truths　before　which　all　educations；　laws；　and　philosophical　systems
  must　give　way。　Let　us　repeat　continually：　it　is　absurd　to　force
  sentiments　into　one　formula：　appearing　as　they　do；　in　each　individual
  man；　they　combine　with　the　elements　that　form　his　nature　and　take　his
  own　physiognomy。
  Madame　Granson；　as　she　stood　on　that　fatal　spot；　saw　a　woman　approach
  it；　who　exclaimed；
  〃Was　it　here？〃
  That　woman　wept　as　the　mother　wept。　It　was　Suzanne。　Arriving　that
  morning　at　the　hotel　du　More；　she　had　been　told　of　the　catastrophe。　If
  poor　Athanase　had　been　living；　she　meant　to　do　as　many　noble　souls；
  who　are　moneyless；　dream　of　doing；　and　as　the　rich　never　think　of
  doing；she　meant　to　have　sent　him　several　thousand　francs；　writing　up
  the　envelope　the　words：　〃Money　due　to　your　father　from　a　comrade　who
  makes　restitution　to　you。〃　This　tender　scheme　had　been　arranged　by
  Suzanne　during　her　journey。
  The　courtesan　caught　sight　of　Madame　Granson　and　moved　rapidly　away；
  whispering　as　she　passed　her；　〃I　loved　him！〃
  Suzanne；　faithful　to　her　nature；　did　not　leave　Alencon　on　this
  occasion　without　changing　the　orange…blossoms　of　the　bride　to　rue。　She
  was　the　first　to　declare　that　Madame　du　Bousquier　would　never　be
  anything　but　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　With　one　stab　of　her　tongue　she
  revenged　poor　Athanase　and　her　dear　chevalier。
  Alencon　now　witnessed　a　suicide　that　was　slower　and　quite　differently
  pitiful　from　that　of　poor　Athanase；　who　was　quickly　forgotten　by
  society；　which　always　makes　haste　to　forget　its　dead。　The　poor
  Chevalier　de　Valois　died　in　life；　his　suicide　was　a　daily　occurrence
  for　fourteen　years。　Three　months　after　the　du　Bousquier　marriage
  society　remarked；　not　without　astonishment；　that　the　linen　of　the
  chevalier　was　frayed　and　rusty；　that　his　hair　was　irregularly　combed
  and　brushed。　With　a　frowsy　head　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　could　no
  longer　be　said　to　exist！　A　few　of　his　ivory　teeth　deserted；　though　the
  keenest　observers　of　human　life　were　unable　to　discover　to　what　body
  they　had　hitherto　belonged；　whether　to　a　foreign　legion　or　whether
  they　were　indigenous；　vegetable　or　animal；　whether　age　had　pulled　them
  from　the　chevalier's　mouth；　or　whether　they　were　left　forgotten　in　the
  drawer　of　his　dressing…table。　The　cravat　was　crooked；　indifferent　to
  elegance。　The　negroes'　heads　grew　pale　with　dust　and　grease。　The
  wrinkles　of　the　face　were　blackened　and　puckered；　the　skin　became
  parchment。　The　nails；　neglected；　were　often　seen；　alas！　with　a　black
  velvet　edging。　The　waistcoat　was　tracked　and　stained　with　droppings
  which　spread　upon　its　surface　like　autumn　leaves。　The　cotton　in　the
  ears　was　seldom　changed。　Sadness　reigned　upon　that　brow；　and　slipped
  its　yellowing　tints　into　the　depths　of　each　furrow。　In　short；　the
  ruins；　hitherto　so　cleverly　hidden；　now　showed　through　the　cracks　and
  crevices　of　that　fine　edifice；　and　proved　the　power　of　the　soul　over
  the　body；　for　the　fair　and　dainty　man；　the　cavalier；　the　young　blood；
  died　when　hope　deserted　him。　Until　then　the　nose　of　the　chevalier　was
  ever　delicate　and　nice；　never　had　a　damp　black　blotch；　nor　an　amber
  drop　fall　from　it；　but　now　that　nose；　smeared　with　tobacco　around　the
  nostrils；　degraded　by　the　driblets　which　took　advantage　of　the　natural
  gutter　placed　between　itself　and　the　upper　lip；that　nose；　which　no
  longer　cared　to　seem　agreeable；　revealed　the　infinite　pains　which　the
  chevalier　had　formerly　taken　with　his　person；　and　made　observers
  comprehend；　by　the　extent　of　its　degradation；　the　greatness　and
  persistence　of　the　man's　designs　upon　Mademoiselle　Cormon。
  Alas；　too；　the　anecdotes　went　the　way　of　the　teeth；　the　clever　sayings
  grew　rare。　The　appetite；　however；　remained；　the　old　nobleman　saved
  nothing　but　his　stomach　from　the　wreck　of　his　hopes；　though　he
  languidly　prepared　his　pinches　of　snuff；　he　ate　alarming　dinners。
  Perhaps　you　will　more　fully　understand　the　disaster　that　this　marriage
  was　to　the　mind　and　heart　of　the　chevalier　when　you　learn　that　his
  intercourse　with　the　Princess　Goritza　became　less　frequent。
  One　day　he　appeared　in　Mademoiselle　Armande's　salon　with　the　calf　of
  his　leg　on　the　shin…bone。　This　bankruptcy　of　the　graces　was；　I　do
  assure　you；　terrible；　and　struck　all　Alencon　with　horror。　The　late
  young　man　had　become　an　old　one；　this　human　being；　who；　by　the
  breaking…down　of　his　spirit；　had　passed　at　once　from　fifty　to　ninety
  years　of　age；　frightened　society。　Besides；　his　secret　was　betrayed；　he
  had　waited　and　watched　for　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　he　had；　like　a　patient
  hunter；　adjusted　his　aim　for　ten　whole　years；　and　finally　had　missed
  the　game！　In　short；　the　impotent　Republic　had　won　the　day　from　Valiant
  Chivalry；　and　that；　too；　under　the　Restoration！　Form　triumphed；　mind
  was　vanquished　by　matter；　diplomacy　by　insurrection。　And；　O　final
  blow！　a　mortified　grisette　revealed　the　secret　of　the　chevalier's
  mornings；　and　he　now　passed　for　a　libertine。　The　liberals　cast　at　his
  door　all　the　foundlings　hitherto　attributed　to　du　Bousquier。　But　the
  faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　Alencon　accepted　them　proudly：　it　even　said；
  〃That　poor　chevalier；　what　else　could　he　do？〃　The　faubourg　pitied　him；
  gathered　him　closer　to　their　circle；　and　brought　back　a　few　rare
  smiles　to　his　face；　but　frightful　enmity　was　piled　upon　the　head　of　du
  Bousquier。　Eleven　persons　deserted　the　Cormon　salon；　and　passed　to
  that　of　the　d'Esgrignons。
  The　old　maid's　marriage　had　a　signal　effect　in　defining　the　two
  parties　in　Alencon。　The　salon　d'Esgrignon　represented　the　upper
  aristocracy　（the　returning　Troisvilles　attached　themselves　to　it）；　the
  Cormon　salon　represented；　under　the　clever　influence　of　du　Bousquier；
  that　fatal　class　of　opinions　which；　without　being　truly　liberal　or
  resolutely　royalist；　gave　birth　to　the　221　on　that　famous　day　when　the
  struggle　openly　began　between　the　most　august；　grandest；　and　only　true
  power；　ROYALTY；　and　the　most　false；　most　changeful；　most　oppressive　of
  all　powers；the　power　called　PARLIAMENTARY；　which　elective　assemblies
  exercise。　The　salon　du　Ronceret；　secretly　allied　to　the　Cormon　salon；
  was　boldly　liberal。
  The　Abbe　de　Sponde；　after　his　return　from　Prebaudet；　bore　many　and
  continual　sufferings；　which　he　kept　within　his　breast；　saying　no　word
  of　them　to　his　niece。　But　to　Mademoiselle　Armande　he　opened　his　heart；
  admitting　that；　folly　for　folly；　he　would　much　have　preferred　the
  Chevalier　de　Valois　to　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。　Never　would　the　dear
  chevalier　have　had　the　bad　taste　to　contradict　and　oppose　a　poor　old
  man　who　had　but　a　few　days　more　to　live；　du　Bousquier　had　destroyed
  everything　in　the　good　old　home。　The　abbe　said；　with　scanty　tears
  moistening　his　aged　eyes；
  〃Mademoiselle；　I　haven't　even　the　little　grove　where　I　have　walked　for
  fifty　years。　My　beloved　lindens　are　all　cut　down！　At　the　moment　of　my
  death　the　Republic　appears　to　me　more　than　ever　under　the　form　of　a
  horrible　destruction　of　the　Home。〃
  〃You　must　pardon　your　niece；〃　said　the　Chevalier　de　Valois。
  〃Republican　ideas　are　the　first　error　of　youth　which　seeks　for
  liberty；　later　it　finds　it　the　worst　of　despotisms；that　of　an
  impotent　canaille。　Your　poor　niece　is　punished　where　she　sinned。〃
  〃What　will　become　of　me　in　a　house　where　naked　women　are　painted　on
  the　walls？〃　said　the　poor　abbe。　〃Where　shall　I　find　other　lindens
  beneath　which　to　read　my　breviary？〃
  Like　Kant；　who　was　unable　to　collect　his　thoughts　after　the　fir…tree
  at　which　he　was　accustomed　to　gaze　while　meditating　was　cut　down；　so
  the　poor　abbe　could　never　attain　the　ardor　of　his　former　prayers　while
  walking　up　and　down　the　shadeless　paths。　Du　Bousquier　had　planted　an
  English　garden。
  〃It　was　best；〃　said　Madame　du　Bousquier；　without　thinking　so；　but　the
  Abbe　Couterier　had　authorized　her　to　commit　many　wrongs　to　please　her
  husband。
  These　restorations　destroyed　all　the　venerable　dignity；　cordiality；
  and　patriarchal　air　of　the　old　house。　Like　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；
  whose　personal　neglect　might　be　called　an　abdication；　the　bourgeois
  dignity　of　the　Cormon　salon　no　longer　existed　when　it　was　turned　to
  white　and　gold；　with　mahogany　ottomans　covered　in　blue　satin。　The
  dining…room；　adorned　in　modern　taste；　was　colder　in　tone　than　it　used
  to　be；　and　the　dinners　were　eaten　with　less　appetite　than　formerly。
  Monsieur　du　Coudrai　declared　that　he　felt　his　puns　stick　in　his　throat
  as　he　glanced　at　the　figures　painted　on　the　walls；　which　looked　him
  out　of　countenance。　Externally；　the　house　was　still　provincial；　but
  internally　everything　revealed　the　purveyor　of　the　Directory　and　the
  bad　taste　of　the　money…changer；for　instance；　columns　in　stucco；
  glass　doors；　Greek　mouldings；　meaningless　outlines；　all　styles
  conglomerated；　magnificence　out　of　place　and　out　of　season。
  The　town　of　Alencon　gabbled　for　two　weeks　over　this　luxury；　which
  seemed　unparalleled；　but　a　few　months　later　the　community　was　proud　of
  it；　and　several　rich