"Perfectly. Each one of us declared: 'I intend to succeed; to make a name and station for myself; and I ask only five years to do it in.'" "Exactly; and we agreed then to meet again here at the end of five years, in order to find out whether we had succeeded and had reached our respective goals." "Very good." "Now, let each of us in turn tell where he stands, and whether he has arrived at the goal which he had in view.--Begin, Philémon." "Oh, yes! it's Dubotté's place to begin, because he's the dean in years. Go on, fascinating blond." "Dean in years! I'm not so sure of that." "Pshaw! between ourselves, there's no use in prevaricating; we all knew one another's ages at school." "True; but we're not at school now." "Ha! ha! that's good, that is; it ought to be framed. Dubotté, you are well over thirty-one." "Not very much; only three months." "That makes you thirty-one and a quarter." "You're at least twenty-eight yourself, Dodichet." "I don't conceal my age: I am twenty-seven and a half, Adhémar twenty-nine, and Lucien twenty-six; he's the youngest of the lot. So far, so good. I move that Phœbus proceed." "All right.--Messieurs, I have no reason to complain of destiny. Having obtained a position in the Interior Department, where my assiduity, my zeal, and my fine handwriting procured me rapid promotion, I soon married; I found a very attractive young lady, who had a good-sized dowry; I was introduced to her; she liked me and declared that she would be happy to marry a man employed in the Interior Department. Our nuptials were celebrated. I have every reason to congratulate myself: my wife adores me, she sees only through my eyes. My emoluments are respectable; I am able to live pleasantly; so that I might fairly say that I have arrived, that my position is assured; but no, messieurs, I have not yet reached the height to which I aspire. For I am ambitious: I want to be a sub-prefect, or at least the head of a bureau; but I hope to arrive before long. _Dixi._" "Heard and noted. Now it is Adhémar's turn."