r,
desirous of giving up the meannesses of retail trade, Madame
Desvarennes, one fine day, sent in a tender for supplying bread to the
military hospitals. It was accepted, and from that time the house ranked
among the most important. On seeing the Desvarennes take their daring
flight, the leading men in the trade had said:
"They have system and activity, and if they do not upset on the way,
they will attain a high position."
But the mistress seemed to have the gift of divination. She worked
surely--if she struck out one way you might be certain that success
was there. In all her enterprises, "good luck" stood close by her; she
scented failures from afar, and the firm never made a bad debt. Still
Michel continued to tremble. The first mill had been followed by many
more; then the old system appeared insufficient to Madame Desvarennes.
As she wished to keep up with the increase of business she had
steam-mills built,--which are now grinding three hundred million francs'
worth of corn every year.
Fortune had favored the house immensely, but Michel continued to
tremble. From time to time when the mistress launched out a new
business, he timidly ventured on his usual saying:
"Wife, you're going to ruin us."
But one felt it was only for form's sake, and that he himself no
longer meant what he said. Madame Desvarennes received this plaintive
remonstrance with a calm smile, and answered, maternally, as to a child:
"There, there, don't be frightened."
Then she would set to work again, and direct with irresistible vigor the
army of clerks who peopled her counting-houses.
In fifteen years' time, by prodigious efforts of will and energy,
Madame Desvarennes had made her way from the lonely and muddy Rue
Neuve-Coquenard to the mansion in the Rue Saint-Dominique. Of the bakery
there was no longer question. It was some time since the business in the
Rue Vivienne had been transferred to the foreman of the shop. The flour
trade alone occupied Madame Desvarennes's attention. She ruled the
prices in the market; and great bankers came to her office and did
business with her on a footing of equality. She did not become any
prouder for it, she knew too well the strength and weakness of life
to have pride; her former plain dealing had not stiffened into
self-sufficiency. Such as one had known her when beginning business,
such one found her in the zenith of her fortune. Instead of a woollen
gown she wore a silk one, but the col
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