“Saillard.—The office of cashier to be suppressed in all the ministries; their accounts to be kept in future at the Treasury. Saillard is rich and does not need a pension.
“Do you want to hear about your son-in-law?” [Turns over the leaves.] “Here he is” [reads]:—
“Baudoyer.—Utterly incapable. To be thanked and dismissed. Rich; does not need a pension.
“And here’s for Godard” [reads]:—
“Godard.—Should be dismissed; pension one-third of his present salary.
“In short, here we all are. Listen to what I am” [reads]: “An artist who might be employed by the civil list, at the Opera, or the Menus-Plaisirs, or the Museum. Great deal of capacity, little self-respect, no application,—a restless spirit. Ha! I’ll give you a touch of the artist, Monsieur Rabourdin!”
Saillard. “Suppress cashiers! Why, the man’s a monster?”
Bixiou. “Let us see what he says of our mysterious Desroys.” [Turns over the pages; reads.]
“Desroys.—Dangerous; because he cannot be shaken in principles that are subversive of monarchial power. He is the son of the Conventionel, and he admires the Convention. He may become a very mischievous journalist.”
Baudoyer. “The police are not worse spies!”