Sooner or later, necessity would bring him to accept conditions instead of imposing them.
The real, but carefully concealed character of Raoul Nathan is of a piece with his public career.

He is a comedian in good faith, selfish as if the State were himself, and a very clever orator.

No one knows better how to play off sentiments, glory in false grandeurs, deck himself with moral beauty, do honor to his nature in language, and pose like Alceste while behaving like Philinte.

His egotism trots along protected by this cardboard armor, and often almost reaches the end he seeks.

Lazy to a superlative degree, he does nothing, however, until he is prodded by the bayonets of need.