The　Firm　of　Nucingen
  by　Honore　de　Balzac
  Translated　by　James　Waring
  TO　MADAME　ZULMA　CARRAUD
  To　whom；　madame；　but　to　you　should　I　inscribe　this　work；　to　you　　　whose　lofty　and　candid　intellect　is　a　treasury　to　your　friends；　　　to　you　that　are　to　me　not　only　a　whole　public；　but　the　most　　　indulgent　of　sisters　as　well？　Will　you　deign　to　accept　a　token　of　　　the　friendship　of　which　I　am　proud？　You；　and　some　few　souls　as　　　noble；　will　grasp　the　whole　of　the　thought　underlying　The　Firm　of　　　Nucingen；　appended　to　Cesar　Birotteau。　Is　there　not　a　whole　social　　　lesson　in　the　contrast　between　the　two　stories？
  DE　BALZAC。
  You　know　how　slight　the　partitions　are　between　the　private　rooms　of　fashionable　restaurants　in　Paris；　Very's　largest　room；　for　instance；　is　cut　in　two　by　a　removable　screen。　This　Scene　is　NOT　laid　at　Very's；　but　in　snug　quarters；　which　for　reasons　of　my　own　I　forbear　to　specify。　We　were　two；　so　I　will　say；　like　Henri　Monnier's　Prudhomme；　〃I　should　not　like　to　compromise　HER！〃
  We　had　remarked　the　want　of　solidity　in　the　wall…structure；　so　we　talked　with　lowered　voices　as　we　sat　together　in　the　little　private　room；　lingering　over　the　dainty　dishes　of　a　dinner　exquisite　in　more　senses　than　one。　We　had　come　as　far　as　the　roast；　however；　and　still　we　had　no　neighbors；　no　sound　came　from　the　next　room　save　the　crackling　of　the　fire。　But　when　the　clock　struck　eight；　we　heard　voices　and　noisy　footsteps；　the　waiters　brought　candles。　Evidently　there　was　a　party　assembled　in　the　next　room；　and　at　the　first　words　I　knew　at　once　with　whom　we　had　to　dofour　bold　cormorants　as　ever　sprang　from　the　foam　on　the　crests　of　the　ever…rising　waves　of　this　present　generationfour　pleasant　young　fellows　whose　existence　was　problematical；　since　they　were　not　known　to　possess　either　stock　or　landed　estates；　yet　they　lived；　and　lived　well。　These　ingenious　condottieri　of　a　modern　industrialism；　that　has　come　to　be　the　most　ruthless　of　all　warfares；　leave　anxieties　to　their　creditors；　and　keep　the　pleasures　for　themselves。　They　are　careful　for　nothing；　save　dress。　Still　with　the　courage　of　the　Jean　Bart　order；　that　will　smoke　cigars　on　a　barrel　of　powder　（perhaps　by　way　of　keeping　up　their　character）；　with　a　quizzing　humor　that　outdoes　the　minor　newspapers；　sparing　no　one；　not　even　themselves；　clear…sighted；　wary；　keen　after　business；　grasping　yet　open　handed；　envious　yet　self…complacent；　profound　politicians　by　fits　and　starts；　analyzing　everything；　guessing　everythingnot　one　of　these　in　question　as　yet　had　contrived　to　make　his　way　in　the　world　which　they　chose　for　their　scene　of　operations。　Only　one　of　the　four；　indeed；　had　succeeded　in　coming　as　far　as　the　foot　of　the　ladder。
  To　have　money　is　nothing；　the　self…made　man　only　finds　out　all　that　he　lacks　after　six　months　of　flatteries。　Andoche　Finot；　the　self…made　man　in　question；　stiff；　taciturn；　cold；　and　dull…witted；　possessed　the　sort　of　spirit　which　will　not　shrink　from　groveling　before　any　creature　that　may　be　of　use　to　him；　and　the　cunning　to　be　insolent　when　he　needs　a　man　no　longer。　Like　one　of　the　grotesque　figures　in　the　ballet　in　Gustave；　he　was　a　marquis　behind；　a　boor　in　front。　And　this　high…priest　of　commerce　had　a　following。
  Emile　Blondet；　Journalist；　with　abundance　of　intellectual　power；　reckless；　brilliant；　and　indolent；　could　do　anything　that　he　chose；　yet　he　submitted　to　be　exploited　with　his　eyes　open。　Treacherous　or　kind　upon　impulse；　a　man　to　love；　but　not　to　respect；　quick…witted　as　a　soubrette；　unable　to　refuse　his　pen　to　any　one　that　asked；　or　his　heart　to　the　first　that　would　borrow　it；　Emile　was　the　most　fascinating　of　those　light…of…loves　of　whom　a　fantastic　modern　wit　declared　that　〃he　liked　them　better　in　satin　slippers　than　in　boots。〃
  The　third　in　the　party；　Couture　by　name；　lived　by　speculation；　grafting　one　affair　upon　another　to　make　the　gains　pay　for　the　losses。　He　was　always　between　wind　and　water；　keeping　himself　afloat　by　his　bold；　sudden　strokes　and　the　nervous　energy　of　his　play。　Hither　and　thither　he　would　swim　over　the　vast　sea　of　interests　in　Paris；　in　quest　of　some　little　isle　that　should　be　so　far　a　debatable　land　that　he　might　abide　upon　it。　Clearly　Couture　was　not　in　his　proper　place。
  As　for　the　fourth　and　most　malicious　personage；　his　name　will　be　enoughit　was　Bixiou！　Not　（alas！）　the　Bixiou　of　1825；　but　the　Bixiou　of　1836；　a　misanthropic　buffoon；　acknowledged　supreme；　by　reason　of　his　energetic　and　caustic　wit；　a　very　fiend　let　loose　now　that　he　saw　how　he　had　squandered　his　intellect　in　pure　waste；　a　Bixiou　vexed　by　the　thought　that　he　had　not　come　by　his　share　of　the　wreckage　in　the　last　Revolution；　a　Bixiou　with　a　kick　for　every　one；　like　Pierrot　at　the　Funambules。　Bixiou　had　the　whole　history　of　his　own　times　at　his　finger…ends；　more　particularly　its　scandalous　chronicle；　embellished　by　added　waggeries　of　his　own。　He　sprang　like　a　clown　upon　everybody's　back；　only　to　do　his　utmost　to　leave　the　executioner's　brand　upon　every　pair　of　shoulders。
  The　first　cravings　of　gluttony　satisfied；　our　neighbors　reached　the　stage　at　which　we　also　had　arrived；　to　wit；　the　dessert；　and；　as　we　made　no　sign；　they　believed　that　they　were　alone。　Thanks　to　the　champagne；　the　talk　grew　confidential　as　they　dallied　with　the　dessert　amid　the　cigar　smoke。　Yet　through　it　all　you　felt　the　influence　of　the　icy　esprit　that　leaves　the　most　spontaneous　feeling　frost…bound　and　stiff；　that　checks　the　most　generous　inspirations；　and　gives　a　sharp　ring　to　the　laughter。　Their　table…talk　was　full　of　bitter　irony　which　turns　a　jest　into　a　sneer；　it　told　of　the　exhaustion　of　souls　given　over　to　themselves；　of　lives　with　no　end　in　view　but　the　satisfaction　of　selfof　egoism　induced　by　these　times　of　peace　in　which　we　live。　I　can　think　of　nothing　like　it　save　a　pamphlet　against　mankind　at　large　which　Diderot　was　afraid　to　publish；　a　book　that　bares　man's　breast　simply　to　expose　the　plague…sores　upon　it。　We　listened　to　just　such　a　pamphlet　as　Rameau's　Nephew；　spoken　aloud　in　all　good　faith；　in　the　course　of　after…dinner　talk　in　which　nothing；　not　even　the　point　which　the　speaker　wished　to　carry；　was　sacred　from　epigram；　nothing　taken　for　granted；　nothing　built　up　except　on　ruins；　nothing　reverenced　save　the　sceptic's　adopted　article　of　beliefthe　omnipotence；　omniscience；　and　universal　applicability　of　money。
  After　some　target　practice　at　the　outer　circle　of　their　acquaintances；　they　turned　their　ill…natured　shafts　at　their　intimate　friends。　With　a　sign　I　explained　my　wish　to　stay　and　listen　as　soon　as　Bixiou　took　up　his　parable；　as　will　shortly　be　seen。　And　so　we　listened　to　one　of　those　terrific　improvisations　which　won　that　artist　such　a　name　among　a　certain　set　of　seared　and　jaded　spirits；　and　often　interrupted　and　resumed　though　it　was；　memory　serves　me　as　a　reporter　of　it。　The　opinions　expressed　and　the　form　of　expression　lie　alike　outside　the　conditions　of　literature。　It　was；　more　properly　speaking；　a　medley　of　sinister　revelations　that　paint　our　age；　to　which　indeed　no　other　kind　of　story　should　be　told；　and；　besides；　I　throw　all　the　responsibility　upon　the　principal　speaker。　The　pantomime　and　the　gestures　that　accompanied　Bixiou's　changes　of　voice；　as　he　acted　the　parts　of　the　various　persons；　must　have　been　perfect；　judging　by　the　applause　and　admiring　comments　that　broke　from　his　audience　of　three。
  〃Then　did　Rastignac　refuse？〃　asked　Blondet；　apparently　addressing　Finot。
  〃Point…blank。〃
  〃But　did　you　threaten　him　with　the　newspapers？〃　asked　Bixiou。
  〃He　began　to　laugh；〃　returned　Finot。
  〃Rastignac　is　the　late　lamented　de　Marsay's　direct　heir；　he　will　make　his　way　politically　as　well　as　socially；〃　commented　Blondet。
  〃But　how　did　he　make　his　money？〃　asked　Couture。　〃In　1819　both　he　and　the　illustrious　Bianchon　lived　in　a　shabby　boarding…house　in　the　Latin　Quarter；　his　people　ate　roast　cockchafers　and　their　own　wine　so　as　to　send　him　a　hundred　francs　every　month。　His　father's　property　was　not　worth　a　thousand　crowns；　he　had　two　sisters　and　a　brother　on　his　hands；　and　now〃
  〃Now　he　has　an　income　of　forty　thousand　livres；〃　continued　Finot；　〃his　sisters　had　a　handsome　fortune　apiece　and　married　into　noble　families；　he　leaves　his　mother　a　life　interest　in　the　property〃
  〃Even　in　1827　I　have　known　him　without　a　penny；〃　said　Blondet。
  〃Oh！　in　1827；〃　said　Bixiou。
  〃Well；〃　resumed　Finot；　〃yet　to…day；　as　we　see；　he　is　in　a　fair　way　to　be　a　Minister；　a　peer　of　Franceanything　that　he　likes。　He　broke　decently　with　Delphine　three　years　ago；　he　will　not　marry　except　on　good　grounds；　and　he　may　marry　a　girl　of　noble　family。　The　chap　had　the　sense　to　take　up　with　a　wealthy　woman。〃
  〃My　friends；　give　him　the　benefit　of　extenuating　circumstances；〃　urged　Blondet。　〃When　he　escaped　the　clutches　of　want；　he　dropped　into　the　claws　of　a　very　clever　man。〃
  〃You　know　what　Nucingen　is；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃In　the　early　days；　Delphine　and　Rastignac　thought　him　'good…natured'；　he　seemed　to　regard　a　wife　as　a　plaything；　an　ornament　in　his　house。　And　that　very　fact　showed　me　that　the　man　was　square　at　the　base　as　well　as　in　height；〃　added　Bixiou。　〃Nucingen　makes　no　bones　about　admitting　that　his　wife　is　his　fortune；　she　is　an　indispensable　chattel；　but　a　wife　ta