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You are determined to succeed？ I will help you。 You shall sound
the depths of corruption in woman； you shall measure the extent
of man's pitiful vanity。 Deeply as I am versed in such learning；
there were pages in the book of life that I had not read。 Now I
know all。 The more cold…blooded your calculations； the further
you will go。 Strike ruthlessly； you will be feared。 Men and women
for you must be nothing more than post…horses； take a fresh
relay； and leave the last to drop by the roadside； in this way
you will reach the goal of your ambition。 You will be nothing
here； you see； unless a woman interests herself in you； and she
must be young and wealthy； and a woman of the world。 Yet； if you
have a heart； lock it carefully away like a treasure； do not let
any one suspect it； or you will be lost； you would cease to be
the executioner； you would take the victim's place。 And if ever
you should love； never let your secret escape you！ Trust no one
until you are very sure of the heart to which you open your
heart。 Learn to mistrust every one； take every precaution for the
sake of the love which does not exist as yet。 Listen； Miguel〃
the name slipped from her so naturally that she did not notice
her mistake〃there is something still more appalling than the
ingratitude of daughters who have cast off their old father and
wish that he were dead； and that is a rivalry between two
sisters。 Restaud comes of a good family； his wife has been
received into their circle； she has been presented at court； and
her sister； her wealthy sister； Mme。 Delphine de Nucingen； the
wife of a great capitalist； is consumed with envy； and ready to
die of spleen。 There is gulf set between the sistersindeed；
they are sisters no longerthe two women who refuse to
acknowledge their father do not acknowledge each other。 So Mme。
de Nucingen would lap up all the mud that lies between the Rue
Saint…Lazare and the Rue de Grenelle to gain admittance to my
salon。 She fancied that she should gain her end through de
Marsay； she has made herself de Marsay's slave； and she bores
him。 De Marsay cares very little about her。 If you will introduce
her to me； you will be her darling； her Benjamin； she will
idolize you。 If； after that； you can love her； do so； if not；
make her useful。 I will ask her to come once or twice to one of
my great crushes； but I will never receive her here in the
morning。 I will bow to her when I see her； and that will be quite
sufficient。 You have shut the Comtesse de Restaud's door against
you by mentioning Father Goriot's name。 Yes； my good friend； you
may call at her house twenty times； and every time out of the
twenty you will find that she is not at home。 The servants have
their orders； and will not admit you。 Very well； then； now let
Father Goriot gain the right of entry into her sister's house for
you。 The beautiful Mme。 de Nucingen will give the signal for a
battle。 As soon as she singles you out； other women will begin to
lose their heads about you； and her enemies and rivals and
intimate friends will all try to take you from her。 There are
women who will fall in love with a man because another woman has
chosen him； like the city madams； poor things； who copy our
millinery； and hope thereby to acquire our manners。 You will have
a success； and in Paris success is everything； it is the key of
power。 If the women credit you with wit and talent； the men will
follow suit so long as you do not undeceive them yourself。 There
will be nothing you may not aspire to； you will go everywhere；
and you will find out what the world isan assemblage of fools
and knaves。 But you must be neither the one nor the other。 I am
giving you my name like Ariadne's clue of thread to take with you
into the labyrinth； make no unworthy use of it；〃 she said； with a
queenly glance and curve of her throat； 〃give it back to me
unsullied。 And now； go； leave me。 We women also have our battles
to fight。〃
〃And if you should ever need some one who would gladly set a
match to a train for you〃
〃Well？〃 she asked。
He tapped his heart； smiled in answer to his cousin's smile； and
went。
It was five o'clock； and Eugene was hungry； he was afraid lest he
should not be in time for dinner； a misgiving which made him feel
that it was pleasant to be borne so quickly across Paris。 This
sensation of physical comfort left his mind free to grapple with
the thoughts that assailed him。 A mortification usually sends a
young man of his age into a furious rage； he shakes his fist at
society； and vows vengeance when his belief in himself is shaken。
Just then Rastignac was overwhelmed by the words； 〃You have shut
the Countess' door against you。〃
〃I shall call！〃 he said to himself； 〃and if Mme。 de Beauseant is
right； if I never find her at homeI 。 。 。 well； Mme。 de Restaud
shall meet me in every salon in Paris。 I will learn to fence and
have some pistol practice； and kill that Maxime of hers！〃
〃And money？〃 cried an inward monitor。 〃How about money； where is
that to come from？〃 And all at once the wealth displayed in the
Countess de Restaud's drawing…room rose before his eyes。 That was
the luxury which Goriot's daughter had loved too well； the
gilding； the ostentatious splendor； the unintelligent luxury of
the parvenu； the riotous extravagance of a courtesan。 Then the
attractive vision suddenly went under an eclipse as he remembered
the stately grandeur of the Hotel de Beauseant。 As his fancy
wandered among these lofty regions in the great world of Paris；
innumerable dark thoughts gathered in his heart； his ideas
widened； and his conscience grew more elastic。 He saw the world
as it is； saw how the rich lived beyond the jurisdiction of law
and public opinion； and found in success the ultima ratio mundi。
〃Vautrin is right； success is virtue！〃 he said to himself。
Arrived in the Rue Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve； he rushed up to his
room for ten francs wherewith to satisfy the demands of the
cabman； and went in to dinner。 He glanced round the squalid room；
saw the eighteen poverty…stricken creatures about to feed like
cattle in their stalls； and the sight filled him with loathing。
The transition was too sudden； and the contrast was so violent
that it could not but act as a powerful stimulant； his ambition
developed and grew beyond all social bounds。 On the one hand； he
beheld a vision of social life in its most charming and refined
forms； of quick…pulsed youth； of fair； impassioned faces invested
with all the charm of poetry； framed in a marvelous setting of
luxury or art； and； on the other hand； he saw a sombre picture；
the miry verge beyond these faces； in which passion was extinct
and nothing was left of the drama but the cords and pulleys and
bare mechanism。 Mme。 de Beauseant's counsels； the words uttered
in anger by the forsaken lady； her petulant offer； came to his
mind； and poverty was a ready expositor。 Rastignac determined to
open two parallel trenches so as to insure success； he would be a
learned doctor of law and a man of fashion。 Clearly he was still
a child！ Those two lines are asymptotes； and will never meet。
〃You are very dull； my lord Marquis；〃 said Vautrin； with one of
the shrewd glances that seem to read the innermost secrets of
another mind。
〃I am not in the humor to stand jokes from people who call me 'my
lord Marquis；' 〃 answered Eugene。 〃A marquis here in Paris； if he
is not the veriest sham； ought to have a hundred thousand livres
a year at least； and a lodger in the Maison Vauquer is not
exactly Fortune's favorite。〃
Vautrin's glance at Rastignac was half…paternal； half…
contemptuous。 〃Puppy！〃 it seemed to say； 〃I should make one
mouthful of him！〃 Then he answered：
〃You are in a bad humor； perhaps your visit to the beautiful
Comtesse de Restaud was not a success。〃
〃She has shut her door against me because I told her that her
father dined at our table；〃 cried Rastignac。
Glances were exchanged all round the room； Father Goriot looked
down。
〃You have sent some snuff into my eye；〃 he said to his neighbor；
turning a little aside to rub his hand over his face。
〃Any one who molests Father Goriot will have henceforward to
reckon with me；〃 said Eugene； looking at the old man's neighbor；
〃he is worth all the rest of us put together。I am not speaking
of the ladies；〃 he added； turning in the direction of Mlle。
Taillefer。
Eugene's remarks produced a sensation； and his tone silenced the
dinner…table。 Vautrin alone spoke。 〃If you are going to champion
Father Goriot； and set up for his responsible editor into the
bargain； you had need be a crack shot and know how to handle the
foils；〃 he said； banteringly。
〃So I intend；〃 said Eugene。
〃Then you are taking the field today？〃
〃Perhaps；〃 Rastignac answered。 〃But I owe no account of myself to
any one； especially as I do not try to find out what other people
do