“Who knows whether they are not right, at the bureaux? … But reassure
yourself, my dear abbé, I do not abandon you. Let’s see, whom have we
on our side?”
He opened his left hand, in order to count on his fingers.
They both considered.
They found a senator of the department who was beginning to emerge
from the difficulties into which the recent scandals had plunged him,
a retired general, politician, publicist and financier, the bishop of
Ecbatana, well known in the artistic world, and Théophile Mayer, the
friend of the ministers.
“But, my dear Guitrel,” cried the _préfet_, “you have only the rag-tag
and bobtail on your side.”
Abbé Guitrel endured these manners, but he did not like them. He
looked at the _préfet_ with a saddened air and pressed his sinuous
lips together. M. Worms-Clavelin, who had no spite, regretted the
playfulness of his words and took pains to console the old man:
“Come! come! they are by no means the worst protectors. Besides, my
wife is for you. And Noémi by herself is well able to make a bishop.”
[Illustration]
THE WORKS OF
ANATOLE FRANCE
IN AN ENGLISH
TRANSLATION EDITED
BY THE LATE FREDERIC
CHAPMAN, J. LEWIS MAY
AND BERNARD MIALL
Uniform, Demy 8vo.