"Don't you want to be the wife of a Keeper of the Seals?"

"Ah! that's all nonsense," said Cecile, laughing.

"But I assure you," persisted Ernestine, "that just before you came in
Monsieur Godivet, the registrar, was declaring with enthusiasm that
Simon would be Keeper of the Seals in three years."

"Do they count on the influence of the Comte de Gondreville?" asked
the sub-prefect, coming up to the two girls and guessing that they
were making fun of his friend Giguet.

"Ah! Monsieur Antonin," said the handsome Ernestine, "you who promised
my mother to find out all about the _stranger_, what have you heard
about him?"

"The events of to-day, Mademoiselle, are so much more important," said
Antonin, taking a seat beside Cecile, like a diplomat delighted to
escape general attention by conversing with two girls. "All my career
as sub-prefect or prefect is at stake."

"What! I thought you allowed your friend Simon to be nominated
unanimously."

"Simon is my friend, but the government is my master, and I expect to
do my best to prevent Simon from being elected. And here comes Madame
Mollot, who owes me her concurrence as the wife of a man whose
functions attach him to the government."

"I am sure we ask nothing better than to be on your side," replied the