〃I　say；　you　are　laughing　at　us；〃　said　Finot。
  〃Not　the　least　in　the　world。　We　were　talking　of　Rastignac。　From　your　point　of　view　his　affliction　would　be　a　sign　of　his　corruption；　for　by　that　time　he　was　not　nearly　so　much　in　love　with　Delphine。　What　would　you　have？　he　felt　the　prick　in　his　heart；　poor　fellow。　But　he　was　a　man　of　noble　descent　and　profound　depravity；　whereas　we　are　virtuous　artists。　So　Rastignac　meant　to　enrich　Delphine；　he　was　a　poor　man；　she　a　rich　woman。　Would　you　believe　it？he　succeeded。　Rastignac；　who　might　have　fought　at　need；　like　Jarnac；　went　over　to　the　opinion　of　Henri　II。　on　the　strength　of　his　great　maxim；　'There　is　no　such　thing　as　absolute　right；　there　are　only　circumstances。'　This　brings　us　to　the　history　of　his　fortune。〃
  〃You　might　just　as　well　make　a　start　with　your　story　instead　of　drawing　us　on　to　traduce　ourselves；〃　said　Blondet　with　urbane　good　humor。
  〃Aha！　my　boy；〃　returned　Bixiou；　administering　a　little　tap　to　the　back　of　Blondet's　head；　〃you　are　making　up　for　lost　time　over　the　champagne！〃
  〃Oh！　by　the　sacred　name　of　shareholder；　get　on　with　your　story！〃　cried　Couture。
  〃I　was　within　an　ace　of　it；〃　retorted　Bixiou；　〃but　you　with　your　profanity　have　brought　me　to　the　climax。〃
  〃Then；　are　there　shareholders　in　the　tale？〃　inquired　Finot。
  〃Yes；　rich　as　rich　can　belike　yours。〃
  〃It　seems　to　me；〃　Finot　began　stiffly；　〃that　some　consideration　is　owing　to　a　good　fellow　to　whom　you　look　for　a　bill　for　five　hundred　francs　upon　occasion〃
  〃Waiter！〃　called　Bixiou。
  〃What　do　you　want　with　the　waiter？〃　asked　Blondet。
  〃I　want　five　hundred　francs　to　repay　Finot；　so　that　I　can　tear　up　my　I。　O。　U。　and　set　my　tongue　free。〃
  〃Get　on　with　your　story；〃　said　Finot；　making　believe　to　laugh。
  〃I　take　you　all　to　witness　that　I　am　not　the　property　of　this　insolent　fellow；　who　fancies　that　my　silence　is　worth　no　more　than　five　hundred　francs。　You　will　never　be　a　minister　if　you　cannot　gauge　people's　consciences。　There；　my　good　Finot；〃　he　added　soothingly；　〃I　will　get　on　with　my　story　without　personalities；　and　we　shall　be　quits。〃
  〃Now；〃　said　Couture　with　a　smile；　〃he　will　begin　to　prove　for　our　benefit　that　Nucingen　made　Rastignac's　fortune。〃
  〃You　are　not　so　far　out　as　you　think；〃　returned　Bixiou。　〃You　do　not　know　what　Nucingen　is；　financially　speaking。〃
  〃Do　you　know　so　much　as　a　word　as　to　his　beginnings？〃　asked　Blondet。
  〃I　have　only　known　him　in　his　own　house；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃but　we　may　have　seen　each　other　in　the　street　in　the　old　days。〃
  〃The　prosperity　of　the　firm　of　Nucingen　is　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　things　seen　in　our　days；〃　began　Blondet。　〃In　1804　Nucingen's　name　was　scarcely　known。　At　that　time　bankers　would　have　shuddered　at　the　idea　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs'　worth　of　his　acceptances　in　the　market。　The　great　capitalist　felt　his　inferiority。　How　was　he　to　get　known？　He　suspended　payment。　Good！　Every　market　rang　with　a　name　hitherto　only　known　in　Strasbourg　and　the　Quartier　Poissonniere。　He　issued　deposit　certificates　to　his　creditors；　and　resumed　payment；　forthwith　people　grew　accustomed　to　his　paper　all　over　France。　Then　an　unheard…of…thing　happenedhis　paper　revived；　was　in　demand；　and　rose　in　value。　Nucingen's　paper　was　much　inquired　for。　The　year　1815　arrives；　my　banker　calls　in　his　capital；　buys　up　Government　stock　before　the　battle　of　Waterloo；　suspends　payment　again　in　the　thick　of　the　crisis；　and　meets　his　engagements　with　shares　in　the　Wortschin　mines；　which　he　himself　issued　at　twenty　per　cent　more　than　he　gave　for　them！　Yes；　gentlemen！He　took　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　bottles　of　champagne　of　Grandet　to　cover　himself　（forseeing　the　failure　of　the　virtuous　parent　of　the　present　Comte　d'Aubrion）；　and　as　much　Bordeaux　wine　of　Duberghe　at　the　same　time。　Those　three　hundred　thousand　bottles　which　he　took　over　（and　took　at　thirty　sous　apiece；　my　dear　boy）　he　supplied　at　the　price　of　six　francs　per　bottle　to　the　Allies　in　the　Palais　Royal　during　the　foreign　occupation；　between　1817　and　1819。　Nucingen's　name　and　his　paper　acquired　a　European　celebrity。　The　illustrious　Baron；　so　far　from　being　engulfed　like　others；　rose　the　higher　for　calamities。　Twice　his　arrangements　had　paid　holders　of　his　paper　uncommonly　well；　HE　try　to　swindle　them？　Impossible。　He　is　supposed　to　be　as　honest　a　man　as　you　will　find。　When　he　suspends　payment　a　third　time；　his　paper　will　circulate　in　Asia；　Mexico；　and　Australia；　among　the　aborigines。　No　one　but　Ouvrard　saw　through　this　Alsacien　banker；　the　son　of　some　Jew　or　other　converted　by　ambition；　Ouvrard　said；　'When　Nucingen　lets　gold　go；　you　may　be　sure　that　it　is　to　catch　diamonds。'　〃
  〃His　crony；　du　Tillet；　is　just　such　another；〃　said　Finot。　〃And；　mind　you；　that　of　birth　du　Tillet　has　just　precisely　as　much　as　is　necessary　to　exist；　the　chap　had　not　a　farthing　in　1814；　and　you　see　what　he　is　now；　and　he　has　done　something　that　none　of　us　has　managed　to　do　（I　am　not　speaking　of　you；　Couture）；　he　has　had　friends　instead　of　enemies。　In　fact；　he　has　kept　his　past　life　so　quiet；　that　unless　you　rake　the　sewers　you　are　not　likely　to　find　out　that　he　was　an　assistant　in　a　perfumer's　shop　in　the　Rue　Saint　Honore；　no　further　back　than　1814。〃
  〃Tut；　tut；　tut！〃　said　Bixiou；　〃do　not　think　of　comparing　Nucingen　with　a　little　dabbler　like　du　Tillet；　a　jackal　that　gets　on　in　life　through　his　sense　of　smell。　He　scents　a　carcass　by　instinct；　and　comes　in　time　to　get　the　best　bone。　Besides；　just　look　at　the　two　men。　The　one　has　a　sharp…pointed　face　like　a　cat；　he　is　thin　and　lanky；　the　other　is　cubical；　fat；　heavy　as　a　sack；　imperturbable　as　a　diplomatist。　Nucingen　has　a　thick；　heavy　hand；　and　lynx　eyes　that　never　light　up；　his　depths　are　not　in　front；　but　behind；　he　is　inscrutable；　you　never　see　what　he　is　making　for。　Whereas　du　Tillet's　cunning；　as　Napoleon　said　to　somebody　（I　have　forgotten　the　name）；　is　like　cotton　spun　too　fine；　it　breaks。〃
  〃I　do　not　myself　see　that　Nucingen　has　any　advantage　over　du　Tillet；〃　said　Blondet；　〃unless　it　is　that　he　has　the　sense　to　see　that　a　capitalist　ought　not　to　rise　higher　than　a　baron's　rank；　while　du　Tillet　has　a　mind　to　be　an　Italian　count。〃
  〃Blondetone　word；　my　boy；〃　put　in　Couture。　〃In　the　first　place；　Nucingen　dared　to　say　that　honesty　is　simply　a　question　of　appearances；　and　secondly；　to　know　him　well　you　must　be　in　business　yourself。　With　him　banking　is　but　a　single　department；　and　a　very　small　one；　he　holds　Government　contracts　for　wines；　wools；　indigoes　anything；　in　short；　on　which　any　profit　can　be　made。　He　has　an　all…　round　genius。　The　elephant　of　finance　would　contract　to　deliver　votes　on　a　division；　or　the　Greeks　to　the　Turks。　For　him　business　means　the　sum…total　of　varieties；　as　Cousin　would　say；　the　unity　of　specialties。　Looked　at　in　this　way；　banking　becomes　a　kind　of　statecraft　in　itself；　requiring　a　powerful　head；　and　a　man　thoroughly　tempered　is　drawn　on　to　set　himself　above　the　laws　of　a　morality　that　cramps　him。〃
  〃Right；　my　son；〃　said　Blondet；　〃but　we；　and　we　alone；　can　comprehend　that　this　means　bringing　war　into　the　financial　world。　A　banker　is　a　conquering　general　making　sacrifices　on　a　tremendous　scale　to　gain　ends　that　no　one　perceives；　his　soldiers　are　private　people's　interests。　He　has　stratagems　to　plan　out；　partisans　to　bring　into　the　field；　ambushes　to　set；　towns　to　take。　Most　men　of　this　stamp　are　so　close　upon　the　borders　of　politics；　that　in　the　end　they　are　drawn　into　public　life；　and　thereby　lose　their　fortunes。　The　firm　of　Necker；　for　instance；　was　ruined　in　this　way；　the　famous　Samuel　Bernard　was　all　but　ruined。　Some　great　capitalist　in　every　age　makes　a　colossal　fortune；　and　leaves　behind　him　neither　fortune　nor　a　family；　there　was　the　firm　of　Paris　Brothers；　for　instance；　that　helped　to　pull　down　Law；　there　was　Law　himself　（beside　whom　other　promoters　of　companies　are　but　pigmies）；　there　was　Bouret　and　Beaujonnone　of　them　left　any　representative。　Finance；　like　Time；　devours　its　own　children。　If　the　banker　is　to　perpetuate　himself；　he　must　found　a　noble　house；　a　dynasty；　like　the　Fuggers　of　Antwerp；　that　lent　money　to　Charles　V。　and　were　created　Princes　of　Babenhausen；　a　family　that　exists　at　this　dayin　the　Almanach　de　Gotha。　The　instinct　of　self…preservation；　working　it　may　be　unconsciously；　leads　the　banker　to　seek　a　title。　Jacques　Coeur　was　the　founder　of　the　great　noble　house　of　Noirmoutier；　extinct　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XIII。　What　power　that　man　had！　He　was　ruined　for　making　a　legitimate　king；　and　he　died；　prince　of　an　island　in　the　Archipelago；　where　he　built　a　magnificent　cathedral。〃
  〃Oh！　you　are　giving　us　an　historical　lecture；　we　are　wandering　away　from　the　present；　the　crown　has　no　right　of　conferring　nobility；　and　barons　and　counts　are　made　with　closed　doors；　more　is　the　pity！〃　said　Finot。
  〃You　regret　the　times　of　the　savonnette　a　vilain；　when　you　could　buy　an　office　that　ennobled？〃　asked　Bixiou。　〃You　are　right。　Je　reviens　a　nos　moutons。Do　you　know　Beaudenord？　No？　no？　no？　Ah；　well！　See　how　all　things　pass　away！　Poor　fellow；　ten　years　ago　he　was　the　flower　of　dandyism；　and　now；　so　thoroughly　absorbed　that　you　no　more　know　him　than　Finot　just　now　knew　the　origin　of　the　expression　'coup　de　Jarnac'I　repeat　that　simply　for　the　sake　of　illust