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"Donotstayhere，monsieur，"saidCorentin。"Gointomystudy；Iwillcometoyoupresently。"
Afewminuteslater，aftergivingLydieintothecareofKatteandBruneau，anddespatchingPerracheforDoctorBianchon，CorentinrejoinedlaPeyrade。
"Youseenow，monsieur，"hesaidwithsolemnity，"thatinpursuingwithasortofpassiontheideaofthismarriage，Iwasfollowing，inasense，thewaysofGod。"
"Monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade，withcompunction，"Iwillconfesstoyou——"
"Useless，"saidCorentin；"youcantellmenothingthatIdonotknow；
I，onthecontrary，havemuchtotellyou。OldPeyrade，youruncle，inthehopeofearningaPOTforthisdaughterwhomheidolized，enteredintoadangerousprivateenterprise，thenatureofwhichIneednotexplain。Inithemadeenemies；enemieswhostoppedatnothing，——
murder，poison，rape。Toparalyzeyouruncle’sactionbyattackinghiminhisdearestspot，Lydiewas，notabducted，butenticedfromherhomeandtakentoahouseapparentlyrespectable，wherefortendaysshewaskeptconcealed。Shewasnotmuchalarmedbythisdetention，beingtoldthatitwasdoneatherfather’swish，andshespenthertimewithhermusic——youremember，monsieur，howshesang？"
"Oh！"exclaimedlaPeyrade，coveringhisfacewithhishands。
"ItoldyouyesterdaythatyoumightperhapshavemoreuponyourconsciencethantheThuillierhouse。Butyouwereyoung；youhadjustcomefromyourprovince，withthatbrutality，thatfrenzyofSouthernbloodinyourveinswhichflingsitselfuponsuchanoccasion。
Besides，yourrelationshipbecameknowntothosewhowerepreparingtheruinofthisnewClarissaHarlowe，andIamwillingtobelievethananablerandbettermanthanyoumightnothaveescapedtheentanglementintowhichyoufell。Happily，Providencehasgrantedthatthereisnothingabsolutelyirreparableinthishorriblehistory。Thesamepoison，accordingtotheusethatismadeofit，maygiveeitherdeathorhealth。"
"But，monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade，"shallInotalwaysbetoheranobjectofhorror？"
"Thedoctor，monsieur，"saidKatte，openingthedoor。
"HowisMademoiselleLydie？"askedlaPeyrade，eagerly。
"Verycalm，"repliedKatte。"Justnow，whenweputhertobed，——thoughshedidnotwanttogo，sayingshefeltwell，——Itookherthebundleoflinen，butshetoldmetotakeitaway，andaskedwhatImeanthertodowithit。"
"Yousee，"saidCorentin，graspingtheProvencal’shand，"youarethelanceofAchilles。"
AndhelefttheroomwithKattetoreceiveDoctorBianchon。
Leftalone，Theodosewasapreytothoughtswhichmayperhapsbeimagined。Afterawhilethedooropened，andBruneau，theoldvalet，usheredinCerizet。SeeinglaPeyrade，thelatterexclaimed：——
"Ha！ha！Iknewit！IknewyouwouldendbyseeingduPortail。Andthemarriage，——howdoesthatcomeon？"
"Whatareyoudoinghere？"askedlaPeyrade。
"Somethingthatconcernsyou；orrather，somethingthatwemustdotogether。DuPortail，whoistoobusytoattendtobusinessjustnow，hassentmeinheretoseeyou，andconsultastothebestmeansofputtingaspokeinThuillier’selection；itseemsthatthegovernmentisdeterminedtopreventhiswinningit。Haveyouanyideasaboutit？"
"No，"repliedlaPeyrade；"andIdon’tfeelinthemoodjustnowtobeimaginative。"
"Well，here’sthesituation，"saidCerizet。"Thegovernmenthasanothercandidate，whichitdoesn’tyetproduce，becausetheministerialnegotiationswithhimhavebeenratherdifficult。DuringthistimeThuillier’schanceshavebeenmakingheadway。Minard，onwhomtheycountedtocreateadiversion，sits，thestupidfool，inhiscorner；theseizureofthatpamphlethasgivenyourblockheadofaprotegeacertainperfumeofpopularity。Inshort，theministryareafraidhe’llbeelected，andnothingcouldbemoredisagreeabletothem。Pompousimbeciles，likeThuillier，arehorriblyembarrassingintheOpposition；theyarepitcherswithouthandles；youcan’ttakeholdofthemanywhere。"
"MonsieurCerizet，"saidlaPeyrade，beginningtoassumeaprotectingtone，andwishingtodiscoverhislateassociate’splaceinCorentin’sconfidence，"youseemtoknowagooddealaboutthesecretintentionsofthegovernment；haveyoufoundyourwaytoacertaindeskintheruedeGrenelle？"
"No。AllthatItellyou，"saidCerizet，"IgetfromduPortail。"
"Ahca！"saidlaPeyrade，loweringhisvoice，"whoISduPortail？Youseemtohaveknownhimforsometime。Amanofyourforceoughttohavediscoveredtherealcharacterofamanwhoseemstometoberathermysterious。"
"Myfriend，"repliedCerizet，"duPortailisaprettystrongman。He’sanoldslyboots，whohashadsomepost，Ifancy，intheadministrationofthenationaldomain，orsomethingofthatkind，undergovernment；
inwhich，Ithink，hemusthavebeenemployedinthedepartmentssuppressedundertheEmpire。"
"Yes？"saidlaPeyrade。
"That’swhereIthinkhemadehismoney，"continuedCerizet；"andbeingashrewdoldfellow，andhavinganaturaldaughtertomarry，hehasconcoctedthisphilanthropictaleofherbeingthedaughterofanoldfriendnamedPeyrade；andyournamebeingthesamemayhavegivenhimtheideaoffasteninguponyou——for，afterall，hehastomarryhertosomebody。"
"Yes，that’sallverywell；buthiscloserelationswiththegovernment，andtheinteresthetakesinelections，howdoyouexplainallthat？"
"Naturallyenough，"repliedCerizet。"DuPortailisamanwholovesmoney，andlikestohandleit；hehasdoneRastignac，thatgreatmanipulatorofelections，whois，Ithink，hiscompatriot，severalsignalservicesasanamateur；Rastignac，inreturn，giveshiminformation，obtainedthroughNucingen，whichenableshimtogambleattheBourse。"
"Didhehimselftellyouallthis？"askedlaPeyrade。
"Whatdoyoutakemefor？"returnedCerizet。"Withthatworthyoldfellow，fromwhomIhavealreadywormedapromiseofthirtythousandfrancs，Iplaytheninny；Iflattenmyselftonothing。ButI’vemadeBruneautalk，thatoldvaletofhis。Youcansafelyallyyourselftohisfamily，mydearfellow；duPortailispowerfullyrich；he’llgetyoumadesub—prefectsomewhere；andthencetoaprefectureandafortuneisbutonestep。"
"Thanksfortheinformation，"saidlaPeyrade；"atleast，Ishallknowonwhichfoottohop。Butyouyourself，howcameyoutoknowhim？"
"Oh！that’squiteahistory；bymyhelphewasabletogetbackalotofdiamondswhichhadbeenstolenfromhim。"
AtthismomentCorentinenteredtheroom。
"Alliswell，"hesaidtolaPeyrade。"Therearesignsofreturningreason。Bianchon，towhomIhavetoldall，wishestoconferwithyou；
therefore，mydearMonsieurCerizet，wewillpostponeuntilthisevening，ifyouarewilling，ourlittlestudyovertheThuillierelection。"
"Well，sohereyouhavehim，atlast！"saidCerizet，slappinglaPeyrade’sshoulder。
"Yes，"saidCorentin，"andyouknowwhatIpromised；youmayrelyonthat。"
Cerizetdepartedjoyful。
CHAPTERXVI
CHECKMATETOTHUILLIER
Thedayafterthatevening，whenCorentin，laPeyrade，andCerizetweretohavehadtheirconsultationinreferencetotheattackonThuillier’scandidacy，thelatterwasdiscussingwithhissisterBrigittetheletterinwhichTheodosedeclinedthehandofCeleste，andhismindseemedparticularlytodwellonthepostscriptwhereitwasintimatedthatlaPeyrademightnotcontinuetheeditorofthe"EchodelaBievre。"AtthismomentHenri，the"maledomestic，"
enteredtheroomtoaskifhismasterwouldreceiveMonsieurCerizet。
Thuillier’sfirstimpulsewastodenyhimselftothatunwelcomevisitor。Then，thinkingbetterofit，hereflectedthatiflaPeyradesuddenlylefthiminthelurch，Cerizetmightpossiblyproveapreciousresource。Consequently，heorderedHenritoshowhimin。Hismanner，however，wasextremelycold，andinsomesortexpectant。AsforCerizet，hepresentedhimselfwithouttheslightestembarrassmentandwiththeairofamanwhohadcalculatedalltheconsequencesofthestephew
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