'It fascinates me,' I said to him--for, unless a man is an absolute fool, he can't help asking himself: 'Why should he care to do us all this good ?' So I told him frankly that in working for his interests, I flattered myself I was working for my own, as I'll explain to you later.

If he wishes to be deputy, two things are absolutely necessary: to comply with the law as to property, and to win for his name some sort of public celebrity.

If I myself push my devotion to the point of helping him to write a book on public financiering--or anything else, no matter what--which would give him that celebrity, I ought also to think of the other matter, his property--it would be absurd to expect you to give him this house--" "For my brother?
Why, I'd put it in his name to-morrow," cried Brigitte.
"You don't know me." "I don't know you thoroughly," said la Peyrade, "but I do know things about you which now make me regret that I did not tell you the whole affair from its origin; I mean from the moment when I conceived the plan to which Thuillier will owe his nomination.

He will be hunted down by envy and jealousy, and the task of upholding him will be a hard one; we must, however, get the better of his rivals and take the wind out of their sails." "But this affair," said Brigitte, "what are the difficulties ?" "Mademoiselle, the difficulties lie within my own conscience.

Assuredly, I could not serve you in this matter without first consulting my confessor.