Minard's son, who has twelve thousand francs a year of his own, could very well find a wife elsewhere, instead of pushing his speculating rake in here.

What fun it would be to play upon those people as one would on a bass-viol or a clarionet!" While the dishes of the second course were being removed, Minard, afraid that Phellion would precede him, said to Thuillier with a grave air:-- "My dear Thuillier, in accepting your dinner, I did so for the purpose of making an important communication, which does you so much honor that all here present ought to be made participants in it." Thuillier turned pale.
"Have you obtained the cross for me ?" he cried, on receiving a glance from Theodose, and wishing to prove that he was not without craft.
"You will doubtless receive it ere long," replied the mayor.

"But the matter now relates to something better than that.

The cross is a favor due to the good opinion of a minister, whereas the present question concerns an election due to the consent of your fellow citizens.

In a word, a sufficiently large number of electors in your arrondissement have cast their eyes upon you, and wish to honor you with their confidence by making you the representative of this arrondissement in the municipal council of Paris; which, as everybody knows, is the Council-general of the Seine." "Bravo!" cried Dutocq.
Phellion rose.
"Monsieur le maire has forestalled me," he said in an agitated voice, "but it is so flattering for our friend to be the object of eagerness on the part of all good citizens, and to obtain the public vote of high and low, that I cannot complain of being obliged to come second only; therefore, all honor to the initiatory authority!" (Here he bowed respectfully to Minard.) "Yes, Monsieur Thuillier, many electors think of giving you their votes in that portion of the arrondissement where I keep my humble penates; and you have the special advantage of being suggested to their minds by a distinguished man." (Sensation.) "By a man in whose person we desired to honor one of the most virtuous inhabitants of the arrondissement, who for twenty years, I may say, was the father of it.