Vandenesse, the Vicomtesse de Grandlieu, Canalis, and Mme. de Serizy.

"D'Esgrignon and Maufrigneuse are two names that are sure to cling
together," said Mme. de Serizy, who aspired to epigram.

"For some days past she has been out at grass on Platonism," said des
Lupeaulx.

"She will ruin that poor innocent," added Charles de Vandenesse.
"What do you mean?" asked Mlle. des Touches.

"Oh, morally and financially" target="_blank" title="ad.在金融方面">financially, beyond all doubt," said the Vicomtesse,
rising.

The cruel words were cruelly true for young d'Esgrignon.
Next morning he wrote to his aunt describing his introduction into the

high world of the Faubourg Saint-Germain in bright colors flung by the
prism of love, explaining the reception which met him everywhere in a

way which gratified his father's family pride. The Marquis would have
the whole long letter read to him twice; he rubbed his hands when he

heard of the Vidame de Pamiers' dinner--the Vidame was an old
acquaintance--and of the subsequentintroduction to the Duchess; but

at Blondet's name he lost himself in conjectures. What could the
younger son of a judge, a public prosecutor during the Revolution,

have been doing there?
There was joy that evening among the Collection of Antiquities. They

talked over the young Count's success. So discreet were they with
regard to Mme. de Maufrigneuse, that the one man who heard the secret

was the Chevalier. There was no financialpostscript at the end of the
letter, no unpleasantreference to the sinews of war, which every

young man makes in such a case. Mlle. Armande showed it to Chesnel.
Chesnel was pleased and raised not a single objection. It was clear,

as the Marquis and the Chevalier agreed, that a young man in favor
with the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse would shortly be a hero at court,

where in the old days women were all-powerful. The Count had not made
a bad choice. The dowagers told over all the gallant adventures of the

Maufrigneuses from Louis XIII. to Louis XVI.--they spared to inquire
into preceding reigns--and when all was done they were enchanted.--

Mme. de Maufrigneuse was much praised for interesting herself in
Victurnien. Any writer of plays in search of a piece of pure comedy

would have found it well worth his while to listen to the Antiquities
in conclave.

Victurnien received charming letters from his father and aunt, and
also from the Chevalier. That gentleman recalled himself to the

Vidame's memory. He had been at Spa with M. de Pamiers in 1778, after
a certain journey made by a celebrated Hungarian princess. And Chesnel

also wrote. The fond flattery to which the unhappy boy was only too
well accustomed shone out of every page; and Mlle. Armande seemed to

share half of Mme. de Maufrigneuse's happiness.
Thus happy in the approval of his family, the young Count made a

spirited beginning in the perilous and costly ways of dandyism. He had
five horses--he was moderate--de Marsay had fourteen! He returned the

Vidame's hospitality, even including Blondet in the invitation, as
well as de Marsay and Rastignac. The dinner cost five hundred francs,

and the noble provincial was feted on the same scale. Victurnien
played a good deal, and, for his misfortune, at the fashionable game

of whist.
He laid out his days in busy idleness. Every day between twelve and

three o'clock he was with the Duchess; afterwards he went to meet her
in the Bois de Boulogne and ride beside her carriage. Sometimes the

charming couple rode together, but this was early in fine summer
mornings. Society, balls, the theatre, and gaiety filled the Count's

evening hours. Everywhere Victurnien made a brilliant figure,
everywhere he flung the pearls of his wit broadcast. He gave his

opinion on men, affairs, and events in profound sayings; he would have
put you in mind of a fruit-tree putting forth all its strength in

blossom. He was leading an enervating life wasteful of money, and even
yet more wasteful, it may be of a man's soul; in that life the fairest

talents are buried out of sight, the most incorruptible honesty
perishes, the best-tempered springs of will are slackened.

The Duchess, so white and fragile and angel-like, felt attracted to
the dissipations of bachelor life; she enjoyed first nights, she liked

anything amusing, anything improvised. Bohemian restaurants lay
outside her experience; so d'Esgrignon got up a charming little party

at the Rocher de Cancale for her benefit, asked all the amiable scamps
whom she cultivated and sermonized, and there was a vast amount of

merriment, wit, and gaiety, and a corresponding bill to pay. That
supper led to others. And through it all Victurnien worshiped her as

an angel. Mme. de Maufrigneuse for him was still an angel, untouched
by any taint of earth; an angel at the Varietes, where she sat out the

half-obscene, vulgar farces, which made her laugh; an angel through
the cross-fire of highly-flavored jests and scandalous anecdotes,

which enlivened a stolenfrolic; a languishing angel in the latticed
box at the Vaudeville; an angel while she criticised the postures of

opera dancers with the experience of an elderly habitue of le coin de
la reine; an angel at the Porte Saint-Martin, at the little boulevard

theatres, at the masked balls, which she enjoyed like any schoolboy.
She was an angel who asked him for the love that lives by self-

abnegation and heroism and self-sacrifice; an angel who would have her
lover live like an English lord, with an income of a million francs.

D'Esgrignon once exchanged a horse because the animal's coat did not
satisfy her notions. At play she was an angel, and certainly no

bourgeoise that ever lived could have bidden d'Esgrignon "Stake for
me!" in such an angelic way. She was so divinely reckless in her

folly, that a man might well have sold his soul to the devil lest this
angel should lose her taste for earthly pleasures.

The first winter went by. The Count had drawn on M. Cardot for the
trifling sum of thirty thousand francs over and above Chesnel's

remittance. As Cardot very carefully refrained from using his right of
remonstrance, Victurnien now learned for the first time that he had

overdrawn his account. He was the more offended by an extremely polite
refusal to make any further advance, since it so happened that he had

just lost six thousand francs at play at the club, and he could not
very well show himself there until they were paid.

After growing indignant with Maitre Cardot, who had trusted him with
thirty thousand francs (Cardot had written to Chesnel, but to the fair

Duchess' favorite he made the most of his so-called confidence in
him), after all this, d'Esgrignon was obliged to ask the lawyer to

tell him how to set about raising the money, since debts of honor were
in question.

"Draw bills on your father's banker, and take them to his
correspondent; he, no doubt, will discount them for you. Then write to

your family, and tell them to remit the amount to the banker."
An inner voice seemed to suggest du Croisier's name in this

predicament. He had seen du Croisier on his knees to the aristocracy,
and of the man's real disposition he was entirely ignorant. So to du

Croisier he wrote a very offhand letter, informing him that he had
drawn a bill of exchange on him for ten thousand francs, adding that

the amount would be repaid on receipt of the letter either by M.
Chesnel or by Mlle. Armande d'Esgrignon. Then he indited two touching

epistles--one to Chesnel, another to his aunt. In the matter of going
headlong to ruin, a young man often shows singularingenuity and

ability, and fortune favors him. In the morning Victurnien happened on
the name of the Paris bankers in correspondence with du Croisier, and

de Marsay furnished him with the Kellers' address. De Marsay knew
everything in Paris. The Kellers took the bill and gave him the sum

without a word, after deducting the discount. The balance of the
account was in du Croisier's favor.

But the gaming debt was as nothing in comparison with the state of
things at home. Invoices showered in upon Victurnien.

"I say! Do you trouble yourself about that sort of thing?" Rastignac
said, laughing. "Are you putting them in order, my dear boy? I did not

think you were so business-like."
"My dear fellow, it is quite time I thought about it; there are twenty

odd thousand francs there."
De Marsay, coming in to look up d'Esgrignon for a steeplechase,

produced a dainty little pocket-book, took out twenty thousand francs,
and handed them to him.