toss the ministerial portfolios exactly as the man behind the
puppet-show hits Punch against the constable in his street theatre, and
counts on always getting paid. This man existed only by Marcas, but he
had just brains enough to appreciate the value of his "ghost" and to
know that Marcas, if he ever came to the front, would remain there,
would be indispensable, while he himself would be translated to the
polar zone of Luxembourg. So he determined to put insurmountable
obstacles in the way of his Mentor's advancement, and hid his purpose
under the semblance of the utmost sincerity. Like all mean men, he
could dissimulate to perfection, and he soon made progress in the ways
of ingratitude, for he felt that he must kill Marcas, not to be killed
by him. These two men, apparently so united, hated each other as soon
as one had deceived the other.

The politician was made one of a ministry; Marcas remained in the
opposition to hinder his man from being attacked; nay, by skilful
tactics he won him the applause of the opposition. To excuse himself
for not rewarding his subaltern, the chief pointed out the
impossibility of finding a place suddenly for a man on the other side,
without a great deal of manoeuvring. Marcas had hoped confidently for
a place to enable him to marry, and thus acquire the qualification he
so ardently desired. He was two-and-thirty, and the Chamber ere long
must be dissolved. Having detected his man in this flagrant act of bad
faith, he overthrew him, or at any rate contributed largely to his
overthrow, and covered him with mud.

A fallen minister, if he is to rise again to power, must show that he
is to be feared; this man, intoxicated by Royal glibness, had fancied
that his position would be permanent; he acknowledged his
delinquencies; besides confessing them, he did Marcas a small money