were in government employ. Monsieur Scribe's head-librarian was a
clerk in the Treasury.

Besides such information as this, Rabourdin's memorandum contained an
inquiry into the moral and physical capacities and faculties necessary
in those who were to examine the intelligence, aptitude for labor, and
sound health of the applicants for government service,--three
indispensable qualities in men who are to bear the burden of public
affairs and should do their business well and quickly. But this
careful study, the result of ten years' observation and experience,
and of a long acquaintance with men and things obtained by intercourse
with the various functionaries in the different ministries, would
assuredly have, to those who did not see its purport and connection,
an air of treachery and police espial. If a single page of these
papers were to fall under the eye of those concerned, Monsieur
Rabourdin was lost. Sebastien, who admired his chief without
reservation, and who was, as yet, wholly ignorant of the evils of
bureaucracy, had the follies of guilelessness as well as its grace.
Blamed on a former occasion for carrying away these papers, he now
bravely acknowledged his fault to its fullest extent; he related how
he had put away both the memorandum and the copy carefully in a box in
the office where no one would ever find them. Tears rolled from his
eyes as he realized the greatness of his offence.

"Come, come!" said Rabourdin, kindly. "Don't be so imprudent again,
but never mind now. Go to the office very early tomorrow morning; here
is the key of a small safe which is in my roller secretary; it shuts
with a combination lock. You can open it with the word 'sky'; put the
memorandum and your copy into it and shut it carefully."