which　must　be　considered。　A　few　days　before　the　end　of　July；　Dinah
  crumbled　up　in　her　wrath　the　letter　from　her　mother　containing
  Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　ultimatum：
  〃Madame　de　la　Baudraye　cannot　need　an　allowance　in　Paris　when　she　can
  live　in　perfect　luxury　at　her　Chateau　of　Anzy：　she　may　return。〃
  Lousteau　picked　up　this　letter　and　read　it。
  〃I　will　avenge　you！〃　said　he　to　Dinah　in　the　ominous　tone　that
  delights　a　woman　when　her　antipathies　are　flattered。
  Five　days　after　this　Bianchon　and　Duriau；　the　famous　ladies'　doctor；
  were　engaged　at　Lousteau's；　for　he；　ever　since　little　La　Baudraye's
  reply；　had　been　making　a　great　display　of　his　joy　and　importance　over
  the　advent　of　the　infant。　Monsieur　de　Clagny　and　Madame　Piedefersent
  for　in　all　haste　were　to　be　the　godparents；　for　the　cautious
  magistrate　feared　lest　Lousteau　should　commit　some　compromising
  blunder。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　gave　birth　to　a　boy　that　might　have
  filled　a　queen　with　envy　who　hoped　for　an　heir…presumptive。
  Bianchon　and　Monsieur　de　Clagny　went　off　to　register　the　child　at　the
  Mayor's　office　as　the　son　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；
  unknown　to　Etienne；　who；　on　his　part；　rushed　off　to　a　printer's　to
  have　this　circular　set　up：
  /〃Madame　la　Baronne　de　la　Baudraye　is　happily　delivered　of　a　son。
  〃Monsieur　Etienne　Lousteau　has　the　pleasure　of　informing　you　of
  the　fact。
  〃The　mother　and　child　are　doing　well。〃/
  Lousteau　had　already　sent　out　sixty　of　these　announcements　when
  Monsieur　de　Clagny；　on　coming　to　make　inquiries；　happened　to　see　the
  list　of　persons　at　Sancerre　to　whom　Lousteau　proposed　to　send　this
  amazing　notice；　written　below　the　names　of　the　persons　in　Paris　to
  whom　it　was　already　gone。　The　lawyer　confiscated　the　list　and　the
  remainder　of　the　circulars；　showed　them　to　Madame　Piedefer；　begging
  her　on　no　account　to　allow　Lousteau　to　carry　on　this　atrocious　jest；
  and　jumped　into　a　cab。　The　devoted　friend　then　ordered　from　the　same
  printer　another　announcement　in　the　following　words：
  /〃Madame　la　Baronne　de　la　Baudraye　is　happily　delivered　of　a　son。
  〃Monsieur　le　Baron　de　la　Baudraye　has　the　honor　of　informing　you
  of　the　fact。
  〃Mother　and　child　are　doing　well。〃/
  After　seeing　the　proofs　destroyed；　the　form　of　type；　everything　that
  could　bear　witness　to　the　existence　of　the　former　document；　Monsieur
  de　Clagny　set　to　work　to　intercept　those　that　had　been　sent；　in　many
  cases　he　changed　them　at　the　porter's　lodge；　he　got　back　thirty　into
  his　own　hands；　and　at　last；　after　three　days　of　hard　work；　only　one　of
  the　original　notes　existed；　that；　namely　sent　to　Nathan。
  Five　times　had　the　lawyer　called　on　the　great　man　without　finding　him。
  By　the　time　Monsieur　de　Clagny　was　admitted；　after　requesting　an
  interview；　the　story　of　the　announcement　was　known　to　all　Paris。　Some
  persons　regarded　it　as　one　of　those　waggish　calumnies；　a　sort　of　stab
  to　which　every　reputation；　even　the　most　ephemeral；　is　exposed；　others
  said　they　had　read　the　paper　and　returned　it　to　some　friend　of　the　La
  Baudraye　family；　a　great　many　declaimed　against　the　immorality　of
  journalists；　in　short；　this　last　remaining　specimen　was　regarded　as　a
  curiosity。　Florine；　with　whom　Nathan　was　living；　had　shown　it　about；
  stamped　in　the　post　as　paid；　and　addressed　in　Etienne's　hand。　So；　as
  soon　as　the　judge　spoke　of　the　announcement；　Nathan　began　to　smile。
  〃Give　up　that　monument　of　recklessness　and　folly？〃　cried　he。　〃That
  autograph　is　one　of　those　weapons　which　an　athlete　in　the　circus
  cannot　afford　to　lay　down。　That　note　proves　that　Lousteau　has　no
  heart；　no　taste；　no　dignity；　that　he　knows　nothing　of　the　world　nor　of
  public　morality；　that　he　insults　himself　when　he　can　find　no　one　else
  to　insult。None　but　the　son　of　a　provincial　citizen　imported　from
  Sancerre　to　become　a　poet；　but　who　is　only　the　/bravo/　of　some
  contemptible　magazine；　could　ever　have　sent　out　such　a　circular
  letter；　as　you　must　allow；　monsieur。　This　is　a　document　indispensable
  to　the　archives　of　the　age。To…day　Lousteau　flatters　me；　to…morrow　he
  may　ask　for　my　head。Excuse　me；　I　forgot　you　were　a　judge。
  〃I　have　gone　through　a　passion　for　a　lady；　a　great　lady；　as　far
  superior　to　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　as　your　fine　feeling；　monsieur；　is
  superior　to　Lousteau's　vulgar　retaliation；　but　I　would　have　died
  rather　than　utter　her　name。　A　few　months　of　her　airs　and　graces　cost
  me　a　hundred　thousand　francs　and　my　prospects　for　life；　but　I　do　not
  think　the　price　too　high！And　I　have　never　murmured！If　a　woman
  betrays　the　secret　of　her　passion；　it　is　the　supreme　offering　of　her
  love；　but　a　man！He　must　be　a　Lousteau！
  〃No；　I　would　not　give　up　that　paper　for　a　thousand　crowns。〃
  〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　lawyer　at　last；　after　an　eloquent　battle　lasting
  half　an　hour；　〃I　have　called　on　fifteen　or　sixteen　men　of　letters
  about　this　affair；　and　can　it　be　that　you　are　the　only　one　immovable
  by　an　appeal　of　honor？　It　is　not　for　Etienne　Lousteau　that　I　plead；
  but　for　a　woman　and　child；　both　equally　ignorant　of　the　damage　done　to
  their　fortune；　their　prospects；　and　their　honor。Who　knows；　monsieur；
  whether　you　might　not　some　day　be　compelled　to　plead　for　some　favor　of
  justice　for　a　friend；　for　some　person　whose　honor　was　dearer　to　you
  than　your　own。It　might　be　remembered　against　you　that　you　had　been
  ruthless。Can　such　a　man　as　you　are　hesitate？〃　added　Monsieur　de
  Clagny。
  〃I　only　wished　you　to　understand　the　extent　of　the　sacrifice；〃　replied
  Nathan；　giving　up　the　letter；　as　he　reflected　on　the　judge's　influence
  and　accepted　this　implied　bargain。
  When　the　journalist's　stupid　jest　had　been　counteracted；　Monsieur　de
  Clagny　went　to　give　him　a　rating　in　the　presence　of　Madame　Piedefer；
  but　he　found　Lousteau　fuming　with　irritation。
  〃What　I　did　monsieur；　I　did　with　a　purpose！〃　replied　Etienne。
  〃Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　has　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year　and　refuses
  to　make　his　wife　an　allowance；　I　wished　to　make　him　feel　that　the
  child　is　in　my　power。〃
  〃Yes；　monsieur；　I　quite　suspected　it；〃　replied　the　lawyer。　〃For　that
  reason　I　readily　agreed　to　be　little　Polydore's　godfather；　and　he　is
  registered　as　the　son　of　the　Baron　and　Baronne　de　la　Baudraye；　if　you
  have　the　feelings　of　a　father；　you　ought　to　rejoice　in　knowing　that
  the　child　is　heir　to　one　of　the　finest　entailed　estates　in　France。〃
  〃And　pray；　sir；　is　the　mother　to　die　of　hunger？〃
  〃Be　quite　easy；〃　said　the　lawyer　bitterly；　having　dragged　from
  Lousteau　the　expression　of　feeling　he　had　so　long　been　expecting。　〃I
  will　undertake　to　transact　the　matter　with　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye。〃
  Monsieur　de　Clagny　left　the　house　with　a　chill　at　his　heart。
  Dinah；　his　idol；　was　loved　for　her　money。　Would　she　not；　when　too
  late；　have　her　eyes　opened？
  〃Poor　woman！〃　said　the　lawyer；　as　he　walked　away。　And　this　justice　we
  will　do　himfor　to　whom　should　justice　be　done　unless　to　a　Judge？he
  loved　Dinah　too　sincerely　to　regard　her　degradation　as　a　means　of
  triumph　one　day；　he　was　all　pity　and　devotion；　he　really　loved　her。
  The　care　and　nursing　of　the　infant；　its　cries；　the　quiet　needed　for
  the　mother　during　the　first　few　days；　and　the　ubiquity　of　Madame
  Piedefer；　were　so　entirely　adverse　to　literary　labors；　that　Lousteau
  moved　up　to　the　three　rooms　taken　on　the　first　floor　for　the　old
  bigot。　The　journalist；　obliged　to　go　to　the　first　performances　without
  Dinah；　and　living　apart　from　her；　found　an　indescribable　charm　in　the
  use　of　his　liberty。　More　than　once　he　submitted　to　be　taken　by　the　arm
  and　dragged　off　to　some　jollification；　more　than　once　he　found　himself
  at　the　house　of　a　friend's　mistress　in　the　heart　of　bohemia。　He　again
  saw　women　brilliantly　young　and　splendidly　dressed；　in　whom　economy
  seemed　treason　to　their　youth　and　power。　Dinah；　in　spite　of　her
  striking　beauty；　after　nursing　her　baby　for　three　months；　could　not
  stand　comparison　with　these　perishable　blossoms；　so　soon　faded；　but　so
  showy　as　long　as　they　live　rooted　in　opulence。
  Home　life　had；　nevertheless；　a　strong　attraction　for　Etienne。　In　three
  months　the　mother　and　daughter；　with　the　help　of　the　cook　from
  Sancerre　and　of　little　Pamela；　had　given　the　apartment　a　quite　changed
  appearance。　The　journalist　found　his　breakfast　and　his　dinner　served
  with　a　sort　of　luxury。　Dinah；　handsome　and　nicely　dressed；　was　careful
  to　anticipate　her　dear　Etienne's　wishes；　and　he　felt　himself　the　king
  of　his　home；　where　everything；　even　the　baby；　was　subject　to　his
  selfishness。　Dinah's　affection　was　to　be　seen　in　every　trifle；
  Lousteau　could　not　possibly　cease　the　entrancing　deceptions　of　his
  unreal　passion。
  Dinah；　meanwhile；　was　aware　of　a　source　of　ruin；　both　to　her　love　and
  to　the　household；　in　the　kind　of　life　into　which　Lousteau　had　allowed
  himself　to　drift。　At　the　end　of　ten　months　she　weaned　her　baby；
  installed　her　mother　in　the　upstairs　rooms；　and　restored　the　family
  intimacy　which　indissolubly　links　a　man　and　woman　when　the　woman　is
  loving　and　clever。　One　of　the　most　striking　circumstances　in　Benjamin
  Constant's　novel；　one　of　the　explanations　of　Ellenore's　desertion；　is
  the　want　of　dailyor；　if　you　will；　of　nightlyintercourse　between
  her　and　Adolphe。　Each　of　the　lovers　has　a　separate　home；　they　have