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Contents
PREFACE xxi

part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory


Challenges 1
CHAPTER 1 Supervision Definitions 2
Key Concepts 2
Chapter Outcomes 3
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 4
Organizations and Their Levels 4
What Common Characteristics Do All Organizations Have? 5
What Are the Organizational Levels? 5
The Management Process 6
What Is Management? 6
What Are the Four Management Functions? 7
Do Management Functions Differ by Organizational Levels? 8
Changing Expectations of Supervisors 8
What Roles Do Supervisors Play? 8
Comprehension Check 1-1 9
Are Supervisors More Important in Today’s Organizations? 9
Does a Supervisor Need to Be a Coach? 10
Transition from Employee to Supervisor 10
Where Do Supervisors Come From? 11
Is the Transition to Supervisor Difficult? 11
Do You Really Want to Be a Supervisor? 13
Supervisory Competencies 13
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Becoming
a Supervisor 14
What Is Technical Competence? 14
News Flash! The Supervisor’s Role in Modern Organizations 15
How Do Interpersonal Competencies Help? 16
What Is Conceptual Competence? 16
Why Must One Have Political Competence? 16
How Do Competencies Shift by Managerial Level? 17
From Concepts to Skills 18
What Is a Skill? 18
What Else Is Critical for Me to Know About Supervising? 19
Comprehension Check 1-2 20
Enhancing Understanding 21
Summary 21
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 21
Key Concept Crossword 22
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 23
Getting to Know Yourself 23
Building a Team 23
Mentoring Others 23
Thinking Critically 24
vii
viii Contents

CHAPTER 2 Supervision Challenges 26


Key Concepts 26
Chapter Outcomes 27
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 28
Global Competitiveness 29
Is There Such a Thing as “Buy American”? 29
How Does Globalization Affect Supervisors? 30
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Who Owns What? 31
Technology Enhancements 31
News Flash! The Cultural Variables 32
What Is Technology? 33
How Does Technology Change the Supervisor’s Job? 33
E-Business at Work 34
What Is an E-Business? 34
What Changes Can Supervisors Expect from E-Business? 35
Comprehension Check 2-1 36
Working in a Diverse Organization 37
What Is Workforce Diversity? 37
How Does Diversity Affect Supervisors? 37
Changing How Business Operates 39
Why Are Organizations Doing More with Less? 40
Why the Emphasis on Continuous-Improvement Programs? 40
How Does Work Process Engineering Differ from Continuous Improvement? 41
What Are the Supervisory Implications of Downsizing, Contingent Workforces,
Continuous-Improvement Programs, and Work Process Engineering? 42
Thriving on Chaos 43
From Chaos to Crisis 44
The Good and Profitable Organization 45
What Is a Socially Responsible Organization? 46
How Do We Act Responsibly? 46
What Is Ethics? 47
Comprehension Check 2-2 49
Enhancing Understanding 50
Summary 50
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 51
Key Concept Crossword 52
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 54
Getting to Know Yourself 54
Building a Team 54
Guidelines for Acting Ethically 54
Thinking Critically 55

part 2 Planning, Organizing, Staffing,


Controlling, and Decision Making 57
CHAPTER 3 Planning and Goal Setting 58
Key Concepts 58
Chapter Outcomes 59
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 60
What Is Formal Planning? 61
Contents ix

Productivity 61
What Is Productivity? 61
News Flash! The Downsides of Planning 62
Why Is Productivity Important to the United States? 63
Planning and Level in the Organization 64
What Is the Breadth of Planning? 64
How Do Planning Time Frames Differ? 64
How Are Plans and Supervisory Levels Linked? 64
Can Continuous-Improvement Programs Be a Help in Planning? 65
Key Planning Guides 67
What Are Standing Plans? 67
What Are Single-Use Plans? 68
Comprehension Check 3-1 69
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) From the Past to
the Present 73
Goal Setting 74
How Were Goals Set in Years Past? 74
What Is the Key to Making Goal Setting Effective? 74
Why Might Goal Setting Work for You? 75
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy for Your Followers 75
Balanced Scorecard: The Natural Evolution of Goal Setting? 76
A Special Case of Planning: The Entrepreneurial Supervisor 76
What Is Entrepreneurship? 76
Do Entrepreneurs Possess Similar Characteristics? 77
How Do Entrepreneurs Compare with Traditional Supervisors? 78
Comprehension Check 3-2 79
Enhancing Understanding 80
Summary 80
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 80
Key Concept Crossword 81
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 82
Getting to Know Yourself 82
Building a Team 82
Setting Goals 82
Thinking Critically 83

CHAPTER 4 Organizing 86
Key Concepts 86
Chapter Outcomes 87
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 88
What Is Organizing? 89
Basic Organizing Concepts 89
What Is Work Specialization? 89
What Is the Span of Control? 90
What Is the Chain of Command? 91
What Is Authority? 92
News Flash! Obeying Authority 93
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Return to Yesteryear 94
Where Are Decisions Made? 95
What Are the Five Ways to Departmentalize? 96
Comprehension Check 4-1 98
From Departmentalization to Structure 99
A Simple Structure 99
The Functional Structure 100
The Divisional Structure 100
x Contents

The Matrix Organization 101


Team-Based Structures 102
The Boundaryless Organization 102
The Learning Organization 103
Organizing Your Employees 104
How Do You Identify the Tasks to Be Done? 104
What Is the Purpose of Job Descriptions? 104
Empowering Others Through Delegation 105
What Is Delegation? 105
Isn’t Delegation Abdication 106
Comprehension Check 4-2 107
Enhancing Understanding 108
Summary 108
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 108
Key Concept Crossword 109
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 110
Getting to Know Yourself 110
Building a Team 110
Delegating 110
Thinking Critically 112

CHAPTER 5 Staffing and Recruiting 114


Key Concepts 114
Chapter Outcomes 115
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 116
The Legal Environment of HRM 118
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Is It Safe? 120
Employment Planning 121
How Does a Supervisor Conduct an Employee Assessment? 121
How Are Future Employee Needs Determined? 121
Recruitment and Selection 121
Where Do Supervisors Look to Recruit Candidates? 121
How Does a Supervisor Handle Layoffs? 123
Is There a Basic Premise to Selecting Job Candidates? 124
How Effective Are Tests and Interviews as Selection Devices? 125
News Flash! The Realistic Job Preview 127
Preparation for the Interview 127
Interview Questions You Shouldn’t Ask 128
Interview Questions You Should Ask 128
Comprehension Check 5-1 129
Orientation, Training, and Development 129
How Do You Introduce New Hires to the Organization? 129
What Is Employee Training? 130
Performance Appraisals 132
Compensation and Benefits 132
How Are Pay Levels Determined? 132
Why Do Organizations Offer Employee Benefits? 133
Current Issues in Human Resource Management 133
Workforce Diversity 133
What Is Sexual Harassment? 133
How Do “Survivors” Respond to Layoffs? 135
Comprehension Check 5-2 136
Enhancing Understanding 137
Summary 137
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 137
Key Concept Crossword 138
Contents xi

Developing Your Supervisory Skills 139


Getting to Know Yourself 139
Building a Team 139
Interviewing 140
Thinking Critically 140

CHAPTER 6 Controlling 142


Key Concepts 142
Chapter Outcomes 143
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 144
The Control Process 145
How Do You Measure Actual Performance? 146
How Do You Compare Results with Standards? 147
When Should Corrective Action Be Taken? 149
Types of Controls 150
What Is Preventive Control? 150
When Are Concurrent Controls Used? 151
What Is Corrective Control? 151
The Focus of Control 151
News Flash! On the Rocks 152
Comprehension Check 6-1 153
What Costs Should You Control? 153
Why Pay Attention to Inventories? 154
What Is Value Chain Management? 155
Why the Focus on Quality? 156
What Are the Characteristics of Effective Controls? 157
Can Controls Create Problems? 158
Contemporary Control Issues 160
Is Employee Theft Increasing? 160
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Out with E-Mail 161
What Is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? 162
Comprehension Check 6-2 163
Enhancing Understanding 164
Summary 164
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 164
Key Concept Crossword 165
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 166
Getting to Know Yourself 166
Building a Team 166
Establishing Budgets 166
Thinking Critically 168

CHAPTER 7 Problem Analysis and Decision Making 170


Key Concepts 170
Chapter Outcomes 171
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 172
The Decision-Making Process 173
How Do You Identify the Problem? 173
How Do You Collect Relevant Information? 174
How Do You Develop Alternatives? 174
How Do You Evaluate Each Alternative? 174
How Do You Select the Best Alternative? 175
How Do You Implement the Decision? 175
How Do You Follow Up and Evaluate? 176
Decision Tools 176
What Are the Conditions of Decision Making? 176
xii Contents

What Is the Expected Value Analysis? 176


How Are Decision Trees Useful? 177
What Is Marginal Analysis? 178
Decision-Making Styles 178
What Are the Four Decision-Making Styles? 178
What’s the Point of These Four Decision-Making Styles? 179
Are Common Errors Committed in the Decision-Making Process? 179
Comprehension Check 7-1 181
Problems Versus Decisions 181
News Flash! Global Decision Making 182
How Do Problems Differ? 182
What Is the Difference Between Programmed and Nonprogrammed Decisions? 182
Group Decision Making 183
What Are the Advantages of Group Decisions? 183
Are There Disadvantages to Group Decision Making? 184
Is There a Guide for When to Use Group Decision Making? 185
How Can You Improve Group Decision Making? 185
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) The Value of Diversity in
Decision Making 186
Ethics in Decision Making 187
What Are Common Rationalizations? 187
What Are the Three Views on Ethics? 188
Is There a Guide to Acting Ethically? 189
Comprehension Check 7-2 189
Enhancing Understanding 190
Summary 190
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 190
Key Concept Crossword 191
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 192
Getting to Know Yourself 192
Building a Team 192
Becoming More Creative 193
Thinking Critically 194

part 3 Motivating, Leading, Communicating,


and Developing 197
CHAPTER 8 Motivating Followers 198
Key Concepts 198
Chapter Outcomes 199
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 200
What Is Motivation? 201
Understanding Individual Differences 202
Can Personality Types Help Predict Practical Work-Related Behaviors? 202
Do You Need to Develop Your Emotional Intelligence to Improve Your
Supervision Skills? 203
How Can an Understanding of Personality Help You Be a More Effective
Supervisor? 203
The Early Theories of Motivation 204
How Do You Focus on Needs? 204
Do Supervisors Focus on the Nature of People? 205
What Effect Does the Organization Have on Motivation? 205
Contents xiii

Comprehension Check 8-1 207


Contemporary Theories of Motivation 207
What Is a Focus on Achievement? 207
How Important Is Equity? 208
Do Employees Really Get What They Expect? 209
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Motivated to Do
What? 210
How Do You Create an Atmosphere in Which Employees Really Want to
Work? 211
Designing Motivating Jobs 212
Motivation Challenges for Today’s Supervisors 214
What Is the Key to Motivating a Diverse Workforce? 214
Should Employees Be Paid for Performance or Time on the Job? 215
How Can Supervisors Motivate Minimum-Wage Employees? 216
What’s Different in Motivating Professional and Technical Employees? 217
What Can a Supervisor Do to Improve Employees’ Work–Life Balance? 218
News Flash! The Growing Urgency for Work–Life Balance 219
How Can Employee Stock Ownership Plans Affect Motivation? 219
Comprehension Check 8-2 220
Enhancing Understanding 221
Summary 221
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 221
Key Concept Crossword 222
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 223
Getting to Know Yourself 223
Building a Team 223
Designing Jobs 223
Thinking Critically 224

CHAPTER 9 Leading Followers 226


Key Concepts 226
Chapter Outcomes 227
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 228
Understanding Leadership 229
Are Leaders Born or Made? 229
What Are the Traits of Successful Leaders? 229
What Is This Thing Called Charisma? 230
What Is Visionary Leadership? 232
Comprehension Check 9-1 233
How Do You Become a Leader? 234
Why Does a Leader Need Technical Skills? 234
How Do Conceptual Skills Affect Your Leadership? 234
How Do Networking Skills Make You a Better Leader? 235
What Role Do Human Relations Skills Play in Effective Leadership? 235
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Growing Leaders 236
Leadership Behaviors and Styles 237
What Is Task-Centered Behavior? 237
What Are People-Centered Behaviors? 238
What Behavior Should You Exhibit? 239
Effective Leadership 239
Contemporary Leadership Roles 240
Do Credibility and Trust Really Matter? 240
News Flash! National Culture Could Affect Your Leadership Style 241
Why Are Credibility and Trust Important? 242
What If You Play Favorites? 242
How Can You Lead Through Empowerment? 243
xiv Contents

Leadership Issues Today 243


What Are Transactional and Transformational Leaders? 243
What Is Team Leadership? 244
What Is E-Leadership? 245
Is Leadership Always Relevant? 245
Comprehension Check 9-2 246
Enhancing Understanding 247
Summary 247
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 247
Key Concept Crossword 248
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 249
Getting to Know Yourself 249
Building a Team 249
Mentoring Others 249
Thinking Critically 250

CHAPTER 10 Communicating Effectively 252


Key Concepts 252
Chapter Outcomes 253
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 254
What Is Communication? 256
The Communication Process 256
Methods of Communication 257
How Do You Communicate Orally? 258
Why Do You Use Written Communication? 258
Something to Think About (and to promote class discussion) Do Women and
Men Communicate Differently? 258
Is Electronic Communication More Efficient? 259
What Issues Are Created by IM and Text Messaging? 259
How Does Nonverbal Communication Affect Your Communication? 261
What Is the Grapevine? 261
Barriers to Effective Communication 263
How Does Language Affect Communication? 263
What Did You Say? 264
Did You Get My Message? 264
Do You See What I See? 264
What Do Roles Have to Do with Communication? 264
Comprehension Check 10-1 265
Is There a Preferred Information Medium? 265
How Does Honesty Affect Communication? 266
How Can You Improve Your Communication Effectiveness? 266
A Special Communication Skill: Active Listening 269
News Flash! Communication Differences in the Global Village 270
The Importance of Feedback Skills 270
What’s the Difference Between Positive Feedback and Feedback for Improvement? 270
How Do You Give Effective Feedback? 271
Comprehension Check 10-2 272
Enhancing Understanding 273
Summary 273
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 273
Key Concept Crossword 274
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 275
Getting to Know Yourself 275
Building a Team 275
Active Listening 276
Thinking Critically 277
Contents xv

CHAPTER 11 Developing Groups 280


Key Concepts 280
Chapter Outcomes 281
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 282
What Is a Group? 282
Why Do People Join Groups? 283
Understanding Informal Workgroups 284
What Are Norms and How Do They Affect Work Behavior? 284
News Flash! Solomon Asch and Group Conformity 285
Are Cohesive Groups More Effective? 286
What Is an Emergent Leader? 286
How Can Informal Groups Be Helpful? 287
Are There Ways to Influence the Informal Workgroup? 287
Comprehension Check 11-1 288
The Increasing Use of Teams 289
Turning Groups into Teams 289
The Five-Stage Model of Group Development 290
A Model of Development for Deadline-Driven Ad Hoc Groups 292
How Do You Build Effective Teams? 293
Team Challenges for Supervisors 294
What Obstacles Exist in Creating Effective Teams? 294
Something to Think About (and to promote class discussion) Fast
Times! 295
How Can Team Obstacles Be Overcome? 296
Contemporary Team Issues 298
Why Are Teams Central to Continuous-Improvement Programs? 298
How Does Workforce Diversity Affect Teams? 298
Comprehension Check 11-2 299
Enhancing Understanding 300
Summary 300
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 300
Key Concept Crossword 301
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 302
Getting to Know Yourself 302
Building a Team 302
Developing Your Coaching Skills 303
Thinking Critically 303

part 4 Appraisal, Safety, Negotiation,


Change, and Labor Relations 305
CHAPTER 12 Performance Appraisal 306
Key Concepts 306
Chapter Outcomes 307
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 308
The Purpose of Employee Performance Appraisals 310
When Should Appraisals Occur? 310
What Is Your Role in Performance Appraisals? 311
What Are the Legal Issues in Performance Appraisals? 314
Are There Appropriate Criteria for Appraising Performance? 314
How Do You Gather Performance Data? 315
xvi Contents

Performance Appraisal Methods 315


What Are the Absolute-Standards Measurements? 316
How Do You Use Relative Standards? 318
Comprehension Check 12-1 319
Objectives 320
Potential Problems in Performance Appraisals 320
What Is Leniency Error? 320
How Do Halo Errors Affect Appraisals? 321
What Is Similarity Error? 321
What Is Recency Error? 321
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Evaluating Students 321
How Does Central Tendency Error Affect Appraisals? 322
Are You Inclined to Use Inflationary Pressures? 322
How Can You Overcome the Hurdles? 322
Responding to Performance Problems 325
News Flash! Performance Appraisals in Contemporary Organizations 325
What Do You Need to Know About Counseling Employees? 326
Is Your Action Ethical? 326
Comprehension Check 12-2 327
Enhancing Understanding 328
Summary 328
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 328
Key Concept Crossword 329
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 330
Getting to Know Yourself 330
Building a Team 330
Conducting a Performance Evaluation 330
Thinking Critically 332

CHAPTER 13 Workplace Health and Safety 334


Key Concepts 334
Chapter Outcomes 335
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 336
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 338
What Are the OSHA Enforcement Priorities? 338
How Does a Supervisor Keep OSHA Records? 339
What Are the OSHA Punitive Actions? 341
Does OSHA Work? 342
News Flash! OSHA and Needlesticks 344
Comprehension Check 13-1 344
Job Safety Programs 345
What Causes Work-Related Accidents? 345
How Can Accidents Be Prevented? 345
How Do Supervisors Ensure Job Safety? 345
A Special Case of Safety: Workplace Violence 346
Maintaining a Healthy Work Environment 348
How Do You Create a Smoke-Free Environment? 348
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Save Lives, Save Money:
Make Your Business Smoke-Free 349
What Are Repetitive Stress Injuries? 350
Stress 350
Are There Common Causes of Stress? 351
What Are the Symptoms of Stress? 352
How Can Stress Be Reduced? 352
Helping the Whole Employee 352
Where Did EAPs Come From? 352
Why Provide Wellness Programs? 353
Contents xvii

Comprehension Check 13-2 354


Enhancing Understanding 355
Summary 355
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 355
Key Concept Crossword 356
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 357
Getting to Know Yourself 357
Building a Team 357
Developing Safety Skills 357
Thinking Critically 358

CHAPTER 14 Conflict, Politics, Discipline, and Negotiation 360


Key Concepts 360
Chapter Outcomes 361
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 362
What Is Conflict? 363
Is All Conflict Bad? 363
Where Do Conflicts Come From? 364
How Do You Manage Conflict? 364
What Resolution Techniques Can You Use? 365
Which Conflicts Do You Handle? 366
How Do You Choose the Appropriate Resolution Technique? 366
How Do You Stimulate Conflict? 367
How Cautiously Should You Proceed in Stimulating Conflict? 368
Comprehension Check 14-1 369
Understanding Organizational Politics 369
What Is Politics? 369
Why Does Politics Exist in Organizations? 370
Can You Play Politics and Still Be Ethical? 371
How Do You Know When You Should Play Politics? 371
News Flash! Status in Organizations 372
The Disciplinary Process 373
What Types of Discipline Problems Might You Face? 374
Is Discipline Always the Solution? 375
Basic Tenets of Discipline 375
How Do You Lay the Groundwork for Discipline? 375
How Do You Make Discipline Progressive? 377
What Factors Should You Consider in Discipline? 378
What About the Law? 378
Negotiation 379
How Do Bargaining Strategies Differ? 380
How Do You Develop Effective Negotiation Skills? 381
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Hand Me a Towel 382
Comprehension Check 14-2 383
Enhancing Understanding 384
Summary 384
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 384
Key Concept Crossword 385
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 386
Getting to Know Yourself 386
Building a Team 386
Disciplining an Employee 388
Thinking Critically 390

CHAPTER 15 Change Management 392


Key Concepts 392
Chapter Outcomes 393
xviii Contents

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 394


The Forces for Change 395
What Are the External Forces Creating a Need for Change? 395
News Flash! EA Sports 396
What Are the Internal Forces Creating a Need for Change? 396
How Can Supervisors Serve as Change Agents? 397
Two Views of the Change Process 397
What Is the Traditional View of Change? 398
What Is the Contemporary View of Change? 398
Will You Face a World of Constant and Chaotic Change? 399
Why Do People Resist Change? 399
How Can You Overcome Resistance to Change? 400
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Robot Doc 402
Comprehension Check 15-1 402
Stimulating Innovation 403
How Are Creativity and Innovation Related? 403
What Is Involved in Innovation? 404
How Can a Supervisor Foster Innovation? 405
Comprehension Check 15-2 406
Enhancing Understanding 407
Summary 407
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 407
Key Concept Crossword 408
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 409
Getting to Know Yourself 409
Building a Team 409
Thinking Critically 410

CHAPTER 16 Supervision and Labor 412


Key Concepts 412
Chapter Outcomes 413
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 414
What Is Labor Relations? 414
Why Do Employees Join Unions? 415
Labor Legislation 418
The Wagner Act 418
The Taft-Hartley Act 419
Other Laws Affecting Labor–Management Relations 419
Comprehension Check 16-1 420
How Are Employees Unionized? 421
Collective Bargaining 422
What Are the Objective and Scope of Collective Bargaining? 422
News Flash! When the Union Arrives 423
What Is the Collective Bargaining Process? 424
What Happens When Agreement Cannot Be Reached? 426
Something to Think About (and promote class discussion) Can Boeing Shift the
Work? 428
Comprehension Check 16-2 429
Enhancing Understanding 430
Summary 430
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 430
Key Concept Crossword 431
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 432
Getting to Know Yourself 432
Building a Team 432
Resolving a Grievance 433
Thinking Critically 434
Contents xix

POSTSCRIPT Personal Development 436


Introduction 436
What Is a Career? 437
How Do I Make a Career Decision? 437
Can I Increase My Chances for Getting into the Organization? 438
Where Can I Find Jobs Advertised on the Internet? 439
Preparing a Résumé 439
Excelling at the Interview 440
Some Suggestions for Developing a Successful Career 441
A Final Word 443

GLOSSARY 445

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD PUZZLES 455

INDEX 465

PHOTO CREDITS 475


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Preface
Welcome to the seventh edition of Supervision Today! We continue to present this
book in a way that our users have found useful. Many of you helped make the previous
editions of this book a resounding success. In this edition, we continue that trend and
make your reading experience even better.
In our quest to make this the most complete supervision text currently available,
we’ve taken into account feedback from our readers. We continue to present a book that
focuses on the basic elements of supervision—one that covers the essential and traditional
concepts in effectively supervising employees; that has a strong applied, practical, and skill
focus; and that is user friendly. This new edition continues to be rich in instructional aids
and experiential opportunities. Let’s highlight some of these elements: specifically, the
basis for the content, the new features, and the “student-friendly” approach of this edition.

Foundations of the Seventh Edition


Most of us understand concepts better when we can relate them to our everyday lives.
In this edition we help you build an understanding of supervising through real-life
concepts, examples, and practice. We believe that when you have an opportunity to
apply what you are learning—in an educational setting that encourages risk taking—
you will perform more effectively on the job. Moreover, in the process you will build
your supervisory skills portfolio!
We recognize that the supervisor’s job continues its rate of dramatic change.
Supervisors are working with a more diverse workforce in terms of race, gender, and
ethnic background. Supervisors’ jobs are constantly affected by technological changes,
a more competitive marketplace, and corporate restructuring and workflow redesign.
Despite all of these changes, supervisors still need to understand the traditional elements
of directing the work of others and the specific skills required: goal setting, budget-
ing, scheduling, delegating, interviewing, negotiating, handling grievances, counseling
employees, and evaluating employees’ performance.
A good supervision text must address both traditional and contemporary issues.
We believe we’ve done this by focusing on relevant issues and by including lots of
examples and visual stimuli to make concepts come alive. The full-color design format
captures visually the reality and the excitement of the supervisor’s job. We’ve also
spent years developing a writing style that has been called “lively, conversational, and
interesting.” That’s just another way of saying that you should be able to understand
what we’re saying and feel as though we’re actually in front of you giving a lecture.
Of course, only you can judge this text’s readability. We ask you to read a few pages
at random. We think you’ll find the writing style both informative and lively.

What’s New for the Seventh Edition?


We have been very pleased with the response to the previous edition of the textbook.
Reviewers and current adopters tell us that the content is solid and that the skill-build-
ing exercises work well in the classroom. For the seventh edition we have concen-
trated on refining the presentation and addressing the evolving roles that supervisors
are asked to embrace in today’s workplace. Significant additions to the seventh edition
include the following:
■ Contingent workforces
■ Balanced scorecard
xxi
xxii Preface

■ Entrepreneurship
■ Overcoming layoff survivor sickness
■ Employee theft
■ Work–Life balance
■ Coaching
■ IM and texting issues and guidelines
■ Assimilating immigrant workers into the culture
■ Workplace violence
■ Creating a disciplinary paper trail
■ Suggestions for developing a successful career

Key Features of the Seventh Edition


Before you start a journey, it’s valuable to know where you’re headed so you can mini-
mize detours. The same holds true in reading a text. To make learning more efficient,
we continue to include the following features.

CHAPTER OUTCOMES Each chapter opens with a list of outcomes that describe what
you will be able to do after reading the chapter. These outcomes are designed to focus
your attention on the major issues in each chapter. Each outcome is a key learning
element.

KEY CONCEPTS Each chapter contains a list of the key concepts addressed in the
chapter. These terms represent critical comprehension areas. And through the Key
Concept Crossword you can get feedback on how well you’ve understood the key
concepts.

RESPONDING TO A SUPERVISORY DILEMMA These interesting chapter-opening stories


focus on an issue regarding a topic that will be discussed in the chapter. Although
they have value, these vignettes are often overlooked. To address this problem, and to
focus heavily on supervisory issues, all of our opening vignettes are posed as situational
dilemmas. No matter where you may work as a supervisor, at some point in your career
you will be faced with a difficult issue—one that goes beyond simply following the law.
These opening vignettes are designed to encourage you to think about what you may
face and to begin to develop a plan of action for handling workplace dilemmas. For
this edition 50 percent of the opening vignettes are new, offering a contemporary view
of workplace dilemmas.

MARGIN NOTES Key concepts identified at the beginning of each chapter are set bold-
face when they first appear in the chapter. The margin note defines the term for quick
reference.

NEWS FLASH! Because of the popularity of these vignettes in previous editions, we con-
tinue to include them in this new edition. Each vignette presents an issue that highlights
a distinction between traditional and contemporary supervisory roles. For this edition
each chapter contains a news flash item specific to the topics included in the chapter.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT Supervisors make many decisions every day. Some deci-
sions present clear-cut answers based on legal and company rules and regulations.
Other resolutions may not be so obvious. You need to evaluate and think through a
number of variables in order to develop an answer or course of action. These sections
are excellent class discussion starters and for this edition are included in each chapter
to focus on the presented topics.
Preface xxiii

FOCUS ON COMPREHENSION We continue to present our second-level headings in the


form of questions. Each of these questions was carefully written to reinforce under-
standing of very specific information. After reading a chapter (or a section), you should
be able to return to these headings and answer the question. If you can’t answer a
question or are unsure of your response, you’ll know exactly what sections you need to
reread or review, or where to place more of your effort. All in all, this format provides
a self-check on your reading comprehension.

COMPREHENSION CHECK This is a quick “Are-you-understanding-what-you’re-reading?”


feature. In each chapter there are two Comprehension Checks with objective questions
(which are answered at the end of the chapter) that offer quick feedback on whether
you’ve understood what you’ve read. If you have problems answering these questions
correctly, you should reread those sections before moving on to new material in the
book. Of course, not every element of the chapter’s material can be tested—nor can
simply answering these questions correctly guarantee comprehension. But answering
these questions correctly can indicate that you are making progress and that learning
has taken place.

THINKING CRITICALLY Critical thinking is also an important outcome. Several years


ago, training organizations began taking a hard look at themselves. Typically, they
found that their programs needed to expand language-based skills, knowledge, and
abilities across the curriculum. What outcomes did this achieve? In essence, it indi-
cated the need for all training programs to cover the basic skill areas of communica-
tion, critical thinking, computer technology, globalization, diversity, and ethics and
values.
This edition of Supervision Today! continues this feature to help you acquire these
key skills by upgrading levels of thinking from knowledge to comprehension and, finally,
to application. We convey relevant supervisory knowledge, give you an opportunity to
reinforce your comprehension, and demonstrate how you can apply the concepts.

END-OF-CHAPTER FEATURES: A SKILL-FOCUSED APPROACH


Today it’s not enough simply to know about supervision; you need skills to succeed in
your supervisory efforts. So we’ve maintained our skill component in the Enhancing
Understanding and Developing Your Supervisory Skills sections at the end of each
chapter, which include the following features:
■ Summary
■ Comprehension Questions
■ Key Concept Crossword
■ Getting to Know Yourself
■ Building a Team
■ A step-by-step description of how to develop your skills in the area that is discussed
in that chapter
■ Two case studies
These features are designed to help you build analytical, diagnostic, team-building,
investigative, Internet, and writing skills. We address these skill areas in several ways.
For example, we include experiential exercises to develop team-building skills; cases to
build diagnostic, analytical, and decision-making skills; suggested topical writing assign-
ments to enhance writing skills; and Web activities to develop Internet research skills.

SUMMARY Just as chapter outcomes clarify where you are going, chapter summaries
remind you where you’ve been. Each chapter of this book concludes with a concise
summary organized around the opening learning outcomes.
xxiv Preface

COMPREHENSION: REVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS These questions reinforce chapter


content. If you have read and understood the content of a chapter, you should be able to
answer the review questions, which are drawn directly from the material in the chapter.
The discussion questions, on the other hand, tend to go beyond comprehension of
chapter content. They’re designed to foster higher-order thinking skills. The discussion
questions enable you to demonstrate that you not only know the facts in the chapter
but can also use those facts to deal with more complex issues.

KEY CONCEPT CROSSWORD Crossword puzzles using the key concepts from each chapter pro-
vide another way to reinforce comprehension on a level, and in a way, that you may enjoy.

GETTING TO KNOW YOURSELF Before you can effectively supervise others, you must
understand your current strengths as well as areas in need of development. To assist
in this learning process, we encourage you to complete these self-assessments from the
Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library 3.4.

EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES These exercises give you an opportunity to work as a team,


learning and practicing the supervisory skills introduced in the chapter. By combining
your new knowledge and natural talents, you will be able to practice a supervisory
activity and assess your own progress.

INTERNET: WEB ACTIVITIES This feature gives you an opportunity to use the Internet as
an investigative/informational tool.

CHAPTER TOPIC HOW-TO FOCUS This section begins with step-by-step instructions on
how to develop a skill directly related to a topic addressed in the chapter.

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY In this feature, suggested writing projects help you


develop writing skills. Projects can also become presentations to reinforce verbal and
presentation skills.

THINKING CRITICALLY: CASE ANALYSES Each chapter concludes with two case studies
designed to make you think critically as you make decisions regarding a supervisory
issue. These cases enable you to apply your knowledge to solve problems faced by
supervisors. For this edition 25 percent of the cases have been replaced and updated
with new topical situations dealing with current workplace issues.

Supplemental Materials
FOR THE STUDENT
MyBizSkillsKit contains a wealth of study aids, illustrated case simulations, and access
to the Golden Personality Type Profiler Assessment. An access code to MybBizSkillsKit
can be value-packaged with the textbook or purchased online. It includes the following:
BizSkills Illustrated Business Simulation Cases present students with workplace
situations where they have to make the call. These illustrated case applications
contain built-in feedback and scoring and can feed a gradebook, if desired.
The Golden Personality Type Profiler. This popular personality assessment, simi-
lar to the full Myers-Briggs assessment program, but oriented toward workplace
behavioral assessment, provides students with information about fundamental
personality dimensions. It takes about 15–20 minutes to complete, and students
receive an easy-to-use and practical feedback report based on their results. This tool
helps students improve their self-knowledge and ability to work effectively with
others by providing students with feedback on their leadership and organizational
Preface xxv

strengths, communication and teamwork preferences, motivation and learning style,


and opportunities for personal growth.
Test-prep Quizzes for each chapter, including true/false, multiple choice, and short
essay questions; all questions include immediate feedback.
Web Exercises for each chapter
Web Links to useful online resources

gives students access to EBSCO’s ContentSelect Research Database.


MySearchLab also includes a plagiarism tutorial, citation tutorial, and tools to help
improve student writing including Longman Online Handbook of Writing. Preview at
www.mysearchlab.com.
Supervision Today! Textbook can be value-packaged with MyBizSkillsKit for Supervision
Student Access Code. Order: ISBN (0-13-296461-9)
A stand-alone MyBizSkillsKit Student Access Code can also be ordered online at
wwww.mypearsonstore.com.
Also available separately:

SELF-ASSESSMENT LIBRARY 3.4 ONLINE ACCESS PACKAGED WITH EVERY BOOK SAL is a
unique learning tool that allows students to assess their knowledge, beliefs, feelings,
and actions in regard to a wide range of personal skills, abilities, and interests. SAL
3.4 contains 67 research-based self-scoring exercises that generate immediate individ-
ual analysis for the student. SAL 3.4 Online Access is packaged at no additional cost
with each book. A print version is also available. Additional Online Access Codes and
printed copies of SAL 3.4 are available for purchase from www.prenhall.com. Features
of this release include the following:
■ 18 additional research-based instruments
■ Save feature allows students to create an assessment portfolio easily
■ The in-depth Instructor’s Manual guides instructors in interpreting class results,
thereby facilitating greater classroom discussion.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR


INSTRUCTOR MATERIALS AVAILABLE ONLINE The Instructor’s Manual, PowerPoint
Lecture Slides, and Test Generator are available online for download. To access
supplementary materials online, instructors need to request an instructor access code.
Go to www.pearsonhighered.com/irc, where you can register for an instructor access
code. Within 48 hours of registering you will receive a confirming e-mail including an
instructor access code. Once you have received your code, locate your text in the online
catalog and click on the Instructor Resources button on the left side of the catalog
product page. Select a supplement and a log-in page will appear. Once you have logged
in, you can access instructor material for all Prentice Hall textbooks.

THE INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL includes a suggested course syllabus, sample exam, lecture
index, lecture outlines, solutions to review and discussion questions, suggested answers
to Thinking Critically case studies, additional activities, chapter tests, and midterm and
final exams.

POWERPOINT LECTURE SLIDES Slides provide detailed lecture notes, including key
figures from the book, to guide classroom discussion.

TEST GENERATOR The Test Generator is a testing program that lets instructors view
and edit test bank questions, create tests, and print or post them online in a variety of
formats.
xxvi Preface

JWA VIDEO OFFER This offer gives you the opportunity to select Emmy-award-winning
videos from the JWA library. Videos address all kinds of training issues related to
supervision. Complimentary copies are available upon adoption. Contact your Prentice
Hall sales representative for details.

COURSECONNECT SUPERVISION ONLINE COURSE: CONVENIENCE, SIMPLICITY, SUCCESS


Looking for robust online course content to reinforce and enhance your student
learning? We have the solution: CourseConnect! CourseConnect courses contain cus-
tomizable modules of content mapped to major learning outcomes. Each learning
object contains interactive tutorials, rich media, discussion questions, MP3 down-
loadable lectures, assessments, and interactive activities that address different learning
styles. When you buy a CourseConnect course, you purchase a complete package that
provides you with detailed documentation you can use for your accreditation reviews.
CourseConnect courses can be delivered in any commercial platform such as WebCT,
BlackBoard, Angel, Moodle, or eCollege platforms. For more information contact your
Prentice Hall representative or call 800-635-1579.
Acknowledgments
Writing a textbook is often the work of a number of people whose names generally
never appear on the cover. Yet, without their help and assistance, a project like this
would never come to fruition. We’d like to recognize some special people who gave so
unselfishly to making this book a reality.
We want to thank the users of previous editions and students who provided a
number of suggestions for this revision. Special thanks to the reviewers of the fifth edi-
tion: Linda McGurn, Johnson County Community College, William Milz, Northeast
Wisconsin Technical College, Andy C. Saucedo, NMSU Dona Ana Community College,
and Joe Wright. And to the reviewers of the sixth edition: Valeria Truitt, Craven
Community College; Martha A. Hunt, New Hampshire Technical Institute; Jacquelyn
Blakely, Tri County Technical College; George Cleaver, Manatee Community College;
Robert D. Lewallen, Iowa Western Community College; Eva M. Smith, Spartanburg
Technical College; Dr. Thomas W. Lloyd, Westmoreland County Community College;
and Jerry L. Thomas, Arapahoe Community College.
To all of our reviewers, please know that we take your comments and feedback
seriously. We review each comment and see how it might be incorporated into the text.
Unfortunately, in a few instances, although the comments and suggestions were abso-
lutely on target, sometimes adding specific information isn’t feasible. That’s not to say
that we discounted what you said, but we had to balance the focus of the book with
the feedback given.
Finally, we’d like to add personal notes.
From Steve’s corner: To my wife, Laura Ospanik. Laura continues to be a phenom-
enal source of ideas and support. For that I am grateful.
From Dave’s corner: I want to give special thanks to my family, who give me the
encouragement and support to do my job. Each of you is special to me in that you
continue to bring love and warmth into my life. Terri, Mark, Meredith, Gabriella, and
Natalie, thank you. You continue to make me proud to be part of your lives.
From Rob’s corner: I want to thank my wife, and best friend, Sheila, for encouraging
and supporting me in my work on the seventh edition of Supervision Today! I am grate-
ful for the opportunity to be part of this learning endeavor.

An Invitation
Now that we’ve explained the ideas behind the text, we’d like to extend an open invi-
tation. If you’d like to give us some feedback, we encourage you to write. Send your
correspondence to Dave DeCenzo at E. Craig Wall, Sr. College, Coastal Carolina
University, P.O. Box 269154, Conway, SC 29528-6054. Dave is also available via
e-mail at ddecenzo@coastal.edu
We hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you.

Steve Robbins
Dave DeCenzo
Rob Wolter

xxvii
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PART

Defining Supervision
and Supervisory
Challenges 1
Part 1 introduces you to the world of work and the functions of a Chapter 1 ■ Supervision
supervisor. Emphasis in this section is placed on supervisory roles Definitions
and the skills needed to be successful in today’s ever-changing
work environment. Supervisory positions are also being influ-
Chapter 2 ■ Supervision
Challenges
enced by a number of environmental factors. What these factors
are and how they affect the supervisory function are discussed.
1 Supervision Definitions
CHAPTER

Key Concepts
After completing this chapter, you will be able to define these supervisory terms:

■ conceptual competence ■ organization


■ controlling ■ organizing
■ effectiveness ■ planning
■ efficiency ■ political competence
■ first-level managers ■ process
■ interpersonal competence ■ skill
■ leading ■ supervisors
■ management ■ supervisory competencies
■ management functions ■ technical competence
■ middle managers ■ top management
■ operative employees
Chapter Outcomes
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Explain the difference among supervisors, middle managers, and top management.
2. Define supervisor.
3. Identify the four functions in the management process.
4. Explain why the supervisor’s role is considered ambiguous.
5. Describe the four essential supervisory competencies.
6. Identify the elements that are necessary to be successful as a supervisor.
4 Part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma


Organizations are changing, but are organizations changing their traditional structures?
By and large, the answer is yes, traditional organizational structures are still evident
today. However, some organizations, to appeal to potential employees, are changing
the traditional organizational structure. One such company is Google. According
to Fortune magazine (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/
index.html), Google ranks in the top five best places to work and has ranked so for
five consecutive years. What makes this organization so different from others? Why
are employees flocking to organizations such as Google?
The traditional organizational pyramid has operative employees at the bottom
of the triangle, supervisors above them, middle managers above supervisors, and top
management above all (see Exhibit 1-1). This structure is a vertical approach to man-
agement where the decision making is done at the top and orders are sent down to
the operational employees at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy. Operative
employees do not have much say in the organization’s operations.
Google uses a cross-functional organizational structure combined with a unique
philosophy. Their cross-functional organizational structure is more of a team approach
to management and is structured horizontally. According to Google.com (http://www.
google.com/intl/en/corporate/), they purposively maintain a small-company feel, believ-
ing every employee is a hands-on contributor and everyone is an equally important part
of Google’s success. Google’s benefits package also plays a major part in attracting
employees. Google states that, from employee retirement funds to their free lunch and
dinner program, they strive to offer customizable programs that suit the needs of each
of their employees. What more could an employee want?
Which organizational structure do you think works best and why? Do you think
the vertical structure works better in some cases whereas the horizontal structure works
better in others? Would you prefer a more relaxed working environment or do you
prefer something more structured?

his book is about the millions of supervisors working in today’s dynamic

T organizations and the jobs they do in helping their organizations reach their goals.
This book will introduce you to the challenging activities and the rapidly changing
world of supervision today!

Organizations and Their Levels


organization Supervisors work in places called organizations. Before we identify who supervisors
A systematic grouping of people are and what they do, it’s important to clarify what we mean by the term organization.
brought together to accomplish some
specific purpose. An organization is a systematic grouping of people brought together to accomplish
some specific purpose. Your college or university is an organization. So are super-
markets, charitable agencies, churches, neighborhood gas stations, the Indianapo-
lis Colts football team, Nokia Corporation, the Australian Dental Association, and
Cedars-Sinai Hospital. These are all organizations because each comprises specific
common characteristics.
Chapter 1 Supervision Definitions 5

WHAT COMMON CHARACTERISTICS DO ALL


ORGANIZATIONS HAVE?
Top
All organizations, regardless of their size or focus, share Management
three common characteristics. First, every organization
has a purpose. The distinct purpose of an organization
is typically expressed in terms of a goal or set of goals Middle
that the organization hopes to accomplish. Second, each Managers
organization is composed of people. It takes people to
establish the purpose as well as to perform a variety of
activities to make the goal a reality. Third, all organiza-
tions develop a systematic structure that defines the vari- Supervisors
ous roles of members and that often sets limits on their
work behaviors. This may include creating rules and reg-
ulations, giving some members supervisory responsibility Operative Employees
over other members, forming work teams, or writing job
descriptions so that organizational members know their
responsibilities.
Although organizations and their structures vary Exhibit 1-1
Levels in the traditional organizational
widely, often adapting to the environment in which the organization operates, in pyramid.
most traditional organizations, we can show an organization’s structure as a pyramid
containing four general categories (see Exhibit 1-1).

WHAT ARE THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS?


Generally speaking, organizations can be divided into four distinct levels: operative
employees, supervisors, middle managers, and top management. Let’s briefly look at
each level.
The base level in the pyramid is occupied by operative employees. These employees operative employees
physically produce an organization’s goods and services by working on specific tasks. Employees who physically produce an
organization’s goods and services by
The counter clerk at Burger King, the claims adjuster at Progressive Insurance, the working on specific tasks.
assembly-line worker at the Toyota auto plant, and the UPS representative who delivers
your packages are examples of operative employees. This category may also include
many professional positions: doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and information
technology specialists. The common feature these operative workers share is that they
generally don’t manage or oversee the work of any other employee.
Now turn your attention to the top two levels in Exhibit 1-1. These are
traditional management positions. Top management is a group of people responsi- top management
ble for establishing the organization’s overall objectives and developing the policies A group of people responsible for
establishing an organization’s overall
to achieve those objectives. Titles of typical top management positions in business objectives and developing the policies
firms include chair of the board, chief executive officer, president, and senior vice to achieve those objectives.
president. Among nonprofit organizations, top management may have such titles as
museum director, superintendent of schools, or governor of a state. Middle managers middle managers
include all employees below the top management level who manage other managers. All employees below the top manage-
ment level who manage other manag-
These individuals are responsible for establishing and meeting specific goals in their ers and are responsible for establishing
particular department or unit. Their goals, however, are not established in isolation. and meeting specific departmental or
unit goals set by top management.
Instead, the objectives set by top management provide specific direction to middle
managers regarding what they are expected to achieve. Ideally, if each middle man-
ager meets his or her goals, the entire organization meets its objectives. Examples of
job titles held by middle managers include vice president of finance, director of sales,
division manager, group manager, district manager, unit manager, or high school
principal. supervisors
Part of an organization’s management
Let’s again return to Exhibit 1-1. The only category that we haven’t described is team, supervisors oversee the work
supervisors. Like top and middle managers, supervisors are also part of an organiza- of operative employees and are the
only managers who don’t manage
tion’s management team. What makes them unique is that they oversee the work other managers. See also first-level
of operative employees. Supervisors, then, are the only managers who don’t manage managers.
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“I am at your Majesty’s service,” she said, with a woman’s graceful
tact, ignoring his angry aspect.
Peter looked beyond her into an apparently vacant room, and I saw
astonishment mingle with the displeasure on his countenance.
“Madame,” he said gravely, “you have Najine Zotof in your room;
where is she?”
“Your Majesty sees my apartment,” she replied with a graceful
gesture; “mademoiselle is not visible there, certainly.”
“These are words, madame,” he exclaimed impatiently; “Najine is
concealed there, and you know it.”
Zénaïde drew back haughtily. “The room is open for your Majesty’s
inspection,” she said quietly; “it is mine, but I will not attempt to
oppose the czar, since I am suspected of falsehood.”
Her manner had a strange effect upon him; he regarded her intently,
admiring, I think, her beauty and her dignity.
“Your husband has made many objections to my search of this
house,” he said slowly, “because he is an ambassador of France. I
appeal to you, madame, would not the king my brother do likewise in
my case?”
She looked up quickly. “Your Majesty means to ask if the king my
master would search this room?” she asked in her sweet voice.
“I do, madame,” he replied gravely, watching her.
“His Majesty would not dream of it in the like case,” she replied at
once, and with decision.
The czar glanced at her with surprise. “And why not, madame?” he
asked quickly.
Zénaïde looked at him calmly, her blue eyes as innocent as they
were steadfast.
“Because, your Majesty,” she replied in a clear voice, “Louis de
Bourbon is the first gentleman in France.”
The czar started as if she had struck him in the face, and the blood
rushed to his temples. I caught my breath. What will not a woman
dare? Yet her manner was perfect, her composure unruffled. For a
moment I anticipated an explosion, and thought that Peter would
resent her reply as a deadly insult; but he commanded his passion
and made her a profound bow.
“Madame has read me a lesson,” he said bluntly, “that I would not
accept from less beauty and merit, but sometimes it is well for a czar
to be reminded that he is a man and not infallible. Madame, I will not
be excelled in courtesy by the King of France; close your door and
keep your counsel, but convey to your fair prisoner that she is a
subject of Russia and must obey her sovereign. Let her return quietly
to the house of her uncle, or else she will answer for her
disobedience. Even the King of France, I think, compels his fair
subjects to respect his authority.”
“Nay, your Majesty,” Zénaïde replied calmly, “the king my master
reigns not by fear. A Frenchwoman is never a slave.”
“I have often regretted, madame, that your marriage made you a
French subject,” Peter rejoined, “but I perceive now that I am
fortunate, since you would have taught my whole petticoated tribe
the principles of sedition.”
Zénaïde smiled. “Your Majesty would not desire a mean-spirited flock
of women,” she said quietly, “all modelled in the mould of blind
acquiescence to one will.”
“I have no such good hope as that,” replied the czar, dryly; “since the
days of Eve, madame, your sex has been a source of trouble. It was
the apple of obstinacy that your ancestress ate, as well as that of
knowledge. But I request you to convey my message to Najine
Zotof.”
“It will be my first duty, your Majesty,” she replied, “when I see
mademoiselle.”
He made her a mocking bow. “When you see her, madame,” he
replied with a cynical smile, and then, turning on his heel, he walked
away through the rooms, followed by M. de Lambert and me, but
ignoring us both until he reached the head of the stairs. At the foot I
saw Pierrot with the czar’s equerry looking up at us, and understood
why Peter had come up unannounced. He turned upon us with a
return of his haughty manner, his dark eyes on M. de Lambert’s face.
“As for you, young sir,” he said coldly, “you are too clever in the
gallantry of courts. France is your proper sphere, and pray do not
allow us to detain you here. I will direct the authorities to furnish you
with your passport.”
The young man bowed haughtily, his face flushed with anger and his
eyes returning the czar’s glance with a defiance equal to his own.
“I am beholden to your Majesty,” he said in a low voice. “Since I have
been here, I have had occasion to feel the need of a safe-conduct.”
Peter gave him a searching glance.
“You are pleased to speak in riddles, M. de Lambert,” he said
sharply, “but it is well that something has warned you to be cautious.
We Russians know how to resent idle interference with our affairs.”
M. de Lambert bit his lip, his face paling a little. “Your Majesty has
the advantage,” he said, folding his arms on his breast, “since we
cannot meet on terms of equality.”
Peter laughed harshly. “You are a true knight-errant, monsieur,” he
said mockingly. “You forget, though, that the arm of Peter Romanoff
is not so feeble that he could not do battle, even if he did not wear a
crown. Do not be a fool, young man, and waste breath in idle
boasts.” Then turning to me, “As for you, M. l’Ambassadeur,” he
added bluntly, “I leave it to your conscience if it is consistent with
your honor and the honor of France to conceal and aid a little rebel
against her master.”
“Your Majesty makes serious charges,” I replied with composure,
“but I trust that my honor and that of my country will remain
untarnished.”
The czar was already on the stairs, but at my words turned and
looked at me. I was lighting the way, holding the taper over my head,
and I saw the gleam of amusement in his eyes.
“You are an old fox, Brousson,” he said gravely, “but remember that
the fox is no match for the lion, and you are treading on dangerous
ground.”
We were at the door, and I stood aside to permit him to pass out, still
holding the taper between us.
“The fox is no match for the lion, your Majesty,” I admitted calmly,
“but neither is the lion a match for the turtle-dove.”
He had gone out in the dark, but turned, and, coming close to me at
the door, spoke so low that none could hear.
“M. de Brousson,” he said sternly, “I have yielded to-night from
courtesy to madame, but if that young man yonder takes one step to
make Najine his wife without my sanction, it will cost him his head,
were there forty kings of France instead of one!”
CHAPTER XVI.
A DUEL WITH TONGUES.

With the czar’s threat ringing ominously in my ears, I ascended the


stairs and, asking M. de Lambert to remain in the salon, went on to
Madame de Brousson’s door to inquire for Najine. At the sound of
my voice they both came out into the ante-room, mademoiselle’s
face still pale with excitement. She ran up to me with the pretty
manner of a child, and, taking my hand, kissed it with impulsive
gratitude.
“M. l’Ambassadeur,” she said, “I feel as if I ought to go down on my
knees to you and Madame de Brousson, for rescuing me from this
situation; I do not know how I could have faced the czar in this
house.”
“Mademoiselle,” I replied gravely, “it was our happiness to shield
you, but I fear that we can do little more at this time. I wished to talk
to you without restraint, therefore I came alone. The czar has spoken
freely to me, and I believe that it is impossible for you to escape to
France at present; you are too closely watched. It is equally
impossible for me to protect you here; therefore, mademoiselle,
there is but one course open: you must go with all speed to your
good aunt at Troïtsa.”
“We had ourselves reached that conclusion,” Zénaïde said, “and
Najine and I were perfecting our arrangements to leave here in the
morning.”
“That will not do,” I replied at once; “you must go within the hour.”
Mademoiselle glanced up with surprise, and Zénaïde uttered a
protest.
“Philippe!” she exclaimed reproachfully, “mademoiselle will think you
lacking in courtesy.”
“No, no!” protested Najine, warmly, “I am sure that M. de Brousson
has some good reason for his haste.”
“I have the best, mademoiselle,” I replied; “the czar will undoubtedly
order your uncle to remove you from my house, and I have no
authority to resist him.”
“I know it, monsieur,” she replied gravely; “it is as I said, I cannot
remain here. Madame has urged me in her kindness, but it is
impossible. Neonila and I must find a way to escape from Moscow at
once.”
“How can they?” cried Zénaïde, casting an indignant glance at me,
—“two women, and at this hour!”
“M. de Lambert and Pierrot will accompany them,” I replied firmly;
“they must not lose an hour.”
“I must go with them,” Zénaïde exclaimed.
“Pardon me, madame,” I answered, “you must, on the contrary,
remain here and detain the Councillor Zotof’s party.”
In a moment Zénaïde understood my scheme, and let me go to
summon Pierrot and give my orders. It was nearly midnight, and he
was sleepy and loath to go on his errand; but a few words from me
roused him to meet the emergency. Then I sought M. de Lambert,
and informed him of the measures which I had taken without
consulting him, because I knew that it would be folly to expect his
acquiescence, and fatal to delay Najine’s flight. He was angry and
surprised at my action, and mastered his emotion with difficulty, for
his nature was impulsive.
“This seems a hard measure for mademoiselle,” he exclaimed at
once, “to send her away at this hour, when she came here for aid
and protection.”
“M. de Lambert,” I replied gravely, “I understand your feeling, and
you have my sympathy in your indignation for mademoiselle, but I
am truly giving her the best aid in my power. If she stays here until
morning, I should be compelled to surrender her to her uncle; the
demand is inevitable, and may come at any hour. Moreover, I think it
has cost mademoiselle something to take this decided step; she is
not without regret and hesitation at the thought of acting directly in
opposition to her guardians, and it is possible that, under their
persuasion, she might yet surrender her will to theirs, which would
be fatal to your interests. It is no light thing for a young girl, reared as
she has been, to evade her uncle’s authority and contemplate a
stolen marriage. If you hope to succeed in your suit, you must
speedily get her out of the reach of Zotof and his wife.”
He listened to me thoughtfully, and I saw that he realized the truth of
my words. He stood with folded arms, his eyes bent on the fire and
his brows furrowed with anxiety. He was probably thinking of a dozen
ways to evade the czar, and in the end finding himself, each time, in
a cul-de-sac. I heard Pierrot’s step on the stair, and knew that all
things were in readiness.
“M. de Lambert,” I said gravely, “when this errand is over, we must
seriously consider your own situation. The czar has virtually
demanded your return to France, and I have no doubt that the
passports will be forthcoming; in which case there will be an
accumulation of difficulties.”
He looked at me calmly. “I shall remain here, monsieur,” he said at
once, “as long as mademoiselle remains.”
I smiled in spite of myself. “Even if she becomes the Czarina of
Russia?” I asked naïvely.
At this moment Pierrot announced that all preparations for departure
had been made, and so checked the angry retort that was on M. de
Lambert’s lips, for he always lost his temper at the suggestion that
mademoiselle would ultimately wed the czar. As Pierrot came,
Madame de Brousson entered by the other door with Najine and her
woman, and I had my last instructions to give, so that we had no
further words over mademoiselle’s future. Indeed I was anxious to
hurry them off, knowing that the reprieve would be short. Najine
herself was nervous and impatient, although she clung affectionately
to my wife and, I thought, would have been happy to stay with her.
Zénaïde petted and soothed her, after the fashion of women, until I
felt it necessary to hasten them.
“Pardon my seeming discourtesy, mademoiselle,” I said, “but haste is
imperative. Pierrot, is everything in readiness?”
“At your service, M. le Vicomte,” he replied promptly.
Zénaïde herself adjusted mademoiselle’s mantle and hood, and M.
de Lambert, having placed his pistols in his belt, assumed his cloak,
and they were ready to follow Pierrot down to the rear door. Najine
came to me with outstretched hands, her charming face just peeping
out of the great gray fur-lined hood, which was peaked at the top
and, framing her face, met under her small firm chin.
“I thank you from my heart, monsieur,” she said softly. “May the
saints reward you for your kindness.”
“Mademoiselle,” I replied warmly, “I am always entirely at your
service, and, I trust, may yet find a way out of your difficulties.”
Something in the simplicity of her manner touched me more than her
words, and I went with her to the door and stood there, while she
bade Zénaïde farewell, without the heart to hasten her again. Finally,
however, M. de Lambert drew her arm through his and led her out
into the night, followed by Pierrot and her woman, while we watched
in the entry until we heard the horses start, and knew that they were
safely off; then I closed the door and barred it.
“And now for a few hours of repose!” I exclaimed with a sigh of relief;
but I was destined to disappointment. The words were scarcely out
of my mouth before a knock on the front door resounded through the
house.
“Hark!” exclaimed Zénaïde, “what can it mean?”
“Some one who is determined to enter,” I remarked dryly, as we
ascended the stairs which communicated with my rooms by a rear
door, so that we could avoid the entrance. I heard Touchet stumbling
through the house, evidently roused from a nap, for he was slow,
and there was a second summons before he unbarred the door.
Zénaïde followed me to the head of the stairs, and we stood looking
down into the lower hall. When the door was opened, several
persons immediately crowded into the entrance, and I at once
suspected who were our visitors, and in another moment a sharp
female voice confirmed my conclusion.
“Where is the marshal, and where is Madame de Brousson?” she
exclaimed.
It was Madame Zotof, and she pushed past Touchet and began to
come up the stairs before her husband could collect himself for the
attack. It was characteristic of madame, who was always at the front
of the battle, and she was eager now for the fray. As I saw her on the
stair, I glanced at Zénaïde and smiled. Madame de Brousson was
looking down at her with a peculiar expression in her blue eyes, and
knowing, as I did, her estimate of Madame Zotof, I wondered a little
what thoughts were in her mind, as she stood there with unruffled
composure awaiting the onslaught. It was not until she was half-way
up the stairs that Madame Zotof looked up and saw us standing at
the top; then she paused an instant, and eyed us with that keen, ill-
tempered look of hers, her thin face and shrewish mouth showing in
the glare of the taper that Touchet had set upon the landing.
“I am fortunate to find you awake at this hour,” she remarked sharply.
“And we are fortunate to receive you at any hour, madame,” Zénaïde
replied suavely, “even if it is at a time when we usually seek repose.”
Madame Zotof looked at her keenly, suspicious of her opponent’s
smooth courtesy.
“It is evident that I did not rouse you,” she retorted tartly. “You do not
look as if you had come from your couch.”
By this time the councillor had come up the stair and stood behind
his wife, a few steps below us. Zénaïde, ignoring madame’s reply,
greeted him with quiet courtesy, and invited them to enter the salon,
ordering Touchet to bring fresh tapers, for those upon the table were
already exhausted. Madame Zotof, with an eager air, hurried into the
room behind my wife, and looked about, apparently for some token
of her truant niece, but there was no sign of her recent presence.
The apartment was in order, and the logs had burned down on the
hearth, so that there was a chill in the atmosphere. Zotof, following
his wife, stood in the center of the room, but seemed conscious that,
for the time, there was no need of speech from him, madame, as
usual, taking the lead.
“Be seated by the fire, for it grows cold here,” Zénaïde said easily;
“and, Touchet, bring hither some wine.”
“We do not want it,” Madame Zotof exclaimed angrily; “we did not
come out at two in the morning for entertainment. I came here for
that mad niece of ours, Madame de Brousson, and I would thank you
to order her to join me immediately; her conduct is unpardonable.”
Zénaïde looked at her with mild surprise. “You labor under a
delusion, Madame Zotof,” she said gently; “mademoiselle your niece
is not here.”
Madame Zotof stared at her with exasperation showing in every line
of her face.
“It is you, Madame de Brousson, who labor under a mistake,” she
replied with a mocking imitation of Zénaïde’s manner. “A little bird
told me that my niece was here, and that it would be wise for you to
surrender her to her guardians.”
Zénaïde smiled. “It is unwise to listen to the counsel of little birds,
madame,” she remarked sweetly, “since your little bird was
possessed of the spirit of untruth.”
“It was not so small a bird as you think,” Madame Zotof exclaimed. “It
was a double-headed eagle, and it spoke the truth.”
“How could it,” Zénaïde said with a little laugh, “since it was double-
tongued and therefore versed in duplicity?”
“Beware, madame!” cried Madame Zotof; “the eagle knows how to
avenge both insult and injury.”
My wife’s face flushed with quick indignation. “Threats are wasted
upon me, Madame Zotof,” she said haughtily; “I am not so poor a
coward as to fear even an imperial eagle.”
“You will find that it has both beak and talons, madame,” the other
woman replied.
“Have done with this, wife,” Zotof exclaimed suddenly. “What profit is
it? In plain language, M. le Maréchal, his imperial Majesty has
notified us that my niece is in your house, and commanded us to
take her away. We must obey.”
“That may be, M. Zotof,” I replied haughtily; “but it does not signify
that a marshal of France must obey you.”
He looked at me gravely, evidently embarrassed by the position in
which he found himself, but stubbornly determined to obey the czar.
“It is true, M. le Vicomte,” he said, “that I cannot compel you to obey
my master, yet we are in Moscow, and the King of France does not
reign here. However, I ask you, as one man may ask another, in all
courtesy, to deliver my niece into my hands.”
“And I reply in the same spirit, monsieur, that your niece is not in my
house,” I said courteously.
He seemed for the moment perplexed; but Madame Zotof grasped
the truth of the matter at once.
“She was here,” she exclaimed in her high voice. “Where have you
sent her?”
“Madame forgets,” interposed Zénaïde, suavely, “that if she cannot
control her own niece, it is certainly not in our power to do so; that is
demanding a good deal of two strangers.”
The other woman turned upon her with a flash of temper. “Perhaps,
Madame de Brousson,” she said hotly, “you can also repudiate your
knowledge of M. de Lambert’s persistent pursuit of Mademoiselle
Zotof.”
My wife smiled, her composure still unruffled. “I do not venture to
account for the love affairs of M. de Brousson’s suite,” she said
suavely; “it is customary in France for the families of the two young
people to manage these matters.”
“And customary for French people out of France to aid and abet a
young gallant in his pursuit of another man’s niece,” Madame Zotof
retorted sharply.
“I really cannot say, madame,” Zénaïde replied with naïveté, “for, you
know, I am myself a Russian.”
Madame Zotof stood biting her lip, too angry to keep up the play of
words, and her husband was red with impatience. I regarded the
scene with intense enjoyment. It was a fair match between two
women, and Zénaïde, having the better command of her temper and
the sharper wit, was lashing her opponent to fury. Meanwhile every
moment’s delay was precious to mademoiselle. Zotof took matters
into his own hands; he went to Zénaïde, and looked at her with
almost an appeal in his eyes.
“Madame,” he said, “be kind enough to produce my niece.”
Madame de Brousson threw out her hands with a comic gesture of
despair.
“M. Zotof,” she exclaimed, “I am not a magician! Mademoiselle is not
here.”
“I should like to look behind you in those rooms,” cried Madame
Zotof, pointing her finger at the door that led into the other
apartments.
Zénaïde, seeing instantly an opportunity for delay, was all
complaisance.
“You shall be gratified,” she said sweetly. “Philippe, lead us with a
light.”
Madame Zotof was a little dashed by her ready compliance, but, still
full of suspicion, followed her closely, as I took the taper, and,
opening the door, conducted them slowly through the rooms.
Zénaïde consumed much time by insisting that Madame Zotof
should look behind every arras and into every cupboard, and
Madame, full of doubt and eagerness, peered into the crevices and
behind the doors; her husband following with a stolid obstinacy that
did not permit him to see how entirely they were playing into my
wife’s hands. As we passed on without success, madame’s face fell,
and I saw the suspicion in her pale eyes grow more intense as she
began to realize that there was a possibility that her niece had
evaded her, even though we were both in the house. At the door of
my wife’s apartment I detained the councillor, and the two women
went in alone, while we stood on the threshold. It was a strange
scene; the room was brightly lighted both with tapers and by the logs
blazing on the hearth. The walls were covered with tapestries, and
Madame Zotof went about lifting them up and searching for the
truant, while Zénaïde stood in the center of the room, her figure
clearly outlined in its dignified repose, and a smile of scorn on her
face, her blue eyes following the other woman’s quick movements.
Never were two women so strongly contrasted; the fine form and
stately head of Madame de Brousson dwarfing the smaller figure of
Madame Zotof, whose face was naturally homely and shrewish; her
eyes of that cold, pale blue that is opaque, and her mouth like a slit,
while her chin projected. She had too an affectation of youth that
was absurd. When she had quite completed her investigation and
was satisfied that mademoiselle was not there, she paused a
moment confounded.
“You have had the pleasure of searching my house, Madame Zotof,”
Zénaïde said with a cold smile, “and now I have the pleasure of
asking you to leave it with what speed you may.”
She spoke with scorn, and Madame Zotof recoiled before the
unexpected attack; she felt that she had overstepped the bounds of
propriety, and that my wife was justified in her retort. After a moment
she recovered and made a sweeping curtsy.
“You carry things with a high hand, madame,” she said bitterly, “but
his Majesty the Czar will have satisfaction. You cannot spirit away
my niece without accounting for it.”
“You speak wildly,” replied Zénaïde, haughtily; “from your own
statement, I understand that your niece has gone, and you are
searching for her, but I see no reason for the accusation that I took
her from your house. It is absurd!”
“You may not have taken her from my house, but you certainly sent
her from yours,” madame replied quickly.
“That is your conclusion, madame,” Zénaïde said calmly; “and if you
are quite done with your search, I will bid you good-morning, for I
find myself in sore need of repose.”
“Do not allow me to disturb you,” Madame Zotof retorted with mock
courtesy; “my husband and I will withdraw instantly, and report to the
czar that you have found means to despatch Najine to some
unknown spot.”
“As you will, madame,” Zénaïde retorted with assumed weariness;
“but be careful to adhere to the truth, for sometimes kings are
exacting.”
Madame Zotof grew red with anger. “Madame is kind,” she
exclaimed; “on my word, I never received such treatment. I am
requested to go, and accused of falsehood in a breath. Truly, French
manners have not improved the Russian woman.”
Zénaïde had her hand on the door in the act of closing it upon the
other, but she paused with a little soft laugh of disdain.
“I am rebuked, madame,” she said lightly, “but you must remember
that the provocation was great;” and with that she shut the door,
leaving me with the pair upon my hands,—M. Zotof angry and
embarrassed, and madame fuming with passion but still ready to
lead.
“Come, Zotof,” she said curtly, passing me without a glance; “it is a
waste of time to dally here. Najine has duped us again. Why stand
there gaping? Find a way out of this difficulty!” and she walked on
before us like a huge bird whose plumage had been ruffled in the
fray.
“Permit me to conduct you, madame,” I said graciously, advancing
with the light; “the stairs are dark and somewhat steep.”
“Nay, I shall not break my neck,” she retorted with a discordant
laugh; “I am sure of foot. You will be sorry for this night’s work, M.
l’Ambassadeur.”
“That is true,” said Zotof, as he came slowly down behind us. “I am
truly sorry, M. le Maréchal, that you have mixed yourself up in this
matter.”
“I thank you for your solicitude, monsieur and madame both,” I
replied, shading the taper from the wind, for Touchet had already
opened the door and their attendants were waiting at the threshold.
“I trust, however, that I shall surmount the embarrassments of the
occasion, and hope that the king my master will not resent the
discourtesy shown to his subjects.”
At this Zotof stopped with his mouth open, his breath coming fast, for
he was a very stout man. It was obviously a new light on the
situation; but madame chose to ignore it, merely gathering her skirts
about her as if she shook off the dust of my dwelling.
“I should like,” she remarked, eying me keenly, “to know where M. de
Lambert is at this moment.”
I smiled. “Madame asks too much of me,” I said, shrugging my
shoulders. “I am not omniscient.”
“You have a devil of diplomacy, monsieur,” she retorted sharply; then
turning on her stout and slow moving lord, “Come, come, Zotof, we
have been fools long enough; the day is breaking.”
But he let her go out, and then, pausing on the threshold, looked
back at me.
“I may have seemed discourteous, M. l’Ambassadeur,” he said too
low for her ears; “but women will be women, and we came at the
command of—of one in authority.”
“Of the czar, monsieur,” I replied with a frankness that made him
wince. “I understand, and bear you no ill-will; but, M. Zotof, no
Frenchman endures such impertinence with patience; therefore let
this be the last time that either you or madame your wife trespass
upon my hospitality after such a fashion;” and with this I closed the
door sharply in his face.
CHAPTER XVII.
MENTCHIKOF.

An hour after daybreak, Touchet came to me with the information


that one of the imperial equerries was in waiting. I had been
endeavoring to snatch a few hours’ rest, but roused myself at once,
and throwing on some clothing went out into the salon and received
the czar’s messenger. He was a young fellow, who had been
instructed to see me before delivering his document,—a packet with
the imperial seal. I was not surprised, on opening it, to find M. de
Lambert’s passports, with a formal note to me requesting that the
young man be sent at once to France.
“M. de Lambert is absent,” I said to the equerry, “but as soon as he
returns I will inform him of the czar’s pleasure.”
The Russian seemed satisfied with my assurance, and with a few
civil words departed, evidently having been instructed to serve his
notice with all due respect to me.
The whole affair was profoundly annoying, and I wished from my
heart that M. de Lambert had found it convenient to fall in love at
home. I was well aware that nothing but force would induce him to
leave Moscow at this crisis, and bitterly repented my folly in bringing
a young court gallant in my suite. How to get him out of the imbroglio
with a whole skin was a difficult question, and I was not reassured by
the thought that Catherine Shavronsky was still under a cloud. I
determined to see Mentchikof at my earliest opportunity and feel his
pulse on the situation. His threats against mademoiselle were not to
my comfort, but I was convinced that he would never resort to
extreme measures while there was a possibility of reinstating the
Livonian in favor.
The day passed without event, and the inaction of all persons
concerned was not altogether satisfactory. I feared that some trouble
was brewing, and was not quieted by the delay in the return of M. de
Lambert; he and Pierrot did not arrive until the following morning.
They were travel-stained and weary, but exultant; they had
conducted mademoiselle safely to her aunt at Troïtsa. Before
allowing M. de Lambert to remove the dust of the journey, I handed
him the czar’s document without comment, watching his face while
he read it. His expression was both scornful and perplexed, and his
cheek flushed scarlet as he flung the packet on the table.
“Ma foi!” he exclaimed with impatience, “the czar takes me for a fool
if he fancies that I can be packed off at his pleasure and leave
mademoiselle to his tender mercy!”
“You forget, monsieur,” I said gravely, “that he is master here.”
“I do not forget,” he returned passionately,—“parbleu! it is thrown in
my teeth at every turn,—but I am a French soldier, and forty czars
shall not intimidate me.”
“Bravo, monsieur!” I retorted, clapping my hands; “but how do you
propose to beard the lion in his den?”
“I will find a way to defeat him,” he replied quietly; “he cannot always
conquer circumstances.”
While he was talking, Touchet came to the door and addressed him.
“There is a youth below, sir,” he said, “who would speak with you
alone.”
M. de Lambert looked up in surprise. He had not had the opportunity
to lay aside his cloak, and he picked up his sword from the table and
started, as he was, to the door.
“Be careful,” I said to him at once; “you are in a delicate position—
take no hasty step.”
“It can be nothing of importance,” he replied, “but I thank you for the
caution, M. le Maréchal.”
With those words he went down the stairs to the door, and, Pierrot at
the moment bringing in my breakfast, I sat down by the fire to eat it,
while my equerry, giving place to Touchet, went to seek a little rest
himself. In a moment Zénaïde came in through the corridor and
joined me at the table.
“Who went out the door, Touchet?” she asked.
“M. de Lambert is talking to a lad there,” I explained.
“Not now,” she said at once; “some one went out and closed the
door.”
I rose and went to the window in time to see M. de Lambert walking
away alone and at a rapid pace.
“On some fool’s errand,” I muttered to myself, and went back to the
chair, explaining the departure with impatience.
Zénaïde looked disturbed, and was yet more troubled when I found
an opportunity to show her the passport.
“You should not have allowed him to go unattended, Philippe,” she
said gravely; “he is surrounded by dangers and so rash and
headstrong.”
“By all the saints, madame!” I exclaimed, “I cannot be his guardian.
He has been here scarcely more than a quarter of an hour, and has
not removed the dust of his long ride; how could I foresee his
immediate departure?”
Madame de Brousson sighed. “I feel as if we were responsible for
him,” she remarked pensively, “and you and I both know the
methods here more thoroughly than he.”
“I am half thankful for his passports,” I grumbled, “since Russia is no
place for a young courtier.”
As I spoke, I looked up and caught my wife’s eyes fixed upon me
with an arch glance of amusement. She laughed softly.
“If you had possessed your mature wisdom twenty years ago, M. le
Vicomte,” she said gravely, “we should never have met.”
I had risen from my chair and I made her an obeisance.
“I am convicted, madame,” I replied with mock gravity, “and crave
your permission to withdraw.”
Touchet came, at the moment, with my mantle and sword, and,
taking him for an attendant, I went to Mentchikof’s house. As I
approached it, I noted with amusement the certain indications of the
humor of a court. A week before, he had been the czar’s favorite, the
patron of a beautiful woman who was likely to be the successor of
Anna Mons, and the courtyard and hall had been crowded with
courtiers and those miserable creatures who fawn upon the man of
the hour. But for a few days the sunshine of imperial favor had been
obscured, and lo, the gay host of butterflies had fluttered to some
brighter spot. The entrance was deserted, and a solitary usher
conducted me through the splendid salons to the small room in the
wing where the great man worked alone. I had not seen Mentchikof
since the day that we parted on his stairs, with his veiled threat
against mademoiselle in my ears, and I approached him now with
some feelings of curiosity. How would the pampered favorite endure
this season of neglect? how would the darling of a court face the
solitude of a discarded counsellor? Without any ceremony, the usher
threw open the door and I stood face to face with Alexander
Mentchikof. He sat in a large chair by his writing-table, in an easy
attitude; his left elbow resting on the arm of his chair, his right arm
thrown across the table; the pen, still wet with ink, in his fingers,
while his left hand supported his chin, for his head was bent in
thought and his fine face was unusually grave in its repose. His rich
dress of black velvet was arranged as carefully as if for some court
function, and the blue ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew showed
on his breast. He greeted me without emotion and with his usual
urbanity, asking me to be seated.
“There are chairs in plenty to-day, M. le Maréchal,” he remarked,
smiling, as he glanced at the vacant room; “you find my state
reduced, and my friends”—he laughed, looking at me with those
keen brilliant eyes, “my friends are running for a safer covert. It
reminds me of an ancient legend,—of a great lion to whom all the
beasts, through fear, paid court. The lion had a favorite, a mouse,
whom he guarded tenderly, and all the other beasts paid homage to
it, telling it that it resembled its patron, until the mouse, through
conceit, offended, and the lion deserted it in anger. Immediately all
the beasts departed, save one, who swallowed the wretched little
mouse. Presently, the lion, returning, found his pet gone, and was
enraged, and fell upon the beast who had eaten it, and tore him and
drove off the others, and was afterwards a scourge because no
animal dared any more to try to soothe his mood.” Throwing out his
hands with a gesture of disdain, he added, “I am waiting to be
devoured.”
“It is easy to draw a parallel,” I said thoughtfully, “for afterwards no
man will rule the heart of this lion.”
He laughed bitterly. “Fools rush upon their fate, M. le Maréchal,” he
rejoined; “each man thinks that he is born to scale the dizzy heights
of fame. The greater the fool, the more eager he is for the attempt.
Unhappily, they find their error out too late, and run headlong to their
ruin.”
“I have often considered whether it was worth while or not,” I
remarked quietly, “the glitter of a court dazzles, but its honors are
hollow.”
Mentchikof smiled. “It is easy to philosophize in the hour of good
fortune, M. l’Ambassadeur,” he replied dryly, “but in the day of evil it
is difficult to apply it. We who have tasted the sweets of power find
the loss a bitter one. However, sometimes our friends desert too
soon, and Fortune changes when it is least expected.”
“It will be so with you, monsieur,” I said with conviction; “meanwhile I
find myself also in embarrassment. This morning I received this
communication from the czar.”
He held out his hand for the papers with an expression of curiosity;
he was far from suspecting their contents, for, after glancing over the
documents, he looked at me in open astonishment, smiling a little at
the gravity of my face.
“When a man is a king, it is easy to dispose of rivals, monsieur,” he
remarked quietly; “it makes the less fortunate envious.”
I laughed. “The case is peculiar, however,” I replied, “for M. de
Lambert is a young hot-head and ill to guide; it will be difficult to send
him away. I have had some hope that this order might be reversed
or, at least, a delay permitted.”

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