then　at　the　head　of　the　government；　who　had　no　consideration　whatever
  for　authors；　among　whom　he　did　not　find　what　Richelieu　called　a
  consecutive　mind；　or　more　correctly；　continuity　of　ideas；　he　counted
  as　any　minister　would　have　done　on　the　constant　embarrassment　of
  Raoul's　business　affairs。　Sooner　or　later；　necessity　would　bring　him
  to　accept　conditions　instead　of　imposing　them。
  The　real；　but　carefully　concealed　character　of　Raoul　Nathan　is　of　a
  piece　with　his　public　career。　He　is　a　comedian　in　good　faith；　selfish
  as　if　the　State　were　himself；　and　a　very　clever　orator。　No　one　knows
  better　how　to　play　off　sentiments；　glory　in　false　grandeurs；　deck
  himself　with　moral　beauty；　do　honor　to　his　nature　in　language；　and
  pose　like　Alceste　while　behaving　like　Philinte。　His　egotism　trots
  along　protected　by　this　cardboard　armor；　and　often　almost　reaches　the
  end　he　seeks。　Lazy　to　a　superlative　degree；　he　does　nothing；　however；
  until　he　is　prodded　by　the　bayonets　of　need。　He　is　incapable　of
  continued　labor　applied　to　the　creation　of　a　work；　but；　in　a　paroxysm
  of　rage　caused　by　wounded　vanity；　or　in　a　crisis　brought　on　by
  creditors；　he　leaps　the　Eurotas　and　attains　to　some　great　triumph　of
  his　intellect。　After　which；　weary；　and　surprised　at　having　created
  anything；　he　drops　back　into　the　marasmus　of　Parisian　dissipation；
  wants　become　formidable；　he　has　no　strength　to　face　them；　and　then　he
  comes　down　from　his　pedestal　and　compromises。
  Influenced　by　a　false　idea　of　his　grandeur　and　of　his　future；the
  measure　of　which　he　reckons　on　the　noble　success　of　one　of　his　former
  comrades；　one　of　the　few　great　talents　brought　to　light　by　the
  revolution　of　July；he　allows　himself；　in　order　to　get　out　of　his
  embarrassments；　certain　laxities　of　principle　with　persons　who　are
  friendly　to　him；laxities　which　never　come　to　the　surface；　but　are
  buried　in　private　life；　where　no　one　ever　mentions　or　complains　of
  them。　The　shallowness　of　his　heart；　the　impurity　of　his　hand；　which
  clasps　that　of　all　vices；　all　evils；　all　treacheries；　all　opinions；
  have　made　him　as　inviolable　as　a　constitutional　king。　Venial　sins；
  which　excite　a　hue　and　cry　against　a　man　of　high　character；　are
  thought　nothing　of　in　him；　the　world　hastens　to　excuse　them。　Men　who
  might　otherwise　be　inclined　to　despise　him　shake　hands　with　him；
  fearing　that　the　day　may　come　when　they　will　need　him。　He　has；　in
  fact；　so　many　friends　that　he　wishes　for　enemies。
  Judged　from　a　literary　point　of　view；　Nathan　lacks　style　and
  cultivation。　Like　most　young　men；　ambitious　of　literary　fame；　he
  disgorges　to…day　what　he　acquired　yesterday。　He　has　neither　the　time
  nor　the　patience　to　write　carefully；　he　does　not　observe；　but　he
  listens。　Incapable　of　constructing　a　vigorously　framed　plot；　he
  sometimes　makes　up　for　it　by　the　impetuous　ardor　of　his　drawing。　He
  〃does　passion；〃　to　use　a　term　of　the　literary　argot；　but　instead　of
  awaking　ideas；　his　heroes　are　simply　enlarged　individualities；　who
  excite　only　fugitive　sympathies；　they　are　not　connected　with　any　of
  the　great　interests　of　life；　and　consequently　they　represent　nothing。
  Nevertheless；　Nathan　maintains　his　ground　by　the　quickness　of　his
  mind；　by　those　lucky　hits　which　billiard…players　call　a　〃good　stroke。〃
  He　is　the　cleverest　shot　at　ideas　on　the　fly　in　all　Paris。　His
  fecundity　is　not　his　own；　but　that　of　his　epoch；　he　lives　on　chance
  events；　and　to　control　them　he　distorts　their　meaning。　In　short；　he　is
  not　TRUE；　his　presentation　is　false；　in　him；　as　Comte　Felix　said；　is
  the　born　juggler。　Moreover；　his　pen　gets　its　ink　in　the　boudoir　of　an
  actress。
  Raoul　Nathan　is　a　fair　type　of　the　Parisian　literary　youth　of　the　day；
  with　its　false　grandeurs　and　its　real　misery。　He　represents　that　youth
  by　his　incomplete　beauties　and　his　headlong　falls；　by　the　turbulent
  torrent　of　his　existence；　with　its　sudden　reverses　and　its　unhoped…for
  triumphs。　He　is　truly　the　child　of　a　century　consumed　with　envy；a
  century　with　a　thousand　rivalries　lurking　under　many　a　system；　which
  nourish　to　their　own　profit　that　hydra　of　anarchy　which　wants　wealth
  without　toil；　fame　without　talent；　success　without　effort；　but　whose
  vices　force　it；　after　much　rebellion　and　many　skirmishes；　to　accept
  the　budget　under　the　powers　that　be。　When　so　many　young　ambitions；
  starting　on　foot；　give　one　another　rendezvous　at　the　same　point；　there
  is　always　contention　of　wills；　extreme　wretchedness；　bitter　struggles。
  In　this　dreadful　battle；　selfishness；　the　most　overbearing　or　the　most
  adroit　selfishness；　gains　the　victory；　and　it　is　envied　and　applauded
  in　spite；　as　Moliere　said；　of　outcries；　and　we　all　know　it。
  When；　in　his　capacity　as　enemy　to　the　new　dynasty；　Raoul　was
  introduced　in　the　salon　of　Madame　de　Montcornet；　his　apparent
  grandeurs　were　flourishing。　He　was　accepted　as　the　political　critic　of
  the　de　Marsays；　the　Rastignacs；　and　the　Roche…Hugons；　who　had　stepped
  into　power。　Emile　Blondet；　the　victim　of　incurable　hesitation　and　of
  his　innate　repugnance　to　any　action　that　concerned　only　himself；
  continued　his　trade　of　scoffer；　took　sides　with　no　one；　and　kept　well
  with　all。　He　was　friendly　with　Raoul；　friendly　with　Rastignac；
  friendly　with　Montcornet。
  〃You　are　a　political　triangle；〃　said　de　Marsay；　laughing；　when　they
  met　at　the　Opera。　〃That　geometric　form；　my　dear　fellow；　belongs　only
  to　the　Deity；　who　has　nothing　to　do；　ambitious　men　ought　to　follow
  curved　lines；　the　shortest　road　in　politics。〃
  Seen　from　a　distance；　Raoul　Nathan　was　a　very　fine　meteor。　Fashion
  accepted　his　ways　and　his　appearance。　His　borrowed　republicanism　gave
  him；　for　the　time　being；　that　Jansenist　harshness　assumed　by　the
  defenders　of　the　popular　cause；　while　they　inwardly　scoff　at　it；a
  quality　not　without　charm　in　the　eyes　of　women。　Women　like　to　perform
  prodigies；　break　rocks；　and　soften　natures　which　seem　of　iron。
  Raoul's　moral　costume　was　therefore　in　keeping　with　his　clothes。　He
  was　fitted　to　be　what　he　became　to　the　Eve　who　was　bored　in　her
  paradise　in　the　rue　du　Rocher；the　fascinating　serpent；　the　fine
  talker　with　magnetic　eyes　and　harmonious　motions　who　tempted　the　first
  woman。　No　sooner　had　the　Comtesse　Marie　laid　eyes　on　Raoul　than　she
  felt　an　inward　emotion；　the　violence　of　which　caused　her　a　species　of
  terror。　The　glance　of　that　fraudulent　great　man　exercised　a　physical
  influence　upon　her；　which　quivered　in　her　very　heart；　and　troubled　it。
  But　the　trouble　was　pleasure。　The　purple　mantle　which　celebrity　had
  draped　for　a　moment　round　Nathan's　shoulders　dazzled　the　ingenuous
  young　woman。　When　tea　was　served；　she　rose　from　her　seat　among　a　knot
  of　talking　women；　where　she　had　been　striving　to　see　and　hear　that
  extraordinary　being。　Her　silence　and　absorption　were　noticed　by　her
  false　friends。
  The　countess　approached　the　divan　in　the　centre　of　the　room；　where
  Raoul　was　perorating。　She　stood　there　with　her　arm　in　that　of　Madame
  Octave　de　Camp；　an　excellent　woman；　who　kept　the　secret　of　the
  involuntary　trembling　by　which　these　violent　emotions　betrayed
  themselves。　Though　the　eyes　of　a　captivated　woman　are　apt　to　shed
  wonderful　sweetness；　Raoul　was　too　occupied　at　that　moment　in　letting
  off　fireworks；　too　absorbed　in　his　epigrams　going　up　like　rockets　（in
  the　midst　of　which　were　flaming　portraits　drawn　in　lines　of　fire）　to
  notice　the　naive　admiration　of　one　little　Eve　concealed　in　a　group　of
  women。　Marie's　curiositylike　that　which　would　undoubtedly
  precipitate　all　Paris　into　the　Jardin　des　Plantes　to　see　a　unicorn；　if
  such　an　animal　could　be　found　in　those　mountains　of　the　moon；　still
  virgin　of　the　tread　of　Europeansintoxicates　a　secondary　mind　as　much
  as　it　saddens　great　ones；　but　Raoul　was　enchanted　by　it；　although　he
  was　then　too　anxious　to　secure　all　women　to　care　very　much　for　one
  alone。
  〃Take　care；　my　dear；〃　said　Marie's　kind　and　gracious　companion　in　her
  ear；　〃and　go　home。〃
  The　countess　looked　at　her　husband　to　ask　for　his　arm　with　one　of
  those　glances　which　husbands　do　not　always　understand。　Felix　did　so；
  and　took　her　home。
  〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard　in　Raoul's　ear；　〃you　are　a
  lucky　fellow。　You　have　made　more　than　one　conquest　to…night；　and　among
  them　that　of　the　charming　woman　who　has　just　left　us　so　abruptly。〃
  〃Do　you　know　what　the　Marquise　d'Espard　meant　by　that？〃　said　Raoul　to
  Rastignac；　when　they　happened　to　be　comparatively　alone　between　one
  and　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。
  〃I　am　told　that　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　has　taken　a　violent　fancy
  to　you。　You　are　not　to　be　pitied！〃　said　Rastignac。
  〃I　did　not　see　her；〃　said　Raoul。
  〃Oh！　but　you　will　see　her；　you　scamp！〃　cried　Emile　Blondet；　who　was
  standing　by。　〃Lady　Dudley　is　going　to　ask　you　to　her　grand　ball；　that
  you　may　meet　the　pretty　countess。〃
  Raoul　and　Blondet　went　off　with　Rastignac；　who　offered　them　his
  carriage。　All　three　laughed　at　the　combination　of　an　eclectic　under…
  secretary　of　State；　a