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Salvat's approaching arrest took shape, and expanded into an audaciousscheme. Why should he prevent the fall of that big ninny Barroux? Theonly thing of importance was that he, Monferrand, should not fall withhim, or at any rate that he should rise again. So he protested nofurther, but merely mumbled a few words, in which his rebellious feelingseemingly died out. And at last, putting on his good-natured air oncemore, he said: "Well, after all you are perhaps right. One must be brave.Besides, you are our head, my dear President, and we will follow you."They had now again sat down face to face, and their conversationcontinued till they came to a cordial agreement respecting the coursewhich the Government should adopt in view of the inevitableinterpellation on the morrow.
Meantime, Baron Duvillard was on his way to the ministry. He had scarcelyslept that night. When on the return from Montmartre Gerard had set himdown at his door in the Rue Godot-de-Mauroy, he had at once gone to bed,like a man who is determined to compel sleep, so that he may forget hisworries and recover self-control. But slumber would not come; for hoursand hours he vainly sought it. The manner in which he had been insultedby that creature Silviane was so monstrous! To think that she, whom hehad enriched, whose every desire he had contented, should have cast suchmud at him, the master, who flattered himself that he held Paris and theRepublic in his hands, since he bought up and controlled consciences justas others might make corners in wool or leather for the purposes ofBourse speculation. And the dim consciousness that Silviane was theavenging sore, the cancer preying on him who preyed on others, completedhis exasperation. In vain did he try to drive away his haunting thoughts,remember his business affairs, his appointments for the morrow, hismillions which were working in every quarter of the world, the financialomnipotence which placed the fate of nations in his grasp. Ever, and inspite of all, Silviane rose up before him, splashing him with mud. Indespair he tried to fix his mind on a great enterprise which he had beenplanning for months past, a Trans-Saharan railway, a colossal venturewhich would set millions of money at work, and revolutionise the trade ofthe world. And yet Silviane appeared once more, and smacked him on bothcheeks with her dainty little hand, which she had dipped in the gutter.It was only towards daybreak that he at last dozed off, while vowing in afury that he would never see her again, that he would spurn her, andorder her away, even should she come and drag herself at his feet.However, when he awoke at seven, still tired and aching, his firstthought was for her, and he almost yielded to a fit of weakness. The ideacame to him to ascertain if she had returned home, and if so make hispeace. But he jumped out of bed, and after his ablutions he recovered allhis bravery. She was a wretch, and he this time thought himself for evercured of his passion. To tell the truth, he forgot it as soon as heopened the morning newspapers. The publication of the list ofbribe-takers in the "Voix du Peuple" quite upset him, for he had hithertothought it unlikely that Sagnier held any such list. However, he judgedthe document at a glance, at once separating the few truths it containedfrom a mass of foolishness and falsehood. And this time also he did notconsider himself personally in danger. There was only one thing that he
