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Nevertheless, the house of l'Estorade had done its best; the cupboards had been ransacked, and its last man beaten up for the dinner, which was served to us on old silver dishes, blackened and battered. The exile, my darling pet, is like the railing, emaciated! He is pale and silent, and bears traces of suffering. At thirty-seven he might be fifty.
But I shall write to the president of the Chamber, and in case any questions regarding my absence should arise, may I ask Monsieur de l'Estorade to do me the favor of stating that, to his knowledge, I have been absolutely forced by sufficient reasons to absent myself?
Monsieur de l'Estorade knew that Sallenauve was far too wise to be the dupe of any artifices he might have used to bring about his introduction to the minister. He therefore went straight to the point, and soon after Rastignac's arrival he slipped his arm through that of the statesman, and, approaching the deputy, said to him,
"I did," said Monsieur de l'Estorade, rather eagerly, seizing the occasion to put another star to his reputation for prophecy; "from the first political conversation that I had with him I said and Monsieur de Ronquerolles is here to bear me out that I was surprised at the ability and the breadth of aim he manifested."
"The color doesn't surprise me," replied Philippe; "for since Madame's death monsieur has not laid off his mourning; but I do think three seals are rather strange." "Very well," said Monsieur de l'Estorade; "I will give the letter to my wife." "If there should be anything in it to ease my mind about monsieur, would Monsieur le comte be so kind as to let me know?" said Philippe.
"Why, when you expressed so effusively your gratitude to Monsieur de Sallenauve. When I advised you not to avoid him, for fear it would induce him to keep at your heels, I never intended that you should shower your regard upon his head in a way to turn it. The wife of so zealous a dynastic partisan as Monsieur de l'Estorade ought to know what the juste milieu is by this time."
I acknowledge that in the restless and agitated state of mind in which I then was, the sort of belief which Monsieur de l'Estorade appeared to give to the scandal which he mentioned caused me great displeasure and some surprise.
Seeing the cloud on her husband's brow, Madame de l'Estorade hastened to explain the double object of the organist's visit, and she gave him the letter of the new deputy. While he was reading it, Madame de l'Estorade said, aside, to Monsieur de Camps, "He seems to me much better, don't you think so?" "Yes; there's scarcely a trace left of what we saw this morning.
"Oh! my dear," cried Rastignac, "here's the session about to open, and we really must not take these disdainful airs toward the elect of the nation. Besides which, you will get into difficulties with madame, who, I am told, is the protectress of one of these sovereigns of late date." "I?" said Madame de l'Estorade, rather surprised, and blushing a little.
The old l'Estorade and his son have moreover redoubled their devotion to me; I am like a new person to them. Every time they see me and speak to me, it is with a fresh holiday joy, which touches me deeply. The grandfather has, I verily believe, turned child again; he looks at me admiringly, and the first time I came down to lunch he was moved to tears to see me eating and suckling the child.
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