“I thought you managed him despotically.  Let us say no more about it, if you think it so very difficult.”

“The greatest difficulty is that I never see him; and I naturally cannot write to him for such an object.  I should have to watch for an occasion, a chance meeting.  But why don’t you speak of this to Rastignac?  He could give him an order to act at once.”

“Don’t you understand that Rastignac will receive me very ill indeed?  I had assured him, by letter, of success, and now I am forced to report in person our defeat.  Besides, on every account, I would rather owe this service to your friendship.”

“Well, it sha’n’t fail you,” said the colonel, rising.  “I’ll do my best to satisfy you; only, there must be a delay.”

The visit had lasted long, and Maxime felt that a hint was given him to abridge it.  He therefore took leave, putting into his manner a certain coldness which the colonel appeared not to notice.

No sooner had Monsieur de Trailles departed than Franchessini opened a pack of cards and took out the knave of spades.  This he cut up in a curious manner, leaving the figure untouched.  Placing this species of hieroglyphic between two sheets of paper, he consigned it to an envelope.  On this envelope and disguising his hand the colonel wrote as follows:—­

  Monsieur de Saint-Esteve, rue Saint-Anne, near the Quai des
  Orfevres.

That done, he rang the bell and gave orders to put up his carriage, which he had ordered before Maxime’s arrival; after which he went out alone on foot, and threw his singular missive into the first street letter-box that he passed.  He had taken care, before he left the house, to see if it were properly sealed.

II

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN ELEVEN O’CLOCK AND MIDNIGHT

As a result of the elections which had just taken place, the ministry, contrary to expectation, maintained a majority in the Chamber,—­a doubtful and provisional majority which would give it an uncertain and struggling existence.  But, at any rate, it had obtained that merely numerical success which parties seek at any price to prolong their power.  The Te Deum was sung in all its camps,—­a paean which serves as well to celebrate victorious defeats as honest victories.

On the evening of the day when Colonel Franchessini received the visit from Maxime de Trailles, the general result of the elections was made known.  The ministers of the left bank, whose wives received on that day, found their salons crowded, particularly the Comte de Rastignac, the minister of Public Works.

Madame de l’Estorade, too much absorbed in her children to be very exact in the fulfilment of her social duties, had owed a visit to Madame de Rastignac ever since the evening when the minister’s wife had interrupted her conversation with the sculptor apropos of the famous statue.  Monsieur de l’Estorade, zealous conservative as we know already, had insisted that politics and politeness now combined to oblige them both to pay this social debt.  Arriving early, in order to be rid the sooner of such a bore, Madame de l’Estorade found herself seated at the upper end of a circle of women, while the men stood about them conversing.  Her chair was side by side with that of Madame de Rastignac.