the second from the sides, the third from the belly. I confide to you
these trade secrets because you are men of honor. But whether a man
has hare's-skin or silk on his head, fifteen or thirty francs in
short, the problem is always insoluble. Hats must be paid for in cash,
and that is why the hat remains what it is. The honor of vestural
France will be saved on the day that gray hats with round crowns can
be made to cost a hundred francs. We could then, like the tailors,
give credit. To reach that result men must resolve to wear buckles,
gold lace, plumes, and the brims lined with satin, as in the days of
Louis XIII. and Louis XIV. Our business, which would then enter the
domain of fancy, would increase tenfold. The markets of the world
should belong to France; Paris will forever give the tone to women's
fashions, and yet the hats which all Frenchmen wear to-day are made in
every country on earth! There are ten millions of foreign money to be
gained annually for France in that question--"

"A revolution!" cried Bixiou, pretending enthusiasm.

"Yes, and a radical one; for the form must be changed."

"You are happy after the manner of Luther in dreaming of reform," said
Leon.

"Yes, monsieur. Ah! if a dozen or fifteen artists, capitalists, or
dandies who set the tone would only have courage for twenty-four hours
France would gain a splendid commercial battle! To succeed in this
reform I would give my whole fortune! Yes, my sole ambition is to
regenerate the hat and disappear."

"The man is colossal," said Gazonal, as they left the shop; "but I