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His avarice had long led him to estimate the contents of old Gigonnet's strong-box, for he knew very well they would go in the end to benefit his nephew Baudoyer; and it was therefore important that the latter should obtain a position which would be in keeping with the combined fortunes of the Saillards and the old Gigonnet, which would finally devolve on the Baudoyer's little daughter; and what an heiress she would be with an income of a hundred thousand francs! to what social position might she not aspire with that fortune?
Saillard; how ridiculous you look. Take care, my man, you'll make the woman laugh." "'Madame la comtesse," resumed Saillard. "Is that better, wife?" "Yes, my duck." "'The place of the worthy Monsieur de la Billardiere is vacant; my son-in-law, Monsieur Baudoyer " "'Man of talent and extreme piety," prompted Gaudron. "Write it down, Baudoyer," cried old Saillard, "write that sentence down."
Young La Billardiere, the director's son, placed as supernumerary with Baudoyer, made another member of the clique. The clever heads in the offices laughed much at this alliance of incapables. Bixiou named Baudoyer, Godard, and Dutocq a "Trinity without the Spirit," and little La Billardiere the "Pascal Lamb." "You are early this morning," said Antoine to Dutocq, laughing.
Look here, you, yourself, don't you marry, for there's 'coqu' in your name." Why don't you anagrammatize, or whatever you call it, 'Xavier Rabourdin, chef du bureau'?" Colleville. "Bless you, so I have!" Colleville. Dutocq. "That IS queer!" Bixiou. "Try Isidore Baudoyer." Bixiou. "I'll bet you a breakfast that I can tell that one myself." Colleville. "And I'll pay if you find it out." Bixiou.
There was no means of forcing this barrier; it was necessary to wait till the mounted archers of the watch, for it was they who stopped the way, had passed with the heavy carriage they were escorting, and which ascended rapidly towards the Place Baudoyer. Fouquet and Pelisson took no further account of this circumstance beyond deploring the minute's delay they had thus to submit to.
Pedantic and hypercritical, meddlesome and fault-finding, he was a terror to the clerks under him, whom he worried in their work, enforcing the rules rigorously, and arriving himself with such terrible punctuality that not one of them dared to be a moment late. Baudoyer wore a blue coat with gilt buttons, a chamois waistcoat, gray trousers and cravats of various colors.
"It is just because he is an Auvergnat that I take only eighteen per cent," said Gigonnet, when she spoke of him. Elisabeth determined to husband him for her daughter and train him herself, having, as she calculated, seven years to do it in. Martin Falleix felt and showed the deepest respect for Madame Baudoyer, whose superior qualities he was able to recognize.
"Who is your gentleman, child?" "M. Baudoyer, the mayor of your arrondissement, a man as stupid as the late Crevel; Crevel once financed Gaudissart, you know, and a few days ago he died and left me nothing, not so much as a pot of pomatum. That made me say just now that this age of ours is something sickening." "What did he die of?" "Of his wife. If he had stayed with me, he would be living now.
Allow me to say that this event affords a signal proof to the truth of my axiom that a man's destiny lies in the letters of his name. Baudoyer bowed and remarked piously that names were given in baptism. Monsieur and Madame Baudoyer, senior, father and mother of the new director, were there to enjoy the glory of their son and daughter-in-law.
Dutocq was intimate with Godard, under-head-clerk to Baudoyer, and the high esteem in which Dutocq held Baudoyer was the original cause of his acquaintance with Godard; not that Dutocq was sincere even in this; but by praising Baudoyer and saying nothing of Rabourdin he satisfied his hatred after the fashion of little minds.
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