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Words spoken half jestingly to cover their somewhat disrespectful
import； but such an implication； if carefully disguised； never
gives offence to a woman。 Mme。 de Nucingen smiled； and offered
Eugene the place which her husband had just left。
〃I do not venture to suggest that you should stay with me；
monsieur；〃 she said。 〃Those who are so fortunate as to be in Mme。
de Beauseant's company do not desire to leave it。〃
〃Madame；〃 Eugene said； lowering his voice； 〃I think that to
please my cousin I should remain with you。 Before my lord Marquis
came we were speaking of you and of your exceedingly
distinguished appearance；〃 he added aloud。
M。 d'Ajuda turned and left them。
〃Are you really going to stay with me； monsieur？〃 asked the
Baroness。 〃Then we shall make each other's acquaintance。 Mme。 de
Restaud told me about you； and has made me anxious to meet you。〃
〃She must be very insincere； then； for she has shut her door on
me。〃
〃What？〃
〃Madame； I will tell you honestly the reason why； but I must
crave your indulgence before confiding such a secret to you。 I am
your father's neighbor； I had no idea that Mme。 de Restaud was
his daughter。 I was rash enough to mention his name； I meant no
harm； but I annoyed your sister and her husband very much。 You
cannot think how severely the Duchesse de Langeais and my cousin
blamed this apostasy on a daughter's part； as a piece of bad
taste。 I told them all about it； and they both burst out
laughing。 Then Mme。 de Beauseant made some comparison between you
and your sister； speaking in high terms of you； and saying how
very fond you were of my neighbor； M。 Goriot。 And； indeed； how
could you help loving him？ He adores you so passionately that I
am jealous already。 We talked about you this morning for two
hours。 So this evening I was quite full of all that your father
had told me； and while I was dining with my cousin I said that
you could not be as beautiful as affectionate。 Mme。 de Beauseant
meant to gratify such warm admiration； I think； when she brought
me here； telling me； in her gracious way； that I should see you。〃
〃Then； even now； I owe you a debt of gratitude； monsieur；〃 said
the banker's wife。 〃We shall be quite old friends in a little
while。〃
〃Although a friendship with you could not be like an ordinary
friendship；〃 said Rastignac； 〃I should never wish to be your
friend。〃
Such stereotyped phrases as these； in the mouths of beginners；
possess an unfailing charm for women； and are insipid only when
read coldly； for a young man's tone； glance and attitude give a
surpassing eloquence to the banal phrases。 Mme。 de Nucingen
thought that Rastignac was adorable。 Then； woman…like； being at a
loss how to reply to the student's outspoken admiration； she
answered a previous remark。
〃Yes； it is very wrong of my sister to treat our poor father as
she does；〃 she said； 〃he has been a Providence to us。 It was not
until M。 de Nucingen positively ordered me only to receive him in
the mornings that I yielded the point。 But I have been unhappy
about it for a long while； I have shed many tears over it。 This
violence to my feelings； with my husband's brutal treatment； have
been two causes of my unhappy married life。 There is certainly no
woman in Paris whose lot seems more enviable than mine； and yet；
in reality； there is not one so much to be pitied。 You will think
I must be out of my senses to talk to you like this； but you know
my father； and I cannot regard you as a stranger。〃
〃You will find no one；〃 said Eugene； 〃who longs as eagerly as I
do to be yours。 What do all women seek？ Happiness。〃 （He answered
his own question in low； vibrating tones。） 〃And if happiness for
a woman means that she is to be loved and adored； to have a
friend to whom she can pour out her wishes； her fancies； her
sorrows and joys； to whom she can lay bare her heart and soul；
and all her fair defects and her gracious virtues； without fear
of a betrayal； believe me； the devotion and the warmth that never
fails can only be found in the heart of a young man who； at a
bare sign from you； would go to his death； who neither knows nor
cares to know anything as yet of the world； because you will be
all the world to him。 I myself； you see （you will laugh at my
simplicity）； have just come from a remote country district； I am
quite new to this world of Paris； I have only known true and
loving hearts； and I made up my mind that here I should find no
love。 Then I chanced to meet my cousin； and to see my cousin's
heart from very near； I have divined the inexhaustible treasures
of passion； and； like Cherubino； I am the lover of all women；
until the day comes when I find THE woman to whom I may devote
myself。 As soon as I saw you； as soon as I came into the theatre
this evening； I felt myself borne towards you as if by the
current of a stream。 I had so often thought of you already； but I
had never dreamed that you would be so beautiful！ Mme。 de
Beauseant told me that I must not look so much at you。 She does
not know the charm of your red lips； your fair face； nor see how
soft your eyes are。 。 。 。 I also am beginning to talk nonsense；
but let me talk。〃
Nothing pleases a woman better than to listen to such whispered
words as these； the most puritanical among them listens even when
she ought not to reply to them； and Rastignac； having once begun；
continued to pour out his story； dropping his voice； that she
might lean and listen； and Mme。 de Nucingen； smiling； glanced
from time to time at de Marsay； who still sat in the Princesse
Galathionne's box。
Rastignac did not leave Mme。 de Nucingen till her husband came to
take her home。
〃Madame；〃 Eugene said； 〃I shall have the pleasure of calling upon
you before the Duchesse de Carigliano's ball。〃
〃If Matame infites you to come；〃 said the Baron； a thickset
Alsatian； with indications of a sinister cunning in his full…moon
countenance； 〃you are quide sure of being well receifed。〃
〃My affairs seem to be in a promising way；〃 said Eugene to
himself。〃 'Can you love me？' I asked her； and she did not
resent it。 The bit is in the horse's mouth； and I have only to
mount and ride；〃 and with that he went to pay his respects to
Mme。 de Beauseant； who was leaving the theatre on d'Ajuda's arm。
The student did not know that the Baroness' thoughts had been
wandering； that she was even then expecting a letter from de
Marsay； one of those letters that bring about a rupture that
rends the soul； so； happy in his delusion； Eugene went with the
Vicomtesse to the peristyle； where people were waiting till their
carriages were announced。
〃That cousin of yours is hardly recognizable for the same man；〃
said the Portuguese laughingly to the Vicomtesse； when Eugene had
taken leave of them。 〃He will break the bank。 He is as supple as
an eel； he will go a long way； of that I am sure。 Who else could
have picked out a woman for him； as you did； just when she needed
consolation？〃
〃But it is not certain that she does not still love the faithless
lover；〃 said Mme。 de Beauseant。
The student meanwhile walked back from the Theatre…Italien to the
Rue Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve； making the most delightful plans as
he went。 He had noticed how closely Mme。 de Restaud had
scrutinized him when he sat beside Mme。 de Nucingen； and inferred
that the Countess' doors would not be closed in the future。 Four
important houses were now open to himfor he meant to stand well
with the Marechale； he had four supporters in the inmost circle
of society in Paris。 Even now it was clear to him that； once
involved in this intricate social machinery； he must attach
himself to a spoke of the wheel that was to turn and raise his
fortunes； he would not examine himself too curiously as to the
methods； but he was certain of the end； and conscious of the
power to gain and keep his hold。
〃If Mme。 de Nucingen takes an interest in me； I will teach her
how to manage her husband。 That husband of hers is a great
speculator； he might put me in the way of making a fortune by a
single stroke。〃
He did not say this bluntly in so many words； as yet； indeed； he
was not sufficient of a diplomatist to sum up a situation； to see
its possibilities at a glance； and calculate the chances in his
favor。 These were nothing but hazy ideas that floated over his
mental horizon； they were less cynical than Vautrin's notions；
but if they had been tried in the crucible of conscience； no very
pure result would have issued from the test。 It is by a
succession of such like transactions that men sink at last to the
level of the relaxed morality of this epoch； when there have
never been so few of those who square their courses with their
theories； so few of those noble characters who do not yield to
temptation； for whom the slightest deviation from the line of
rectitude is a crime。 To these magnificent