“And as tobacco bureaus!  Well, I wish to have more morality than that in State affairs.  I like giving, but I know how to refuse,” said Vaudrey.

“That will be easy enough so long as you are popular and solid in Parliament; but on the day that it is clearly proved that such and such a future minister can make himself more useful than you to the personal interests of everybody—­and there are such ministers in sight—­”

“Granet, yes, I know!  He promises more butter than bread, to cry quits later in giving more dry crusts than fresh butter.  But I don’t care to deceive any one.”

“As you please, Monsieur le Ministre, as you please,” answered Warcolier, in a mocking and gentle tone.

Sulpice did not like this man.  He was a phrase-maker.  He had a vague feeling that this Warcolier who in public affected strictly severe principles was privately undermining him and that he yielded to favors in order to win support.  It was enough for the minister to discourage coarse, greedy ambitions, provided that the Under Secretary of State encouraged unsavory, eager hopes by shrewd smiles and silence that assented to all that was desired.  This little underhand work going on in his office was unknown to Vaudrey; he did not know that out of every refusal he gave, Warcolier secured friends; but he maintained a watchful distrust for this republican who had become so stanch a supporter of the Republic only since that form of government had triumphed.  Besides, what had he to fear?  The President of the Council, Monsieur Collard, of Nantes, had the unbounded confidence of the head of the State and of the Chamber; and he was Collard’s intimate friend.  The majority of the cabinet was compact.  The perfect calm of the horizon was undisturbed by a cloud.  Vaudrey could rule without fear, without excitement and give all his spare time to that woman whose piercing glance, wandering smile, palpitating nostrils, dishevelled, fair hair, kisses, fondness, cries, and tones pursued him everywhere.

Marianne, how he loved her!  From day to day, how his love of her increased like a madman’s!  It seemed to him that he suddenly found himself in the presence of the only woman who could possibly understand him, and in the only world in which he could live; his petty bourgeois, sensual inexperience flourished in the little hotel of the courtesan.

He had doubtless loved; often enough he had thought himself once more in love; the poor grisettes, to whom he had written in verse, as he might have sung songs to them, were gone from his thoughts, though they had occupied his heart for a short time.  He had profoundly loved her who bore his name, perhaps he loved her still as warmly, as sincerely—­the unfortunate man!—­as of old.  He sometimes recalled with tearful eye, how his whole frame trembled with love in the presence of that young girl who had given herself entirely to him, in all her trust and sincerity, in all her candor, and all her chastely-timid