flame-colored ribbons; attended by Despleins, the King's surgeon, and
young doctor Bianchon, flanked by two old female relatives, surrounded
by phials of all kinds, bandages, appliances, and various mortuary
instruments, and watched over by the curate of Saint-Roch, who was
advising him to think of his salvation.

La Billardiere's division occupied the upper floor of a magnificent
mansion, in which the vast official ocean of a ministry was contained.
A wide landing separated its two bureaus, the doors of which were duly
labelled. The private offices and antechambers of the heads of the two
bureaus, Monsieur Rabourdin and Monsieur Baudoyer, were below on the
second floor, and beyond that of Monsieur Rabourdin were the
antechamber, salon, and two offices of Monsieur de la Billardiere.

On the first floor, divided in two by an entresol, were the living
rooms and office of Monsieur Ernest de la Briere, an occult and
powerful personage who must be described in a few words, for he well
deserves the parenthesis. This young man held, during the whole time
that this particular administration lasted, the position of private
secretary to the minister. His apartment was connected by a secret
door with the private office of his Excellency. A private secretary is
to the minister himself what des Lupeaulx was to the ministry at
large. The same difference existed between young La Briere and des
Lupeaulx that there is between an aide-de-camp and a chief of staff.
This ministerial apprentice decamps when his protector leaves office,
returning sometimes when he returns. If the minister enjoys the royal
favor when he falls, or still has parliamentary hopes, he takes his
secretary with him into retirement only to bring him back on his
return; otherwise he puts him to grass in some of the various
administrative pastures,--for instance, in the Court of Exchequer,