The　weariness　of　a　life　without　atmosphere；　without　prospects；　without
  action；　without　other　nourishment　than　the　love　of　a　son　for　his
  mother；　so　worked　upon　Savinien　that　he　burst　his　chains；　gentle　as
  they　were；　and　swore　that　he　would　never　live　in　the　provinces
  comprehending；　rather　late；　that　his　future　fate　was　not　to　be　in　the
  Rue　des　Bourgeois。　At　twenty…one　years　of　age　he　left　his　mother's
  house　to　make　acquaintance　with　his　relations；　and　try　his　luck　in
  Paris。　The　contrast　between　life　in　Paris　and　life　in　Nemours　was
  likely　to　be　fatal　to　a　young　man　of　twenty…one；　free；　with　no　one　to
  say　him　nay；　naturally　eager　for　pleasure；　and　for　whom　his　name　and
  his　connections　opened　the　doors　of　all　the　salons。　Quite　convinced
  that　his　mother　had　the　savings　of　many　years　in　her　strong…box；
  Savinien　soon　spent　the　six　thousand　francs　which　she　had　given　him　to
  see　Paris。　That　sum　did　not　defray　his　expenses　for　six　months；　and　he
  soon　owed　double　that　sum　to　his　hotel；　his　tailor；　his　boot　maker；　to
  the　man　from　whom　he　hired　his　carriages　and　horses；　to　a　jeweler；
  in　short；　to　all　those　traders　and　shopkeepers　who　contribute　to　the
  luxury　of　young　men。
  He　had　only　just　succeeded　in　making　himself　known；　and　had　scarcely
  learned　how　to　converse；　how　to　present　himself　in　a　salon；　how　to
  wear　his　waistcoats　and　choose　them　and　to　order　his　coats　and　tie　his
  cravat；　before　he　found　himself　in　debt　for　over　thirty　thousand
  francs；　while　still　seeking　the　right　phrases　in　which　to　declare　his
  love　for　the　sister　of　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；　the　elegant　Madame
  de　Serizy；　whose　youth　had　been　at　its　climax　during　the　Empire。
  〃How　is　that　you　all　manage？〃　asked　Savinien　one　day；　at　the　end　of　a
  gay　breakfast　with　a　knot　of　young　dandies；　with　whom　he　was　intimate
  as　the　young　men　of　the　present　day　are　intimate　with　each　other；　all
  aiming　for　the　same　thing　and　all　claiming　an　impossible　equality。
  〃You　were　no　richer　than　I　and　yet　you　get　along　without　anxiety；　you
  contrive　to　maintain　yourselves；　while　as　for　me　I　make　nothing　but
  debts。〃
  〃We　all　began　that　way；〃　answered　Rastignac；　laughing；　and　the　laugh
  was　echoed　by　Lucien　de　Rubempre；　Maxime　de　Trailles；　Emile　Blondet；
  and　others　of　the　fashionable　young　men　of　the　day。
  〃Though　de　Marsay　was　rich　when　he　started　in　life　he　was　an
  exception；〃　said　the　host；　a　parvenu　named　Finot；　ambitious　of　seeming
  intimate　with　these　young　men。　〃Any　one　but　he；〃　added　Finot　bowing　to
  that　personage；　〃would　have　been　ruined　by　it。〃
  〃A　true　remark；〃　said　Maxime　de　Trailles。
  〃And　a　true　idea；〃　added　Rastignac。
  〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　de　Marsay；　gravely；　to　Savinien；　〃debts　are　the
  capital　stock　of　experience。　A　good　university　education　with　tutors
  for　all　branches；　who　don't　teach　you　anything；　costs　sixty　thousand
  francs。　If　the　education　of　the　world　does　cost　double；　at　least　it
  teaches　you　to　understand　life；　politics；　men；and　sometimes　women。〃
  Blondet　concluded　the　lesson　by　a　paraphrase　from　La　Fontaine：　〃The
  world　sells　dearly　what　we　think　it　gives。〃
  Instead　of　laying　to　heart　the　sensible　advice　which　the　cleverest
  pilots　of　the　Parisian　archipelago　gave　him；　Savinien　took　it　all　as　a
  joke。
  〃Take　care；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　de　Marsay　one　day。　〃You　have　a　great
  name；　if　you　don't　obtain　the　fortune　that　name　requires　you'll　end
  your　days　in　the　uniform　of　a　cavalry…sergeant。　'We　have　seen　the　fall
  of　nobler　heads；'〃　he　added；　declaiming　the　line　of　Corneille　as　he
  took　Savinien's　arm。　〃About　six　years　ago；〃　he　continued；　〃a　young
  Comte　d'Esgrignon　came　among　us；　but　he　did　not　stay　two　years　in　the
  paradise　of　the　great　world。　Alas！　he　lived　and　moved　like　a　rocket。
  He　rose　to　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　and　fell　to　his　native　town；
  where　he　is　now　expiating　his　faults　with　a　wheezy　old　father　and　a
  game　of　whist　at　two　sous　a　point。　Tell　Madame　de　Serizy　your
  situation；　candidly；　without　shame；　she　will　understand　it　and　be　very
  useful　to　you。　Whereas；　if　you　play　the　charade　of　first　love　with　her
  she　will　pose　as　a　Raffaelle　Madonna；　practice　all　the　little　games　of
  innocence　upon　you；　and　take　you　journeying　at　enormous　cost　through
  the　Land　of　Sentiment。〃
  Savinien；　still　too　young　and　too　pure　in　honor；　dared　not　confess　his
  position　as　to　money　to　Madame　de　Serizy。　At　a　moment　when　he　knew　not
  which　way　to　turn　he　had　written　his　mother　an　appealing　letter；　to
  which　she　replied　by　sending　him　the　sum　of　twenty　thousand　francs；
  which　was　all　she　possessed。　This　assistance　brought　him　to　the　close
  of　the　first　year。　During　the　second；　being　harnessed　to　the　chariot
  of　Madame　de　Serizy；　who　was　seriously　taken　with　him；　and　who　was；　as
  the　saying　is；　forming　him；　he　had　recourse　to　the　dangerous　expedient
  of　borrowing。　One　of　his　friends；　a　deputy　and　the　friend　of　his
  cousin　the　Comte　de　Portenduere；　advised　him　in　his　distress　to　go　to
  Gobseck　or　Gigonnet　or　Palma；　who；　if　duly　informed　as　to　his　mother's
  means；　would　give　him　an　easy　discount。　Usury　and　the　deceptive　help
  of　renewals　enabled　him　to　lead　a　happy　life　for　nearly　eighteen
  months。　Without　daring　to　leave　Madame　de　Serizy　the　poor　boy　had
  fallen　madly　in　love　with　the　beautiful　Comtesse　de　Kergarouet；　a
  prude　after　the　fashion　of　young　women　who　are　awaiting　the　death　of
  an　old　husband　and　making　capital　of　their　virtue　in　the　interests　of
  a　second　marriage。　Quite　incapable　of　understanding　that　calculating
  virtue　is　invulnerable；　Savinien　paid　court　to　Emilie　de　Kergarouet　in
  all　the　splendor　of　a　rich　man。　He　never　missed　either　ball　or　theater
  at　which　she　was　present。
  〃You　haven't　powder　enough；　my　boy；　to　blow　up　that　rock；〃　said　de
  Marsay；　laughing。
  That　young　king　of　fashion；　who　did；　out　of　commiseration　for　the　lad；
  endeavor　to　explain　to　him　the　nature　of　Emilie　de　Fontaine；　merely
  wasted　his　words；　the　gloomy　lights　of　misfortune　and　the　twilight　of
  a　prison　were　needed　to　convince　Savinien。
  A　note；　imprudently　given　to　a　jeweler　in　collusion　with　the　money…
  lenders；　who　did　not　wish　to　have　the　odium　of　arresting　the　young
  man；　was　the　means　of　sending　Savinien　de　Portenduere；　in　default　of
  one　hundred　and　seventeen　thousand　francs　and　without　the　knowledge　of
  his　friends；　to　the　debtor's　prison　at　Sainte…Pelagie。　So　soon　as　the
  fact　was　known　Rastignac；　de　Marsay；　and　Lucien　de　Rubempre　went　to
  see　him；　and　each　offered　him　a　banknote　of　a　thousand　francs　when
  they　found　how　really　destitute　he　was。　Everything　belonging　to　him
  had　been　seized　except　the　clothes　and　the　few　jewels　he　wore。　The
  three　young　men　（who　brought　an　excellent　dinner　with　them）　discussed
  Savinien's　situation　while　drinking　de　Marsay's　wine；　ostensibly　to
  arrange　for　his　future　but　really；　no　doubt；　to　judge　of　him。
  〃When　a　man　is　named　Savinien　de　Portenduere；〃　cried　Rastignac；　〃and
  has　a　future　peer　of　France　for　a　cousin　and　Admiral　Kergarouet　for　a
  great…uncle；　and　commits　the　enormous　blunder　of　allowing　himself　to
  be　put　in　Sainte…Pelagie；　it　is　very　certain　that　he　must　not　stay
  there；　my　good　fellow。〃
  〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃　cried　de　Marsay。　〃You　could　have　had　my
  traveling…carriage；　ten　thousand　francs；　and　letters　of　introduction
  for　Germany。　We　know　Gobseck　and　Gigonnet　and　the　other　crocodiles；　we
  could　have　made　them　capitulate。　But　tell　me；　in　the　first　place；　what
  ass　ever　led　you　to　drink　of　that　cursed　spring。〃
  〃Des　Lupeaulx。〃
  The　three　young　men　looked　at　each　other　with　one　and　the　same　thought
  and　suspicion；　but　they　did　not　utter　it。
  〃Explain　all　your　resources；　show　us　your　hand；〃　said　de　Marsay。
  When　Savinien　had　told　of　his　mother　and　her　old…fashioned　ways；　and
  the　little　house　with　three　windows　in　the　Rue　des　Bourgeois；　without
  other　grounds　than　a　court　for　the　well　and　a　shed　for　the　wood；　when
  he　had　valued　the　house；　built　of　sandstone　and　pointed　in　reddish
  cement；　and　put　a　price　on　the　farm　at　Bordieres；　the　three　dandies
  looked　at　each　other；　and　all　three　said　with　a　solemn　air　the　word　of
  the　abbe　in　Alfred　de　Musset's　〃Marrons　du　feu〃　（which　had　then　just
  appeared）；〃Sad！〃
  〃Your　mother　will　pay　if　you　write　a　clever　letter；〃　said　Rastignac。
  〃Yes；　but　afterwards？〃　cried　de　Marsay。
  〃If　you　had　merely　been　put　in　the　fiacre；〃　said　Lucien；　〃the
  government　would　find　you　a　place　in　diplomacy；　but　Saint…Pelagie
  isn't　the　antechamber　of　an　embassy。〃
  〃You　are　not　strong　enough　for　Parisian　life；〃　said　Rastignac。
  〃Let　us　consider　the　matter；〃　said　de　Marsay；　looking　Savinien　over　as
  a　jockey　examines　a　horse。　〃You　have　fine　blue　eyes；　well　opened；　a
  white　forehead　well　shaped；　magnificent　black　hair；　a　little　moustache
  which　suits　those　pale　cheeks；　and　a　slim　figure；　you've　a　foot　that
  tells　race；　shoulders　and　chest　not　quite　those　of　a　porter；　but
  solid。　You　are　what　I　call　an　elegant　male　brunet