Words　spoken　half　jestingly　to　cover　their　somewhat　disrespectful
  import；　but　such　an　implication；　if　carefully　disguised；　never
  gives　offence　to　a　woman。　Mme。　de　Nucingen　smiled；　and　offered
  Eugene　the　place　which　her　husband　had　just　left。
  〃I　do　not　venture　to　suggest　that　you　should　stay　with　me；
  monsieur；〃　she　said。　〃Those　who　are　so　fortunate　as　to　be　in　Mme。
  de　Beauseant's　company　do　not　desire　to　leave　it。〃
  〃Madame；〃　Eugene　said；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　think　that　to
  please　my　cousin　I　should　remain　with　you。　Before　my　lord　Marquis
  came　we　were　speaking　of　you　and　of　your　exceedingly
  distinguished　appearance；〃　he　added　aloud。
  M。　d'Ajuda　turned　and　left　them。
  〃Are　you　really　going　to　stay　with　me；　monsieur？〃　asked　the
  Baroness。　〃Then　we　shall　make　each　other's　acquaintance。　Mme。　de
  Restaud　told　me　about　you；　and　has　made　me　anxious　to　meet　you。〃
  〃She　must　be　very　insincere；　then；　for　she　has　shut　her　door　on
  me。〃
  〃What？〃
  〃Madame；　I　will　tell　you　honestly　the　reason　why；　but　I　must
  crave　your　indulgence　before　confiding　such　a　secret　to　you。　I　am
  your　father's　neighbor；　I　had　no　idea　that　Mme。　de　Restaud　was
  his　daughter。　I　was　rash　enough　to　mention　his　name；　I　meant　no
  harm；　but　I　annoyed　your　sister　and　her　husband　very　much。　You
  cannot　think　how　severely　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais　and　my　cousin
  blamed　this　apostasy　on　a　daughter's　part；　as　a　piece　of　bad
  taste。　I　told　them　all　about　it；　and　they　both　burst　out
  laughing。　Then　Mme。　de　Beauseant　made　some　comparison　between　you
  and　your　sister；　speaking　in　high　terms　of　you；　and　saying　how
  very　fond　you　were　of　my　neighbor；　M。　Goriot。　And；　indeed；　how
  could　you　help　loving　him？　He　adores　you　so　passionately　that　I
  am　jealous　already。　We　talked　about　you　this　morning　for　two
  hours。　So　this　evening　I　was　quite　full　of　all　that　your　father
  had　told　me；　and　while　I　was　dining　with　my　cousin　I　said　that
  you　could　not　be　as　beautiful　as　affectionate。　Mme。　de　Beauseant
  meant　to　gratify　such　warm　admiration；　I　think；　when　she　brought
  me　here；　telling　me；　in　her　gracious　way；　that　I　should　see　you。〃
  〃Then；　even　now；　I　owe　you　a　debt　of　gratitude；　monsieur；〃　said
  the　banker's　wife。　〃We　shall　be　quite　old　friends　in　a　little
  while。〃
  〃Although　a　friendship　with　you　could　not　be　like　an　ordinary
  friendship；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃I　should　never　wish　to　be　your
  friend。〃
  Such　stereotyped　phrases　as　these；　in　the　mouths　of　beginners；
  possess　an　unfailing　charm　for　women；　and　are　insipid　only　when
  read　coldly；　for　a　young　man's　tone；　glance　and　attitude　give　a
  surpassing　eloquence　to　the　banal　phrases。　Mme。　de　Nucingen
  thought　that　Rastignac　was　adorable。　Then；　woman…like；　being　at　a
  loss　how　to　reply　to　the　student's　outspoken　admiration；　she
  answered　a　previous　remark。
  〃Yes；　it　is　very　wrong　of　my　sister　to　treat　our　poor　father　as
  she　does；〃　she　said；　〃he　has　been　a　Providence　to　us。　It　was　not
  until　M。　de　Nucingen　positively　ordered　me　only　to　receive　him　in
  the　mornings　that　I　yielded　the　point。　But　I　have　been　unhappy
  about　it　for　a　long　while；　I　have　shed　many　tears　over　it。　This
  violence　to　my　feelings；　with　my　husband's　brutal　treatment；　have
  been　two　causes　of　my　unhappy　married　life。　There　is　certainly　no
  woman　in　Paris　whose　lot　seems　more　enviable　than　mine；　and　yet；
  in　reality；　there　is　not　one　so　much　to　be　pitied。　You　will　think
  I　must　be　out　of　my　senses　to　talk　to　you　like　this；　but　you　know
  my　father；　and　I　cannot　regard　you　as　a　stranger。〃
  〃You　will　find　no　one；〃　said　Eugene；　〃who　longs　as　eagerly　as　I
  do　to　be　yours。　What　do　all　women　seek？　Happiness。〃　（He　answered
  his　own　question　in　low；　vibrating　tones。）　〃And　if　happiness　for
  a　woman　means　that　she　is　to　be　loved　and　adored；　to　have　a
  friend　to　whom　she　can　pour　out　her　wishes；　her　fancies；　her
  sorrows　and　joys；　to　whom　she　can　lay　bare　her　heart　and　soul；
  and　all　her　fair　defects　and　her　gracious　virtues；　without　fear
  of　a　betrayal；　believe　me；　the　devotion　and　the　warmth　that　never
  fails　can　only　be　found　in　the　heart　of　a　young　man　who；　at　a
  bare　sign　from　you；　would　go　to　his　death；　who　neither　knows　nor
  cares　to　know　anything　as　yet　of　the　world；　because　you　will　be
  all　the　world　to　him。　I　myself；　you　see　（you　will　laugh　at　my
  simplicity）；　have　just　come　from　a　remote　country　district；　I　am
  quite　new　to　this　world　of　Paris；　I　have　only　known　true　and
  loving　hearts；　and　I　made　up　my　mind　that　here　I　should　find　no
  love。　Then　I　chanced　to　meet　my　cousin；　and　to　see　my　cousin's
  heart　from　very　near；　I　have　divined　the　inexhaustible　treasures
  of　passion；　and；　like　Cherubino；　I　am　the　lover　of　all　women；
  until　the　day　comes　when　I　find　THE　woman　to　whom　I　may　devote
  myself。　As　soon　as　I　saw　you；　as　soon　as　I　came　into　the　theatre
  this　evening；　I　felt　myself　borne　towards　you　as　if　by　the
  current　of　a　stream。　I　had　so　often　thought　of　you　already；　but　I
  had　never　dreamed　that　you　would　be　so　beautiful！　Mme。　de
  Beauseant　told　me　that　I　must　not　look　so　much　at　you。　She　does
  not　know　the　charm　of　your　red　lips；　your　fair　face；　nor　see　how
  soft　your　eyes　are。　。　。　。　I　also　am　beginning　to　talk　nonsense；
  but　let　me　talk。〃
  Nothing　pleases　a　woman　better　than　to　listen　to　such　whispered
  words　as　these；　the　most　puritanical　among　them　listens　even　when
  she　ought　not　to　reply　to　them；　and　Rastignac；　having　once　begun；
  continued　to　pour　out　his　story；　dropping　his　voice；　that　she
  might　lean　and　listen；　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　smiling；　glanced
  from　time　to　time　at　de　Marsay；　who　still　sat　in　the　Princesse
  Galathionne's　box。
  Rastignac　did　not　leave　Mme。　de　Nucingen　till　her　husband　came　to
  take　her　home。
  〃Madame；〃　Eugene　said；　〃I　shall　have　the　pleasure　of　calling　upon
  you　before　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano's　ball。〃
  〃If　Matame　infites　you　to　come；〃　said　the　Baron；　a　thickset
  Alsatian；　with　indications　of　a　sinister　cunning　in　his　full…moon
  countenance；　〃you　are　quide　sure　of　being　well　receifed。〃
  〃My　affairs　seem　to　be　in　a　promising　way；〃　said　Eugene　to
  himself。〃　'Can　you　love　me？'　I　asked　her；　and　she　did　not
  resent　it。　The　bit　is　in　the　horse's　mouth；　and　I　have　only　to
  mount　and　ride；〃　and　with　that　he　went　to　pay　his　respects　to
  Mme。　de　Beauseant；　who　was　leaving　the　theatre　on　d'Ajuda's　arm。
  The　student　did　not　know　that　the　Baroness'　thoughts　had　been
  wandering；　that　she　was　even　then　expecting　a　letter　from　de
  Marsay；　one　of　those　letters　that　bring　about　a　rupture　that
  rends　the　soul；　so；　happy　in　his　delusion；　Eugene　went　with　the
  Vicomtesse　to　the　peristyle；　where　people　were　waiting　till　their
  carriages　were　announced。
  〃That　cousin　of　yours　is　hardly　recognizable　for　the　same　man；〃
  said　the　Portuguese　laughingly　to　the　Vicomtesse；　when　Eugene　had
  taken　leave　of　them。　〃He　will　break　the　bank。　He　is　as　supple　as
  an　eel；　he　will　go　a　long　way；　of　that　I　am　sure。　Who　else　could
  have　picked　out　a　woman　for　him；　as　you　did；　just　when　she　needed
  consolation？〃
  〃But　it　is　not　certain　that　she　does　not　still　love　the　faithless
  lover；〃　said　Mme。　de　Beauseant。
  The　student　meanwhile　walked　back　from　the　Theatre…Italien　to　the
  Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　making　the　most　delightful　plans　as
  he　went。　He　had　noticed　how　closely　Mme。　de　Restaud　had
  scrutinized　him　when　he　sat　beside　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　inferred
  that　the　Countess'　doors　would　not　be　closed　in　the　future。　Four
  important　houses　were　now　open　to　himfor　he　meant　to　stand　well
  with　the　Marechale；　he　had　four　supporters　in　the　inmost　circle
  of　society　in　Paris。　Even　now　it　was　clear　to　him　that；　once
  involved　in　this　intricate　social　machinery；　he　must　attach
  himself　to　a　spoke　of　the　wheel　that　was　to　turn　and　raise　his
  fortunes；　he　would　not　examine　himself　too　curiously　as　to　the
  methods；　but　he　was　certain　of　the　end；　and　conscious　of　the
  power　to　gain　and　keep　his　hold。
  〃If　Mme。　de　Nucingen　takes　an　interest　in　me；　I　will　teach　her
  how　to　manage　her　husband。　That　husband　of　hers　is　a　great
  speculator；　he　might　put　me　in　the　way　of　making　a　fortune　by　a
  single　stroke。〃
  He　did　not　say　this　bluntly　in　so　many　words；　as　yet；　indeed；　he
  was　not　sufficient　of　a　diplomatist　to　sum　up　a　situation；　to　see
  its　possibilities　at　a　glance；　and　calculate　the　chances　in　his
  favor。　These　were　nothing　but　hazy　ideas　that　floated　over　his
  mental　horizon；　they　were　less　cynical　than　Vautrin's　notions；
  but　if　they　had　been　tried　in　the　crucible　of　conscience；　no　very
  pure　result　would　have　issued　from　the　test。　It　is　by　a
  succession　of　such　like　transactions　that　men　sink　at　last　to　the
  level　of　the　relaxed　morality　of　this　epoch；　when　there　have
  never　been　so　few　of　those　who　square　their　courses　with　their
  theories；　so　few　of　those　noble　characters　who　do　not　yield　to
  temptation；　for　whom　the　slightest　deviation　from　the　line　of
  rectitude　is　a　crime。　To　these　magnificent