July；　1830；　supervened；　society　was　dissolved　for　two　years；　the　rich
  evaded　the　turmoil　and　left　Paris　either　for　foreign　travel　or　for
  their　estates　in　the　country；　and　none　of　the　salons　reopened　until
  1833。　When　that　time　came；　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　still　sulked；
  but　it　held　intercourse　with　a　few　houses；　regarding　them　as　neutral
  ground；among　others　that　of　the　Austrian　ambassador；　where　the
  legitimist　society　and　the　new　social　world　met　together　in　the
  persons　of　their　best　representatives。
  Attached　by　many　ties　of　the　heart　and　by　gratitude　to　the　exiled
  family；　and　strong　in　his　personal　convictions；　Vandenesse　did　not
  consider　himself　obliged　to　imitate　the　silly　behavior　of　his　party。
  In　times　of　danger；　he　had　done　his　duty　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　his
  fidelity　had　never　been　compromised；　and　he　determined　to　take　his
  wife　into　general　society　without　fear　of　its　becoming　so。　His　former
  mistresses　could　scarcely　recognize　the　bride　they　had　thought　so
  childish　in　the　elegant；　witty；　and　gentle　countess；　who　now　appeared
  in　society　with　the　exquisite　manners　of　the　highest　female
  aristocracy。　Mesdames　d'Espard；　de　Manerville；　and　Lady　Dudley；　with
  others　less　known；　felt　the　serpent　waking　up　in　the　depths　of　their
  hearts；　they　heard　the　low　hissings　of　angry　pride；　they　were　jealous
  of　Felix's　happiness；　and　would　gladly　have　given　their　prettiest
  jewel　to　do　him　some　harm；　but　instead　of　being　hostile　to　the
  countess；　these　kind；　ill…natured　women　surrounded　her；　showed　her　the
  utmost　friendship；　and　praised　her　to　me。　Sufficiently　aware　of　their
  intentions；　Felix　watched　their　relations　with　Marie；　and　warned　her
  to　distrust　them。　They　all　suspected　the　uneasiness　of　the　count　at
  their　intimacy　with　his　wife；　and　they　redoubled　their　attentions　and
  flatteries；　so　that　they　gave　her　an　enormous　vogue　in　society；　to　the
  great　displeasure　of　her　sister…in…law；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere；　who
  could　not　understand　it。　The　Comtesse　Felix　de　Vandenesse　was　cited　as
  the　most　charming　and　the　cleverest　woman　in　Paris。　Marie's　other
  sister…in…law；　the　Marquise　Charles　de　Vandenesse；　was　consumed　with
  vexation　at　the　confusion　of　names　and　the　comparisons　it　sometimes
  brought　about。　Though　the　marquise　was　a　handsome　and　clever　woman；
  her　rivals　took　delight　in　comparing　her　with　her　sister…in…law；　with
  all　the　more　point　because　the　countess　was　a　dozen　years　younger。
  These　women　knew　very　well　what　bitterness　Marie's　social　vogue　would
  bring　into　her　intercourse　with　both　of　her　sisters…in…law；　who；　in
  fact；　became　cold　and　disobliging　in　proportion　to　her　triumph　in
  society。　She　was　thus　surrounded　by　dangerous　relations　and　intimate
  enemies。
  Every　one　knows　that　French　literature　at　that　particular　period　was
  endeavoring　to　defend　itself　against　an　apathetic　indifference　（the
  result　of　the　political　drama）　by　producing　works　more　or　less
  Byronian；　in　which　the　only　topics　really　discussed　were　conjugal
  delinquencies。　Infringements　of　the　marriage　tie　formed　the　staple　of
  reviews；　books；　and　dramas。　This　eternal　subject　grew　more　and　more
  the　fashion。　The　lover；　that　nightmare　of　husbands；　was　everywhere；
  except　perhaps　in　homes；　where；　in　point　of　fact；　under　the　bourgeois
  regime；　he　was　less　seen　than　formerly。　It　is　not　when　every　one
  rushes　to　their　window　and　cries　〃Thief！〃　and　lights　the　streets；　that
  robbers　abound。　It　is　true　that　during　those　years　so　fruitful　of
  turmoilurban；　political；　and　morala　few　matrimonial　catastrophes
  took　place；　but　these　were　exceptional；　and　less　observed　than　they
  would　have　been　under　the　Restoration。　Nevertheless；　women　talked　a
  great　deal　together　about　books　and　the　stage；　then　the　two　chief
  forms　of　poesy。　The　lover　thus　became　one　of　their　leading　topics；a
  being　rare　in　point　of　act　and　much　desired。　The　few　affairs　which
  were　known　gave　rise　to　discussions；　and　these　discussions　were；　as
  usually　happens；　carried　on　by　immaculate　women。
  A　fact　worthy　of　remark　is　the　aversion　shown　to　such　conversations　by
  women　who　are　enjoying　some　illicit　happiness；　they　maintain　before
  the　eyes　of　the　world　a　reserved；　prudish；　and　even　timid　countenance；
  they　seem　to　ask　silence　on　the　subject；　or　some　condonation　of　their
  pleasure　from　society。　When；　on　the　contrary；　a　woman　talks　freely　of
  such　catastrophes；　and　seems　to　take　pleasure　in　doing　so；　allowing
  herself　to　explain　the　emotions　that　justify　the　guilty　parties；　we
  may　be　sure　that　she　herself　is　at　the　crossways　of　indecision；　and
  does　not　know　what　road　she　might　take。
  During　this　winter；　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　heard　the　great　voice
  of　the　social　world　roaring　in　her　ears；　and　the　wind　of　its　stormy
  gusts　blew　round　her。　Her　pretended　friends；　who　maintained　their
  reputations　at　the　height　of　their　rank　and　their　positions；　often
  produced　in　her　presence　the　seductive　idea　of　the　lover；　they　cast
  into　her　soul　certain　ardent　talk　of　love；　the　〃mot　d'enigme〃　which
  life　propounds　to　woman；　the　grand　passion；　as　Madame　de　Stael　called
  it；preaching　by　example。　When　the　countess　asked　naively；　in　a　small
  and　select　circle　of　these　friends；　what　difference　there　was　between
  a　lover　and　a　husband；　all　those　who　wished　evil　to　Felix　took　care　to
  reply　in　a　way　to　pique　her　curiosity；　or　fire　her　imagination；　or
  touch　her　heart；　or　interest　her　mind。
  〃Oh！　my　dear；　we　vegetate　with　a　husband；　but　we　live　with　a　lover；〃
  said　her　sister…in…law；　the　marquise。
  〃Marriage；　my　dear；　is　our　purgatory；　love　is　paradise；〃　said　Lady
  Dudley。
  〃Don't　believe　her；〃　cried　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　〃it　is　hell。〃
  〃But　a　hell　we　like；〃　remarked　Madame　de　Rochefide。　〃There　is　often
  more　pleasure　in　suffering　than　in　happiness；　look　at　the　martyrs！〃
  〃With　a　husband；　my　dear　innocent；　we　live；　as　it　were；　in　our　own
  life；　but　to　love；　is　to　live　in　the　life　of　another；〃　said　the
  Marquise　d'Espard。
  〃A　lover　is　forbidden　fruit；　and　that　to　me；　says　all！〃　cried　the
  pretty　Moina　de　Saint…Heren；　laughing。
  When　she　was　not　at　some　diplomatic　rout；　or　at　a　ball　given　by　rich
  foreigners；　like　Lady　Dudley　or　the　Princesse　Galathionne；　the
  Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　might　be　seen；　after　the　Opera；　at　the　houses
  of　Madame　d'Espard；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere；　Mademoiselle　des
  Touches；　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　or　the　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu；
  the　only　aristocratic　houses　then　open；　and　never　did　she　leave　any
  one　of　them　without　some　evil　seed　of　the　world　being　sown　in　her
  heart。　She　heard　talk　of　completing　her　life；a　saying　much　in
  fashion　in　those　days；　of　being　comprehended；another　word　to　which
  women　gave　strange　meanings。　She　often　returned　home　uneasy；　excited；
  curious；　and　thoughtful。　She　began　to　find　something　less；　she　hardly
  knew　what；　in　her　life；　but　she　did　not　yet　go　so　far　as　to　think　it
  lonely。
  CHAPTER　IV
  A　CELEBRATED　MAN
  The　most　amusing　society；　but　also　the　most　mixed；　which　Madame　Felix
  de　Vandenesse　frequented；　was　that　of　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　a
  charming　little　woman；　who　received　illustrious　artists；　leading
  financial　personages；　distinguished　writers；　but　only　after　subjecting
  them　to　so　rigid　an　examination　that　the　most　exclusive　aristocrat　had
  nothing　to　fear　in　coming　in　contact　with　this　second…class　society。
  The　loftiest　pretensions　were　there　respected。
  During　the　winter　of　1833；　when　society　rallied　after　the　revolution
  of　July；　some　salons；　notably　those　of　Mesdames　d'Espard　and　de
  Listomere；　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　and　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；
  had　selected　certain　of　the　celebrities　in　art；　science；　literature；
  and　politics；　and　received　them。　Society　can　lose　nothing　of　its
  rights；　and　it　must　be　amused。　At　a　concert　given　by　Madame　de
  Montcornet　toward　the　close　of　the　winter　of　1833；　a　man　of　rising
  fame　in　literature　and　politics　appeared　in　her　salon；　brought　there
  by　one　of　the　wittiest；　but　also　one　of　the　laziest　writers　of　that
  epoch；　Emile　Blondet；　celebrated　behind　closed　doors；　highly　praised
  by　journalists；　but　unknown　beyond　the　barriers。　Blondet　himself　was
  well　aware　of　this；　he　indulged　in　no　illusions；　and；　among　his　other
  witty　and　contemptuous　sayings；　he　was　wont　to　remark　that　fame　is　a
  poison　good　to　take　in　little　doses。
  From　the　moment　when　the　man　we　speak　of；　Raoul　Nathan；　after　a　long
  struggle；　forced　his　way　to　the　public　gaze；　he　had　put　to　profit　the
  sudden　infatuation　for　form　manifested　by　those　elegant　descendants　of
  the　middle　ages；　jestingly　called　Young　France。　He　assumed　the
  singularities　of　a　man　of　genius　and　enrolled　himself　among　those
  adorers　of　art；　whose　intentions；　let　us　say；　were　excellent；　for
  surely　nothing　could　be　more　ridiculous　than　the　costume　of　Frenchmen
  in　the　nineteenth　century；　and　nothing　more　courageous　than　an　attempt
  to　reform　it。　Raoul；　let　us　do　him　this　justice；　presents　in　his
  person　s