〃My　Dear　Child；I　am　sending　you　the　money　that　you　asked　for。
  Make　a　good　use　of　it。　Even　to　save　your　life　I　could　not　raise
  so　large　a　sum　a　second　time　without　your　father's　knowledge；　and
  there　would　be　trouble　about　it。　We　should　be　obliged　to　mortgage
  the　land。　It　is　impossible　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　schemes　of
  which　I　am　ignorant；　but　what　sort　of　schemes　can　they　be；　that
  you　should　fear　to　tell　me　about　them？　Volumes　of　explanation
  would　not　have　been　needed；　we　mothers　can　understand　at　a　word；
  and　that　word　would　have　spared　me　the　anguish　of　uncertainty。　I
  do　not　know　how　to　hide　the　painful　impression　that　your　letter
  has　made　upon　me；　my　dear　son。　What　can　you　have　felt　when　you
  were　moved　to　send　this　chill　of　dread　through　my　heart？　It　must
  have　been　very　painful　to　you　to　write　the　letter　that　gave　me　so
  much　pain　as　I　read　it。　To　what　courses　are　you　committed？　You
  are　going　to　appear　to　be　something　that　you　are　not；　and　your
  whole　life　and　success　depends　upon　this？　You　are　about　to　see　a
  society　into　which　you　cannot　enter　without　rushing　into　expense
  that　you　cannot　afford；　without　losing　precious　time　that　is
  needed　for　your　studies。　Ah！　my　dear　Eugene；　believe　your　mother；
  crooked　ways　cannot　lead　to　great　ends。　Patience　and　endurance
  are　the　two　qualities　most　needed　in　your　position。　I　am　not
  scolding　you；　I　do　not　want　any　tinge　of　bitterness　to　spoil　our
  offering。　I　am　only　talking　like　a　mother　whose　trust　in　you　is
  as　great　as　her　foresight　for　you。　You　know　the　steps　that　you
  must　take；　and　I；　for　my　part；　know　the　purity　of　heart；　and　how
  good　your　intentions　are；　so　I　can　say　to　you　without　a　doubt；
  'Go　forward；　beloved！'　If　I　tremble；　it　is　because　I　am　a　mother；
  but　my　prayers　and　blessings　will　be　with　you　at　every　step。　Be
  very　careful；　dear　boy。　You　must　have　a　man's　prudence；　for　it
  lies　with　you　to　shape　the　destinies　of　five　others　who　are　dear
  to　you；　and　must　look　to　you。　Yes；　our　fortunes　depend　upon　you；
  and　your　success　is　ours。　We　all　pray　to　God　to　be　with　you　in
  all　that　you　do。　Your　aunt　Marcillac　has　been　most　generous
  beyond　words　in　this　matter；　she　saw　at　once　how　it　was；　even
  down　to　your　gloves。　'But　I　have　a　weakness　for　the　eldest！'　she
  said　gaily。　You　must　love　your　aunt　very　much；　dear　Eugene。　I
  shall　wait　till　you　have　succeeded　before　telling　you　all　that
  she　has　done　for　you；　or　her　money　would　burn　your　fingers。　You；
  who　are　young；　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　part　with　something　that
  is　a　piece　of　your　past！　But　what　would　we　not　sacrifice　for　your
  sakes？　Your　aunt　says　that　I　am　to　send　you　a　kiss　on　the
  forehead　from　her；　and　that　kiss　is　to　bring　you　luck　again　and
  again；　she　says。　She　would　have　written　you　herself；　the　dear
  kind…hearted　woman；　but　she　is　troubled　with　the　gout　in　her
  fingers　just　now。　Your　father　is　very　well。　The　vintage　of　1819
  has　turned　out　better　than　we　expected。　Good…bye；　dear　boy；　I
  will　say　nothing　about　your　sisters；　because　Laure　is　writing　to
  you；　and　I　must　let　her　have　the　pleasure　of　giving　you　all　the
  home　news。　Heaven　send　that　you　may　succeed！　Oh！　yes；　dear
  Eugene；　you　must　succeed。　I　have　come；　through　you；　to　a
  knowledge　of　a　pain　so　sharp　that　I　do　not　think　I　could　endure
  it　a　second　time。　I　have　come　to　know　what　it　is　to　be　poor；　and
  to　long　for　money　for　my　children's　sake。　There；　good…bye！　Do　not
  leave　us　for　long　without　news　of　you；　and　here；　at　the　last；
  take　a　kiss　from　your　mother。〃
  By　the　time　Eugene　had　finished　the　letter　he　was　in　tears。　He
  thought　of　Father　Goriot　crushing　his　silver　keepsake　into　a
  shapeless　mass　before　he　sold　it　to　meet　his　daughter's　bill　of
  exchange。
  〃Your　mother　has　broken　up　her　jewels　for　you；〃　he　said　to
  himself；　〃your　aunt　shed　tears　over　those　relics　of　hers　before
  she　sold　them　for　your　sake。　What　right　have　you　to　heap
  execrations　on　Anastasie？　You　have　followed　her　example；　you　have
  selfishly　sacrificed　others　to　your　own　future；　and　she
  sacrifices　her　father　to　her　lover；　and　of　you　two；　which　is　the
  worse？〃
  He　was　ready　to　renounce　his　attempts；　he　could　not　bear　to　take
  that　money。　The　fires　of　remorse　burned　in　his　heart；　and　gave
  him　intolerable　pain；　the　generous　secret　remorse　which　men
  seldom　take　into　account　when　they　sit　in　judgment　upon　their
  fellow…men；　but　perhaps　the　angels　in　heaven；　beholding　it；
  pardon　the　criminal　whom　our　justice　condemns。　Rastignac　opened
  his　sister's　letter；　its　simplicity　and　kindness　revived　his
  heart。
  〃Your　letter　came　just　at　the　right　time；　dear　brother。　Agathe
  and　I　had　thought　of　so　many　different　ways　of　spending　our
  money；　that　we　did　not　know　what　to　buy　with　it；　and　now　you　have
  come　in；　and；　like　the　servant　who　upset　all　the　watches　that
  belonged　to　the　King　of　Spain；　you　have　restored　harmony；　for；
  really　and　truly；　we　did　not　know　which　of　all　the　things　we
  wanted　we　wanted　most；　and　we　were　always　quarreling　about　it；
  never　thinking；　dear　Eugene；　of　a　way　of　spending　our　money　which
  would　satisfy　us　completely。　Agathe　jumped　for　you。　Indeed；　we
  have　been　like　two　mad　things　all　day；　'to　such　a　prodigious
  degree'　（as　aunt　would　say）；　that　mother　said；　with　her　severe
  expression；　'Whatever　can　be　the　matter　with　you；
  mesdemoiselles？'　I　think　if　we　had　been　scolded　a　little；　we
  should　have　been　still　better　pleased。　A　woman　ought　to　be　very
  glad　to　suffer　for　one　she　loves！　I；　however；　in　my　inmost　soul；
  was　doleful　and　cross　in　the　midst　of　all　my　joy。　I　shall　make　a
  bad　wife；　I　am　afraid；　I　am　too　fond　of　spending。　I　had　bought
  two　sashes　and　a　nice　little　stiletto　for　piercing　eyelet…holes
  in　my　stays；　trifles　that　I　really　did　not　want；　so　that　I　have
  less　than　that　slow…coach　Agathe；　who　is　so　economical；　and
  hoards　her　money　like　a　magpie。　She　had　two　hundred　francs！　And　I
  have　only　one　hundred　and　fifty！　I　am　nicely　punished；　I　could
  throw　my　sash　down　the　well；　it　will　be　painful　to　me　to　wear　it
  now。　Poor　dear；　I　have　robbed　you。　And　Agathe　was　so　nice　about
  it。　She　said；　'Let　us　send　the　three　hundred　and　fifty　francs　in
  our　two　names！'　But　I　could　not　help　telling　you　everything　just
  as　it　happened。
  〃Do　you　know　how　we　managed　to　keep　your　commandments？　We　took
  our　glittering　hoard；　we　went　out　for　a　walk；　and　when　once
  fairly　on　the　highway　we　ran　all　the　way　to　Ruffec；　where　we
  handed　over　the　coin；　without　more　ado；　to　M。　Grimbert　of　the
  Messageries　Royales。　We　came　back　again　like　swallows　on　the
  wing。　'Don't　you　think　that　happiness　has　made　us　lighter？'
  Agathe　said。　We　said　all　sorts　of　things；　which　I　shall　not　tell
  you；　Monsieur　le　Parisien；　because　they　were　all　about　you。　Oh；
  we　love　you　dearly；　dear　brother；　it　was　all　summed　up　in　those
  few　words。　As　for　keeping　the　secret；　little　masqueraders　like　us
  are　capable　of　anything　（according　to　our　aunt）；　even　of　holding
  our　tongues。　Our　mother　has　been　on　a　mysterious　journey　to
  Angouleme；　and　the　aunt　went　with　her；　not　without　solemn
  councils；　from　which　we　were　shut　out；　and　M。　le　Baron　likewise。
  They　are　silent　as　to　the　weighty　political　considerations　that
  prompted　their　mission；　and　conjectures　are　rife　in　the　State　of
  Rastignac。　The　Infantas　are　embroidering　a　muslin　robe　with　open…
  work　sprigs　for　her　Majesty　the　Queen；　the　work　progresses　in　the
  most　profound　secrecy。　There　be　but　two　more　breadths　to　finish。
  A　decree　has　gone　forth　that　no　wall　shall　be　built　on　the　side
  of　Verteuil；　but　that　a　hedge　shall　be　planted　instead　thereof。
  Our　subjects　may　sustain　some　disappointment　of　fruit　and
  espaliers；　but　strangers　will　enjoy　a　fair　prospect。　Should　the
  heir…presumptive　lack　pocket…handkerchiefs；　be　it　known　unto　him
  that　the　dowager　Lady　of　Marcillac；　exploring　the　recesses　of　her
  drawers　and　boxes　（known　respectively　as　Pompeii　and
  Herculaneum）；　having　brought　to　light　a　fair　piece　of　cambric
  whereof　she　wotted　not；　the　Princesses　Agathe　and　Laure　place　at
  their　brother's　disposal　their　thread；　their　needles；　and　hands
  somewhat　of　the　reddest。　The　two　young　Princes；　Don　Henri　and　Don
  Gabriel；　retain　their　fatal　habits　of　stuffing　themselves　with
  grape…jelly；　of　teasing　their　sisters；　of　taking　their　pleasure
  by　going　a…bird…nesting；　and　of　cutting　switches　for　themselves
  from　the　osier…beds；　maugre　the　laws　of　the　realm。　Moreover；　they
  list　not　to　learn　naught；　wherefore　the　Papal　Nuncio　（called　of
  the　commonalty；　M。　le　Cure）　threateneth　them　with
  excommunication；　since　that　they　neglect　the　sacred　canons　of
  grammatical　construction　for　the　construction　of　other　canon；
  deadly　engines　made　of　the　stems　of　elder。
  〃Farewell；　dear　brother；　never　did　letter　carry　so　many　wishes
  for　your　success；　so　much　love　fully　satisfied。　You　will　have　a
  great　deal　to　tell　us　when　you　come　home！　You　will　tell　me
  everything；　won't　you？　I　am　the　oldest。　From　something　the　aunt
  let　fall；　we　think　you　must　have　had　some　succe