griefs　than　he　did　in　their　joys；　he　regarded　them；　like　the　late　de　Marsay；　as　naughty　children。　After　squandering　his　own　fortune；　he　had　spent　that　of　a　famous　courtesan；　La　Belle　Hollandaise；　the　mother　of　Esther　Gobseck。　He　had　caused　the　misery　of　Madame　Restaud；　sister　of　Madame　Delphine　de　Nucingen；　the　mother　of　the　young　Comtesse　de　Rastignac。
  The　world　of　Paris　offers　many　unimaginable　situations。　The　Baronne　de　Nucingen　was　at　this　moment　in　Madame　d'Espard's　salon　in　presence　of　the　author　of　all　her　sister's　misery；　in　presence　of　a　murderer　who　killed　only　the　happiness　of　women。　That；　perhaps；　was　the　reason　why　he　was　there。　Madame　de　Nucingen　had　dined　at　Madame　d'Espard's　with　her　daughter；　married　a　few　months　earlier　to　the　Comte　de　Rastignac；　who　had　begun　his　political　career　by　occupying　the　post　of　under…　secretary　of　state　in　the　famous　ministry　of　the　late　de　Marsay；　the　only　real　statesman　produced　by　the　Revolution　of　July。
  Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　alone　knew　how　many　disasters　he　had　caused；　but　he　had　always　taken　care　to　shelter　himself　from　blame　by　scrupulously　obeying　the　laws　of　the　Man…Code。　Though　he　had　squandered　in　the　course　of　his　life　more　money　than　the　four　galleys　of　France　could　have　stolen　in　the　same　time；　he　had　kept　clear　of　justice。　Never　had　he　lacked　in　honor；　his　gambling　debts　were　paid　scrupulously。　An　admirable　player；　his　partners　were　chiefly　the　great　seigneurs；　ministers；　and　ambassadors。　He　dined　habitually　with　all　the　members　of　the　diplomatic　body。　He　fought　duels；　and　had　killed　two　or　three　men　in　his　life；　in　fact；　he　had　half　murdered　them；　for　his　coolness　and　self…possession　were　unparalleled。　No　young　man　could　compare　with　him　in　dress；　in　the　distinction　of　his　manners；　the　elegance　of　his　witty　speech；　the　grace　of　his　easy　carriage；in　short；　what　was　called　in　those　days　〃the　grand　air。〃　In　his　capacity　of　page　to　the　Emperor；　trained　from　the　age　of　twelve　in　the　art　of　riding；　he　was　held　to　be　the　skilfulest　of　horsemen。　Having　always　fine　horses　in　his　stable；　he　raised　some；　and　ruled　the　fashion　in　equestrianism。　No　man　could　stand　a　supper　of　young　bloods　better　than　he；　he　drank　more　than　the　best…trained　toper；　but　he　came　out　fresh　and　cool；　and　ready　to　begin　again　as　if　orgy　were　his　element。　Maxime；　one　of　those　despised　men　who　know　how　to　repress　the　contempt　they　inspire　by　the　insolence　of　their　attitude　and　the　fear　they　cause；　never　deceived　himself　as　to　his　actual　position。　Hence　his　real　strength。　Strong　men　are　always　their　own　critics。
  Under　the　Restoration　he　had　made　the　most　of　his　former　condition　of　page　to　the　Emperor。　He　attributed　to　his　pretended　Bonapartist　opinions　the　rebuffs　he　met　with　from　the　different　ministers　when　he　asked　for　an　office　under　the　Bourbons；　for；　in　spite　of　his　connections；　his　birth；　and　his　dangerous　aptitudes；　he　never　obtained　anything。　After　the　failure　of　these　attempts　he　entered　the　secret　cabal　which　led　in　time　to　the　fall　of　the　Elder　branch。
  When　the　Younger　branch；　preceded　by　the　Parisian　populace；　had　trodden　down　the　Elder　branch　and　was　seated　on　the　throne；　Maxime　reproduced　his　attachment　to　Napoleon；　for　whom　he　cared　as　much　as　for　his　first　love。　He　then　did　great　services　to　the　newcomers；　who　soon　found　the　payment　for　them　onerous；　for　Maxime　too　often　demanded　payment　of　men　who　knew　how　to　reckon　those　services。　At　the　first　refusal；　Maxime　assumed　at　once　an　attitude　of　hostility；　threatening　to　reveal　unpleasant　details；　for　budding　dynasties；　like　infants；　have　much　soiled　linen。　De　Marsay；　during　his　ministry；　repaired　the　mistake　of　his　predecessors；　who　had　ignored　the　utility　of　this　man。　He　gave　him　those　secret　missions　which　require　a　conscience　made　malleable　by　the　hammer　of　necessity；　an　adroitness　which　recoils　before　no　methods；　impudence；　and；　above　all；　the　self…possession；　the　coolness；　the　embracing　glance　which　constitute　the　hired　/bravi/　of　thought　and　statesmanship。　Such　instruments　are　both　rare　and　necessary。
  As　a　matter　of　calculation；　de　Marsay　maintained　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　in　the　highest　society；　he　described　him　as　a　man　ripened　by　passions；　taught　by　experience；　who　knew　men　and　things；　to　whom　travel　and　a　certain　faculty　for　observation　had　imparted　an　understanding　of　European　interests；　of　foreign　cabinets；　and　of　all　the　ramifications　of　the　great　continental　families。　De　Marsay　convinced　Maxime　of　the　necessity　of　doing　himself　credit；　he　taught　him　discretion；　less　as　a　virtue　than　a　speculation；　he　proved　to　him　that　the　governing　powers　would　never　abandon　a　solid；　safe；　elegant；　and　polished　instrument。
  〃In　politics；〃　he　said；　blaming　Maxime　for　having　uttered　a　threat；　〃we　should　never　/blackmail/　but　once。〃
  Maxime　was　a　man　who　could　sound　the　depths　of　that　saying。
  De　Marsay　dead；　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　had　fallen　back　into　his　former　state　of　existence。　He　went　to　the　baths　every　year　and　gambled；　he　returned　to　Paris　for　the　winter；　but；　though　he　received　some　large　sums　from　the　depths　of　certain　niggardly　coffers；　that　sort　of　half…pay　to　a　daring　man　kept　for　use　at　any　moment　and　possessing　many　secrets　of　the　art　of　diplomacy；　was　insufficient　for　the　dissipations　of　a　life　as　splendid　as　that　of　the　king　of　dandies；　the　tyrant　of　several　Parisian　clubs。　Consequently　Comte　Maxime　was　often　uneasy　about　matters　financial。　Possessing　no　property；　he　had　never　been　able　to　consolidate　his　position　by　being　made　a　deputy；　also；　having　no　ostensible　functions；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　hold　a　knife　at　the　throat　of　any　minister　to　compel　his　nomination　as　peer　of　France。　At　the　present　moment　he　saw　that　Time　was　getting　the　better　of　him；　for　his　lavish　dissipations　were　beginning　to　wear　upon　his　person；　as　they　had　already　worn　out　his　divers　fortunes。　In　spite　of　his　splendid　exterior；　he　knew　himself；　and　could　not　be　deceived　about　that　self。　He　intended　to　〃make　an　end〃to　marry。
  A　man　of　acute　mind；　he　was　under　no　illusion　as　to　the　apparent　consideration　in　which　he　was　held；　he　well　knew　it　was　false。　No　women　were　truly　on　his　side；　either　in　the　great　world　of　Paris　or　among　the　bourgeoisie。　Much　secret　malignity；　much　apparent　good…　humor；　and　many　services　rendered　were　necessary　to　maintain　him　in　his　present　position；　for　every　one　desired　his　fall；　and　a　run　of　ill…luck　might　at　any　time　ruin　him。　Once　sent　to　Clichy　or　forced　to　leave　the　country　by　notes　no　longer　renewable；　he　would　sink　into　the　gulf　where　so　many　political　carcasses　may　be　seen；carcasses　of　men　who　find　no　consolation　in　one　another's　company。　Even　this　very　evening　he　was　in　dread　of　a　collapse　of　that　threatening　arch　which　debt　erects　over　the　head　of　many　a　Parisian。　He　had　allowed　his　anxieties　to　appear　upon　his　face；　he　had　refused　to　play　cards　at　Madame　d'Espard's；　he　had　talked　with　the　women　in　an　absent…minded　manner；　and　finally　he　had　sunk　down　silent　and　absorbed　in　the　arm…　chair　from　which　he　had　just　risen　like　Banquo's　ghost。
  Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　now　found　himself　the　object　of　all　glances；　direct　and　indirect；　standing　as　he　did　before　the　fireplace　and　illumined　by　the　cross…lights　of　two　candelabra。　The　few　words　said　about　him　compelled　him；　in　a　way；　to　bear　himself　proudly；　and　he　did　so；　like　a　man　of　sense；　without　arrogance；　and　yet　with　the　intention　of　showing　himself　to　be　above　suspicion。　A　painter　could　scarcely　have　found　a　better　moment　in　which　to　seize　the　portrait　of　a　man　who；　in　his　way；　was　truly　extraordinary。　Does　it　not　require　rare　faculties　to　play　such　a　part；to　enable　one　through　thirty　years　to　seduce　women；　to　constrain　one　to　employ　great　gifts　in　an　underhand　sphere　only；inciting　a　people　to　rebel；　tracking　the　secrets　of　austere　politicians；　and　triumphing　nowhere　but　in　boudoirs　and　on　the　back…stairs　of　cabinets？
  Is　there　not　something；　difficult　to　say　what；　of　greatness　in　being　able　to　rise　to　the　highest　calculations　of　statesmen　and　then　to　fall　coldly　back　into　the　void　of　a　frivolous　life？　Where　is　the　man　of　iron　who　can　withstand　the　alternating　luck　of　gambling；　the　rapid　missions　of　diplomacy；　the　warfare　of　fashion　and　society；　the　dissipations　of　gallantry；the　man　who　makes　his　memory　a　library　of　lies　and　craft；　who　envelops　such　diverse　thoughts；　such　conflicting　manoeuvres；　in　one　impenetrable　cloak　of　perfect　manners？　If　the　wind　of　favor　had　blown　steadily　upon　those　sails　forever　set；　if　the　luck　of　circumstances　had　attended　Maxime；　he　could　have　been　Mazarin；　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu；　Potemkin；　orperhaps　more　trulyLauzun；　without　Pignerol。
  The　count；　though　rather　tall　and　constitutionally　slender；　had　of　late　acquired　some　protuberance　of　stomach；　but　he　〃restrained　it　to　the　majestic；〃　as　Brillat…Savarin　once　said。　His　clothes　were　always　so　well　made；　that　he　kept　about　his　whole　person　an　air　of　youth；　something　active　and　agile；　due　no　doubt　to　his　habits　of　exercise；　fencing；　riding；　and　hunting。　Maxime　possessed　all　the　physical　graces　and　elegances　of　aristocracy；　still　further　increased　by　his　personally　superior　bearing。　His　long；　Bourbonine　face　was　framed　by　whiskers　and　a　beard；　carefully　kept；　elegantly　c