the　ballroom　on　the　ground　floor　of　the　Hotel　Beauseant；　the　fete
  had　followed　so　closely　on　the　invitation；　that　he　had　not　had
  time　to　call　on　his　cousin；　and　had　therefore　never　seen　Mme。　de
  Beauseant's　apartments；　he　was　about　to　behold　for　the　first　time
  a　great　lady　among　the　wonderful　and　elegant　surroundings　that
  reveal　her　character　and　reflect　her　daily　life。　He　was　the　more
  curious；　because　Mme。　de　Restaud's　drawing…room　had　provided　him
  with　a　standard　of　comparison。
  At　half…past　four　the　Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant　was　visible。　Five
  minutes　earlier　she　would　not　have　received　her　cousin；　but
  Eugene　knew　nothing　of　the　recognized　routine　of　various　houses
  in　Paris。　He　was　conducted　up　the　wide；　white…painted；　crimson…
  carpeted　staircase；　between　the　gilded　balusters　and　masses　of
  flowering　plants；　to　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　apartments。　He　did　not
  know　the　rumor　current　about　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　one　of　the
  biographies　told；　with　variations；　in　whispers；　every　evening　in
  the　salons　of　Paris。
  For　three　years　past　her　name　had　been　spoken　of　in　connection
  with　that　of　one　of　the　most　wealthy　and　distinguished　Portuguese
  nobles；　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda…Pinto。　It　was　one　of　those　innocent
  liaisons　which　possess　so　much　charm　for　the　two　thus　attached　to
  each　other　that　they　find　the　presence　of　a　third　person
  intolerable。　The　Vicomte　de　Beauseant；　therefore；　had　himself　set
  an　example　to　the　rest　of　the　world　by　respecting；　with　as　good　a
  grace　as　might　be；　this　morganatic　union。　Any　one　who　came　to
  call　on　the　Vicomtesse　in　the　early　days　of　this　friendship　was
  sure　to　find　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda…Pinto　there。　As；　under　the
  circumstances；　Mme。　de　Beauseant　could　not　very　well　shut　her
  door　against　these　visitors；　she　gave　them　such　a　cold　reception；
  and　showed　so　much　interest　in　the　study　of　the　ceiling；　that　no
  one　could　fail　to　understand　how　much　he　bored　her；　and　when　it
  became　known　in　Paris　that　Mme。　de　Beauseant　was　bored　by　callers
  between　two　and　four　o'clock；　she　was　left　in　perfect　solitude
  during　that　interval。　She　went　to　the　Bouffons　or　to　the　Opera
  with　M。　de　Beauseant　and　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto；　and　M。　de　Beauseant；
  like　a　well…bred　man　of　the　world；　always　left　his　wife　and　the
  Portuguese　as　soon　as　he　had　installed　them。　But　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto
  must　marry；　and　a　Mlle。　de　Rochefide　was　the　young　lady。　In　the
  whole　fashionable　world　there　was　but　one　person　who　as　yet　knew
  nothing　of　the　arrangement；　and　that　was　Mme。　de　Beauseant。　Some
  of　her　friends　had　hinted　at　the　possibility；　and　she　had　laughed
  at　them；　believing　that　envy　had　prompted　those　ladies　to　try　to
  make　mischief。　And　now；　though　the　bans　were　about　to　be
  published；　and　although　the　handsome　Portuguese　had　come　that　day
  to　break　the　news　to　the　Vicomtesse；　he　had　not　found　courage　as
  yet　to　say　one　word　about　his　treachery。　How　was　it？　Nothing　is
  doubtless　more　difficult　than　the　notification　of　an　ultimatum　of
  this　kind。　There　are　men　who　feel　more　at　their　ease　when　they
  stand　up　before　another　man　who　threatens　their　lives　with　sword
  or　pistol　than　in　the　presence　of　a　woman　who；　after　two　hours　of
  lamentations　and　reproaches；　falls　into　a　dead　swoon　and　requires
  salts。　At　this　moment；　therefore；　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto　was　on　thorns；
  and　anxious　to　take　his　leave。　He　told　himself　that　in　some　way
  or　other　the　news　would　reach　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　he　would　write；
  it　would　be　much　better　to　do　it　by　letter；　and　not　to　utter　the
  words　that　should　stab　her　to　the　heart。
  So　when　the　servant　announced　M。　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　the　Marquis
  d'Ajuda…Pinto　trembled　with　joy。　To　be　sure；　a　loving　woman　shows
  even　more　ingenuity　in　inventing　doubts　of　her　lover　than　in
  varying　the　monotony　of　his　happiness；　and　when　she　is　about　to
  be　forsaken；　she　instinctively　interprets　every　gesture　as
  rapidly　as　Virgil's　courser　detected　the　presence　of　his
  companion　by　snuffing　the　breeze。　It　was　impossible；　therefore；
  that　Mme。　de　Beauseant　should　not　detect　that　involuntary　thrill
  of　satisfaction；　slight　though　it　was；　it　was　appalling　in　its
  artlessness。
  Eugene　had　yet　to　learn　that　no　one　in　Paris　should　present
  himself　in　any　house　without　first　making　himself　acquainted　with
  the　whole　history　of　its　owner；　and　of　its　owner's　wife　and
  family；　so　that　he　may　avoid　making　any　of　the　terrible　blunders
  which　in　Poland　draw　forth　the　picturesque　exclamation；　〃Harness
  five　bullocks　to　your　cart！〃　probably　because　you　will　need　them
  all　to　pull　you　out　of　the　quagmire　into　which　a　false　step　has
  plunged　you。　If；　down　to　the　present　day；　our　language　has　no
  name　for　these　conversational　disasters；　it　is　probably　because
  they　are　believed　to　be　impossible；　the　publicity　given　in　Paris
  to　every　scandal　is　so　prodigious。　After　the　awkward　incident　at
  Mme。　de　Restaud's；　no　one　but　Eugene　could　have　reappeared　in　his
  character　of　bullock…driver　in　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　drawing…room。
  But　if　Mme。　de　Restaud　and　M。　de　Trailles　had　found　him　horribly
  in　the　way；　M。　d'Ajuda　hailed　his　coming　with　relief。
  〃Good…bye；〃　said　the　Portuguese；　hurrying　to　the　door；　as　Eugene
  made　his　entrance　into　a　dainty　little　pink…and…gray　drawing…
  room；　where　luxury　seemed　nothing　more　than　good　taste。
  〃Until　this　evening；〃　said　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　turning　her　head　to
  give　the　Marquis　a　glance。　〃We　are　going　to　the　Bouffons；　are　we
  not？〃
  〃I　cannot　go；〃　he　said；　with　his　fingers　on　the　door　handle。
  Mme。　de　Beauseant　rose　and　beckoned　to　him　to　return。　She　did　not
  pay　the　slightest　attention　to　Eugene；　who　stood　there　dazzled　by
  the　sparkling　marvels　around　him；　he　began　to　think　that　this　was
  some　story　out　of　the　Arabian　Nights　made　real；　and　did　not　know
  where　to　hide　himself；　when　the　woman　before　him　seemed　to　be
  unconscious　of　his　existence。　The　Vicomtesse　had　raised　the
  forefinger　of　her　right　hand；　and　gracefully　signed　to　the
  Marquis　to　seat　himself　beside　her。　The　Marquis　felt　the
  imperious　sway　of　passion　in　her　gesture；　he　came　back　towards
  her。　Eugene　watched　him；　not　without　a　feeling　of　envy。
  〃That　is　the　owner　of　the　brougham！〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃But　is
  it　necessary　to　have　a　pair　of　spirited　horses；　servants　in
  livery；　and　torrents　of　gold　to　draw　a　glance　from　a　woman　here
  in　Paris？〃
  The　demon　of　luxury　gnawed　at　his　heart；　greed　burned　in　his
  veins；　his　throat　was　parched　with　the　thirst　of　gold。
  He　had　a　hundred　and　thirty　francs　every　quarter。　His　father；
  mother；　brothers；　sisters；　and　aunt　did　not　spend　two　hundred
  francs　a　month　among　them。　This　swift　comparison　between　his
  present　condition　and　the　aims　he　had　in　view　helped　to　benumb
  his　faculties。
  〃Why　not？〃　the　Vicomtesse　was　saying；　as　she　smiled　at　the
  Portuguese。　〃Why　cannot　you　come　to　the　Italiens？〃
  〃Affairs！　I　am　to　dine　with　the　English　Ambassador。〃
  〃Throw　him　over。〃
  When　a　man　once　enters　on　a　course　of　deception；　he　is　compelled
  to　add　lie　to　lie。　M。　d'Ajuda　therefore　said；　smiling；　〃Do　you
  lay　your　commands　on　me？〃
  〃Yes；　certainly。〃
  〃That　was　what　I　wanted　to　have　you　say　to　me；〃　he　answered；
  dissembling　his　feelings　in　a　glance　which　would　have　reassured
  any　other　woman。
  He　took　the　Vicomtesse's　hand；　kissed　it；　and　went。
  Eugene　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair；　and　constrained　himself
  to　bow。　He　thought　that　now　Mme。　de　Beauseant　would　give　him　her
  attention；　but　suddenly　she　sprang　forward；　rushed　to　a　window　in
  the　gallery；　and　watched　M。　d'Ajuda　step　into　his　carriage；　she
  listened　to　the　order　that　he　gave；　and　heard　the　Swiss　repeat　it
  to　the　coachman：
  〃To　M。　de　Rochefide's　house。〃
  Those　words；　and　the　way　in　which　M。　d'Ajuda　flung　himself　back
  in　the　carriage；　were　like　a　lightning　flash　and　a　thunderbolt
  for　her；　she　walked　back　again　with　a　deadly　fear　gnawing　at　her
  heart。　The　most　terrible　catastrophes　only　happen　among　the
  heights。　The　Vicomtesse　went　to　her　own　room；　sat　down　at　a
  table；　and　took　up　a　sheet　of　dainty　notepaper。
  〃When；　instead　of　dining　with　the　English　Ambassador；〃
  she　wrote；　〃you　go　to　the　Rochefides；　you　owe　me　an
  explanation；　which　I　am　waiting　to　hear。〃
  She　retraced　several　of　the　letters；　for　her　hand　was　trembling
  so　that　they　were　indistinct；　then　she　signed　the　note　with　an
  initial　C　for　〃Claire　de　Bourgogne；〃　and　rang　the　bell。
  〃Jacques；〃　she　said　to　the　servant；　who　appeared　immediately；
  〃take　this　note　to　M。　de　Rochefide's　house　at　half…past　seven　and
  ask　for　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda。　If　M。　d'Ajuda　is　there；　leave　the
  note　without　waiting　for　an　answer；　if　he　is　not　there；　bring　the
  note　back　to　me。〃
  〃Madame　la　Vicomtess；　there　is　a　visitor　in　the　drawing…room。〃
  〃Ah！　yes；　of　course；〃　she　said；　opening　the　door。
  Eugene　was　beginning　to　feel　very　uncomfortable；　but　at　last　the
  Vicomtesse　appeared；　she　spoke　to　him；　and　the　tremulous　tones　of
  her　voice　vibrated　throu