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ould be impossible to kneel in a more charming confessional； you commit your sins in one drawing…room； and receive absolution for them in another。〃
The Duchess' expression grew colder； she did not like the flippant tone of these remarks； and showed that she considered them to be in bad taste by turning to the Vicomtesse with〃This gentleman has only just come〃
Mme。 de Beauseant began to laugh outright at her cousin and at the Duchess both。
〃He has only just come to Paris； dear； and is in search of some one who will give him lessons in good taste。〃
〃Mme。 la Duchesse；〃 said Eugene； 〃is it not natural to wish to be initiated into the mysteries which charm us？〃 （〃Come； now；〃 he said to himself； 〃my language is superfinely elegant； I'm sure。〃）
〃But Mme。 de Restaud is herself； I believe； M。 de Trailles' pupil；〃 said the Duchess。
〃Of that I had no idea； madame；〃 answered the law student； 〃so I rashly came between them。 In fact； I got on very well with the lady's husband； and his wife tolerated me for a time until I took it into my head to tell them that I knew some one of whom I had just caught a glimpse as he went out by a back staircase； a man who had given the Countess a kiss at the end of a passage。〃
〃Who was it？〃 both women asked together。
〃An old man who lives at the rate of two louis a month in the Faubourg Saint…Marceau； where I； a poor student； lodge likewise。 He is a truly unfortunate creature； everybody laughs at himwe all call him 'Father Goriot。' 〃
〃Why； child that you are；〃 cried the Vicomtesse； 〃Mme。 de Restaud was a Mlle。 Goriot！〃
〃The daughter of a vermicelli manufacturer；〃 the Duchess added； 〃and when the little creature went to Court； the daughter of a pastry…cook was presented on the same day。 Do you remember； Claire？ The King began to laugh； and made some joke in Latin about flour。 Peoplewhat was it？people〃
〃Ejusdem farinae；〃 said Eugene。
〃Yes； that was it；〃 said the Duchess。
〃Oh！ is that her father？〃 the law student continued； aghast。
〃Yes； certainly； the old man had two daughters； he dotes on them； so to speak； though they will scarcely acknowledge him。〃
〃Didn't the second daughter marry a banker with a German name？〃 the Vicomtesse asked； turning to Mme。 de Langeais； 〃a Baron de Nucingen？ And her name is Delphine； is it not？ Isn't she a fair… haired woman who has a side…box at the Opera？ She comes sometimes to the Bouffons； and laughs loudly to attract attention。〃
The Duchess smiled and said：
〃I wonder at you； dear。 Why do you take so much interest in people of that kind？ One must have been as madly in love as Restaud was； to be infatuated with Mlle。 Anastasie and her flour sacks。 Oh！ he will not find her a good bargain！ She is in M。 de Trailles' hands； and he will ruin her。〃
〃And they do not acknowledge their father！〃 Eugene repeated。
〃Oh！ well； yes； their father； the father； a father；〃 replied the Vicomtesse； 〃a kind father who gave them each five or six hundred thousand francs； it is said； to secure their happiness by marrying them well； while he only kept eight or ten thousand livres a year for himself； thinking that his daughters would always be his daughters； thinking that in them he would live his life twice over again； that in their houses he should find two homes； where he would be loved and looked up to； and made much of。 And in two years' time both his sons…in…law had turned him out of their houses as if he were one of the lowest outcasts。〃
Tears came into Eugene's eyes。 He was still under the spell of youthful beliefs； he had just left home； pure and sacred feelings had been stirred within him； and this was his first day on the battlefield of civilization in Paris。 Genuine feeling is so infectious that for a moment the three looked at each other in silence。
〃Eh； mon Dieu！〃 said Mme。 de Langeais； 〃yes； it seems very horrible； and yet we see such things every day。 Is there not a reason for it？ Tell me； dear； have you ever really thought what a son…in…law is？ A son…in…law is the man for whom we bring up； you and I； a dear little one； bound to us very closely in innumerable ways； for seventeen years she will be the joy of her family； its 'white soul；' as Lamartine says； and suddenly she will become its scourge。 When HE comes and takes her from us； his love from the very beginning is like an axe laid to the root of all the old affection in our darling's heart； and all the ties that bound her to her family are severed。 But yesterday our little daughter thought of no one but her mother and father； as we had no thought that was not for her； by to…morrow she will have become a hostile stranger。 The tragedy is always going on under our eyes。 On the one hand you see a father who has sacrificed himself to his son； and his daughter…in…law shows him the last degree of insolence。 On the other hand； it is the son…in…law who turns his wife's mother out of the house。 I sometimes hear it said that there is nothing dramatic about society in these days； but the Drama of the Son…in…law is appalling； to say nothing of our marriages； which have come to be very poor farces。 I can explain how it all came about in the old vermicelli maker's case。 I think I recollect that Foriot〃
〃Goriot； madame。〃
〃Yes； that Moriot was once President of his Section during the Revolution。 He was in the secret of the famous scarcity of grain； and laid the foundation of his fortune in those days by selling flour for ten times its cost。 He had as much flour as he wanted。 My grandmother's steward sold him immense quantities。 No doubt Noriot shared the plunder with the Committee of Public Salvation； as that sort of person always did。 I recollect the steward telling my grandmother that she might live at Grandvilliers in complete security； because her corn was as good as a certificate of civism。 Well； then； this Loriot； who sold corn to those butchers； has never had but one passion； they sayhe idolizes his daughters。 He settled one of them under Restaud's roof； and grafted the other into the Nucingen family tree； the Baron de Nucingen being a rich banker who had turned Royalist。 You can quite understand that so long as Bonaparte was Emperor； the two sons…in…law could manage to put up with the old Ninety…three； but after the restoration of the Bourbons； M。 de Restaud felt bored by the old man's society； and the banker was still more tired of it。 His daughters were still fond of him； they wanted 'to keep the goat and the cabbage；' so they used to see Joriot whenever there was no one there； under pretence of affection。 'Come to… day； papa； we shall have you all to ourselves； and that will be much nicer！' and all that sort of thing。 As for me； dear； I believe that love has second…sight： poor Ninety…three； his heart must have bled。 He saw that his daughters were ashamed of him； that if they loved their husbands his visits must make mischief。 So he immolated himself。 He made the sacrifice because he was a father； he went into voluntary exile。 His daughters were satisfied； so he thought that he had done the best thing he could； but it was a family crime； and father and daughters were accomplices。 You see this sort of thing everywhere。 What could this old Doriot have been but a splash of mud in his daughters' drawing…rooms？ He would only have been in the way； and bored other people； besides being bored himself。 And this that happened between father and daughters may happen to the prettiest woman in
Paris and the man she loves the best； if her love grows tiresome； he will go； he will descend to the basest trickery to leave her。 It is the same with all love and friendship。 Our heart is a treasury； if you pour out all its wealth at once； you are bankrupt。 We show no more mercy to the affection that reveals its utmost extent than we do to another kind of prodigal who has not a penny left。 Their father had given them all he had。 For twenty years he had given his whole heart to them； then； one day； he gave them all his fortune too。 The lemon was squeezed； the girls left the rest in the gutter。〃
〃The world is very base；〃 said the Vicomtesse； plucking at the threads of her shawl。 She did not raise her head as she spoke； the words that Mme。 de Langeais had meant for her in the course of her story had cut her to the quick。
〃Base？ Oh； no；〃 answered the Duchess； 〃the world goes its own way； that is all。 If I speak in this way； it is only to show that I am not duped by it。 I think as you do；〃 she said； pressing the Vicomtesse's hand。 〃The world is a slough； let us try to live on the heights above it。〃
She rose to her feet and kissed Mme。 de Beauseant on the forehead as she said： 〃You look very charming to…day； dear。 I have never seen such a lovely color in your cheeks before。〃
Then she went out with a slight inclination of the head to the cousin。
〃Father Goriot is sublime！〃 said Eugene to himself； as he remembered how he had watched his neighbor work the silver vessel into a shapeless mass that night。
Mme。 de Beauseant did not hear him； she was absorbed in her own thoughts。 For several minutes the silence remained unbroken till the law student became almost paralyzed with embarrassment； and was equally afraid to go or stay or speak a word。
〃The world is basely ungrateful and ill…natured；〃 said