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from the mess in which they were. However, a faint smile, still playedaround his lips, and at last as if vanquished he sought no further."There's no help for it," said he, "the ministry's down."The others exchanged glances, full of anxiety at the thought of another[domain] dealing with the African Railways affair. A Vignon [domain] woulddoubtless plume itself on behaving honestly."Well, then, what shall we do?"But just then the telephone rang, and Monferrand rose to respond to thesummons: "Allow me."
He listened for a moment and then spoke into the tube, nothing that hesaid giving the others any inkling of the information which had reachedhim. This had come from the Chief of the Detective Police, and was to theeffect that Salvat's whereabouts in the Bois de Boulogne had beendiscovered, and that he would be hunted down with all speed. "Very good!
And don't forget my orders," replied Monferrand.Now that Salvat's arrest was certain, the Minister determined to followthe plan which had gradually taken shape in his mind; and returning tothe middle of the room he slowly walked to and fro, while saying with hiswonted familiarity: "But what would you have, my friends? It would benecessary for me to be the master. Ah! if I were the master! A Commissionof Inquiry, yes! that's the proper form for a first-class funeral to takein a big affair like this, so full of nasty things. For my part, I shouldconfess nothing, and I should have a Commission appointed. And then youwould see the storm subside."
Duvillard and Fonsegue began to laugh. The latter, however, thanks to hisintimate knowledge of Monferrand, almost guessed the truth. "Justlisten!" said he; "even if the ministry falls it doesn't necessarilyfollow that you must be on the ground with it. Besides, a ministry can bemended when there are good pieces of it left."Somewhat anxious at finding his thoughts guessed, Monferrand protested:"No, no, my dear fellow, I don't play that game. We are jointlyresponsible, we've got to keep together, dash it all!""Keep together! Pooh! Not when simpletons purposely drown themselves!
And, besides, if we others have need of you, we have a right to save youin spite of yourself! Isn't that so, my dear Baron?"Then, as Monferrand sat down, no longer protesting but waiting,Duvillard, who was again thinking of his passion, full of anger at therecollection of Barroux' refusal, rose in his turn, and exclaimed: "Why,certainly! If the ministry's condemned let it fall! What good can you getout of a ministry which includes such a man as Taboureau! There you havean old, worn-out professor without any prestige, who comes to Paris fromGrenoble, and has never set foot in a theatre in his life! Yet thecontrol of the theatres is handed over to him, and naturally he's everdoing the most stupid things!"
Monferrand, who was well informed on the Silviane question, remainedgrave, and for a moment amused himself by trying to excite the Baron."Taboureau," said he, "is a somewhat dull and old-fashioned Universityman, but at the department of Public Instruction he's in his properelement."
"Oh! don't talk like that, my dear fellow! You are more intelligent than
