Yet，Monseigneurhadslowlyfoundthatvulgarembarrassmentscreptintohisaffairs，bothprivateandpublic；andhehad，astobothclassesofaffairs，alliedhimselfperforcewithaFarmer-General。Astofinancespublic，becauseMonseigneurcouldnotmakeanythingatallofthem，andmustconsequentlyletthemouttosomebodywhocould；astofinancesprivate，becauseFarmer-Generalswererich，andMonseigneur，aftergenerationsofgreatluxuryandexpense，wasgrowingpoor。HenceMonseigneurhadtakenhissisterfromaconvent，whiletherewasyettimetowardofftheimpendingveil，thecheapestgarmentshecouldwear，andhadbestowedherasaprizeuponaveryrichFarmer-General，poorinfamily。WhichFarmer-General，carryinganappropriatecanewithagoldenappleonthetopofit，wasnowamongthecompanyintheouterrooms，muchprostratedbeforebymankind——alwaysexceptingsuperiormankindofthebloodofMonseigneur，who，hisownwifeincluded，lookeddownuponhimwiththeloftiestcontempt。
AsumptuousmanwastheFarmer-General。Thirtyhorsesstoodinhisstables，twenty-fourmaledomesticssatinhishalls，sixbody-womenwaitedonhiswife。Asonewhopre-tendedtodonothingbutplunderandforagewherehecould，theFarmer-General——howsoeverhismatrimonialrelationsconducedtosocialmorality——wasatleastthegreatestrealityamongthepersonageswhoattendedatthehotelofMonseigneurthatday。
For，therooms，thoughabeautifulscenetolookat，andadornedwitheverydeviceofdecorationthatthetasteandskillofthetimecouldachieve，were，intruth，notasoundbusiness；consideredwithanyreferencetothescarecrowsintheragsandnightcapselsewhereandnotsofaroff，either，butthatthewatchingtowersofNotreDame，almostequidistantfromthetwoextremes，couldseethemboth，theywouldhavebeenanexceedinglyuncomfortablebusiness——ifthatcouldhavebeenanybody\'sbusiness，atthehouseofMonseigneur。Militaryofficersdestituteofmilitaryknowledge；
navalofficerswithnoideaofaship；civilofficerswithoutanotionofaffairs；brazenecclesiastics，oftheworstworldworldly，withsensualeyes，loosetongues，andlooserlives；alltotallyunfitfortheirseveralcallings，alllyinghorriblyinpretendingtobelongtothem，butallnearlyorremotelyoftheorderofMonseigneur，andthereforefoistedonallpublicemploymentsfromwhichanythingwastobegot；theseweretobetoldoffbythescoreandthescore。PeoplenotimmediatelyconnectedwithMonseigneurortheState，yetequallyunconnectedwithanythingthatwasreal，orwithlivespassedintravellingbyanystraightroadtoanytrueearthlyend，werenolessabundant。Doctorswhomadegreatfortunesoutofdaintyremediesforimaginarydisordersthatneverexisted，smiledupontheircourtlypatientsintheante-chambersofMonseigneur。ProjectorswhohaddiscoveredeverykindofremedyforthelittleevilswithwhichtheStatewastouched，excepttheremedyofsettingtoworkinearnesttorootoutasinglesin，pouredtheirdistractingbabbleintoanyearstheycouldlayholdof，atthereceptionofMonseigneur。UnbelievingPhilosopherswhowereremodellingtheworldwithwords，andmakingcard-towersofBabeltoscaletheskieswith，talkedwithunbelievingChemistswhohadaneyeonthetransmutationofmetals，atthiswonderfulgatheringaccumulatedbyMonseigneur。Exquisitegentlemenofthefinestbreeding，whichwasatthatremarkabletime-andhasbeensince——tobeknownbyitsfruitsofindifferencetoeverynaturalsubjectofhumaninterest，wereinthemostexemplarystateofexhaustion，atthehotelofMonseigneur。SuchhomeshadthesevariousnotabilitiesleftbehindtheminthefineworldofParis，thatthespiesamongtheassembleddevoteesofMonseigneur——formingagoodlyhalfofthepolitecompany——wouldhavefoundithardtodiscoveramongtheangelsofthatsphereonesolitarywife，who，inhermannersandappearance，ownedtobeingaMother。Indeed，exceptforthemereactofbringingatroublesomecreatureintothisworld——whichdoesnotgofartowardstherealisationofthenameofmother——therewasnosuchthingknowntothefashion。Peasantwomenkepttheunfashionablebabiesclose，andbroughtthemup，andcharminggrandmammasofsixtydressedandsuppedasattwenty。
TheleprosyofunrealitydisfiguredeveryhumancreatureinattendanceuponMonseigneur。Intheoutermostroomwerehalfadozenexceptionalpeoplewhohadhad，forafewyears，somevaguemisgivinginthemthatthingsingeneralweregoingratherwrong。Asapromisingwayofsettingthemright，halfofthehalf-dozenhadbecomemembersofafantasticsectofConvulsionists，andwereeventhenconsideringwithinthemselveswhethertheyshouldfoam，rage，roar，andturncatalepticonthespot——therebysettingupahighlyintelligiblefinger-posttotheFuture，forMonseigneur\'sguidance。BesidestheseDervishes，wereotherthreewhohadrushedintoanothersect，whichmendedmatterswithajargonabout`theCentreofTruth\'