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Canalis, excessively delighted at the idea of a rich marriage, was determined to neglect nothing that might help him to cut out La Briere, without, however, giving La Briere a chance to reproach him for having violated the laws of friendship.
"I begin to perceive," said La Briere, smiling, "that there is something poisonous in glory, as there is in certain dazzling flowers." "And then," resumed Canalis, "all these women, even when they are simple-minded, have ideals, and you can't satisfy them.
Modeste, accompanied by her father, the grand equerry, and La Briere, was in the advance, beside the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse whom the Vicomte de Serizy escorted. Behind them rode the Duchesse de Chaulieu, flanked by Canalis, on whom she was smiling without a trace of rancor.
Then, turning over a few more pages, he came at the end of the volume to a few passages collected by Monsieur de la Brière, among them these reflections on the Eucharist culled from a manuscript of the fifteenth century: "Not every man can assimilate this meat; some there be who eat it not, but swallow it down in haste.
"Mongenod told me he felt confidence in the young man who is coming to ask me for my daughter," he thought at last; and at this moment Ernest de La Briere was announced by one of the servants whom Monsieur de La Bastie had attached to himself during the last four years. "You have come, monsieur, from my friend Mongenod?" he said.
"He is my friend," replied Ernest. "Ha, you are the little secretary?" "You are to know, monsieur, that I am no man's secretary. I have the honor to be of counsel to a supreme court of this kingdom." "I have the honor to salute Monsieur de La Briere," said Butscha. "I myself have the honor to be head clerk to Latournelle, chief councillor of Havre, and my position is a better one than yours.
"So, unless mademoiselle is desperately taken with him " "Oh! she was seized with admiration when she saw him, as if he were something marvellous," exclaimed La Briere, letting the secret of his jealousy escape him. "If he is a loyal, honest fellow, and loves her; if he is worthy of her; if he renounces his duchess," said Butscha, "then I'll manage the duchess!
Dukes, princes, commoners, they are all the same to me, even men of genius. I shall make no pledges, and whoever my Modeste chooses will be my son-in-law, or rather my son," he added, looking at La Briere. "It could not be otherwise. Madame de La Bastie is German. She has never adopted our etiquette, and I let my two women lead me their own way.
"I shall never," she said, the evening before the day on which the family were to move into the villa, "find a husband who will put up with my caprices as my father does; his kindness never flags. I am sure no one will ever be as indulgent to me as my precious mother." "They know that you love them, mademoiselle," said La Briere.
After a few general remarks, the great event of the day was brought up. A deputy. "So you lose Rabourdin?" Des Lupeaulx. "He has resigned." Clergeot. "They say he wanted to reform the administration." De la Briere. "According to Monsieur Rabourdin, one hundred clerks with a salary of twelve thousand francs would do better and quicker work than a thousand clerks at twelve hundred." Clergeot.
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