intoxication　which　sometimes　wrings　avowals　from　the　most　discreet。
  At　sight　of　such　a　fete；　and　the　splendors　of　a　world　in　which　he　had
  never　before　appeared；　Nathan　was　stirred　to　the　soul　by　fresh
  ambition。　Seeing　Rastignac；　whose　younger　brother　had　just　been　made
  bishop　at　twenty…seven　years　of　age；　and　whose　brother…in…law；　Martial
  de　la　Roche…Hugon；　was　a　minister；　and　who　himself　was　under…secretary
  of　State；　and　about　to　marry；　rumor　said；　the　only　daughter　of　the
  Baron　de　Nucingen；a　girl　with　an　illimitable　〃dot〃；　seeing；
  moreover；　in　the　diplomatic　body　an　obscure　writer　whom　he　had
  formerly　known　translating　articles　in　foreign　journals　for　a
  newspaper　turned　dynastic　since　1830；　also　professors　now　made　peers
  of　France；he　felt　with　anguish　that　he　was　left　behind　on　a　bad　road
  by　advocating　the　overthrow　of　this　new　aristocracy　of　lucky　talent；
  of　cleverness　crowned　by　success；　and　of　real　merit。　Even　Blondet；　so
  unfortunate；　so　used　by　others　in　journalism；　but　so　welcomed　here；
  who　could；　if　he　liked；　enter　a　career　of　public　service　through　the
  influence　of　Madame　de　Montcornet；　seemed　to　Nathan's　eyes　a　striking
  example　of　the　power　of　social　relations。　Secretly；　in　his　heart；　he
  resolved　to　play　the　game　of　political　opinions；　like　de　Marsay；
  Rastignac；　Blondet；　Talleyrand；　the　leader　of　this　set　of　men；　to　rely
  on　facts　only；　turn　them　to　his　own　profit；　regard　his　system　as　a
  weapon；　and　not　interfere　with　a　society　so　well　constituted；　so
  shrewd；　so　natural。
  〃My　influence；〃　he　thought；　〃will　depend　on　the　influence　of　some
  woman　belonging　to　this　class　of　society。〃
  With　this　thought　in　his　mind；　conceived　by　the　flame　of　this　frenzied
  desire；　he　fell　upon　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　like　a　hawk　on　its
  prey。　That　charming　young　woman　in　her　head…dress　of　marabouts；　which
  produced　the　delightful　〃flou〃　of　the　paintings　of　Lawrence　and
  harmonized　well　with　her　gentle　nature；　was　penetrated　through　and
  through　by　the　foaming　vigor　of　this　poet　wild　with　ambition。　Lady
  Dudley；　whom　nothing　escaped；　aided　this　tete…a…tete　by　throwing　the
  Comte　de　Vandenesse　with　Madame　de　Manerville。　Strong　in　her　former
  ascendancy　over　him；　Natalie　de　Manerville　amused　herself　by　leading
  Felix　into　the　mazes　of　a　quarrel　of　witty　teasing；　blushing　half…
  confidences；　regrets　coyly　flung　like　flowers　at　his　feet；
  recriminations　in　which　she　excused　herself　for　the　sole　purpose　of
  being　put　in　the　wrong。
  These　former　lovers　were　speaking　to　each　other　for　the　first　time
  since　their　rupture；　and　while　her　husband's　former　love　was　stirring
  the　embers　to　see　if　a　spark　were　yet　alive；　Madame　Felix　de
  Vandenesse　was　undergoing　those　violent　palpitations　which　a　woman
  feels　at　the　certainty　of　doing　wrong；　and　stepping　on　forbidden
  ground；emotions　that　are　not　without　charm；　and　which　awaken　various
  dormant　faculties。　Women　are　fond　of　using　Bluebeard's　bloody　key；
  that　fine　mythological　idea　for　which　we　are　indebted　to　Perrault。
  The　dramatistwho　knew　his　Shakespearedisplayed　his　wretchedness；
  related　his　struggle　with　men　and　things；　made　his　hearer　aware　of　his
  baseless　grandeur；　his　unrecognized　political　genius；　his　life　without
  noble　affections。　Without　saying　a　single　definite　word；　he　contrived
  to　suggest　to　this　charming　woman　that　she　should　play　the　noble　part
  of　Rebecca　in　Ivanhoe；　and　love　and　protect　him。　It　was　all；　of
  course；　in　the　ethereal　regions　of　sentiment。　Forget…me…nots　are　not
  more　blue；　lilies　not　more　white　than　the　images；　thoughts；　and
  radiantly　illumined　brow　of　this　accomplished　artist；　who　was　likely
  to　send　his　conversation　to　a　publisher。　He　played　his　part　of　reptile
  to　this　poor　Eve　so　cleverly；　he　made　the　fatal　bloom　of　the　apple　so
  dazzling　to　her　eyes；　that　Marie　left　the　ball…room　filled　with　that
  species　of　remorse　which　resembles　hope；　flattered　in　all　her
  vanities；　stirred　to　every　corner　of　her　heart；　caught　by　her　own
  virtues；　allured　by　her　native　pity　for　misfortune。
  Perhaps　Madame　de　Manerville　had　taken　Vandenesse　into　the　salon　where
  his　wife　was　talking　with　Nathan；　perhaps　he　had　come　there　himself　to
  fetch　Marie；　and　take　her　home；　perhaps　his　conversation　with　his
  former　flame　had　awakened　slumbering　griefs；　certain　it　is　that　when
  his　wife　took　his　arm　to　leave　the　ball…room；　she　saw　that　his　face
  was　sad　and　his　look　serious。　The　countess　wondered　if　he　was
  displeased　with　her。　No　sooner　were　they　seated　in　the　carriage　than
  she　turned　to　Felix　and　said；　with　a　mischievous　smile；
  〃Did　not　I　see　you　talking　half　the　evening　with　Madame　de
  Manerville？〃
  Felix　was　not　out　of　the　tangled　paths　into　which　his　wife　had　led　him
  by　this　charming　little　quarrel；　when　the　carriage　turned　into　their
  court…yard。　This　was　Marie's　first　artifice　dictated　by　her　new
  emotion；　and　she　even　took　pleasure　in　triumphing　over　a　man　who；
  until　then；　had　seemed　to　her　so　superior。
  CHAPTER　V
  FLORINE
  Between　the　rue　Basse…du…Rempart　and　the　rue　Neuve…des…Mathurins；
  Raoul　had；　on　the　third　floor　of　an　ugly　and　narrow　house；　in　the
  Passage　Sandrie；　a　poor　enough　lodging；　cold　and　bare；　where　he　lived
  ostensibly　for　the　general　public；　for　literary　neophytes；　and　for　his
  creditors；　duns；　and　other　annoying　persons　whom　he　kept　on　the
  threshold　of　private　life。　His　real　home；　his　fine　existence；　his
  presentation　of　himself　before　his　friends；　was　in　the　house　of
  Mademoiselle　Florine；　a　second…class　comedy　actress；　where；　for　ten
  years；　the　said　friends；　journalists；　certain　authors；　and　writers　in
  general　disported　themselves　in　the　society　of　equally　illustrious
  actresses。　For　ten　years　Raoul　had　attached　himself　so　closely　to　this
  woman　that　he　passed　more　than　half　his　life　with　her；　he　took　all　his
  meals　at　her　house　unless　he　had　some　friend　to　invite；　or　an
  invitation　to　dinner　elsewhere。
  To　consummate　corruption；　Florine　added　a　lively　wit；　which
  intercourse　with　artists　had　developed　and　practice　sharpened　day　by
  day。　Wit　is　thought　to　be　a　quality　rare　in　comedians。　It　is　so
  natural　to　suppose　that　persons　who　spend　their　lives　in　showing
  things　on　the　outside　have　nothing　within。　But　if　we　reflect　on　the
  small　number　of　actors　and　actresses　who　live　in　each　century；　and
  also　on　how　many　dramatic　authors　and　fascinating　women　this
  population　has　supplied　relatively　to　its　numbers；　it　is　allowable　to
  refute　that　opinion；　which　rests；　and　apparently　will　rest　forever；　on
  a　criticism　made　against　dramatic　artists；namely；　that　their
  personal　sentiments　are　destroyed　by　the　plastic　presentation　of
  passions；　whereas；　in　fact；　they　put　into　their　art　only　their　gifts
  of　mind；　memory；　and　imagination。　Great　artists　are　beings　who；　to
  quote　Napoleon；　can　cut　off　at　will　the　connection　which　Nature　has
  put　between　the　senses　and　thought。　Moliere　and　Talma；　in　their　old
  age；　were　more　in　love　than　ordinary　men　in　all　their　lives。
  Accustomed　to　listen　to　journalists；　who　guess　at　most　things；　putting
  two　and　two　together；　to　writers；　who　foresee　and　tell　all　that　they
  see；　accustomed　also　to　the　ways　of　certain　political　personages；　who
  watched　one　another　in　her　house；　and　profited　by　all　admissions；
  Florine　presented　in　her　own　person　a　mixture　of　devil　and　angel；
  which　made　her　peculiarly　fitted　to　receive　these　roues。　They
  delighted　in　her　cool　self…possession；　her　anomalies　of　mind　and　heart
  entertained　them　prodigiously。　Her　house；　enriched　by　gallant
  tributes；　displayed　the　exaggerated　magnificence　of　women　who；　caring
  little　about　the　cost　of　things；　care　only　for　the　things　themselves；
  and　give　them　the　value　of　their　own　caprices；women　who　will　break　a
  fan　or　a　smelling…bottle　fit　for　queens　in　a　moment　of　passion；　and
  scream　with　rage　if　a　servant　breaks　a　ten…franc　saucer　from　which
  their　poodle　drinks。
  Florine's　dining…room；　filled　with　her　most　distinguished　offerings；
  will　give　a　fair　idea　of　this　pell…mell　of　regal　and　fantastic　luxury。
  Throughout；　even　on　the　ceilings；　it　was　panelled　in　oak；　picked　out；
  here　and　there；　by　dead…gold　lines。　These　panels　were　framed　in　relief
  with　figures　of　children　playing　with　fantastic　animals；　among　which
  the　light　danced　and　floated；　touching　here　a　sketch　by　Bixiou；　that
  maker　of　caricatures；　there　the　cast　of　an　angel　holding　a　vessel　of
  holy　water　（presented　by　Francois　Souchet）；　farther　on　a　coquettish
  painting　of　Joseph　Bridau；　a　gloomy　picture　of　a　Spanish　alchemist　by
  Hippolyte　Schinner；　an　autograph　of　Lord　Byron　to　Lady　Caroline　Lamb；
  framed　in　carved　ebony；　while；　hanging　opposite　as　a　species　of
  pendant；　was　a　letter　from　Napoleon　to　Josephine。　All　these　things
  were　placed　about　without　the　slightest　symmetry；　but　with　almost
  imperceptible　art。　On　the　chimney…piece；　of　exquisitely　carved　oak；
  there　was　nothing　except　a　strange；　evidently　Florentine；　ivory
  statuette　attributed　to　Michael　Ang