第6章

Thetemptertookoutapocketbook，anddrewthencethreebanknotes，whichheflutteredbeforethestudent’seyes。Eugenewasinamostpainfuldilemma。Hehaddebts，debtsofhonor。HeowedahundredlouistotheMarquisd’AjudaandtotheCountdeTrailles；hehadnotthemoney，andforthisreasonhadnotdaredtogotoMme。deRestaud’shouse，wherehewasexpectedthatevening。Itwasoneofthoseinformalgatheringswhereteaandlittlecakesarehandedround，butwhereitispossibletolosesixthousandfrancsatwhistinthecourseofanight。

“Youmustsee。”saidEugene，strugglingtohideaconvulsivetremor，“thatafterwhathaspassedbetweenus，Icannotpossiblylaymyselfunderanyobligationtoyou。”

“Quiteright；Ishouldbesorrytohearyouspeakotherwise。”

answeredthetempter。“Youareafineyoungfellow，honorable，braveasalion，andasgentleasayounggirl。Youwouldbeafinehaulforthedevil！Ilikeyoungstersofyoursort。Getridofoneortwomoreprejudices，andyouwillseetheworldasitis。Makealittlescenenowandthen，andactavirtuouspartinit，andamanwithaheadonhisshoulderscandoexactlyashelikesamiddeafeningapplausefromthefoolsinthegallery。Ah！

afewdaysyet，andyouwillbewithus；andifyouwouldonlybetutoredbyme，Iwouldputyouinthewayofachievingallyourambitions。Youshouldnosoonerformawishthanitshouldberealizedtothefull；youshouldhaveallyourdesires——honors，wealth，orwomen。Civilizationshouldflowwithmilkandhoneyforyou。Youshouldbeourpetandfavorite，ourBenjamin。Wewouldallworkourselvestodeathforyouwithpleasure；everyobstacleshouldberemovedfromyourpath。Youhaveafewprejudicesleft；soyouthinkthatIamascoundrel，doyou？

Well，M。deTurenne，quiteashonorableamanasyoutakeyourselftobe，hadsomelittleprivatetransactionswithbandits，anddidnotfeelthathishonorwastarnished。Youwouldrathernotlieunderanyobligationtome，eh？Youneednotdrawbackonthataccount。”Vautrinwenton，andasmilestoleoverhislips。“Takethesebitsofpaperandwriteacrossthis。”headded，producingapieceofstampedpaper，“Acceptedthesumofthreethousandfivehundredfrancsduethisdaytwelvemonth，andfillinthedate。Therateofinterestisstiffenoughtosilenceanyscruplesonyourpart；itgivesyoutherighttocallmeaJew。Youcancallquitswithmeonthescoreofgratitude。Iamquitewillingthatyoushoulddespisemeto-day，becauseIamsurethatyouwillhaveakindlierfeelingtowardsmelateron。

Youwillfindoutfathomlessdepthsinmynature，enormousandconcentratedforcesthatweaklingscallvices，butyouwillneverfindmebaseorungrateful。Inshort，Iamneitherapawnnorabishop，butacastle，atowerofstrength，myboy。”

“Whatmannerofmanareyou？“criedEugene。“Wereyoucreatedtotormentme？“

“Whyno；Iamagood-naturedfellow，whoiswillingtodoadirtypieceofworktoputyouhighanddryabovethemirefortherestofyourdays。Doyouaskthereasonofthisdevotion？Allright；

Iwilltellyouthatsomeofthesedays。Awordortwoinyourearwillexplainit。Ihavebegunbyshockingyou，byshowingyouthewaytoringthechanges，andgivingyouasightofthemechanismofthesocialmachine；butyourfirstfrightwillgoofflikeaconscript’sterroronthebattlefield。Youwillgrowusedtoregardingmenascommonsoldierswhohavemadeuptheirmindstolosetheirlivesforsomeself-constitutedking。Timeshavealteredstrangely。Onceyoucouldsaytoabravo，’Hereareahundredcrowns；goandkillMonsieurSo-and-soforme，’andyoucouldsupquietlyafterturningsomeoneoffintothedarkfortheleastthingintheworld。ButnowadaysIproposetoputyouinthewayofahandsomefortune；youhaveonlytonodyourhead，itwon’tcompromiseyouinanyway，andyouhesitate。’Tisaneffeminateage。”

Eugeneacceptedthedraft，andreceivedthebanknotesinexchangeforit。

“Well，well。Come，now，letustalkrationally。”Vautrincontinued。“Imeantoleavethiscountryinafewmonths’timeforAmerica，andsetaboutplantingtobacco。Iwillsendyouthecigarsoffriendship。IfImakemoneyatit，Iwillhelpyouinyourcareer。IfIhavenochildren——whichwillprobablybethecase，forIhavenoanxietytoraiseslipsofmyselfhere——youshallinheritmyfortune。Thatiswhatyoumaycallstandingbyaman；butImyselfhavealikingforyou。Ihaveamania，too，fordevotingmyselftosomeoneelse。Ihavedoneitbefore。Yousee，myboy，Iliveinaloftierspherethanothermendo；Ilookonallactionsasmeanstoanend，andtheendisallthatIlookat。Whatisaman’slifetome？NotTHAT。”hesaid，andhesnappedhisthumb-nailagainsthisteeth。“Aman，inshort，iseverythingtome，orjustnothingatall。LessthannothingifhisnamehappenstobePoiret；youcancrushhimlikeabug，heisflatandheisoffensive。Butamanisagodwhenheislikeyou；heisnotamachinecoveredwithaskin，butatheatreinwhichthegreatestsentimentsaredisplayed——greatthoughtsandfeelings——andforthese，andtheseonly，Ilive。Asentiment——

whatisthatbutthewholeworldinathought？LookatFatherGoriot。Forhim，histwogirlsarethewholeuniverse；theyarethecluebywhichhefindshiswaythroughcreation。Well，formyownpart，Ihavefathomedthedepthsoflife，thereisonlyonerealsentiment——comradeshipbetweenmanandman。PierreandJaffier，thatismypassion。IknewVenicePreservedbyheart。

Haveyoumetmanymenpluckyenoughwhenacomradesays，’Letusburyadeadbody！’togoanddoitwithoutawordorplaguinghimbytakingahighmoraltone？Ihavedoneitmyself。Ishouldnottalklikethistojusteverybody，butyouarenotlikeanordinaryman；onecantalktoyou，youcanunderstandthings。Youwillnotdabbleaboutmuchlongeramongthetadpolesintheseswamps。Well，then，itisallsettled。Youwillmarry。Bothofuscarryourpoint。Mineismadeofiron，andwillneversoften，he！

he！“

Vautrinwentout。Hewouldnotwaittohearthestudent’srepudiation，hewishedtoputEugeneathisease。Heseemedtounderstandthesecretspringsofthefaintresistancestillmadebytheyoungerman；thestrugglesinwhichmenseektopreservetheirself-respectbyjustifyingtheirblameworthyactionstothemselves。

“Hemaydoashelikes；IshallnotmarryMlle。Taillefer，thatiscertain。”saidEugenetohimself。

Heregardedthismanwithabhorrence，andyettheverycynicismofVautrin’sideas，andtheaudaciouswayinwhichheusedothermenforhisownends，raisedhiminthestudent’seyes；butthethoughtofacompactthrewEugeneintoafeverofapprehension，andnotuntilhehadrecoveredsomewhatdidhedress，callforacab，andgotoMme。deRestaud’s。

ForsomedaystheCountesshadpaidmoreandmoreattentiontoayoungmanwhoseeverystepseemedatriumphalprogressinthegreatworld；itseemedtoherthathemightbeaformidablepowerbeforelong。HepaidMessieursdeTraillesandd’Ajuda，playedatwhistforpartoftheevening，andmadegoodhislosses。Mostmenwhohavetheirwaytomakearemoreorlessoffatalists，andEugenewassuperstitious；hechosetoconsiderthathisluckwasheaven’srewardforhisperseveranceintherightway。AssoonaspossibleonthefollowingmorningheaskedVautrinwhetherthebillhehadgivenwasstillintheother’spossession；andonreceivingareplyintheaffirmative，herepaidthethreethousandfrancswithanotunnaturalrelief。

“Everythingisgoingonwell。”saidVautrin。

“ButIamnotyouraccomplice。”saidEugene。

“Iknow，Iknow。”Vautrinbrokein。“Youarestillactinglikeachild。Youaremakingmountainsoutofmolehillsattheoutset。”

Twodayslater，PoiretandMlle。Michonneauweresittingtogetheronabenchinthesun。TheyhadchosenalittlefrequentedalleyintheJardindesPlantes，andagentlemanwaschattingwiththem，thesameperson，asamatteroffact，aboutwhomthemedicalstudenthad，notwithoutgoodreason，hisownsuspicions。

“Mademoiselle。”thisM。Gondureauwassaying，“Idonotseeanycauseforyourscruples。HisExcellency，MonseigneurtheMinisterofPolice——“

“Yes，hisExcellencyistakingapersonalinterestinthematter。”saidGondureau。

WhowouldthinkitprobablethatPoiret，aretiredclerk，doubtlesspossessedofsomenotionsofcivicvirtue，thoughtheremightbenothingelseinhishead——whowouldthinkitlikelythatsuchamanwouldcontinuetolendaneartothissupposedindependentgentlemanoftheRuedeBuffon，whenthelatterdroppedthemaskofadecentcitizenbythatword“police。”andgaveaglimpseofthefeaturesofadetectivefromtheRuedeJerusalem？Andyetnothingwasmorenatural。PerhapsthefollowingremarksfromthehithertounpublishedrecordsmadebycertainobserverswillthrowalightontheparticularspeciestowhichPoiretbelongedinthegreatfamilyoffools。Thereisaraceofquill-drivers，confinedinthecolumnsofthebudgetbetweenthefirstdegreeoflatitude(akindofadministrativeGreenlandwherethesalariesbeginattwelvehundredfrancs)tothethirddegree，amoretemperatezone，whereincomesgrowfromthreetosixthousandfrancs，aclimatewheretheBONUS

flourisheslikeahalf-hardyannualinspiteofsomedifficultiesofculture。Acharacteristictraitthatbestrevealsthefeeblenarrow-mindednessoftheseinhabitantsofpettyofficialdomisakindofinvoluntary，mechanical，andinstinctivereverencefortheGrandLamaofeveryMinistry，knowntotherankandfileonlybyhissignature(anillegiblescrawl)andbyhistitle——“HisExcellencyMonseigneurleMinistre。”fivewordswhichproduceasmucheffectastheilBondoCanioftheCalifedeBagdad，fivewordswhichintheeyesofthisloworderofintelligencerepresentasacredpowerfromwhichthereisnoappeal。TheMinisterisadministrativelyinfalliblefortheclerksintheemployoftheGovernment，asthePopeisinfallibleforgoodCatholics。Somethingofthispeculiarradianceinvestseverythinghedoesorsays，orthatissaidordoneinhisname；therobeofofficecoverseverythingandlegalizeseverythingdonebyhisorders；doesnothisverytitle——HisExcellency——vouchforthepurityofhisintentionsandtherighteousnessofhiswill，andserveasasortofpassportandintroductiontoideasthatotherwisewouldnotbeentertainedforamoment？Pronouncethewords“HisExcellency。”andthesepoorfolkwillforthwithproceedtodowhattheywouldnotdofortheirowninterests。

PassiveobedienceisaswellknowninaGovernmentdepartmentasinthearmyitself；andtheadministrativesystemsilencesconsciences，annihilatestheindividual，andends(giveittimeenough)byfashioningamanintoaviseorathumbscrew，andhebecomespartofthemachineryofGovernment。Wherefore，M。

Gondureau，whoseemedtoknowsomethingofhumannature，recognizedPoiretatonceasoneofthosedupesofofficialdom，andbroughtoutforhisbenefit，atthepropermoment，thedeusexmachina，themagicalwords“HisExcellency。”soastodazzlePoiretjustashehimselfunmaskedhisbatteries，forhetookPoiretandtheMichonneauforthemaleandfemaleofthesamespecies。

“IfhisExcellencyhimself，hisExcellencytheMinister……Ah！

thatisquiteanotherthing。”saidPoiret。

“Youseemtobeguidedbythisgentleman’sopinion，andyouhearwhathesays。”saidthemanofindependentmeans，addressingMlle。Michonneau。“Verywell，hisExcellencyisatthismomentabsolutelycertainthattheso-calledVautrin，wholodgesattheMaisonVauquer，isaconvictwhoescapedfrompenalservitudeatToulon，whereheisknownbythenicknameTrompe-la-Mort。”

“Trompe-la-Mort？“saidPioret。“Dearme，heisveryluckyifhedeservesthatnickname。”

“Well，yes。”saidthedetective。“Theycallhimsobecausehehasbeensoluckyasnottolosehislifeintheveryriskybusinessesthathehascarriedthrough。Heisadangerousman，yousee！Hehasqualitiesthatareoutofthecommon；thethingheiswantedfor，infact，wasamatterwhichgainedhimnoendofcreditwithhisownset——“

“Thenisheamanofhonor？“askedPoiret。

“Yes，accordingtohisnotions。Heagreedtotakeanotherman’scrimeuponhimself——aforgerycommittedbyaveryhandsomeyoungfellowthathehadtakenagreatfancyto，ayoungItalian，abitofagambler，whohassincegoneintothearmy，wherehisconducthasbeenunexceptionable。”

“ButifhisExcellencytheMinisterofPoliceiscertainthatM。

VautrinisthisTrompe-la-Mort，whyshouldhewantme？“askedMlle。Michonneau。

“Ohyes。”saidPoiret，“iftheMinister，asyouhavebeensoobligingastotellus，reallyknowsforacertainty——“

“Certaintyisnottheword；heonlysuspects。Youwillsoonunderstandhowthingsare。JacquesCollin，nicknamedTrompe-la-

Mort，isintheconfidenceofeveryconvictinthethreeprisons；

heistheirmanofbusinessandtheirbanker。Hemakesaverygoodthingoutofmanagingtheiraffairs，whichwantaMANOF

MARKtoseeaboutthem。”

“Ha！ha！doyouseethepun，mademoiselle？“askedPoiret。“ThisgentlemancallshimselfaMANOFMARKbecauseheisaMARKEDMAN——

branded，youknow。”

“Thisso-calledVautrin。”saidthedetective，“receivesthemoneybelongingtomylordstheconvicts，investsitforthem，andholdsitatthedisposalofthosewhoescape，orhandsitovertotheirfamiliesiftheyleaveawill，ortotheirmistresseswhentheydrawuponhimfortheirbenefit。”

“Theirmistresses！Youmeantheirwives。”remarkedPoiret。

“No，sir。Aconvict’swifeisusuallyanillegitimateconnection。

Wecallthemconcubines。”

“Thentheyallliveinastateofconcubinage？“

“Naturally。”

“Why，theseareabominationsthathisExcellencyoughtnottoallow。SinceyouhavethehonorofseeinghisExcellency，you，whoseemtohavephilanthropicideas，oughtreallytoenlightenhimastotheirimmoralconduct——theyaresettingashockingexampletotherestofsociety。”

“ButtheGovernmentdoesnotholdthemupasmodelsofallthevirtues，mydearsir——“

“Ofcoursenot，sir；butstill——“

“Justletthegentlemansaywhathehastosay，dearie。”saidMlle。Michonneau。

“Youseehowitis，mademoiselle。”Gondureaucontinued。“TheGovernmentmayhavethestrongestreasonsforgettingthisillicithoardintoitshands；itmountsuptosomethingconsiderable，byallthatwecanmakeout。Trompe-la-Mortnotonlyholdslargesumsforhisfriendstheconvicts，buthehasotheramountswhicharepaidovertohimbytheSocietyoftheTenThousand——“

“TenThousandThieves！“criedPioretinalarm。

“No。TheSocietyoftheTenThousandisnotanassociationofpettyoffenders，butofpeoplewhosetabouttheirworkonalargescale——theywon’ttouchamatterunlesstherearetenthousandfrancsinit。ItiscomposedofthemostdistinguishedofthemenwhoaresentstraighttotheAssizeCourtswhentheycomeupfortrial。TheyknowtheCodetoowelltorisktheirneckswhentheyarenabbed。Collinistheirconfidentialagentandlegaladviser。Bymeansofthelargesumsofmoneyathisdisposalhehasestablishedasortofdetectivesystemofhisown；itiswidespreadandmysteriousinitsworkings。Wehavehadspiesallabouthimforatwelvemonth，andyetwecouldnotmanagetofathomhisgames。Hiscapitalandhisclevernessareattheserviceofviceandcrime；thismoneyfurnishesthenecessaryfundsforaregulararmyofblackguardsinhispaywhowageincessantwaragainstsociety。IfwecancatchTrompe-la-Mort，andtakepossessionofhisfunds，weshouldstrikeattherootofthisevil。SothisjobisakindofGovernmentaffair——aStatesecret——andlikelytoredoundtothehonorofthosewhobringthethingtoasuccessfulconclusion。You，sir，forinstance，mightverywellbetakenintoaGovernmentdepartmentagain；theymightmakeyousecretarytoaCommissaryofPolice；youcouldacceptthatpostwithoutprejudicetoyourretiringpension。”

Mlle。Michonneauinterposedatthispointwith，“WhatistheretohinderTrompe-la-Mortfrommakingoffwiththemoney？“

“Oh！“saidthedetective，“amanistoldofftofollowhimeverywherehegoes，withorderstokillhimifheweretorobtheconvicts。Thenitisnotquiteaseasytomakeoffwithalotofmoneyasitistorunawaywithayoungladyoffamily。Besides，Collinisnotthesortoffellowtoplaysuchatrick；hewouldbedisgraced，accordingtohisnotions。”

“Youarequiteright，sir。”saidPoiret，“utterlydisgracedhewouldbe。”

“Butnoneofallthisexplainswhyyoudonotcomeandtakehimwithoutmoreado。”remarkedMlle。Michonneau。

“Verywell，mademoiselle，Iwillexplain——but。”headdedinherear，“keepyourcompanionquiet，orIshallneverhavedone。Theoldboyoughttopaypeoplehandsomelyforlisteningtohim——

Trompe-la-Mort，whenhecamebackhere。”hewentonaloud“slippedintotheskinofanhonestman；heturnedupdisguisedasadecentParisiancitizen，andtookuphisquartersinanunpretendinglodging-house。Heiscunning，thatheis！Youdon’tcatchhimnapping。ThenM。Vautrinisamanofconsequence，whotransactsagooddealofbusiness。”

“Naturally。”saidPoirettohimself。

“AndsupposethattheMinisterweretomakeamistakeandgetholdoftherealVautrin，hewouldputeveryone’sbackupamongthebusinessmeninParis，andpublicopinionwouldbeagainsthim。M。lePrefetdePoliceisonslipperyground；hehasenemies。Theywouldtakeadvantageofanymistake。TherewouldbeafineoutcryandfussmadebytheOpposition，andhewouldbesentpacking。WemustsetaboutthisjustaswedidabouttheCoignardaffair，theshamComtedeSainte-Helene；ifhehadbeentherealComtedeSainte-Helene，weshouldhavebeeninthewrongbox。Wewanttobequitesurewhatweareabout。”

“Yes，butwhatyouwantisaprettywoman。”saidMlle。Michonneaubriskly。

“Trompe-la-Mortwouldnotletawomancomenearhim。”saidthedetective。“Iwilltellyouasecret——hedoesnotlikethem。”

“Still，IdonotseewhatIcando，supposingthatIdidagreetoidentifyhimfortwothousandfrancs。”

“Nothingsimpler。”saidthestranger。“Iwillsendyoualittlebottlecontainingadosethatwillsendarushofbloodtothehead；itwilldohimnoharmwhatever，buthewillfalldownasifhewereinafit。Thedrugcanbeputintowineorcoffee；

eitherwilldoequallywell。Youcarryyourmantobedatonce，andundresshimtoseethatheisnotdying。Assoonasyouarealone，yougivehimaslapontheshoulder，andPRESTO！theletterswillappear。”

“Why，thatisjustnothingatall。”saidPoiret。

“Well，doyouagree？“saidGondureau，addressingtheoldmaid。

“But，mydearsir，supposetherearenolettersatall。”saidMlle。Michonneau；“amItohavethetwothousandfrancsallthesame？“

“No。”

“Whatwillyougivemethen？“

“Fivehundredfrancs。”

“Itissuchathingtodoforsolittle！Itliesonyourconsciencejustthesame，andImustquietmyconscience，sir。”

“Iassureyou。”saidPoiret，“thatmademoisellehasagreatdealofconscience，andnotonlyso，sheisaveryamiableperson，andveryintelligent。”

“Well，now。”Mlle。Michonneauwenton，“makeitthreethousandfrancsifheisTrompe-la-Mort，andnothingatallifheisanordinaryman。”

“Done！“saidGondureau，“butontheconditionthatthethingissettledto-morrow。”

“Notquitesosoon，mydearsir；Imustconsultmyconfessorfirst。”

“Youareaslyone。”saidthedetectiveasherosetohisfeet。

“Good-byetillto-morrow，then。Andifyoushouldwanttoseemeinahurry，gotothePetiteRueSaint-AnneatthebottomoftheCourdelaSainte-Chapelle。Thereisonedoorunderthearchway。

AskthereforM。Gondureau。”

Bianchon，onhiswaybackfromCuvier’slecture，overheardthesufficientlystrikingnicknameofTrompe-la-Mort，andcaughtthecelebratedchiefdetective’s“Done！“

“Whydidn’tyouclosewithhim？Itwouldbethreehundredfrancsayear。”saidPoirettoMlle。Michonneau。

“Whydidn’tI？“sheasked。“Why，itwantsthinkingover。SupposethatM。VautrinisthisTrompe-la-Mort，perhapswemightdobetterforourselveswithhim。Still，ontheotherhand，ifyouaskhimformoney，itwouldputhimonhisguard，andheisjustthemantoclearoutwithoutpaying，andthatwouldbeanabominablesell。”

“Andsupposeyoudidwarnhim。”Poiretwenton，“didn’tthatgentlemansaythathewascloselywatched？Youwouldspoileverything。”

“Anyhow。”thoughtMlle。Michonneau，“Ican’tabidehim。Hesaysnothingbutdisagreeablethingstome。”

“Butyoucandobetterthanthat。”Poiretresumed。“Asthatgentlemansaid(andheseemedtometobeaverygoodsortofman，besidesbeingverywellgotup)，itisanactofobediencetothelawstoridsocietyofacriminal，howevervirtuoushemaybe。Onceathief，alwaysathief。Supposeheweretotakeitintohisheadtomurderusall？Thedeuce！Weshouldbeguiltyofmanslaughter，andbethefirsttofallvictimsintothebargain！“

Mlle。Michonneau’smusingsdidnotpermithertolistenverycloselytotheremarksthatfellonebyonefromPoiret’slipslikewaterdrippingfromaleakytap。Whenoncethiselderlybabblerbegantotalk，hewouldgoonlikeclockworkunlessMlle。

Michonneaustoppedhim。Hestartedonsomesubjectorother，andwanderedonthroughparenthesisafterparenthesis，tillhecametoregionsasremoteaspossiblefromhispremiseswithoutcomingtoanyconclusionsbytheway。

BythetimetheyreachedtheMaisonVauquerhehadtackedtogetherawholestringofexamplesandquotationsmoreorlessirrelevanttothesubjectinhand，whichledhimtogiveafullaccountofhisowndepositioninthecaseoftheSieurRagoulleauversusDameMorin，whenhehadbeensummonedasawitnessforthedefence。

Astheyenteredthedining-room，EugenedeRastignacwastalkingapartwithMlle。Taillefer；theconversationappearedtobeofsuchthrillinginterestthatthepairnevernoticedthetwoolderlodgersastheypassedthroughtheroom。NoneofthiswasthrownawayonMlle。Michonneau。

“Iknewhowitwouldend。”remarkedthatlady，addressingPoiret。

“Theyhavebeenmakingeyesateachotherinaheartrendingwayforaweekpast。”

“Yes。”heanswered。“Soshewasfoundguilty。”

“Who？“

“Mme。Morin。”

“IamtalkingaboutMlle。Victorine。”saidMlle，Michonneau，assheenteredPoiret’sroomwithanabsentair，“andyouanswer，’Mme。Morin。’WhomayMme。Morinbe？“

“WhatcanMlle。Victorinebeguiltyof？“demandedPoiret。

“GuiltyoffallinginlovewithM。EugenedeRastignacandgoingfurtherandfurtherwithoutknowingexactlywheresheisgoing，poorinnocent！“

ThatmorningMme。deNucingenhaddrivenEugenetodespair。InhisownmindhehadcompletelysurrenderedhimselftoVautrin，anddeliberatelyshuthiseyestothemotiveforthefriendshipwhichthatextraordinarymanprofessedforhim，norwouldhelooktotheconsequencesofsuchanalliance。Nothingshortofamiraclecouldextricatehimnowoutofthegulfintowhichhehadwalkedanhourago，whenheexchangedvowsinthesoftestwhisperswithMlle。Taillefer。ToVictorineitseemedasifsheheardanangel’svoice，thatheavenwasopeningaboveher；theMaisonVauquertookstrangeandwonderfulhues，likeastagefairy-palace。Shelovedandshewasloved；atanyrate，shebelievedthatshewasloved；andwhatwomanwouldnotlikewisehavebelievedafterseeingRastignac’sfaceandlisteningtothetonesofhisvoiceduringthathoursnatchedundertheArguseyesoftheMaisonVauquer？Hehadtrampledonhisconscience；heknewthathewasdoingwrong，anddiditdeliberately；hehadsaidtohimselfthatawoman’shappinessshouldatoneforthisvenialsin。Theenergyofdesperationhadlentnewbeautytohisface；

theluridfirethatburnedinhisheartshonefromhiseyes。

Luckilyforhim，themiracletookplace。Vautrincameininhighspirits，andatoncereadtheheartsofthesetwoyoungcreatureswhomhehadbroughttogetherbythecombinationsofhisinfernalgenius，buthisdeepvoicebrokeinupontheirbliss。

“AcharminggirlismyFanchetteInhersimplicity。”

hesangmockingly。

Victorinefled。Herheartwasmorefullthanithadeverbeen，butitwasfullofjoy，andnotofsorrow。Poorchild！Apressureofthehand，thelighttouchofRastignac’shairagainsthercheek，awordwhisperedinherearsocloselythatshefeltthestudent’swarmbreathonher，thepressureofatremblingarmaboutherwaist，akissuponherthroat——suchhadbeenherbetrothal。ThenearneighborhoodofthestoutSylvie，whomightinvadethatglorifiedroomatanymoment，onlymadethesefirsttokensoflovemoreardent，moreeloquent，moreentrancingthanthenoblestdeedsdoneforlove’ssakeinthemostfamousromances。Thisplain-songoflove，tousetheprettyexpressionofourforefathers，seemedalmostcriminaltothedevoutyounggirlwhowenttoconfessioneveryfortnight。Inthatonehourshehadpouredoutmoreofthetreasuresofhersoulthanshecouldgiveinlaterdaysofwealthandhappiness，whenherwholeselffollowedthegift。

“Thethingisarranged。”VautrinsaidtoEugene，whoremained。

“Ourtwodandieshavefallenout。Everythingwasdoneinproperform。Itisamatterofopinion。Ourpigeonhasinsultedmyhawk。

Theywillmeetto-morrowintheredoubtatClignancourt。Byhalf-

pasteightinthemorningMlle。Taillefer，calmlydippingherbreadandbutterinhercoffeecup，willbesoleheiressofherfather’sfortuneandaffections。Afunnywayofputtingit，isn’tit？Taillefer’syoungsterisanexpertswordsman，andquitecocksureaboutit，buthewillbebled；Ihavejustinventedathrustforhisbenefit，awayofraisingyourswordpointanddrivingitattheforehead。Imustshowyouthatthrust；itisanuncommonlyhandythingtoknow。”

Rastignacheardhimindazedbewilderment；hecouldnotfindawordinreply。JustthenGoriotcamein，andBianchonandafewoftheboarderslikewiseappeared。

“ThatisjustasIintended。”Vautrinsaid。“Youknowquitewellwhatyouareabout。Good，mylittleeaglet！Youareborntocommand，youarestrong，youstandfirmonyourfeet，youaregame！Irespectyou。”

HemadeasthoughhewouldtakeEugene’shand，butRastignachastilywithdrewit，sankintoachair，andturnedghastlypale；

itseemedtohimthattherewasaseaofbloodbeforehiseyes。

“Oh！sowestillhaveafewdubioustattersoftheswaddlingclothesofvirtueaboutus！“murmuredVautrin。“ButPapaDolibanhasthreemillions；Iknowtheamountofhisfortune。Oncehaveherdowryinyourhands，andyourcharacterwillbeaswhiteasthebride’swhitedress，eveninyourowneyes。”

Rastignachesitatednolonger。HemadeuphismindthathewouldgothateveningtowarntheTaillefers，fatherandson。ButjustasVautrinlefthim，FatherGoriotcameupandsaidinhisear，“Youlookmelancholy，myboy；Iwillcheeryouup。Comewithme。”

Theoldvermicellidealerlightedhisdipatoneofthelampsashespoke。Eugenewentwithhim，hiscuriosityhadbeenaroused。

“Letusgouptoyourroom。”theworthysoulremarked，whenhehadaskedSylvieforthelawstudent’skey。“Thismorning。”heresumed，“youthoughtthatSHEdidnotcareaboutyou，didyounot？Eh？Shewouldhavenothingtosaytoyou，andyouwentawayoutofhumorandoutofheart。Stuffandrubbish！ShewantedyoutogobecauseshewasexpectingME！Nowdoyouunderstand？Weweretocompletethearrangementsfortakingsomechambersforyou，ajewelofaplace，youaretomoveintoitinthreedays’

time。Don’tsplituponme。Shewantsittobeasurprise；butI

couldn’tbeartokeepthesecretfromyou。YouwillbeintheRued’Artois，onlyasteportwofromtheRueSaint-Lazare，andyouaretobehousedlikeaprince！Anyonemighthavethoughtwewerefurnishingthehouseforabride。Oh！wehavedonealotofthingsinthelastmonth，andyouknewnothingaboutit。Myattorneyhasappearedonthescene，andmydaughteristohavethirty-sixthousandfrancsayear，theinterestonhermoney，andIshallinsistonhavinghereighthundredthousandinvestedinsoundsecurities，landedpropertythatwon’trunaway。”

Eugenewasdumb。Hefoldedhisarmsandpacedupanddowninhischeerless，untidyroom。FatherGoriotwaitedtillthestudent’sbackwasturned，andseizedtheopportunitytogotothechimney-

pieceandsetuponitalittleredmoroccocasewithRastignac’sarmsstampedingoldontheleather。

“Mydearboy。”saidthekindsoul，“Ihavebeenuptotheeyesinthisbusiness。Yousee，therewasplentyofselfishnessonmypart；Ihaveaninterestedmotiveinhelpingyoutochangelodgings。YouwillnotrefusemeifIaskyousomething；willyou，eh？“

“Whatisit？“

“Thereisaroomonthefifthfloor，upaboveyourrooms，thatistoletalongwiththem；thatiswhereIamgoingtolive，isn’tthatso？Iamgettingold：Iamtoofarfrommygirls。Ishallnotbeintheway，butIshallbethere，thatisall。Youwillcomeandtalktomeabouthereveryevening。Itwillnotputyouabout，willit？Ishallhavegonetobedbeforeyoucomein，butIshallhearyoucomeup，andIshallsaytomyself，’HehasjustseenmylittleDelphine。Hehasbeentoadancewithher，andsheishappy，thankstohim。’IfIwereill，itwoulddomyheartgoodtohearyoumovingaboutbelow，toknowwhenyouleavethehouseandwhenyoucomein。ItisonlyasteptotheChamps-

Elysees，wheretheygoeveryday，soIshallbesureofseeingthem，whereasnowIamsometimestoolate。Andthen——perhapsshemaycometoseeyou！Ishallhearher，Ishallseeherinhersoftquiltedpelissetrippingaboutasdaintilyasakitten。Inthisonemonthshehasbecomemylittlegirlagain，solight-

heartedandgay。Hersoulisrecovering，andherhappinessisowingtoyou！Oh！Iwoulddoimpossibilitiesforyou。Onlyjustnowshesaidtome，’Iamveryhappy，papa！’Whentheysay’father’stiffly，itsendsachillthroughme；butwhentheycallme’papa，’itbringsalltheoldmemoriesback。Ifeelmosttheirfatherthen；Ievenbelievethattheybelongtome，andtonooneelse。”

Thegoodmanwipedhiseyes，hewascrying。

“ItisalongwhilesinceIhaveheardthemtalklikethat，along，longtimesinceshetookmyarmasshedidto-day。Yes，indeed，itmustbequitetenyearssinceIwalkedsidebysidewithoneofmygirls。Howpleasantitwastokeepstepwithher，tofeelthetouchofhergown，thewarmthofherarm！Well，I

tookDelphineeverywherethismorning；Iwentshoppingwithher，andIbroughtherhomeagain。Oh！youmustletmelivenearyou。

Youmaywantsomeonetodoyouaservicesomeofthesedays，andIshallbeonthespottodoit。Oh！ifonlythatgreatdoltofanAlsatianwoulddie，ifhisgoutwouldhavethesensetoattackhisstomach，howhappymypoorchildwouldbe！Youwouldbemyson-in-law；youwouldbeherhusbandintheeyesoftheworld。

Bah！shehasknownnohappiness，thatexcuseseverything。OurFatherinheavenissurelyonthesideoffathersonearthwholovetheirchildren。Howfondofyousheis！“hesaid，raisinghisheadafterapause。“Allthetimeweweregoingabouttogethershechattedawayaboutyou。’Heissonice-looking，papa；isn’the？Heiskind-hearted！Doeshetalktoyouaboutme？’Pshaw！shesaidenoughaboutyoutofillwholevolumes；

betweentheRued’ArtoisandthePassagedesPanoramasshepouredherheartoutintomine。Ididnotfeeloldonceduringthatdelightfulmorning；Ifeltaslightasafeather。Itoldherhowyouhadgiventhebanknotetome；itmovedmydarlingtotears。

Butwhatcanthisbeonyourchimney-piece？“saidFatherGoriotatlast。Rastignachadshowednosign，andhewasdyingofimpatience。

Eugenestaredathisneighborindumbanddazedbewilderment。HethoughtofVautrin，ofthatdueltobefoughtto-morrowmorning，andofthisrealizationofhisdearesthopes，andtheviolentcontrastbetweenthetwosetsofideasgavehimallthesensationsofnightmare。Hewenttothechimney-piece，sawthelittlesquarecase，openedit，andfoundawatchofBreguet’smakewrappedinpaper，onwhichthesewordswerewritten：

“Iwantyoutothinkofmeeveryhour，BECAUSE……

“DELPHINE。”

Thatlastworddoubtlesscontainedanallusiontosomescenethathadtakenplacebetweenthem。Eugenefelttouched。Insidethegoldwatch-casehisarmshadbeenwroughtinenamel。Thechain，thekey，theworkmanshipanddesignofthetrinketwereallsuchashehadimagined，forhehadlongcovetedsuchapossession。

FatherGoriotwasradiant。OfcoursehehadpromisedtotellhisdaughtereverylittledetailofthesceneandoftheeffectproduceduponEugenebyherpresent；hesharedinthepleasureandexcitementoftheyoungpeople，andseemedtobenottheleasthappyofthethree。HelovedRastignacalreadyforhisownaswellasforhisdaughter’ssake。

“Youmustgoandseeher；sheisexpectingyouthisevening。ThatgreatloutofanAlsatianisgoingtohavesupperwithhisopera-

dancer。Aha！helookedveryfoolishwhenmyattorneylethimknowwherehewas。Hesaysheidolizesmydaughter，doeshe？Hehadbetterletheralone，orIwillkillhim。TothinkthatmyDelphineishis“——heheavedasigh——“itisenoughtomakememurderhim，butitwouldnotbemanslaughtertokillthatanimal；

heisapigwithacalf’sbrains——Youwilltakemewithyou，willyounot？“

“Yes，dearFatherGoriot；youknowverywellhowfondIamofyou——“

“Yes，Idoknowverywell。Youarenotashamedofme，areyou？

Notyou！Letmeembraceyou。”andheflunghisarmsaroundthestudent’sneck。

“Youwillmakeherveryhappy；promisemethatyouwill！Youwillgotoherthisevening，willyounot？“

“Oh！yes。Imustgoout；Ihavesomeurgentbusinessonhand。”

“CanIbeofanyuse？“

“Myword，yes！WillyougotooldTaillefer’swhileIgotoMme。

deNucingen？Askhimtomakeanappointmentwithmesometimethisevening；itisamatteroflifeanddeath。”

“Really，youngman！“criedFatherGoriot，withachangeofcountenance；“areyoureallypayingcourttohisdaughter，asthosesimpletonsweresayingdownbelow？……TONNERREDEDIEU！

youhavenonotionwhatatapALAGORIOTislike，andifyouareplayingadoublegame，Ishallputastoptoitbyoneblowofthefist……Oh！thethingisimpossible！“

“IsweartoyouthatIlovebutonewomanintheworld。”saidthestudent。“Ionlyknewitamomentago。”

“Oh！whathappiness！“criedGoriot。

“ButyoungTailleferhasbeencalledout；theduelcomesoffto-

morrowmorning，andIhavehearditsaidthathemaylosehislifeinit。”

“Butwhatbusinessisitofyours？“saidGoriot。

“Why，Ioughttotellhimso，thathemaypreventhissonfromputtinginanappearance——“

JustatthatmomentVautrin’svoicebrokeinuponthem；hewasstandingatthethresholdofhisdoorandsinging：

“Oh！Richard，ohmyking！

Alltheworldabandonsthee！

Broum！broum！broum！broum！broum！

Thesameoldstoryeverywhere，Arovingheartanda……tralala。”

“Gentlemen！“shoutedChristophe，“thesoupisready，andeveryoneiswaitingforyou。”

“Here。”Vautrincalleddowntohim，“comeandtakeabottleofmyBordeaux。”

“Doyouthinkyourwatchispretty？“askedGoriot。“Shehasgoodtaste，hasn’tshe？Eh？“

Vautrin，FatherGoriot，andRastignaccamedownstairsincompany，and，allthreeofthembeinglate，wereobligedtosittogether。

EugenewasasdistantaspossibleinhismannertoVautrinduringdinner；buttheother，socharminginMme。Vauquer’sopinion，hadneverbeensowitty。Hislivelysalliesandsparklingtalkputthewholetableingoodhumor。HisassuranceandcoolnessfilledEugenewithconsternation。

“Why，whathascometoyouto-day？“inquiredMme。Vauquer。“Youareasmerryasaskylark。”

“IamalwaysinspiritsafterIhavemadeagoodbargain。”

“Bargain？“saidEugene。

“Well，yes，bargain。Ihavejustdeliveredalotofgoods，andI

shallbepaidahandsomecommissiononthem——Mlle。Michonneau。”

hewenton，seeingthattheelderlyspinsterwasscrutinizinghimintently，“haveyouanyobjectiontosomefeatureinmyface，thatyouaremakingthoselynxeyesatme？Justletmeknow，andIwillhaveitchangedtoobligeyou……Weshallnotfalloutaboutit，Poiret，Idaresay？“headded，winkingatthesuperannuatedclerk。

“Blessmysoul，yououghttostandasmodelforaburlesqueHercules。”saidtheyoungpainter。

“Iwill，uponmyword！ifMlle。MichonneauwillconsenttositastheVenusofPere-Lachaise。”repliedVautrin。

“There’sPoiret。”suggestedBianchon。

“Oh！PoiretshallposeasPoiret。Hecanbeagardengod！“criedVautrin；“hisnamemeansapear——“

“Asleepypear！“Bianchonputin。“Youwillcomeinbetweenthepearandthecheese。”

“Whatstuffareyoualltalking！“saidMme。Vauquer；“youwoulddobettertotreatustoyourBordeaux；Iseeaglimpseofabottlethere。Itwouldkeepusallinagoodhumor，anditisgoodforthestomachbesides。”

“Gentlemen。”saidVautrin，“theLadyPresidentcallsustoorder。

Mme。CoutureandMlle。Victorinewilltakeyourjokesingoodpart，butrespecttheinnocenceoftheagedGoriot。IproposeaglassortwoofBordeauxrama，renderedtwiceillustriousbythenameofLaffite，nopoliticalallusionsintended——Come，youTurk！“headded，lookingatChristophe，whodidnotoffertostir。“Christophe！Here！What，youdon’tanswertoyourownname？

Bringussomeliquor，Turk！“

“Hereitis，sir。”saidChristophe，holdingoutthebottle。

VautrinfilledEugene’sglassandGoriot’slikewise，thenhedeliberatelypouredoutafewdropsintohisownglass，andsippeditwhilehistwoneighborsdranktheirwine。Allatoncehemadeagrimace。

“Corked！“hecried。“Thedevil！Youcandrinktherestofthis，Christophe，andgoandfindanotherbottle；takefromtheright-

handside，youknow。Therearesixteenofus；takedowneightbottles。”

“Ifyouaregoingtostandtreat。”saidthepainter，“Iwillpayforahundredchestnuts。”

“Oh！oh！“

“Booououh！“

“Prrr！“

Theseexclamationscamefromallpartsofthetablelikesquibsfromasetfirework。

“Come，now，MamaVauquer，acoupleofbottlesofchampagne。”

calledVautrin。

“Quien！justlikeyou！Whynotaskforthewholehouseatonce。A

coupleofbottlesofchampagne；thatmeanstwelvefrancs！Ishallneverseethemoneybackagain，Iknow！ButifM。Eugenehasamindtopayforit，Ihavesomecurrantcordial。”

“Thatcurrantcordialofhersisasbadasablackdraught。”

mutteredthemedicalstudent。

“Shutup，Bianchon。”exclaimedRastignac；“theverymentionofblackdraughtmakesmefeel。Yes，champagne，byallmeans；I

willpayforit。”headded。

“Sylvie。”calledMme。Vauquer，“bringinsomebiscuits，andthelittlecakes。”

“Thoselittlecakesaremouldygraybeards。”saidVautrin。“Buttrotoutthebiscuits。”

TheBordeauxwinecirculated；thedinnertablebecamealivelierscenethanever，andthefungrewfastandfurious。Imitationsofthecriesofvariousanimalsmingledwiththeloudlaughter；theMuseumofficialhavingtakenitintohisheadtomimicacat-callratherlikethecaterwaulingoftheanimalinquestion，eightvoicessimultaneouslystruckupwiththefollowingvariations：

“Scissorstogrind！“

“Chick-weedsforsingingbir-ds！“

“Brandy-snaps，ladies！“

“Chinatomend！“

“Boatahoy！“

“Stickstobeatyourwivesoryourclothes！“

“Oldclo’！“

“Cherriesallripe！“

ButthepalmwasawardedtoBianchonforthenasalaccentwithwhichherenderedthecryof“Umbrellastome-end！“

Afewsecondslater，andtherewasahead-splittingracketintheroom，astormoftomfoolery，asortofcats’concert，withVautrinasconductoroftheorchestra，thelatterkeepinganeyethewhileonEugeneandFatherGoriot。Thewineseemedtohavegonetotheirheadsalready。Theyleanedbackintheirchairs，lookingatthegeneralconfusionwithanairofgravity，anddrankbutlittle；bothofthemwereabsorbedinthethoughtofwhatlaybeforethemtodothatevening，andyetneitherofthemfeltabletoriseandgo。Vautringaveasideglanceatthemfromtimetotime，andwatchedthechangethatcameovertheirfaces，choosingthemomentwhentheireyesdroopedandseemedabouttoclose，tobendoverRastignacandtosayinhisear：——

“Mylittlelad，youarenotquiteshrewdenoughtooutwitPapaVautrinyet，andheistoofondofyoutoletyoumakeamessofyouraffairs。WhenIhavemadeupmymindtodoathing，nooneshortofProvidencecanputmeoff。Aha！wewereforgoingroundtowarnoldTaillefer，tellingtalesoutofschool！Theovenishot，thedoughiskneaded，thebreadisreadyfortheoven；to-

morrowwewilleatitupandwhiskawaythecrumbs；andwearenotgoingtospoilthebaking？……No，no，itisallasgoodasdone！Wemaysufferfromafewconscientiousscruples，buttheywillbedigestedalongwiththebread。Whilewearehavingourfortywinks，ColonelCountFranchessiniwillclearthewaytoMichelTaillefer’sinheritancewiththepointofhissword。

Victorinewillcomeinforherbrother’smoney，asnugfifteenthousandfrancsayear。Ihavemadeinquiriesalready，andIknowthatherlatemother’spropertyamountstomorethanthreehundredthousand——“

Eugeneheardallthis，andcouldnotansweraword；histongueseemedtobegluedtotheroofofhismouth，anirresistibledrowsinesswascreepingoverhim。Hestillsawthetableandthefacesroundit，butitwasthroughabrightmist。Soonthenoisebegantosubside，onebyonetheboarderswent。Atlast，whentheirnumbershadsodwindledthatthepartyconsistedofMme。

Vauquer，Mme。Couture，Mlle。Victorine，Vautrin，andFatherGoriot，RastignacwatchedasthoughinadreamhowMme。Vauquerbusiedherselfbycollectingthebottles，anddrainedtheremainderofthewineoutofeachtofillothers。

“Oh！howuproarioustheyare！whatathingitistobeyoung！“

saidthewidow。

ThesewerethelastwordsthatEugeneheardandunderstood。

“ThereisnoonelikeM。Vautrinforabitoffunlikethis。”

saidSylvie。“There，justharkatChristophe，heissnoringlikeatop。”

“Good-bye，mamma。”saidVautrin；“IamgoingtoatheatreontheboulevardtoseeM。MartyinLeMontSauvage，afineplaytakenfromLeSolitaire……Ifyoulike，Iwilltakeyouandthesetwoladies——“

“Thankyou；Imustdecline。”saidMme。Couture。

“What！mygoodlady！“criedMme。Vauquer，“declinetoseeaplayfoundedontheLeSolitaire，aworkbyAtaladeChateaubriand？WeweresofondofthatbookthatwecriedoveritlikeMagdalensundertheline-treeslastsummer，andthenitisanimprovingworkthatmightedifyyouryounglady。”

“Weareforbiddentogototheplay。”answeredVictorine。

“Justlook，thosetwoyonderhavedroppedoffwheretheysit。”

saidVautrin，shakingtheheadsofthetwosleepersinacomicalway。

Healteredthesleepingstudent’sposition，settledhisheadmorecomfortablyonthebackofhischair，kissedhimwarmlyontheforehead，andbegantosing：

“Sleep，littledarlings；

Iwatchwhileyouslumber。”

“Iamafraidhemaybeill。”saidVictorine。

“Thenstopandtakecareofhim。”returnedVautrin。“’Tisyourdutyasameekandobedientwife。”hewhisperedinherear。“theyoungfellowworshipsyou，andyouwillbehislittlewife——

there’syourfortuneforyou。Inshort。”headdedaloud，“theylivedhappilyeverafterwards，weremuchlookeduptoinallthecountryside，andhadanumerousfamily。Thatishowalltheromancesend——Now，mamma。”hewenton，asheturnedtoMadameVauquerandputhisarmroundherwaist，“putonyourbonnet，yourbestfloweredsilk，andthecountess’scarf，whileIgooutandcallacab——allmyownself。”

Andhestartedout，singingashewent：

“Oh！sun！divinesun！

Ripeningthepumpkinseveryone。”

“Mygoodness！Well，I’msure！Mme。Couture，Icouldlivehappilyinagarretwithamanlikethat——There，now！“sheadded，lookingroundfortheoldvermicellimaker，“thereisthatFatherGoriothalfseasover。HEneverthoughtoftakingmeanywhere，theoldskinflint。Buthewillmeasurehislengthsomewhere。Myword！itisdisgracefultolosehissenseslikethat，athisage！

Youwillbetellingmethathecouldn’tlosewhathehadn’tgot——

Sylvie，justtakehimuptohisroom！“

Sylvietookhimbythearm，supportedhimupstairs，andflunghimjustashewas，likeapackage，acrossthebed。

“Pooryoungfellow！“saidMme。Couture，puttingbackEugene’shairthathadfallenoverhiseyes；“heislikeayounggirl，hedoesnotknowwhatdissipationis。”

“Well，Icantellyouthis，Iknow。”saidMme。Vauquer，“Ihavetakenlodgersthesethirtyyears，andagoodmanyhavepassedthroughmyhands，asthesayingis，butIhaveneverseenanicernoramorearistocraticlookingyoungmanthanM。Eugene。Howhandsomehelookssleeping！Justlethisheadrestonyourshoulder，Mme。Couture。Pshaw！hefallsovertowardsMlle。

Victorine。There’saspecialprovidenceforyoungthings。A

littlemore，andhewouldhavebrokenhisheadagainsttheknobofthechair。They’dmakeaprettypairthosetwowould！“

“Hush，mygoodneighbor。”criedMme。Couture，“youaresayingsuchthings——“

“Pooh！“putinMme。Vauquer，“hedoesnothear——Here，Sylvie！

comeandhelpmetodress。Ishallputonmybeststays。”

“What！yourbeststaysjustafterdinner，madame？“saidSylvie。

“No，youcangetsomeoneelsetolaceyou。Iamnotgoingtobeyourmurderer。It’sarashthingtodo，andmightcostyouyourlife。”

“Idon’tcare，ImustdohonortoM。Vautrin。”

“Areyousofondofyourheirsasallthat？“

“Come，Sylvie，don’targue。”saidthewidow，asshelefttheroom。

“Atherage，too！“saidthecooktoVictorine，pointingtohermistressasshespoke。

Mme。Coutureandherwardwereleftinthedining-room，andEugenesleptonVictorine’sshoulder。ThesoundofChristophe’ssnoringechoedthroughthesilenthouse；Eugene’squietbreathingseemedallthequieterbyforceofcontrast，hewassleepingaspeacefullyasachild。Victorinewasveryhappy；shewasfreetoperformoneofthoseactsofcharitywhichformaninnocentoutletforalltheoverflowingsentimentsofawoman’snature；hewassoclosetoherthatshecouldfeelthethrobbingofhisheart；therewasalookofalmostmaternalprotectionandconsciousprideinVictorine’sface。Amongthecountlessthoughtsthatcrowdedupinheryounginnocentheart，therewasawildflutterofjoyatthisclosecontact。

“Poor，dearchild！“saidMme。Couture，squeezingherhand。

Theoldladylookedatthegirl。Victorine’sinnocent，patheticface，soradiantwiththenewhappinessthathadbefallenher，calledtomindsomenaiveworkofmediaevalart，whenthepainterneglectedtheaccessories，reservingallthemagicofhisbrushforthequiet，austereoutlinesandivorytintsoftheface，whichseemstohavecaughtsomethingofthegoldengloryofheaven。

“Afterall，heonlytooktwoglasses，mamma。”saidVictorine，passingherfingersthroughEugene’shair。

“Indeed，ifhehadbeenadissipatedyoungman，child，hewouldhavecarriedhiswineliketherestofthem。Hisdrowsinessdoeshimcredit。”

Therewasasoundofwheelsoutsideinthestreet。

“ThereisM。Vautrin，mamma。”saidthegirl。“JusttakeM。

Eugene。Iwouldrathernothavethatmanseemelikethis；therearesomewaysoflookingatyouthatseemtosullyyoursoulandmakeyoufeelasthoughyouhadnothingon。”

“Oh，no，youarewrong！“saidMme。Couture。“M。Vautrinisaworthyman；heremindsmealittleofmylatehusband，poordearM。Couture，roughbutkind-hearted；hisbarkisworsethanhisbite。”

Vautrincameinwhileshewasspeaking；hedidnotmakeasound，butlookedforawhileatthepictureofthetwoyoungfaces——thelamplightfallingfulluponthemseemedtocaressthem。

“Well。”heremarked，foldinghisarms，“hereisapicture！ItwouldhavesuggestedsomepleasingpagestoBernardindeSaint-

Pierre(goodsoul)，whowrotePauletVirginie。Youthisverycharming，Mme。Couture！——Sleepon，poorboy。”headded，lookingatEugene，“lucksometimescomeswhileyouaresleeping——Thereissomethingtouchingandattractivetomeaboutthisyoungman，madame。”hecontinued；“Iknowthathisnatureisinharmonywithhisface。Justlook，theheadofacherubonanangel’sshoulder！

Hedeservestobeloved。IfIwereawoman，Iwoulddie(no——notsuchafool)，Iwouldliveforhim。”Hebentlowerandspokeinthewidow’sear。“WhenIseethosetwotogether，madame，IcannothelpthinkingthatProvidencemeantthemforeachother；Heworksbysecretways，andtriesthereinsandtheheart。”hesaidinaloudvoice。“AndwhenIseeyou，mychildren，thusunitedbyalikepurityandbyallhumanaffections，Isaytomyselfthatitisquiteimpossiblethatthefutureshouldseparateyou。Godisjust。”——HeturnedtoVictorine。“Itseemstome。”hesaid，“thatIhaveseenthelineofsuccessinyourhand。Letmelookatit，Mlle。Victorine；Iamwellupinpalmistry，andIhavetoldfortunesmanyatime。Come，now，don’tbefrightened。Ah！whatdoIsee？Uponmyword，youwillbeoneoftherichestheiressesinParisbeforeverylong。Youwillheaprichesonthemanwholovesyou。Yourfatherwillwantyoutogoandlivewithhim。Youwillmarryayoungandhandsomemanwithatitle，andhewillidolizeyou。”

Theheavyfootstepsofthecoquettishwidow，whowascomingdownthestairs，interruptedVautrin’sfortune-telling。“HereisMammaVauquerre，fairasastarr-r-r，dressedwithinaninchofherlife——Aren’tweatriflepinchedforroom？“heinquired，withhisarmroundthelady；“wearescrewedupverytightlyaboutthebust，mamma！Ifwearemuchagitated，theremaybeanexplosion；

butIwillpickupthefragmentswithallthecareofanantiquary。”

“ThereisamanwhocantalkthelanguageofFrenchgallantry！“

saidthewidow，bendingtospeakinMme。Couture’sear。

“Good-bye，littleones！“saidVautrin，turningtoEugeneandVictorine。“Blessyouboth！“andhelaidahandoneitherhead。

“Takemywordforit，younglady，anhonestman’sprayersareworthsomething；theyshouldbringyouhappiness，forGodhearsthem。”

“Good-bye，dear。”saidMme。Vauquertoherlodger。“DoyouthinkthatM。Vautrinmeanstorunawaywithme？“sheadded，loweringhervoice。

“Lack-a-day！“saidthewidow。

“Oh！mammadear，supposeitshouldreallyhappenasthatkindM。

Vautrinsaid！“saidVictorinewithasighasshelookedatherhands。Thetwowomenwerealonetogether。

“Why，itwouldn’ttakemuchtobringittopass。”saidtheelderlylady；“justafallfromhishorse，andyourmonsterofabrother——“

“Oh！mamma。”

“GoodLord！Well，perhapsitisasintowishbadlucktoanenemy。”thewidowremarked。“Iwilldopenanceforit。Still，I

wouldstrewflowersonhisgravewiththegreatestpleasure，andthatisthetruth。Black-hearted，thatheis！Thecowardcouldn’tspeakupforhisownmother，andcheatsyououtofyoursharebydeceitandtrickery。Mycousinhadaprettyfortuneofherown，butunluckilyforyou，nothingwassaidinthemarriage-contractaboutanythingthatshemightcomeinfor。”

“Itwouldbeveryhardifmyfortuneistocostsomeoneelsehislife。”saidVictorine。“IfIcannotbehappyunlessmybrotheristobetakenoutoftheworld，Iwouldratherstayhereallmylife。”

“MONDIEU！itisjustasthatgoodM。Vautrinsays，andheisfullofpiety，yousee。”Mme。Coutureremarked。“IamverygladtofindthatheisnotanunbelieverliketherestofthemthattalkoftheAlmightywithlessrespectthantheydooftheDevil。

Well，ashewassaying，whocanknowthewaysbywhichitmaypleaseProvidencetoleadus？“

WithSylvie’shelpthetwowomenatlastsucceededingettingEugeneuptohisroom；theylaidhimonthebed，andthecookunfastenedhisclothestomakehimmorecomfortable。Beforetheylefttheroom，Victorinesnatchedanopportunitywhenherguardian’sbackwasturned，andpressedakissonEugene’sforehead，feelingallthejoythatthisstolenpleasurecouldgiveher。Thenshelookedroundtheroom，andgatheringup，asitwere，intoonesinglethoughtalltheuntoldblissofthatday，shemadeapictureofhermemories，anddweltuponituntilsheslept，thehappiestcreatureinParis。

Thatevening’smerry-making，inthecourseofwhichVautrinhadgiventhedruggedwinetoEugeneandFatherGoriot，washisownruin。Bianchon，flusteredwithwine，forgottoopenthesubjectofTrompe-la-MortwithMlle。Michonneau。ThemerementionofthenamewouldhavesetVautrinonhisguard；forVautrin，or，togivehimhisrealname，JacquesCollin，wasinfactthenotoriousescapedconvict。

ButitwasthejokeabouttheVenusofPere-Lachaisethatfinallydecidedhisfate。Mlle。Michonneauhadverynearlymadeuphermindtowarntheconvictandtothrowherselfonhisgenerosity，withtheideaofmakingabetterbargainforherselfbyhelpinghimtoescapethatnight；butasitwas，shewentoutescortedbyPoiretinsearchofthefamouschiefofdetectivesinthePetiteRueSaint-Anne，stillthinkingthatitwasthedistrictsuperintendent——oneGondureau——withwhomshehadtodo。Theheadofthedepartmentreceivedhisvisitorscourteously。Therewasalittletalk，andthedetailsweredefinitelyarranged。Mlle。

Michonneauaskedforthedraughtthatshewastoadministerinordertosetaboutherinvestigation。Butthegreatman’sevidentsatisfactionsetMlle。Michonneauthinking；andshebegantoseethatthisbusinessinvolvedsomethingmorethanthemerecaptureofarunawayconvict。Sherackedherbrainswhilehelookedinadrawerinhisdeskforthelittlephial，anditdawneduponherthatinconsequenceoftreacherousrevelationsmadebytheprisonersthepolicewerehopingtolaytheirhandsonaconsiderablesumofmoney。ButonhintinghersuspicionstotheoldfoxofthePetiteRueSaint-Anne，thatofficerbegantosmile，andtriedtoputheroffthescent。

“Adelusion。”hesaid。“Collin’ssorbonneisthemostdangerousthathasyetbeenfoundamongthedangerousclasses。Thatisall，andtherascalsarequiteawareofit。Theyrallyroundhim；heisthebackboneofthefederation，itsBonaparte，inshort；heisverypopularwiththemall。TheroguewillneverleavehischumpinthePlacedeGreve。”

AsMlle。Michonneauseemedmystified，Gondureauexplainedthetwoslangwordsforherbenefit。Sorbonneandchumparetwoforcibleexpressionsborrowedfromthieves’Latin，thieves，ofallpeople，beingcompelledtoconsiderthehumanheadinitstwoaspects。A

sorbonneistheheadofalivingman，hisfacultyofthinking——

hiscouncil；achumpisacontemptuousepithetthatimplieshowlittleahumanheadisworthaftertheaxehasdoneitswork。

“Collinisplayingusoff。”hecontinued。“WhenwecomeacrossamanlikeabarofsteeltemperedintheEnglishfashion，thereisalwaysoneresourceleft——wecankillhimifhetakesitintohisheadtomaketheleastresistance。WearereckoningonseveralmethodsofkillingCollinto-morrowmorning。Itsavesatrial，andsocietyisridofhimwithoutalltheexpenseofguardingandfeedinghim。Whatwithgettingupthecase，summoningwitnesses，payingtheirexpenses，andcarryingoutthesentence，itcostsalottogothroughalltheproperformalitiesbeforeyoucangetquitofoneofthesegood-for-nothings，overandabovethethreethousandfrancsthatyouaregoingtohave。Thereisasavingintimeaswell。OnegoodthrustofthebayonetintoTrompe-la-

Mort’spaunchwillpreventscoresofcrimes，andsavefiftyscoundrelsfromfollowinghisexample；theywillbeverycarefultokeepthemselvesoutofthepolicecourts。Thatisdoingtheworkofthepolicethoroughly，andtruephilanthropistswilltellyouthatitisbettertopreventcrimethantopunishit。”

“Andyoudoaservicetoourcountry。”saidPoiret。

“Really，youaretalkinginaverysensiblemannertonight，thatyouare。”saidtheheadofthedepartment。“Yes，ofcourse，weareservingourcountry，andweareveryhardlyusedtoo。Wedosocietyverygreatservicesthatarenotrecognized。Infact，asuperiormanmustriseabovevulgarprejudices，andaChristianmustresignhimselftothemishapsthatdoingrightentails，whenrightisdoneinanout-of-the-waystyle。ParisisParis，yousee！Thatistheexplanationofmylife——Ihavethehonortowishyouagood-evening，mademoiselle。IshallbringmymentotheJardinduRoiinthemorning。SendChristophetotheRueduBuffon，tellhimtoaskforM。Gondureauinthehousewhereyousawmebefore——Yourservant，sir。Ifyoushouldeverhaveanythingstolenfromyou，cometome，andIwilldomybesttogetitbackforyou。”

“Well，now。”PoiretremarkedtoMlle。Michonneau，“thereareidiotswhoarescaredoutoftheirwitsbythewordpolice。Thatwasaverypleasant-spokengentleman，andwhathewantsyoutodoisaseasyassaying’Good-day。’“

ThenextdaywasdestinedtobeoneofthemostextraordinaryintheannalsoftheMaisonVauquer。Hithertothemoststartlingoccurrenceinitstranquilexistencehadbeentheportentous，meteor-likeapparitionoftheshamComtessedel’Ambermesnil。Butthecatastrophesofthisgreatdayweretocastallpreviouseventsintotheshade，andsupplyaninexhaustibletopicofconversationforMme。Vauquerandherboarderssolongasshelived。

Inthefirstplace，GoriotandEugenedeRastignacbothslepttillcloseuponeleveno’clock。Mme。Vauquer，whocamehomeaboutmidnightfromtheGaite，laya-bedtillhalf-pastten。

Christophe，afteraprolongedslumber(hehadfinishedVautrin’sfirstbottleofwine)，wasbehindhandwithhiswork，butPoiretandMlle。Michonneauutterednocomplaint，thoughbreakfastwasdelayed。AsforVictorineandMme。Couture，theyalsolaylate。