"And,Nais,do not make these sacrifices for a young man whom you have as yet compared with no one else;he,on his side,has been put to no proof;he may forsake you for some Parisienne,better able,as he may fancy,to further his ambitions.I mean no harm to the man you love,but you will permit me to put your own interests before his,and to beg you to study him,to be fully aware of the serious nature of this step that you are taking.And,then,if you find all doors closed against you,and that none of the women call upon you,make sure at least that you will feel no regret for all that you have renounced for him.Be very certain first that he for whom you will have given up so much will always be worthy of your sacrifices and appreciate them.
"Just now,"continued Chatelet,"Mme.d'Espard is the more prudish and particular because she herself is separated from her husband,nobody knows why.The Navarreins,the Lenoncourts,the Blamont-Chauvrys,and the rest of the relations have all rallied round her;the most strait-laced women are seen at her house,and receive her with respect,and the Marquis d'Espard has been put in the wrong.The first call that you pay will make it clear to you that I am right;indeed,knowing Paris as I do,I can tell you beforehand that you will no sooner enter the Marquise's salon than you will be in despair lest she should find out that you are staying at the Gaillard-Bois with an apothecary's son,though he may wish to be called M.de Rubempre.
"You will have rivals here,women far more astute and shrewd than Amelie;they will not fail to discover who you are,where you are,where you come from,and all that you are doing.You have counted upon your incognito,I see,but you are one of those women for whom an incognito is out of the question.You will meet Angouleme at every turn.There are the deputies from the Charente coming up for the opening of the session;there is the Commandant in Paris on leave.
Why,the first man or woman from Angouleme who happens to see you would cut your career short in a strange fashion.You would simply be Lucien's mistress.
"If you need me at any time,I am staying with the Receiver-General in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore,two steps away from Mme.d'Espard's.
I am sufficiently acquainted with the Marechale de Carigliano,Mme.de Serizy,and the President of the Council to introduce you to those houses;but you will meet so many people at Mme.d'Espard's,that you are not likely to require me.So far from wishing to gain admittance to this set or that,every one will be longing to make your acquaintance."Chatelet talked on;Mme.de Bargeton made no interruption.She was struck with his perspicacity.The queen of Angouleme had,in fact,counted upon preserving her incognito.
"You are right,my dear friend,"she said at length;"but what am I to do?""Allow me to find suitable furnished lodgings for you,"suggested Chatelet;"that way of living is less expensive than an inn.You will have a home of your own;and,if you will take my advice,you will sleep in your new rooms this very night.""But how did you know my address?"queried she.
"Your traveling carriage is easily recognized;and,besides,I was following you.At Sevres your postilion told mine that he had brought you here.Will you permit me to act as your harbinger?I will write as soon as I have found lodgings.""Very well,do so,"said she.And in those seemingly insignificant words,all was said.The Baron du Chatelet had spoken the language of worldly wisdom to a woman of the world.He had made his appearance before her in faultless dress,a neat cab was waiting for him at the door;and Mme.de Bargeton,standing by the window thinking over the position,chanced to see the elderly dandy drive away.
A few moments later Lucien appeared,half awake and hastily dressed.
He was handsome,it is true;but his clothes,his last year's nankeen trousers,and his shabby tight jacket were ridiculous.Put Antinous or the Apollo Belvedere himself into a water-carrier's blouse,and how shall you recognize the godlike creature of the Greek or Roman chisel?
The eyes note and compare before the heart has time to revise the swift involuntary judgment;and the contrast between Lucien and Chatelet was so abrupt that it could not fail to strike Louise.
Towards six o'clock that evening,when dinner was over,Mme.de Bargeton beckoned Lucien to sit beside her on the shabby sofa,covered with a flowered chintz--a yellow pattern on a red ground.
"Lucien mine,"she said,"don't you think that if we have both of us done a foolish thing,suicidal for both our interests,it would only be common sense to set matters right?We ought not to live together in Paris,dear boy,and we must not allow anyone to suspect that we traveled together.Your career depends so much upon my position that Iought to do nothing to spoil it.So,to-night,I am going to remove into lodgings near by.But you will stay on here,we can see each other every day,and nobody can say a word against us."And Louise explained conventions to Lucien,who opened wide eyes.He had still to learn that when a woman thinks better of her folly,she thinks better of her love;but one thing he understood--he saw that he was no longer the Lucien of Angouleme.Louise talked of herself,of HER interests,HER reputation,and of the world;and,to veil her egoism,she tried to make him believe that this was all on his account.He had no claim upon Louise thus suddenly transformed into Mme.de Bargeton,and,more serious still,he had no power over her.
He could not keep back the tears that filled his eyes.
"If I am your glory,"cried the poet,"you are yet more to me--you are my one hope,my whole future rests with you.I thought that if you meant to make my successes yours,you would surely make my adversity yours also,and here we are going to part already.""You are judging my conduct,"said she;"you do not love me."Lucien looked at her with such a dolorous expression,that in spite of herself,she said:
