"Uncle Antoine," said Gabriel, "as you are so talkative this morning,
just tell us what you think a clerk really ought to be."

"A government clerk," replied Antoine, gravely, "is a man who sits in
a government office and writes. But there, there, what am I talking
about? Without the clerks, where should we be, I'd like to know? Go
along and look after your stoves and mind you never say harm of a
government clerk, you fellows. Gabriel, the stove in the large office
draws like the devil; you must turn the damper."

Antoine stationed himself at a corner of the landing whence he could
see all the officials as they entered the porte-cochere; he knew every
one at the ministry, and watched their behavior, observing narrowly
the contrasts in their dress and appearance.

The first to arrive after Sebastien was a clerk of deeds in
Rabourdin's office named Phellion, a respectable family-man. To the
influence of his chief he owed a half-scholarship for each of his two
sons in the College Henri IV.; while his daughter was being educated
gratis at a boarding school where his wife gave music lessons and he
himself a course of history and one of geography in the evenings. He
was about forty-five years of age, sergeant-major of his company in
the National Guard, very compassionate in feeling and words, but
wholly unable to give away a penny. Proud of his post, however, and
satisfied with his lot, he applied himself faithfully to serve the
government, believed he was useful to his country, and boasted of his
indifference to politics, knowing none but those of the men in power.
Monsieur Rabourdin pleased him highly whenever he asked him to stay
half an hour longer to finish a piece of work. On such occasions he
would say, when he reached home, "Public affairs detained me; when a