“Isn’t she clever, that Elisabeth of mine?” cried Saillard, comprehending more clearly than Monsieur l’abbe the rapid undermining, like the path of a mole, which his daughter had undertaken.
“She sent Godard to Rabourdin’s door to find out what newspaper he takes,” said Gaudron; “and I mentioned the name to the secretary of his Eminence,—for we live at a crisis when the Church and Throne must keep themselves informed as to who are their friends and who their enemies.”
“For the last five days I have been trying to find the right thing to say to his Excellency’s wife,” said Saillard.
“All Paris will read that,” cried Baudoyer, whose eyes were still riveted on the paper.
“Your eulogy costs us four thousand eight hundred francs, son-in-law!” exclaimed Madame Saillard.
“You have adorned the house of God,” said the Abbe Gaudron.
“We might have got salvation without doing that,” she returned. “But if Baudoyer gets the place, which is worth eight thousand more, the sacrifice is not so great. If he doesn’t get it! hey, papa,” she added, looking at her husband, “how we shall have bled!—”
“Well, never mind,” said Saillard, enthusiastically, “we can always make it up through Falleix, who is going to extend his business and use his brother, whom he has made a stockbroker on purpose. Elisabeth might have told us, I think, why Falleix went off in such a hurry. But let’s invent my little speech. This is what I thought of: ‘Madame, if you would say a word to his Excellency—‘”
“‘If you would deign,’” said Gaudron; “add the word ‘deign,’ it is more respectful. But you ought to know, first of all, whether Madame la Dauphine will grant you her protection, and then you could suggest to Madame la comtesse the idea of co-operating with the wishes of her Royal Highness.”
“You ought to designate the vacant post,” said Baudoyer.