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Holy Virgin； it comes； or it does not come。 Will the mines of
Potosi； or the shedding of our blood； or the making of our fame
serve to waken an involuntary； an inexplicable sentiment？ Young
men like you； who expect to be loved as the balance of your
account； are nothing else than usurers。 Our legitimate wives owe
us virtue and children； but they don't owe us love。
Love； my dear Paul； is the sense of pleasure given and received；
and the certainty of giving and receiving it； love is a desire
incessantly moving and growing； incessantly satisfied and
insatiable。 The day when Vandenesse stirred the cord of a desire
in your wife's heart which you had left untouched； all your self…
satisfied affection； your gifts； your deeds； your money； ceased to
be even memories； one emotion of love in your wife's heart has
cast out the treasures of your own passion； which are now nothing
better than old iron。 Felix has the virtues and the beauties in
her eyes； and the simple moral is that blinded by your own love
you never made her love you。
Your mother…in…law is on the side of the lover against the
husband；secretly or not； she may have closed her eyes； or she
may have opened them； I know not what she has donebut one thing
is certain； she is for her daughter； and against you。 During the
fifteen years that I have observed society； I have never yet seen
a mother who； under such circumstances； abandons her daughter。
This indulgence seems to be an inheritance transmitted in the
female line。 What man can blame it？ Some copyist of the Civil
code； perhaps； who sees formulas only in the place of feelings。
As for your present position； the dissipation into which the life
of a fashionable woman cast you； and your own easy nature；
possibly your vanity； have opened the way for your wife and her
mother to get rid of you by this ruin so skilfully contrived。 From
all of which you will conclude； my good friend； that the mission
you entrusted to me； and which I would all the more faithfully
fulfil because it amused me； is； necessarily； null and void。 The
evil you wish me to prevent is accomplished；〃consummatum est。〃
Forgive me； dear friend； if I write to you； as you say； a la de
Marsay on subjects which must seem to you very serious。 Far be it
from me to dance upon the grave of a friend； like heirs upon that
of a progenitor。 But you have written to me that you mean to act
the part of a man； and I believe you； I therefore treat you as a
man of the world； and not as a lover。 For you； this blow ought to
be like the brand on the shoulder of a galley…slave； which flings
him forever into a life of systematic opposition to society。 You
are now freed of one evil； marriage possessed you； it now behooves
you to turn round and possess marriage。
Paul； I am your friend in the fullest acceptation of the word。 If
you had a brain in an iron skull； if you had the energy which has
come to you too late； I would have proved my friendship by telling
you things that would have made you walk upon humanity as upon a
carpet。 But when I did talk to you guardedly of Parisian
civilization； when I told you in the disguise of fiction some of
the actual adventures of my youth； you regarded them as mere
romance and would not see their bearing。 When I told you that
history of a lawyer at the galleys branded for forgery； who
committed the crime to give his wife； adored like yours； an income
of thirty thousand francs； and whom his wife denounced that she
might be rid of him and free to love another man； you exclaimed；
and other fools who were supping with us exclaimed against me。
Well； my dear Paul； you were that lawyer； less the galleys。
Your friends here are not sparing you。 The sister of the two
Vandenesses； the Marquise de Listomere and all her set； in which；
by the bye； that little Rastignac has enrolled himself；the scamp
will make his way！Madame d'Aiglemont and her salon； the
Lenoncourts； the Comtesse Ferraud； Madame d'Espard； the Nucingens；
the Spanish ambassador； in short； all the cliques in society are
flinging mud upon you。 You are a bad man； a gambler； a dissipated
fellow who has squandered his property。 After paying your debts a
great many times； your wife； an angel of virtue； has just redeemed
your notes for one hundred thousand francs； although her property
was separate from yours。 Luckily； you had done the best you could
do by disappearing。 If you had stayed here you would have made her
bed in the straw； the poor woman would have been the victim of her
conjugal devotion！
When a man attains to power； my dear Paul； he has all the virtues
of an epitaph； let him fall into poverty； and he has more sins
than the Prodigal Son； society at the present moment gives you the
vices of a Don Juan。 You gambled at the Bourse； you had licentious
tastes which cost you fabulous sums of money to gratify； you paid
enormous interests to money…lenders。 The two Vandenesses have told
everywhere how Gigonnet gave you for six thousand francs an ivory
frigate； and made your valet buy it back for three hundred in
order to sell it to you again。 The incident did really happen to
Maxime de Trailles about nine years ago； but it fits your present
circumstances so well that Maxime has forever lost the command of
his frigate。
In short； I can't tell you one…half that is said； you have
supplied a whole encyclopaedia of gossip which the women have an
interest in swelling。 Your wife is having an immense success。 Last
evening at the opera Madame Firmiani began to repeat to me some of
the things that are being said。 〃Don't talk of that；〃 I replied。
〃You know nothing of the real truth； you people。 Paul has robbed
the Bank； cheated the Treasury； murdered Ezzelin and three Medoras
in the rue Saint…Denis； and I think； between ourselves； that he is
a member of the Dix…Mille。 His associate is the famous Jacques
Collin； on whom the police have been unable to lay a hand since he
escaped from the galleys。 Paul gave him a room in his house； you
see he is capable of anything； in fact； the two have gone off to
India together to rob the Great Mogul。〃 Madame Firmiani； like the
distinguished woman that she is； saw that she ought not to convert
her beautiful lips into a mouthpiece for false denunciation。
Many persons； when they hear of these tragi…comedies of life；
refuse to believe them。 They take the side of human nature and
fine sentiments； they declare that these things do not exist。 But
Talleyrand said a fine thing； my dear fellow： 〃All things happen。〃
Truly； things happen under our very noses which are more amazing
than this domestic plot of yours； but society has an interest in
denying them； and in declaring itself calumniated。 Often these
dramas are played so naturally and with