“But how will you manage all this?” cried Thuillier, fascinated.

“You shall know in good time; but you must let me conduct this long and difficult affair; if you commit the slightest indiscretion as to what is said, or planned, or agreed between us, I shall have to drop the whole matter, and good-bye to you!”

“Oh! you can rely on the absolute dumbness of a former sub-director; I’ve had secrets to keep.”

“That’s all very well; but these are secrets to keep from your wife and sister, and from Monsieur and Madame Colleville.”

“Not a muscle of my face shall reveal them,” said Thuillier, assuming a stolid air.

“Very good,” continued Theodose.  “I shall test you.  In order to make yourself eligible, you must pay taxes on a certain amount of property, and you are not paying them.”

“I beg your pardon; I’m all right for the municipal council at any rate; I pay two francs ninety-six centimes.”

“Yes, but the tax on property necessary for election to the chamber is five hundred francs, and there is no time to lose in acquiring that property, because you must prove possession for one year.”

“The devil!” cried Thuillier; “between now and a year hence to be taxed five hundred francs on property which—­”

“Between now and the end of July, at the latest, you must pay that tax.  Well, I feel enough interest in you to tell you the secret of an affair by which you might make from thirty to forty thousand francs a year, by employing a capital of one hundred and fifty thousand at most.  I know that in your family it is your sister who does your business; I am far from thinking that a mistake; she has, they tell me, excellent judgment; and you must let me begin by obtaining her good-will and friendship, and proposing this investment to her.  And this is why:  If Mademoiselle Thuillier is not induced to put faith in my plan, we shall certainly have difficulty with her.  Besides, it won’t do for you to propose to her that she should put the investment of her money in your name.  The idea had better come from me.  As to my means of getting you elected to the municipal council, they are these:  Phellion controls one quarter of the arrondissement; he and Laudigeois have lived in it these thirty years, and they are listened to like oracles.  I have a friend who controls another quarter; and the rector of Saint-Jacques, who is not without influence, thanks to his virtues, disposes of certain votes.  Dutocq, in his close relation to the people, and also the justice of peace, will help me, above all, as I’m not acting for myself; and Colleville, as secretary of the mayor’s office, can certainly manage to obtain another fourth of the votes.”

“You are right!” cried Thuillier.  “I’m elected!”

“Do you think so?” said la Peyrade, in a voice of the deepest sarcasm.  “Very good! then go and ask your friend Colleville to help you, and see what he’ll say.  No triumph in election cases is ever brought about by the candidate himself, but by his friends.  He should never ask anything himself for himself; he must be invited to accept, and appear to be without ambition.”