Madame　de　Senonches　（Zephirine）　was　a　tall；　fine…looking　woman；　though　her　complexion　was　spoiled　already　by　pimples　due　to　liver　complaint；　on　which　grounds　she　was　said　to　be　exacting。　With　a　slender　figure　and　delicate　proportions；　she　could　afford　to　indulge　in　languid　manners；　savoring　somewhat　of　affectation；　but　revealing　passion　and　the　consciousness　that　every　least　caprice　will　be　gratified　by　love。
  Francis；　the　house　friend；　was　rather　distinguished…looking。　He　had　given　up　his　consulship　in　Valence；　and　sacrificed　his　diplomatic　prospects　to　live　near　Zephirine　（also　known　as　Zizine）　in　Angouleme。　He　had　taken　the　household　in　charge；　he　superintended　the　children's　education；　taught　them　foreign　languages；　and　looked　after　the　fortunes　of　M。　and　Mme。　de　Senonches　with　the　most　complete　devotion。　Noble　Angouleme；　administrative　Angouleme；　and　bourgeois　Angouleme　alike　had　looked　askance　for　a　long　while　at　this　phenomenon　of　the　perfect　union　of　three　persons；　but　finally　the　mysterious　conjugal　trinity　appeared　to　them　so　rare　and　pleasing　a　spectacle；　that　if　M。　du　Hautoy　had　shown　any　intention　of　marrying；　he　would　have　been　thought　monstrously　immoral。　Mme。　de　Senonches；　however；　had　a　lady　companion；　a　goddaughter；　and　her　excessive　attachment　to　this　Mlle。　de　la　Haye　was　beginning　to　raise　surmises　of　disquieting　mysteries；　it　was　thought；　in　spite　of　some　impossible　discrepancies　in　dates；　that　Francoise　de　la　Haye　bore　a　striking　likeness　to　Francis　du　Hautoy。
  When　〃Jacques〃　was　shooting　in　the　neighborhood；　people　used　to　inquire　after　Francis；　and　Jacques　would　discourse　on　his　steward's　little　ailments；　and　talk　of　his　wife　in　the　second　place。　So　curious　did　this　blindness　seem　in　a　man　of　jealous　temper；　that　his　greatest　friends　used　to　draw　him　out　on　the　topic　for　the　amusement　of　others　who　did　not　know　of　the　mystery。　M。　du　Hautoy　was　a　finical　dandy　whose　minute　care　of　himself　had　degenerated　into　mincing　affectation　and　childishness。　He　took　an　interest　in　his　cough；　his　appetite；　his　digestion；　his　night's　rest。　Zephirine　had　succeeded　in　making　a　valetudinarian　of　her　factotum；　she　coddled　him　and　doctored　him；　she　crammed　him　with　delicate　fare；　as　if　he　had　been　a　fine　lady's　lap…　dog；　she　embroidered　waistcoats　for　him；　and　pocket…handkerchiefs　and　cravats　until　he　became　so　used　to　wearing　finery　that　she　transformed　him　into　a　kind　of　Japanese　idol。　Their　understanding　was　perfect。　In　season　and　out　of　season　Zizine　consulted　Francis　with　a　look；　and　Francis　seemed　to　take　his　ideas　from　Zizine's　eyes。　They　frowned　and　smiled　together；　and　seemingly　took　counsel　of　each　other　before　making　the　simplest　commonplace　remark。
  The　largest　landowner　in　the　neighborhood；　a　man　whom　every　one　envied；　was　the　Marquis　de　Pimentel；　he　and　his　wife；　between　them；　had　an　income　of　forty　thousand　livres；　and　spent　their　winters　in　Paris。　This　evening　they　had　driven　into　Angouleme　in　their　caleche；　and　had　brought　their　neighbors；　the　Baron　and　Baroness　de　Rastignac　and　their　party；　the　Baroness'　aunt　and　daughters；　two　charming　young　ladies；　penniless　girls　who　had　been　carefully　brought　up；　and　were　dressed　in　the　simple　way　that　sets　off　natural　loveliness。
  These　personages；　beyond　question　the　first　in　the　company；　met　with　a　reception　of　chilling　silence；　the　respect　paid　to　them　was　full　of　jealousy；　especially　as　everybody　saw　that　Mme。　de　Bargeton　paid　marked　attention　to　the　guests。　The　two　families　belonged　to　the　very　small　minority　who　hold　themselves　aloof　from　provincial　gossip；　belong　to　no　clique；　live　quietly　in　retirement；　and　maintain　a　dignified　reserve。　M。　de　Pimentel　and　M。　de　Rastignac；　for　instance；　were　addressed　by　their　names　in　full；　and　no　length　of　acquaintance　had　brought　their　wives　and　daughters　into　the　select　coterie　of　Angouleme；　both　families　were　too　nearly　connected　with　the　Court　to　compromise　themselves　through　provincial　follies。
  The　Prefect　and　the　General　in　command　of　the　garrison　were　the　last　comers；　and　with　them　came　the　country　gentleman　who　had　brought　the　treatise　on　silkworms　to　David　that　very　morning。　Evidently　he　was　the　mayor　of　some　canton　or　other；　and　a　fine　estate　was　his　sufficient　title　to　gentility；　but　from　his　appearance；　it　was　plain　that　he　was　quite　unused　to　polite　society。　He　looked　uneasy　in　his　clothes；　he　was　at　a　loss　to　know　what　to　do　with　his　hands；　he　shifted　about　from　one　foot　to　another　as　he　spoke；　and　half　rose　and　sat　down　again　when　anybody　spoke　to　him。　He　seemed　ready　to　do　some　menial　service；　he　was　obsequious；　nervous；　and　grave　by　turns；　laughing　eagerly　at　every　joke；　listening　with　servility；　and　occasionally；　imagining　that　people　were　laughing　at　him；　he　assumed　a　knowing　air。　His　treatise　weighed　upon　his　mind；　again　and　again　he　tried　to　talk　about　silkworms；　but　the　luckless　wight　happened　first　upon　M。　de　Bartas；　who　talked　music　in　reply；　and　next　on　M。　de　Saintot；　who　quoted　Cicero　to　him；　and　not　until　the　evening　was　half　over　did　the　mayor　meet　with　sympathetic　listeners　in　Mme。　and　Mlle。　du　Brossard；　a　widowed　gentlewoman　and　her　daughter。
  Mme。　and　Mlle。　du　Brossard　were　not　the　least　interesting　persons　in　the　clique；　but　their　story　may　be　told　in　a　single　phrasethey　were　as　poor　as　they　were　noble。　In　their　dress　there　was　just　that　tinge　of　pretension　which　betrayed　carefully　hidden　penury。　The　daughter；　a　big；　heavy　young　woman　of　seven…and…twenty；　was　supposed　to　be　a　good　performer　on　the　piano；　and　her　mother　praised　her　in　season　and　out　of　season　in　the　clumsiest　way。　No　eligible　man　had　any　taste　which　Camille　did　not　share　on　her　mother's　authoritative　statement。　Mme。　du　Brossard；　in　her　anxiety　to　establish　her　child；　was　capable　of　saying　that　her　dear　Camille　liked　nothing　so　much　as　a　roving　life　from　one　garrison　to　another；　and　before　the　evening　was　out；　that　she　was　sure　her　dear　Camille　liked　a　quiet　country　farmhouse　existence　of　all　things。　Mother　and　daughter　had　the　pinched　sub…acid　dignity　characteristic　of　those　who　have　learned　by　experience　the　exact　value　of　expressions　of　sympathy；　they　belonged　to　a　class　which　the　world　delights　to　pity；　they　had　been　the　objects　of　the　benevolent　interest　of　egoism；　they　had　sounded　the　empty　void　beneath　the　consoling　formulas　with　which　the　world　ministers　to　the　necessities　of　the　unfortunate。
  M。　de　Severac　was　fifty…nine　years　old；　and　a　childless　widower。　Mother　and　daughter　listened；　therefore；　with　devout　admiration　to　all　that　he　told　them　about　his　silkworm　nurseries。
  〃My　daughter　has　always　been　fond　of　animals；〃　said　the　mother。　〃And　as　women　are　especially　interested　in　the　silk　which　the　little　creatures　produce；　I　shall　ask　permission　to　go　over　to　Severac；　so　that　my　Camille　may　see　how　the　silk　is　spun。　My　Camille　is　so　intelligent；　she　will　grasp　anything　that　you　tell　her　in　a　moment。　Did　she　not　understand　one　day　the　inverse　ratio　of　the　squares　of　distances！〃
  This　was　the　remark　that　brought　the　conversation　between　Mme。　du　Brossard　and　M。　de　Severac　to　a　glorious　close　after　Lucien's　reading　that　night。
  A　few　habitues　slipped　in　familiarly　among　the　rest；　so　did　one　or　two　eldest　sons；　shy；　mute　young　men　tricked　out　in　gorgeous　jewelry；　and　highly　honored　by　an　invitation　to　this　literary　solemnity；　the　boldest　men　among　them　so　far　shook　off　the　weight　of　awe　as　to　chatter　a　good　deal　with　Mlle。　de　la　Haye。　The　women　solemnly　arranged　themselves　in　a　circle；　and　the　men　stood　behind　them。　It　was　a　quaint　assemblage　of　wrinkled　countenances　and　heterogeneous　costumes；　but　none　the　less　it　seemed　very　alarming　to　Lucien；　and　his　heart　beat　fast　when　he　felt　that　every　one　was　looking　at　him。　His　assurance　bore　the　ordeal　with　some　difficulty　in　spite　of　the　encouraging　example　of　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　who　welcomed　the　most　illustrious　personages　of　Angouleme　with　ostentatious　courtesy　and　elaborate　graciousness；　and　the　uncomfortable　feeling　that　oppressed　him　was　aggravated　by　a　trifling　matter　which　any　one　might　have　foreseen；　though　it　was　bound　to　come　as　an　unpleasant　shock　to　a　young　man　with　so　little　experience　of　the　world。　Lucien；　all　eyes　and　ears；　noticed　that　no　one　except　Louise；　M。　de　Bargeton；　the　Bishop；　and　some　few　who　wished　to　please　the　mistress　of　the　house；　spoke　of　him　as　M。　de　Rubempre；　for　his　formidable　audience　he　was　M。　Chardon。　Lucien's　courage　sank　under　their　inquisitive　eyes。　He　could　read　his　plebeian　name　in　the　mere　movements　of　their　lips；　and　hear　the　anticipatory　criticisms　made　in　the　blunt；　provincial　fashion　that　too　often　borders　on　rudeness。　He　had　not　expected　this　prolonged　ordeal　of　pin…　pricks；　it　put　him　still　more　out　of　humor　with　himself。　He　grew　impatient　to　begin　the　reading；　for　then　he　could　assume　an　attitude　which　should　put　an　end　to　his　mental　torments；　but　Jacques　was　giving　Mme。　de　Pimentel　the　history　of　his　last　day's　sport；　Adrien　was　holding　forth　to　Mlle。　Laure　de　Rastignac　on　Rossini；　the　newly…risen　music　star；　and　Astolphe；　who　had　got　by　heart　a　newspaper　paragraph　on　a　patent　plow；　was　giving　the　Baron　the　benefit　of　the　description。　Lucien；　luckless　poet　that　he　was；　did　not　know　that　there　was　scarce　a　soul　in　the　roo