the　man　of　the　family　who　did　the　work；　dragging　his　wife　up　after
  him。　　A　polo　pony　is　hardly　one's　idea　of　a　battle…horse；　but　in
  this　case　it　bore　its　rider　on　to　success。
  Once　climbers　have　succeeded　in　installing　themselves　in　the
  stronghold　of　their　ambitions；　they　become　more　exclusive　than
  their　new　friends　ever　dreamed　of　being；　and　it　tries　one's　self…
  restraint　to　hear　these　new　arrivals　deploring　〃the　levelling
  tendencies　of　the　age；〃　or　wondering　〃how　nice　people　can　be
  beginning　to　call　on　those　horrid　So…and…Sos。　　Their　father　sold
  shoes；　you　know。〃　　This　ultra…exclusiveness　is　not　to　be　wondered
  at。　　The　only　attraction　the　circle　they　have　just　entered　has　for
  the　climbers　is　its　exclusiveness；　and　they　do　not　intend　that　it
  shall　lose　its　market　value　in　their　hands。　　Like　Baudelaire；　they
  believe　that　〃it　is　only　the　small　number　saved　that　makes　the
  charm　of　Paradise。〃　　Having　spent　hard　cash　in　this　investment；
  they　have　every　intention　of　getting　their　money's　worth。
  In　order　to　give　outsiders　a　vivid　impression　of　the　footing　on
  which　they　stand　with　the　great　of　the　world；　all　the　women　they
  have　just　met　become　Nellys　and　Jennys；　and　all　the　men　Dicks　and
  Freds　…　behind　their　backs；　BIEN　ENTENDU　…　for　Mrs。　〃Newcome〃　has
  not　yet　reached　that　point　of　intimacy　which　warrants　using　such
  abbreviations　directly　to　the　owners。
  Another　amiable　weakness　common　to　the　climber　is　that　of　knowing
  everybody。　　No　name　can　be　mentioned　at　home　or　abroad　but　Parvenu
  happens　to　be　on　the　most　intimate　terms　with　the　owner；　and　when
  he　is　conversing；　great　names　drop　out　of　his　mouth　as　plentifully
  as　did　the　pearls　from　the　pretty　lips　of　the　girl　in　the　fairy
  story。　　All　the　world　knows　how　such　a　gentleman；　being　asked　on
  his　return　from　the　East　if　he　had　seen　〃the　Dardanelles；〃
  answered；　〃Oh；　dear；　yes！　　I　dined　with　them　several　times！〃　thus
  settling　satisfactorily　his　standing　in　the　Orient！
  Climbing；　like　every　other　habit；　soon　takes　possession　of　the
  whole　nature。　　To　abstain　from　it　is　torture。　　Napoleon；　we　are
  told；　found　it　impossible　to　rest　contented　on　his　successes；　but
  was　impelled　onward　by　a　force　stronger　than　his　volition。　　In　some
  such　spirit　the　ambitious　souls　here　referred　to；　after　〃the
  Conquest　of　America〃　and　the　discovery　that　the　fruit　of　their
  struggles　was　not　worth　very　much；　victory　having　brought　the
  inevitable　satiety　in　its　wake；　sail　away　in　search　of　new　fields
  of　adventure。　　They　have　long　ago　left　behind　the　friends　and
  acquaintances　of　their　childhood。　　Relations　they　apparently　have
  none；　which　accounts　for　the　curious　phenomenon　that　a　parvenu　is
  never　in　mourning。　　As　no　friendships　bind　them　to　their　new
  circle；　the　ties　are　easily　loosened。　　Why　should　they　care　for　one
  city　more　than　for　another；　unless　it　offer　more　of　the　sport　they
  love？　　This　continent　has　become　tame；　since　there　is　no　longer　any
  struggle；　while　over　the　sea　vast　hunting　grounds　and　game　worthy
  of　their　powder；　form　an　irresistible　temptation　…　old　and
  exclusive　societies　to　be　besieged；　and　contests　to　be　waged
  compared　to　which　their　American　experiences　are　but　light
  skirmishes。　　As　the　polo　pony　is　supposed　to　pant　for　the　fray；　so
  the　hearts　of　social　conquerors　warm　within　them　at　the　prospect　of
  more　brilliant　victories。
  The　pleasure　of　following　them　on　their　hunting　parties　abroad　will
  have　to　be　deferred；　so　vast　is　the　subject；　so　full　of　thrilling
  adventure　and；　alas！　also　of　humiliating　defeat。
  CHAPTER　27　…　The　Last　of　the　Dandies
  SO　completely　has　the　dandy　disappeared　from　among　us；　that　even
  the　word　has　an　old…time　look　（as　if　it　had　strayed　out　of　some
  half…forgotten　novel　or　〃keepsake〃）；　raising　in　our　minds　the
  picture　of　a　slender；　clean…shaven　youth；　in　very　tight
  unmentionables　strapped　under　his　feet；　a　dark　green　frock…coat
  with　a　collar　up　to　the　ears　and　a　stock　whose　folds　cover　his
  chest；　butter…colored　gloves；　and　a　hat　…　oh！　a　hat　that　would
  collect　a　crowd　in　two　minutes　in　any　neighborhood！　　A　gold…headed
  stick；　and　a　quizzing　glass；　with　a　black　ribbon　an　inch　wide；
  complete　the　toilet。　　In　such　a　rig　did　the　swells　of　the　last
  generation　stroll　down　Pall　Mall　or　drive　their　tilburys　in　the
  Bois。
  The　recent　illness　of　the　Prince　de　Sagan　has　made　a　strange　and
  sad　impression　in　many　circles　in　Paris；　for　he　has　always　been　a
  favorite；　and　is　the　last　surviving　type　of　a　now　extinct　species。
  He　is　the　last　Dandy！　　No　understudy　will　be　found　to　fill　his　role
  …　the　dude　and　the　swell　are　whole　generations　away　from　the　dandy；
  of　which　they　are　but　feeble　reflections　…　the　comedy　will　have　to
  be　continued　now；　without　its　leading　gentleman。　　With　his　head　of
  silvery　hair；　his　eye…glass　and　his　wonderful　waistcoats；　he　held
  the　first　place　in　the　〃high　life〃　of　the　French　capital。
  No　first　night　or　ball　was　complete　without　him；　Sagan。　　The　very
  mention　of　his　name　in　their　articles　must　have　kept　the　wolf　from
  the　door　of　needy　reporters。　　No　DEBUTANTE；　social　or　theatrical；
  felt　sure　of　her　success　until　it　had　received　the　hall…mark　of　his
  approval。　　When　he　assisted　at　a　dress　rehearsal；　the　actors　and
  the　managers　paid　him　more　attention　than　Sarcey　or　Sardou；　for　he
  was　known　to　be　the　real　arbiter　of　their　fate。　　His　word　was　law；
  the　world　bowed　before　it　as　before　the　will　of　an　autocrat。
  Mature　matrons　received　his　dictates　with　the　same　reverence　that
  the　Old　Guard　evinced　for　Napoleon's　orders。　　Had　he　not　led　them
  on　to　victory　in　their　youth？
  On　the　boulevards　or　at　a　race…course；　he　was　the　one　person　always
  known　by　sight　and　pointed　out。　　〃There　goes　Sagan！〃　　He　had　become
  an　institution。　　One　does　not　know　exactly　how　or　why　he　achieved
  the　position；　which　made　him　the　most　followed；　flattered；　and
  copied　man　of　his　day。　　It　certainly　was　unique！
  The　Prince　of　Sagan　is　descended　from　Maurice　de　Saxe　（the　natural
  son　of　the　King　of　Saxony　and　Aurora　of　Koenigsmark）；　who　in　his
  day　shone　brilliantly　at　the　French　court　and　was　so　madly　loved　by
  Adrienne　Lecouvreur。　　From　his　great　ancestor；　Sagan　inherited　the
  title　of　Grand　Duke　Of　Courland　（the　estates　have　been　absorbed
  into　a　neighboring　empire）。　　Nevertheless；　he　is　still　an　R。H。；　and
  when　crowned　heads　visit　Paris　they　dine　with　him　and　receive　him
  on　a　footing　of　equality。　　He　married　a　great　fortune；　and　the
  daughter　of　the　banker　Selliere。　　Their　house　on　the　Esplanade　des
  Invalides　has　been　for　years　the　centre　of　aristocratic　life　in
  Paris；　not　the　most　exclusive　circle；　but　certainly　the　gayest　of
  this　gay　capital；　and　from　the　days　of　Louis　Philippe　he　has　given
  the　keynote　to　the　fast　set。
  Oddly　enough；　he　has　always　been　a　great　favorite　with　the　lower
  classes　（a　popularity　shared　by　all　the　famous　dandies　of　history）。
  The　people　appear　to　find　in　them　the　personification　of　all
  aspirations　toward　the　elegant　and　the　ideal。　　Alcibiades；
  Buckingham；　the　Duc　de　Richelieu；　Lord　Seymour；　Comte　d'Orsay；
  Brummel；　Grammont…Caderousse；　shared　this　favor；　and　have　remained
  legendary　characters；　to　whom　their　disdain　for　everything　vulgar；
  their　worship　of　their　own　persons；　and　many　costly　follies　gave　an
  ephemeral　empire。　　Their　power　was　the　more　arbitrary　and　despotic
  in　that　it　was　only　nominal　and　undefined；　allowing　them　to　rule
  over　the　fashions；　the　tastes；　and　the　pastimes　of　their
  contemporaries　with　undivided　sway；　making　them　envied；　obeyed；
  loved；　but　rarely　overthrown。
  It　has　been　asserted　by　some　writers　that　dandies　are　necessary　and
  useful　to　a　nation　（Thackeray　admired　them　and　pointed　out　that
  they　have　a　most　difficult　and　delicate　role　to　play；　hence　their
  rarity）；　and　that　these　butterflies；　as　one　finds　them　in　the
  novels　of　that　day；　the　de　Marsys；　the　Pelhams；　the　Maxime　de
  Trailles；　are　indispensable　to　the　perfection　of　society。　　It　is　a
  great　misfortune　to　a　country　to　have　no　dandies；　those　supreme
  virtuosos　of　taste　and　distinction。　　Germany；　which　glories　in
  Mozart　and　Kant；　Goethe　and　Humboldt；　the　country　of　deep　thinkers
  and　brave　soldiers；　never　had　a　great　dandy；　and　so　has　remained
  behind　England　or　France　in　all　that　constitutes　the　graceful　side
  of　life；　the　refinements　of　social　intercourse；　and　the　art　of
  living。　　France　will　perceive　too　late；　after　he　has　disappeared；
  the　loss　she　has　sustained　when　this　Prince；　Grand　Seigneur；　has
  ceased　to　embellish　by　his　presence　her　race…courses　and　〃first
  nights。〃　　A　reputation　like　his　cannot　be　improvised　in　a　moment；
  and　he　has　no　pupils。
  Never　did　the　aristocracy　of　a　country　stand　in　greater　need　of
  such　a　representation；　than　in　these　days　of　tramcars　and　〃fixed…
  price〃　restaurants。　　An　entire　〃art〃　dies　with　him。　　I