ver　made　more　than　eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　his　mother　sold　stamped　paper。　But　he　worked　very　hard　from　1818　to　1822。　He　was　Derville's　fourth　clerk　when　he　came；　and　in　1819　he　was　second！〃
  〃Desroches？〃
  〃Yes。　Desroches；　like　the　rest　of　us；　once　groveled　in　the　poverty　of　Job。　He　grew　so　tired　of　wearing　coats　too　tight　and　sleeves　too　short　for　him；　that　he　swallowed　down　the　law　in　desperation　and　had　just　bought　a　bare　license。　He　was　a　licensed　attorney；　without　a　penny；　or　a　client；　or　any　friends　beyond　our　set；　and　he　was　bound　to　pay　interest　on　the　purchase…money　and　the　cautionary　deposit　besides。〃
  〃He　used　to　make　me　feel　as　if　I　had　met　a　tiger　escaped　from　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；〃　said　Couture。　〃He　was　lean　and　red…haired；　his　eyes　were　the　color　of　Spanish　snuff；　and　his　complexion　was　harsh。　He　looked　cold　and　phlegmatic。　He　was　hard　upon　the　widow；　pitiless　to　the　orphan；　and　a　terror　to　his　clerks；　they　were　not　allowed　to　waste　a　minute。　Learned；　crafty；　double…faced；　honey…tongued；　never　flying　into　a　passion；　rancorous　in　his　judicial　way。〃
  〃But　there　is　goodness　in　him；〃　cried　Finot；　〃he　is　devoted　to　his　friends。　The　first　thing　he　did　was　to　take　Godeschal；　Mariette's　brother；　as　his　head…clerk。〃
  〃At　Paris；〃　said　Blondet；　〃there　are　attorneys　of　two　shades。　There　is　the　honest　man　attorney；　he　abides　within　the　province　of　the　law；　pushes　on　his　cases；　neglects　no　one；　never　runs　after　business；　gives　his　clients　his　honest　opinion；　and　makes　them　compromise　on　doubtful　pointshe　is　a　Derville；　in　short。　Then　there　is　the　starveling　attorney；　to　whom　anything　seems　good　provided　that　he　is　sure　of　expenses；　he　will　set；　not　mountains　fighting；　for　he　sells　them；　but　planets；　he　will　work　to　make　the　worse　appear　the　better　cause；　and　take　advantage　of　a　technical　error　to　win　the　day　for　a　rogue。　If　one　of　these　fellows　tries　one　of　Maitre　Gonin's　tricks　once　too　often；　the　guild　forces　him　to　sell　his　connection。　Desroches；　our　friend　Desroches；　understood　the　full　resources　of　a　trade　carried　on　in　a　beggarly　way　enough　by　poor　devils；　he　would　buy　up　causes　of　men　who　feared　to　lose　the　day；　he　plunged　into　chicanery　with　a　fixed　determination　to　make　money　by　it。　He　was　right；　he　did　his　business　very　honestly。　He　found　influence　among　men　in　public　life　by　getting　them　out　of　awkward　complications；　there　was　our　dear　les　Lupeaulx；　for　instance；　whose　position　was　so　deeply　compromised。　And　Desroches　stood　in　need　of　influence；　for　when　he　began；　he　was　anything　but　well　looked　on　at　the　court；　and　he　who　took　so　much　trouble　to　rectify　the　errors　of　his　clients　was　often　in　trouble　himself。　See　now；　Bixiou；　to　go　back　to　the　subjectHow　came　Desroches　to　be　in　the　church？〃
  〃　'D'Aldrigger　is　leaving　seven　or　eight　hundred　thousand　francs；'　Taillefer　answered；　addressing　Desroches。
  〃　'Oh；　pooh；　there　is　only　one　man　who　knows　how　much　THEY　are　worth；'　put　in　Werbrust；　a　friend　of　the　deceased。
  〃　'Who？'
  〃　'That　fat　rogue　Nucingen；　he　will　go　as　far　as　the　cemetery；　d'Aldrigger　was　his　master　once；　and　out　of　gratitude　he　put　the　old　man's　capital　into　his　business。'
  〃　'The　widow　will　soon　feel　a　great　difference。'
  〃　'What　do　you　mean？'
  〃　'Well；　d'Aldrigger　was　so　fond　of　his　wife。　Now；　don't　laugh；　people　are　looking　at　us。'
  〃　'Look　here　comes　du　Tillet；　he　is　very　late。　The　epistle　is　just　beginning。'
  〃　'He　will　marry　the　eldest　girl　in　all　probability。'
  〃　'Is　it　possible？'　asked　Desroches；　'why；　he　is　tied　more　than　ever　to　Mme。　Roguin。'
  〃　'TIEDhe？You　do　not　know　him。'
  〃　'Do　you　know　how　Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　stand？'　asked　Desroches。
  〃　'Like　this；'　said　Taillefer；　'Nucingen　is　just　the　man　to　swallow　down　his　old　master's　capital；　and　then　to　disgorge　it。'
  〃　'Ugh！　ugh！'　coughed　Werbrust；　'these　churches　are　confoundedly　damp；　ugh！　ugh！　What　do　you　mean　by　〃disgorge　it〃？'
  〃　'Well；　Nucingen　knows　that　du　Tillet　has　a　lot　of　money；　he　wants　to　marry　him　to　Malvina；　but　du　Tillet　is　shy　of　Nucingen。　To　a　looker…　on；　the　game　is　good　fun。'
  〃　'What！'　exclaimed　Werbrust；　'is　she　old　enough　to　marry？　How　quickly　we　grow　old！'
  〃　'Malvina　d'Aldrigger　is　quite　twenty　years　old；　my　dear　fellow。　Old　d'Aldrigger　was　married　in　1800。　He　gave　some　rather　fine　entertainments　in　Strasbourg　at　the　time　of　his　wedding；　and　afterwards　when　Malvina　was　born。　That　was　in　1801　at　the　peace　of　Amiens；　and　here　are　we　in　the　year　1823；　Daddy　Werbrust！　In　those　days　everything　was　Ossianized；　he　called　his　daughter　Malvina。　Six　years　afterwards　there　was　a　rage　for　chivalry；　Partant　pour　la　Syrie　a　pack　of　nonsenseand　he　christened　his　second　daughter　Isaure。　She　is　seventeen。　So　there　are　two　daughters　to　marry。'
  〃　'The　women　will　not　have　a　penny　left　in　ten　years'　time；'　said　Werbrust；　speaking　to　Desroches　in　a　confidential　tone。
  〃　'There　is　d'Aldrigger's　man…servant；　the　old　fellow　bellowing　away　at　the　back　of　the　church；　he　has　been　with　them　since　the　two　young　ladies　were　children；　and　he　is　capable　of　anything　to　keep　enough　together　for　them　to　live　upon；'　said　Taillefer。
  〃Dies　iroe！　（from　the　minor　cannons）。　Dies　illa！　（from　the　choristers）。
  〃　'Good…day；　Werbrust　（from　Taillefer）；　the　Dies　iroe　puts　me　too　much　in　mind　of　my　poor　boy。'
  〃　'I　shall　go　too；　it　is　too　damp　in　here；'　said　Werbrust。
  〃In　favilla。
  〃　'A　few　halfpence；　kind　gentlemen！'　（from　the　beggars　at　the　door）。
  〃　'For　the　expenses　of　the　church！'　（from　the　beadle；　with　a　rattling　clatter　of　the　money…box）。
  〃　'AMEN'　（from　the　choristers）。
  〃　'What　did　he　die　of？'　（from　a　friend）。
  〃　'He　broke　a　blood…vessel　in　the　heel'　（from　an　inquisitive　wag）。
  〃　'Who　is　dead？'　（from　a　passer…by）。
  〃　'The　President　de　Montesquieu！'　（from　a　relative）。
  〃The　sacristan　to　the　poor；　'Get　away；　all　of　you；　the　money　for　you　has　been　given　to　us；　don't　ask　for　any　more。'　〃
  〃Done　to　the　life！〃　cried　Couture。　And　indeed　it　seemed　to　us　that　we　heard　all　that　went　on　in　the　church。　Bixiou　imitated　everything；　even　the　shuffling　sound　of　the　feet　of　the　men　that　carried　the　coffin　over　the　stone　floor。
  〃There　are　poets　and　romancers　and　writers　that　say　many　fine　things　abut　Parisian　manners；〃　continued　Bixiou；　〃but　that　is　what　really　happens　at　a　funeral。　Ninety…nine　out　of　a　hundred　that　come　to　pay　their　respects　to　some　poor　devil　departed；　get　together　and　talk　business　or　pleasure　in　the　middle　of　the　church。　To　see　some　poor　little　touch　of　real　sorrow；　you　need　an　impossible　combination　of　circumstances。　And；　after　all；　is　there　such　a　thing　as　grief　without　a　thought　of　self　in　it？〃
  〃Ugh！〃　said　Blondet。　〃Nothing　is　less　respected　than　death；　is　it　that　there　is　nothing　less　respectable？〃
  〃It　is　so　common！〃　resumed　Bixiou。　〃When　the　service　was　over　Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　went　to　the　graveside。　The　old　man…servant　walked；　Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　were　put　at　the　head　of　the　procession　of　mourning　coaches。'Goot；　mein　goot　friend；'　said　Nucingen　as　they　turned　into　the　boulevard。　'It　ees　a　goot　time　to　marry　Malfina；　you　vill　be　der　brodector　off　that　boor　family　vat　ess　in　tears；　you　vill　haf　ein　family；　a　home　off　your　own；　you　vill　haf　a　house　ready　vurnished；　und　Malfina　is　truly　ein　dreashure。'　〃
  〃I　seem　to　hear　that　old　Robert　Macaire　of　a　Nucingen　himself；〃　said　Finot。
  〃　'A　charming　girl；'　said　Ferdinand　du　Tillet　in　a　cool；　unenthusiastic　tone；〃　Bixiou　continued。
  〃Just　du　Tillet　himself　summed　up　in　a　word！〃　cried　Couture。
  〃　'Those　that　do　not　know　her　may　think　her　plain；'　pursued　du　Tillet；　'but　she　has　character；　I　admit。'
  〃　'Und　ein　herz；　dot　is　the　pest　of　die　pizness；　mein　der　poy；　she　vould　make　you　an　indelligent　und　defoted　vife。　In　our　beastly　pizness；　nopody　cares　to　know　who　lifs　or　dies；　it　is　a　crate　plessing　gif　a　mann　kann　put　drust　in　his　vife's　heart。　Mein　Telvine　prouht　me　more　as　a　million；　as　you　know；　but　I　should　gladly　gif　her　for　Malfina　dot　haf　not　so　pig　a　DOT。'
  〃　'But　how　much　has　she？'
  〃　'I　do　not　know　precisely；　boot　she　haf　somdings。'
  〃　'Yes；　she　has　a　mother　with　a　great　liking　for　rose…color。'　said　du　Tillet；　and　with　that　epigram　he　cut　Nucingen's　diplomatic　efforts　short。
  〃After　dinner　the　Baron　de　Nucingen　informed　Wilhelmine　Adolphus　that　she　had　barely　four　hundred　thousand　francs　deposited　with　him。　The　daughter　of　Adolphus　of　Manheim；　thus　reduced　to　an　income　of　twenty…　four　thousand　livres；　lost　herself　in　arithmetical　exercises　that　muddled　her　wits。
  〃　'I　have　ALWAYS　had　six　thousand　francs　for　our　dress　allowance；'　she　said　to　Malvina。　'Why；　how　did　your　father　find　money？　We　shall　have　nothing　now　with　twenty…four　thousand　francs；　it　is　destitution！　Oh！　if　my　father　could　see　me　so　come　down　in　the　world；　it　would　kill　him　if　he　were　not　dead　already！　Poor　Wilhelmine！'　and　she　began　to　cry。
  〃Malvina；　puzzled　to　know　how　to　comfort　her　mother；　represented　to　her　that　she　was　still　young　and　pretty；　that　rose…color　still　became　her；　that　she　could　continue　to　go　to　the　Opera　and　the　Bouffons；　where　Mme。　de　Nucingen　had　a　box。　And　so　with　visions　of　gaieties；　dances；　music；　pretty　dresses；　and　social　success；　the　Baroness　was　lulled　to　sleep　and　pleasant　dreams　in　the　blue；　silk