Bixiou [standing with his back to the stove and holding up the sole of each boot alternately to dry at the open door].  “This morning, at half-past seven, I went to inquire after our most worthy and respectable director, knight of the order of Christ, et caetera, et caetera.  Yes, gentlemen, last night he was a being with twenty et caeteras, to-day he is nothing, not even a government clerk.  I asked all particulars of his nurse.  She told me that this morning at five o’clock he became uneasy about the royal family.  He asked for the names of all the clerks who had called to inquire after him; and then he said:  ’Fill my snuff-box, give me the newspaper, bring my spectacles, and change my ribbon of the Legion of honor,—­it is very dirty.’  I suppose you know he always wore his orders in bed.  He was fully conscious, retained his senses and all his usual ideas.  But, presto! ten minutes later the water rose, rose, rose and flooded his chest; he knew he was dying for he felt the cysts break.  At that fatal moment he gave evident proof of his powerful mind and vast intellect.  Ah, we never rightly appreciated him!  We used to laugh at him and call him a booby—­didn’t you, Monsieur Godard?”

Godard.  “I?  I always rated Monsieur de la Billardiere’s talents higher than the rest of you.”

Bixiou.  “You and he could understand each other!”

Godard.  “He wasn’t a bad man; he never harmed any one.”

Bixiou.  “To do harm you must do something, and he never did anything. 
If it wasn’t you who said he was a dolt, it must have been Minard.”

Minard [shrugging his shoulders].  “I!”

Bixiou.  “Well, then it was you, Dutocq!” [Dutocq made a vehement gesture of denial.] “Oh! very good, then it was nobody.  Every one in this office knew his intellect was herculean.  Well, you were right.  He ended, as I have said, like the great man that he was.”

Desroys [impatiently].  “Pray what did he do that was so great? he had the weakness to confess himself.”

Bixiou.  “Yes, monsieur, he received the holy sacraments.  But do you know what he did in order to receive them?  He put on his uniform as gentleman-in-ordinary of the Bedchamber, with all his orders, and had himself powdered; they tied his queue (that poor queue!) with a fresh ribbon.  Now I say that none but a man of remarkable character would have his queue tied with a fresh ribbon just as he was dying.  There are eight of us here, and I don’t believe one among us is capable of such an act.  But that’s not all; he said,—­for you know all celebrated men make a dying speech; he said,—­stop now, what did he say?  Ah! he said, ’I must attire myself to meet the King of Heaven,—­I, who have so often dressed in my best for audience with the kings of earth.’  That’s how Monsieur de la Billardiere departed this life.  He took upon himself to justify the saying of Pythagoras, ’No man is known until he dies.’”

Colleville [rushing in].  “Gentlemen, great news!”