could never be promoted if the latter succeeded La Billardiere. Though
he knew himself incapable of important work, Dutocq was well aware
that in a government office incapacity was no hindrance to
advancement; La Billardiere's own appointment over the head of so
capable a man as Rabourdin had been a striking and fatal example of
this. Wickedness combined with self-interest works with a power
equivalent to that of intellect; evilly disposed and wholly
self-interested, Dutocq had endeavoured to strengthen his position by
becoming a spy in all the offices. After 1816 he assumed a marked
religious tone, foreseeing the favor which the fools of those days
would bestow on those they indiscriminately called Jesuits. Belonging
to that fraternity in spirit, though not admitted to its rites, Dutocq
went from bureau to bureau, sounded consciences by recounting immoral
jests, and then reported and paraphrased results to des Lupeaulx; the
latter thus learned all the trivial events of the ministry, and often
surprised the minister by his consummate knowledge of what was going
on. He tolerated Dutocq under the idea that circumstances might some
day make him useful, were it only to get him or some distinguished
friend of his out of a scrape by a disgraceful marriage. The two
understood each other well. Dutocq had succeeded Monsieur Poiret the
elder, who had retired in 1814, and now lived in the pension Vanquer
in the Latin quarter. Dutocq himself lived in a pension in the rue de
Beaune, and spent his evenings in the Palais-Royal, sometimes going to
the theatre, thanks to du Bruel, who gave him an author's ticket about
once a week. And now, a word on du Bruel.

Though Sebastien did his work at the office for the small compensation
we have mentioned, du Bruel was in the habit of coming there to
advertise the fact that he was the under-head-clerk and to draw his
salary. His real work was that of dramatic critic to a leading