I showed him the letter the reader has seen. "And I am keeping it as a model," I continued, putting it back into my pocket again. "As a model of what?" "Of diplomatic lying and of stupid sycophancy." "Come, that is strong language!" "True, but one ought to call a spade a spade." "However that may be, let us drop the subject and speak of your position here." "That is equivalent to discussing castles in the air." "I do not refer to your past position, for I am well aware that you would decline to remain in the household under the old conditions; neither do we desire you to do so.... You must have leisure for your work." "Continue, my lord Mæcenas, speak in the name of Augustus; I am listening." "No, on the contrary it is for you to speak. What do you desire?" "I? I desired success and I have had it. I do not want anything else." "But what can we do that will be agreeable to you?" "Not a great deal." "Nevertheless, there must be some position in the house you would like." "There is none I covet; but there is one post that would suit my convenience." "Which is that?" "To be M. Casimir Delavigne's colleague at the library." Oudard's facial muscles twitched with an expression indicative of, "You are indeed ambitious, my friend." "Oh! indeed I quite understand the difficulties," I said. "You see," Oudard continued, "we already have Vatout and Casimir, a librarian and assistant librarian." "Of course, and that is ample, is it not, when there is no library?" For, as a matter of fact, the library of the Duc d'Orléans, at that time especially, was very inferior. "What do you mean by no library?" Oudard exclaimed; for, like the servant of a curé, he could not bear to have his master's house depreciated. "We have three thousand volumes!" "You are mistaken, my dear Oudard: there are three thousand and four; for I saw the _Mémoires de Dumouriez_, which had just come from London, in the house of M. le Duc d'Orléans, the day before yesterday." I gave the thrust good-humouredly, and so Oudard took it. He could not ward it off without acknowledging himself hit: he continued-- "Well, well, you are wonderfully clever, my friend; I will convey to monseigneur your desire to become attached to the household as librarian." I stopped him. "Stay, let us quite understand one another, Oudard." "I do not wish for anything better." "Did you not ask me to come to you?" "Certainly." "It was not I who came on my own initiative?" "No." "I should not have come if you had not written to me." "That would have been very remiss on your part." "Possibly; but, all the same, I did not come. Now you talk of a desire: I have not expressed any; it is not I who desire to remain attached to the household. If they want to keep me, they must make me librarian; as to salary, they need not give me any. You see I am making things exceedingly easy for His Royal Highness." "Ah! are you always going to be wilful?"