〃Suppose　that　it　were　possible　to　read　the　minds　of　all　the　young　men　in　Paris　at　one　glance　（as；　it　appears；　will　be　done　at　the　Day　of　Judgment　with　all　the　millions　upon　millions　that　have　groveled　in　all　spheres；　and　worn　all　uniforms　or　the　uniform　of　nature）；　and　to　ask　them　whether　happiness　at　six…and…twenty　is　or　is　not　made　up　of　the　following　itemsto　wit；　to　own　a　saddle…horse　and　a　tilbury；　or　a　cab；　with　a　fresh；　rosy…faced　Toby　Joby　Paddy　no　bigger　than　your　fist；　and　to　hire　an　unimpeachable　brougham　for　twelve　francs　an　evening；　to　appear　elegantly　arrayed；　agreeably　to　the　laws　that　regulate　a　man's　clothes；　at　eight　o'clock；　at　noon；　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　in　the　evening；　to　be　well　received　at　every　embassy；　and　to　cull　the　short…lived　flowers　of　superficial；　cosmopolitan　friendships；　to　be　not　insufferably　handsome；　to　carry　your　head；　your　coat；　and　your　name　well；　to　inhabit　a　charming　little　entresol　after　the　pattern　of　the　rooms　just　described　on　the　Quai　Malaquais；　to　be　able　to　ask　a　party　of　friends　to　dine　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale　without　a　previous　consultation　with　your　trousers'　pocket；　never　to　be　pulled　up　in　any　rational　project　by　the　words；　'And　the　money？'　and　finally；　to　be　able　to　renew　at　pleasure　the　pink　rosettes　that　adorn　the　ears　of　three　thoroughbreds　and　the　lining　of　your　hat？
  〃To　such　inquiry　any　ordinary　young　man　（and　we　ourselves　that　are　not　ordinary　men）　would　reply　that　the　happiness　is　incomplete；　that　it　is　like　the　Madeleine　without　the　altar；　that　a　man　must　love　and　be　loved；　or　love　without　return；　or　be　loved　without　loving；　or　love　at　cross　purposes。　Now　for　happiness　as　a　mental　condition。
  〃In　January　1823；　after　Godefroid　de　Beaudenord　had　set　foot　in　the　various　social　circles　which　it　pleased　him　to　enter；　and　knew　his　way　about　in　them；　and　felt　himself　secure　amid　these　joys；　he　saw　the　necessity　of　a　sunshadethe　advantage　of　having　a　great　lady　to　complain　of；　instead　of　chewing　the　stems　of　roses　bought　for　fivepence　apiece　of　Mme。　Prevost；　after　the　manner　of　the　callow　youngsters　that　chirp　and　cackle　in　the　lobbies　of　the　Opera；　like　chickens　in　a　coop。　In　short；　he　resolved　to　centre　his　ideas；　his　sentiments；　his　affections　upon　a　woman；　ONE　WOMAN？LA　PHAMME！　Ah！　。　。　。　。
  〃At　first　he　conceived　the　preposterous　notion　of　an　unhappy　passion；　and　gyrated　for　a　while　about　his　fair　cousin；　Mme。　d'Aiglemont；　not　perceiving　that　she　had　already　danced　the　waltz　in　Faust　with　a　diplomatist。　The　year　'25　went　by；　spent　in　tentatives；　in　futile　flirtations；　and　an　unsuccessful　quest。　The　loving　object　of　which　he　was　in　search　did　not　appear。　Passion　is　extremely　rare；　and　in　our　time　as　many　barriers　have　been　raised　against　passion　in　social　life　as　barricades　in　the　streets。　In　truth；　my　brothers；　the　'improper'　is　gaining　upon　us；　I　tell　you！
  〃As　we　may　incur　reproach　for　following　on　the　heels　of　portrait　painters；　auctioneers；　and　fashionable　dressmakers；　I　will　not　inflict　any　description　upon　you　of　HER　in　whom　Godefroid　recognized　the　female　of　his　species。　Age；　nineteen；　height；　four　feet　eleven　inches；　fair　hair；　eyebrows　idem；　blue　eyes；　forehead　neither　high　nor　low；　curved　nose；　little　mouth；　short　turned…up　chin；　oval　face；　distinguishing　signsnone。　Such　was　the　description　on　the　passport　of　the　beloved　object。　You　will　not　ask　more　than　the　police；　or　their　worships　the　mayors；　of　all　the　towns　and　communes　of　France；　the　gendarmes　and　the　rest　of　the　powers　that　be？　In　other　respectsI　give　you　my　word　for　itshe　was　a　rough　sketch　of　a　Venus　dei　Medici。
  〃The　first　time　that　Godefroid　went　to　one　of　the　balls　for　which　Mme。　de　Nucingen　enjoyed　a　certain　not　undeserved　reputation；　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　future　lady…love　in　a　quadrille；　and　was　set　marveling　by　that　height　of　four　feet　eleven　inches。　The　fair　hair　rippled　in　a　shower　of　curls　about　the　little　girlish　head；　she　looked　as　fresh　as　a　naiad　peeping　out　through　the　crystal　pane　of　her　stream　to　take　a　look　at　the　spring　flowers。　（This　is　quite　in　the　modern　style；　strings　of　phrases　as　endless　as　the　macaroni　on　the　table　a　while　ago。）　On　that　'eyebrows　idem'　（no　offence　to　the　prefect　of　police）　Parny；　that　writer　of　light　and　playful　verse；　would　have　hung　half…a…　dozen　couplets；　comparing　them　very　agreeably　to　Cupid's　bow；　at　the　same　time　bidding　us　to　observe　that　the　dart　was　beneath；　the　said　dart；　however；　was　neither　very　potent　nor　very　penetrating；　for　as　yet　it　was　controlled　by　the　namby…pamby　sweetness　of　a　Mlle。　de　la　Valliere　as　depicted　on　fire…screens；　at　the　moment　when　she　solemnizes　her　betrothal　in　the　sight　of　heaven；　any　solemnization　before　the　registrar　being　quite　out　to　the　question。
  〃You　know　the　effect　of　fair　hair　and　blue　eyes　in　the　soft；　voluptuous　decorous　dance？　Such　a　girl　does　not　knock　audaciously　at　your　heart；　like　the　dark…haired　damsels　that　seem　to　say　after　the　fashion　of　Spanish　beggars；　'Your　money　or　your　life；　give　me　five　francs　or　take　my　contempt！'　These　insolent　and　somewhat　dangerous　beauties　may　find　favor　in　the　sight　of　many　men；　but　to　my　thinking　the　blonde　that　has　the　good　fortune　to　look　extremely　tender　and　yielding；　while　foregoing　none　of　her　rights　to　scold；　to　tease；　to　use　unmeasured　language；　to　be　jealous　without　grounds；　to　do　anything；　in　short；　that　makes　woman　adorable；the　fair…haired　girl；　I　say；　will　always　be　more　sure　to　marry　than　the　ardent　brunette。　Firewood　is　dear；　you　see。
  〃Isaure；　white　as　an　Alsacienne　（she　first　saw　the　light　at　Strasbourg；　and　spoke　German　with　a　slight　and　very　agreeable　French　accent）；　danced　to　admiration。　Her　feet；　omitted　on　the　passport；　though　they　really　might　have　found　a　place　there　under　the　heading　Distinguishing　Signs；　were　remarkable　for　their　small　size；　and　for　that　particular　something　which　old…fashioned　dancing　masters　used　to　call　flic…flac；　a　something　that　put　you　in　mind　of　Mlle。　Mars'　agreeable　delivery；　for　all　the　Muses　are　sisters；　and　the　dancer　and　poet　alike　have　their　feet　upon　the　earth。　Isaure's　feet　spoke　lightly　and　swiftly　with　a　clearness　and　precision　which　augured　well　for　things　of　the　heart。　'Elle　a　duc　flic…flac；'　was　old　Marcel's　highest　word　of　praise；　and　old　Marcel　was　the　dancing　master　that　deserved　the　epithet　of　'the　Great。'　People　used　to　say　'the　Great　Marcel；'　as　they　said　'Frederick　the　Great；'　and　in　Frederick's　time。〃
  〃Did　Marcel　compose　any　ballets？〃　inquired　Finot。
  〃Yes；　something　in　the　style　of　Les　Quatre　Elements　and　L'Europe　galante。〃
  〃What　times　they　were；　when　great　nobles　dressed　the　dancers！〃　said　Finot。
  〃Improper！〃　said　Bixiou。　〃Isaure　did　not　raise　herself　on　the　tips　of　her　toes；　she　stayed　on　the　ground；　she　swayed　in　the　dance　without　jerks；　and　neither　more　nor　less　voluptuously　than　a　young　lady　ought　to　do。　There　was　a　profound　philosophy　in　Marcel's　remark　that　every　age　and　condition　had　its　dance；　a　married　woman　should　not　dance　like　a　young　girl；　nor　a　little　jackanapes　like　a　capitalist；　nor　a　soldier　like　a　page；　he　even　went　so　far　as　to　say　that　the　infantry　ought　not　to　dance　like　the　cavalry；　and　from　this　point　he　proceeded　to　classify　the　world　at　large。　All　these　fine　distinctions　seem　very　far　away。〃
  〃Ah！〃　said　Blondet；　〃you　have　set　your　finger　on　a　great　calamity。　If　Marcel　had　been　properly　understood；　there　would　have　been　no　French　Revolution。〃
  〃It　had　been　Godefroid's　privilege　to　run　over　Europe；〃　resumed　Bixiou；　〃nor　had　he　neglected　his　opportunities　of　making　a　thorough　comparative　study　of　European　dancing。　Perhaps　but　for　profound　diligence　in　the　pursuit　of　what　is　usually　held　to　be　useless　knowledge；　he　would　never　have　fallen　in　love　with　this　young　lady；　as　it　was；　out　of　the　three　hundred　guests　that　crowded　the　handsome　rooms　in　the　Rue　Saint…Lazare；　he　alone　comprehended　the　unpublished　romance　revealed　by　a　garrulous　quadrille。　People　certainly　noticed　Isaure　d'Aldrigger's　dancing；　but　in　this　present　century　the　cry　is　'Skim　lightly　over　the　surface；　do　not　lean　your　weight　on　it；'　so　one　said　（he　was　a　notary's　clerk）；　'There　is　a　girl　that　dances　uncommonly　well；'　another　（a　lady　in　a　turban）；　'There　is　a　young　lady　that　dances　enchantingly；'　and　a　third　（a　woman　of　thirty）；　'That　little　thing　is　not　dancing　badly。'But　to　return　to　the　great　Marcel；　let　us　parody　his　best　known　saying　with；　'How　much　there　is　in　an　avant…deux。'　〃
  〃And　let　us　get　on　a　little　faster；〃　said　Blondet；　〃you　are　maundering。〃
  〃Isaure；〃　continued　Bixiou；　looking　askance　at　Blondet；　〃wore　a　simple　white　crepe　dress　with　green　ribbons；　she　had　a　camellia　in　her　hair；　a　camellia　at　her　waist；　another　camellia　at　her　skirt…hem；　and　a　camellia〃
  〃Come；　now！　here　comes　Sancho's　three　hundred　goats。〃
  〃Therein　lies　all　literature；　dear　boy。　Clarissa　is　a　masterpiece；　there　are　fourteen　volumes　of　her；　and　the　most　wooden…headed　playwright　would　give　you　the　whole　of　Clarissa　in　a　single　act。　So　long　as　I　amuse　you；　what　have　you　to　complain　of？　That　costume　was　positively　lovely。　Don't　you　like　camillias？　Would　you　rather　have　dahlias？　No？　Very　good；　chestnuts　then；　here's　for　you。〃　（And　probably　Bixiou　flung　a　chestnut　across　the　table；　for　we　hear