"Your dear little Celeste," replied la Peyrade. "My love for her
will be a pledge to you of my devotion. What would I not do for a
_father-in-law_! This is pure selfishness; I shall be working for
myself."

"Hush!" cried Thuillier.

"Eh, my friend!" said la Peyrade, catching Thuillier round the body;
"if I hadn't Flavie on my side, and if I didn't know _all_ should I
venture to be talking to you thus? But please say nothing to Flavie
about this; wait till she speaks to you. Listen to me; I'm of the
metal that makes ministers; I do not seek to obtain Celeste until I
deserve her. You shall not be asked to give her to me until the day
when your election as a deputy of Paris is assured. In order to be
deputy of Paris, we must get the better of Minard; and in order to
crush Minard you must keep in your own hands all your means of
influence; for that reason use Celeste as a hope; we'll play them off,
these people, against each other and fool them all--Madame Colleville
and you and I will be persons of importance one of these days. Don't
think me mercenary. I want Celeste without a 'dot,' with nothing more
than her future expectations. To live in your family with you, to keep
my wife in your midst, that is my desire. You see now that I have no
hidden thoughts. As for you, my dear friend, six months after your
election to the municipal council, you will have the cross of the
Legion of honor, and when you are deputy you will be made an officer
of it. As for your speeches in the Chamber--well! we'll write them
together. Perhaps it would be desirable for you to write a book,--a
serious book on matters half moral and philanthropic, half political;
such, for instance, as charitable institutions considered from the