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"Anditistoyourkindoffices，nodoubt，"saidlaPeyrade，"thatI
shallowethatpreciousresult？"
"Yes，Imayboastofit，"repliedduPortail，"for，inordertotowyouintoportithasbeennecessarytostripyouofyourrigging；
unlessthatweredone，youwouldalwayshavetriedtonavigateunderyourownsailsthebourgeoisshoalsthatyouarenowamong。"
Seeingthathe，undoubtedly，hadtodowithastronghand，laPeyradethoughtbesttomodifyhistone；andso，withamorecircumspectair，hesaid：——
"Youwillallowme，monsieur，toreservemyacknowledgmentsuntilI
receivesomefullerexplanation。"
"Hereyouare，then，"continuedduPortail，"attwenty—eightyearsofage，withoutapenny，virtuallywithoutaprofession；withantecedentsthatarevery——middling；withassociateslikeMonsieurDutocqandthecourageousCerizet；owingtoMademoiselleThuilliertenthousandfrancs，andtoMadameLamberttwenty—fivethousand，whichyouarenodoubtextremelydesiroustoreturntoher；andfinally，thismarriage，yourlasthope，yoursheet—anchor，hasjustbecomeanutterimpossibility。Betweenourselves，ifIhavesomethingreasonabletoproposetoyou，doyounotthinkthatyouhadmuchbetterplaceyourselfatmydisposal？"
"Ihavetimeenoughtoprovethatyouropinionismistaken，"returnedlaPeyrade；"andIshallnotformanyresolutionssolongasthedesignsyouchoosetohaveuponmearenotmorefullyexplained。"
"Youwerespokento，atmyinstigation，aboutamarriage，"resumedduPortail。"Thismarriage，asIthink，iscloselyconnectedwithapastexistencefromwhichacertainhereditaryorfamilydutyhasdevolveduponyou。Doyouknowwhatthatuncleofyours，towhomyouappliedin1829，wasdoinginParis？Inyourfamilyhewasthoughttobeamillionaire；and，dyingsuddenly，youremember，beforeyougottohim，hedidnotleaveenoughforhisburial；apauper’sgravewasallthatremainedtohim。"
"Didyouknowhim？"askedlaPeyrade。
"Hewasmyoldestanddearestfriend，"repliedduPortail。
"Ifthatisso，"saidlaPeyrade，hastily，"asumoftwothousandfrancs，whichIreceivedonmyarrivalinParisfromsomeunknownsource——"
"Camefromme，"repliedduPortail。"Unfortunately，engagedatthetimeinarushofimportantaffairs，whichyoushallhearoflater，I
couldnotimmediatelyfollowupthebenevolentinterestIfeltinyouforyouruncle’ssake；thisexplainswhyIleftyouinthestrawofagarret，whereyoucame，likeamedlar，tothatmaturityofruinwhichbroughtyouunderthehandofaDutocqandaCerizet。"
"Iamnonethelessgratefultoyou，monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade；"andifIhadknownyouwerethatgenerousprotector，whomIwasneverabletodiscover，Ishouldhavebeenthefirsttoseekoccasiontomeetyouandtothankyou。"
"Atrucetocompliments，"saidduPortail；"and，tocomeatoncetotheserioussideofourpresentconference，whatshouldyousayifI
toldyouthatthisuncle，whoseprotectionandassistanceyoucametoParistoobtain，wasanagentofthatoccultpowerwhichhasalwaysbeenthethemeoffeebleridiculeandtheobjectofsillyprejudice？"
"Idonotseizeyourmeaning，"saidlaPeyrade，withuneasycuriosity；
"mayIaskyoutobemoreprecise？"
"Forexample，Iwillsuppose，"continuedduPortail，"thatyouruncle，ifstillliving，weretosaytoyouto—day：’Youareseekingfortuneandinfluence，mygoodnephew；youwanttoriseabovethecrowdandtoplayyourpartinallthegreateventsofyourtime；youwantemploymentforakeen，activemind，fullofresources，andslightlyinclinedtointrigue；inshort，youlongtoexertinsomeupperandelegantspherethatforceofwillandsubtletywhichatpresentyouarewastinginthesillyanduselessmanipulationofthemostbarrenandtough—skinnedanimalonearth，towit：abourgeois。Well，then，loweryourhead，myfinenephew；enterwithmethroughthelittledoorwhichIwillopentoyou；itgivesadmittancetoagreathouse，oftenmaligned，butbetterfarthanitsreputation。Thatthresholdoncecrossed，youcanrisetotheheightofyournaturalgenius，whateveritssparkmaybe。Statesmen，kingseven，willadmityoutotheirmostsecretthoughts；youwillbetheiroccultcollaborator，andnoneofthejoyswhichmoneyandthehighestpowerscanbestowuponamanwillbelackingtoyou。"
"But，monsieur，"objectedlaPeyrade，"withoutventuringtounderstandyou，Imustremarkthatmyunclediedsopoor，youtellme，thatpubliccharityburiedhim。"
"Youruncle，"repliedduPortail，"wasamanofraretalent，buthehadacertainweaksideinhisnaturewhichcompromisedhiscareer。Hewaseagerforpleasure，aspendthrift，thoughtlessforthefuture；hewantedalsototastethosejoysthataremeantforthecommonrunofmen，butwhichforgreat，exceptionalvocationsaretheworstofsnaresandimpediments：Imeanthejoysoffamily。Hehadadaughterwhomhemadlyloved，anditwasthroughherthathisterribleenemiesopenedabreachinhislife，andpreparedthehorriblecatastrophethatendedit。"
"Isthatanencouragementtoenterthisshadypath，where，yousay，hemighthaveaskedmetofollowhim？"
"ButifImyself，"saidduPortail，"shouldoffertoguideyouinit，whatthen？"
"You，monsieur！"saidlaPeyrade，instupefaction。
"Yes，I——Iwhowasyouruncle’spupilatfirst，andlaterhisprotectorandprovidence；I，whoseinfluencethelasthalf—centuryhasdailyincreased；I，whoamwealthy；I，towhomallgovernments，astheyfalloneontopoftheotherslikehousesofcards，cometoaskforsafetyandforthepowertorebuildtheirfuture；I，whoamthemanagerofagreattheatreofpuppets（whereIhaveColumbinesinthestyleofMadamedeGodollo）；I，whoto—morrow，ifitwerenecessarytothesuccessofoneofmyvaudevillesoroneofmydramas，mightpresentmyselftoyoureyesasthewearerofthegrandcordonoftheLegionofhonor，oftheOrderoftheBlackEagle，orthatoftheGoldenFleece。DoyouwishtoknowwhyneitheryounorIwilldieaviolentdeathlikeyouruncle，andalsowhy，morefortunatethancontemporaneouskings，IcantransmitmysceptretothesuccessorwhomImyselfmaychoose？Because，likeyou，myyoungfriend，inspiteofyourSouthernappearance，Iwascold，profoundlycalculating，nevertemptedtolosemytimeontriflesattheoutskirts；becauseheat，whenIwasledbyforceofcircumstancestoemployit，neverwentbelowthesurface。Itismorethanprobablethatyouhaveheardofme；
well，foryouIwillopenawindowinmycloud；lookatme，observemewell；haveIaclovenhoof，oratailattheendofmyspine？Onthecontrary，amInotamodelofthemostinoffensiveofhouseholdersintheSaint—Sulpicequarter？Inthatquarter，whereIhaveenjoyed，I
maysayit，universalesteemforthelasttwenty—fiveyears，IamcalledduPortail；buttoyou，ifyouwillallowme，IshallnownamemyselfCORENTIN。"
"Corentin！"criedlaPeyrade，withterrifiedastonishment。
"Yes，monsieur；andyouseethatintellingyouthatsecretIlaymyhanduponyou，andenlistyou。Corentin！’thegreatestmanofthepoliceinmoderntimes，’astheauthorofanarticleinthe’BiographiesofLivingMen’hassaidofme——astowhomIoughtinjusticetoremarkthathedoesn’tknowathingaboutmylife。"
"Monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade，"IcanassureyouthatIshallkeepthatsecret；buttheplacewhichyouoffermenearyou——inyouremploy——"
"Thatfrightensyou，or，atleast，itmakesyouuneasy，"saidCorentin，quickly。"Beforeyouhaveevenconsideredthethingthewordscaresyou，doesit？Thepolice！POLICE！youareafraidtoencountertheterribleprejudicethatbrandsitonthebrow。"
"Certainly，"saidlaPeyrade，"itisanecessaryinstitution；butIdonotthinkthatitisalwayscalumniated。Ifthebusinessofthosewhomanageitishonorablewhydotheyconcealthemselvessocarefully？"
"Becauseallthatthreatenssociety，whichitisthemissionofthepolicetorepress，"repliedCorentin，"isplottedandpreparedinhiding。Dothievesandconspiratorsputupontheirhats，’IamGuillot，theshepherdofthisflock’？Andwhenweareafterthemmustweringabelltoletthemknowwearecoming？"
"Monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade，"whenasentimentisuniversalitceasestobeaprejudice，itbecomesanopinion；andthisopinionoughttobealawtoeverymanwhodesirestokeephisownesteemandthatofothers。"
"
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