But I had an object apart from these
considerations. You know my political prepossessions. In this
matter, I act as a partisan of the lady concerned. For eighteen months
the Minister has had her in his power. She has now him in hers; since,
being unaware that the letter is not in his possession, he will
proceed with his exactions as if it was. Thus will he inevitably
commit himself, at once, to his political destruction. His downfall,
too, will not be more precipitate than awkward. It is all very well to
talk about the facilis descensus Averni; but in all kinds of climbing,
as Catalani said of singing, it is far more easy to get up than to
come down. In the present instance I have no sympathy --at least no
pity --for him who descends. He is the monstrum horrendum, an
unprincipled man of genius. I confess, however, that I should like
very well to know the precise character of his thoughts, when, being
defied by her whom the Prefect terms 'a certain personage,' he is
reduced to opening the letter which I left for him in the card-rack."
"How? did you put any thing particular in it?"
"Why --it did not seem altogether right to leave the interior
blank --that would have been insulting. D--, at Vienna once, did me an
evil turn, which I told him, quite good-humoredly, that I should
remember.
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