"Certainly; men who resemble you are rather scarce." And Fouché fixed his eyes on the becoming figure of the pastor. "I know that you are very intelligent, and you can express yourself clearly and explicitly."
"It is certainly advantageous to have received a classical education," said Michel, with a modest air, although he was in fact highly gratified by the compliment.
"Besides, I can put complete confidence in you, whilst with the generality"——
The door of the cabinet opened, and an usher informed the minister that the first consul required his presence at the Tuileries immediately.
Fouché bundled a number of papers into a portfolio with all the haste of a man who fears to lose a minute.
"As to me, as to me?" said the poor pastor, who with terror beheld him preparing to leave without any definite promise.
"Hold," said the minister, writing hastily two lines on a scrap of paper, "take this to Desmarest, chief of division." He then hurried to his carriage and drove away.
The pastor had barely read these words, "Desmarest is to employ Michel Perrin, and to pay him liberally," when in the utmost delight, he proceeded to the office of the functionary mentioned, and the order which he brought procured his immediate admission.
The citizen Desmarest, who appeared to him to assume more importance than the minister himself, inasmuch as he had not been his class-fellow, took the paper, read it, and without offering him a seat, asked him if he was the person named Michel Perrin.