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le； putting down various expressions then in fashion upon bits of scented paper： 'Angel！ Aeolian harp！ with thee I shall be complete！ There is a heart in my man's breast！ Weak woman； poor me！' all the latest heart…frippery。 It was Godefroid's wont to stay in a drawing… room for a bare ten minutes； he talked without any pretension to the women in it； and at these times they thought him very clever。 In short； judge of his absorption； Joby； his horses and carriages； became secondary interests in his life。 He was never happy except in the depths of a snug settee opposite the Baroness； by the dark…green porphyry chimney…piece； watching Isaure； taking tea； and chatting with the little circle of friends that dropped in every evening between eleven and twelve in the Rue Joubert。 You could play bouillotte there safely。 （I always won。） Isaure sat with one little foot thrust out in its black satin shoe； Godefroid would gaze and gaze； and stay till every one else was gone； and say； 'Give me your shoe！' and Isaure would put her little foot on a chair and take it off and give it to him； with a glance； one of those glances thatin short； you understand。
〃At length Godefroid discovered a great mystery in Malvina。 Whenever du Tillet knocked at the door； the live red that colored Malvina's face said 'Ferdinand！' When the poor girl's eyes fell on that two… footed tiger； they lighted up like a brazier fanned by a current of air。 When Ferdinand drew her away to the window or a side table； she betrayed her secret infinite joy。 It is a rare and wonderful thing to see a woman so much in love that she loses her cunning to be strange； and you can read her heart； as rare （dear me！） in Paris as the Singing Flower in the Indies。 But in spite of a friendship dating from the d'Aldriggers' first appearance at the Nucingens'； Ferdinand did not marry Malvina。 Our ferocious friend was not apparently jealous of Desroches； who paid assiduous court to the young lady； Desroches wanted to pay off the rest of the purchase…money due for his connection； Malvina could not well have less than fifty thousand crowns； he thought； and so the lawyer was fain to play the lover。 Malvina； deeply humiliated as she was by du Tillet's carelessness； loved him too well to shut the door upon him。 With her； an enthusiastic； highly…wrought； sensitive girl； love sometimes got the better of pride； and pride again overcame wounded love。 Our friend Ferdinand； cool and self…possessed； accepted her tenderness； and breathed the atmosphere with the quiet enjoyment of a tiger licking the blood that dyes his throat。 He would come to make sure of it with new proofs； he never allowed two days to pass without a visit to the Rue Joubert。
〃At that time the rascal possessed something like eighteen hundred thousand francs； money must have weighted very little with him in the question of marriage； and he had not merely been proof against Malvina； he had resisted the Barons de Nucingen and de Rastignac； though both of them had set him galloping at the rate of seventy…five leagues a day； with outriders； regardless of expense； through mazes of their cunning devicesand with never a clue of thread。
〃Godefroid could not refrain from saying a word to his future sister… in…law as to her ridiculous position between a banker and an attorney。
〃 'You mean to read me a lecture on the subject of Ferdinand；' she said frankly； 'to know the secret between us。 Dear Godefroid； never mention this again。 Ferdinand's birth； antecedents； and fortune count for nothing in this； so you may think it is something extraordinary。' A few days afterwards； however； Malvina took Godefroid apart to say； 'I do not think that Desroches is sincere' （such is the instinct of love）； 'he would like to marry me； and he is paying court to some tradesman's daughter as well。 I should very much like to know whether I am a second shift； and whether marriage is a matter of money with him。' The fact was that Desroches； deep as he was； could not make out du Tillet； and was afraid that he might marry Malvina。 So the fellow had secured his retreat。 His position was intolerable； he was scarcely paying his expenses and interest on the debt。 Women understand nothing of these things； for them； love is always a millionaire。〃
〃But since neither du Tillet nor Desroches married her； just explain Ferdinand's motive；〃 said Finot。
〃Motive？〃 repeated Bixiou； 〃why； this。 General Rule： A girl that has once given away her slipper； even if she refused it for ten years； is never married by the man who〃
〃Bosh！〃 interrupted Blondet； 〃one reason for loving is the fact that one has loved。 His motive？ Here it is。 General Rule： Do not marry as a sergeant when some day you may be Duke of Dantzig and Marshal of France。 Now； see what a match du Tillet has made since then。 He married one of the Comte de Granville's daughters； into one of the oldest families in the French magistracy。〃
〃Desroches' mother had a friend； a druggist's wife；〃 continued Bixiou。 〃Said druggist had retired with a fat fortune。 These druggist folk have absurdly crude notions； by way of giving his daughter a good education； he had sent her to a boarding…school！ Well； Matifat meant the girl to marry well； on the strength of two hundred thousand francs； good hard coin with no scent of drugs about it。〃
〃Florine's Matifat？〃 asked Blondet。
〃Well； yes。 Lousteau's Matifat； ours； in fact。 The Matifats； even then lost to us； had gone to live in the Rue du Cherche…Midi； as far as may be from the Rue des Lombards； where their money was made。 For my own part； I had cultivated those Matifats。 While I served my time in the galleys of the law； when I was cooped up for eight hours out of the twenty…four with nincompoops of the first water； I saw queer characters enough to convince myself that all is not dead…level even in obscure places； and that in the flattest inanity you may chance upon an angle。 Yes； dear boy； such and such a philistine is to such another as Raphael is to Natoire。
〃Mme。 Desroches； the widowed mother； had long ago planned this marriage for her son； in spite of a tremendous obstacle which took the shape of one Cochin； Matifat's partner's son； a young clerk in the adult department。 M。 and Mme。 Matifat were of the opinion that an attorney's position 'gave some guarantee for a wife's happiness；' to use their own expression； and as for Desroches； he was prepared to fall in with his mother's views in case he could do no better for himself。 Wherefore； he kept up his acquaintance with the druggists in the Rue du Cherche…Midi。
〃To put another kind of happiness before you； you should have a description of these shopkeepers； male and female。 They rejoiced in the possession of a handsome ground floor and a strip of garden； for amusement； they watched a little squirt of water； no bigger than a cornstalk； perpetually rising and falling upon a small round freestone slab in the middle of a basin some six feet across； they would rise early of a morning to see if the plants in the garden had grown in the night； they had nothing to do； they were restless； they dressed for the sake of dressing； bored themselves at the theatre； and were for ever going to and fro between Paris and Luzarches； where t