty per cent of their claims, were very ready to do what
Pillerault asked of them. The solicitors of the commercial courts are
few in number; it therefore happened that several creditors employed
the same man, giving him their proxies. Pillerault finally succeeded in
reducing the formidable assemblage to three solicitors, himself, Ragon,
the two assignees, and the commissioner.

Early in the morning of the solemn day, Pillerault said to his nephew,--

"Cesar, you can go to your meeting to-day without fear; nobody will be
there."

Monsieur Ragon wished to accompany his debtor. When the former master of
"The Queen of Roses" first made