little too far。 If this appointment gives rise to discussion； we shall
not be held blameless。 I can laugh at such things； but you will find
it a thorn under your feet。 And the next session will see your
dismissal。 Your place is held out as a bait to five or six influential
men； and you have been enabled to keep it solely by the force of my
arguments。 I tell you； on the day when you retire； there will be five
malcontents to one happy man； whereas； by keeping you hanging on by a
thread for two or three years； we shall secure all six votes。 There
was a great laugh at the Council meeting； the Veteran of the Old
Guard； as they say； was becoming desperately wide awake in
parliamentary tactics！ I am frank with you。And you are growing gray；
you are a happy man to be able to get into such difficulties as these！
How long is it since ILieutenant Cottinhad a mistress？〃
He rang the bell。
〃That police report must be destroyed；〃 he added。
〃Monseigneur； you are as a father to me！ I dared not mention my
anxiety on that point。〃
〃I still wish I had Roger here；〃 cried the Prince； as Mitouflet； his
groom of the chambers； came in。 〃I was just going to send for him！
You may go； Mitouflet。Go you； my dear old fellow； go and have the
nomination made out； I will sign it。 At the same time； that low
schemer will not long enjoy the fruit of his crimes。 He will be
sharply watched； and drummed out of the regiment for the smallest
fault。You are saved this time； my dear Hector； take care for the
future。 Do not exhaust your friends' patience。 You shall have the
nomination this morning； and your man shall get his promotion in the
Legion of Honor。How old are you now？〃
〃Within three months of seventy。〃
〃What a scapegrace！〃 said the Prince； laughing。 〃It is you who deserve
a promotion； but； by thunder！ we are not under Louis XV。！〃
Such is the sense of comradeship that binds the glorious survivors of
the Napoleonic phalanx； that they always feel as if they were in camp
together； and bound to stand together through thick and thin。
〃One more favor such as this；〃 Hulot reflected as he crossed the
courtyard； 〃and I am done for！〃
The luckless official went to Baron de Nucingen； to whom he now owed a
mere trifle； and succeeded in borrowing forty thousand francs； on his
salary pledged for two years more； the banker stipulated that in the
event of Hulot's retirement on his pension； the whole of it should be
devoted to the repayment of the sum borrowed till the capital and
interest were all cleared off。
This new bargain； like the first； was made in the name of Vauvinet； to
whom the Baron signed notes of hand to the amount of twelve thousand
francs。
On the following day； the fateful police report； the husband's charge；
the lettersall the paperswere destroyed。 The scandalous promotion
of Monsieur Marneffe； hardly heeded in the midst of the July fetes；
was not commented on in any newspaper。
Lisbeth； to all appearance at war with Madame Marneffe； had taken up
her abode with Marshal Hulot。 Ten days after these events； the banns
of marriage were published between the old maid and the distinguished
old officer； to whom； to win his consent； Adeline had related the
financial disaster that had befallen her Hector； begging him never to
mention it to the Baron； who was； as she said； much saddened； quite
depressed and crushed。
〃Alas！ he is as old as his years；〃 she added。
So Lisbeth had triumphed。 She was achieving the object of her
ambition； she would see the success of her scheme； and her hatred
gratified。 She delighted in the anticipated joy of reigning supreme
over the family who had so long looked down upon her。 Yes； she would
patronize her patrons； she would be the rescuing angel who would dole
out a livelihood to the ruined family； she addressed herself as
〃Madame la Comtesse〃 and 〃Madame la Marechale；〃 courtesying in front
of a glass。 Adeline and Hortense should end their days in struggling
with poverty； while she； a visitor at the Tuileries； would lord it in
the fashionable world。
A terrible disaster overthrew the old maid from the social heights
where she so proudly enthroned herself。
On the very day when the banns were first published； the Baron
received a second message from Africa。 Another Alsatian arrived；
handed him a letter； after assuring himself that he spoke to Baron
Hulot； and after giving the Baron the address of his lodgings； bowed
himself out； leaving the great man stricken by the opening lines of
this letter：
〃DEAR NEPHEW；You will receive this letter； by my calculations；
on the 7th of August。 Supposing it takes you three days to send us
the help we need； and that it is a fortnight on the way here； that
brings us to the 1st of September。
〃If you can act decisively within that time； you will have saved
the honor and the life of yours sincerely； Johann Fischer。
〃This is what I am required to demand by the clerk you have made
my accomplice； for I am amenable； it would seem； to the law； at
the Assizes； or before a council of war。 Of course； you understand
that Johann Fischer will never be brought to the bar of any
tribunal； he will go of his own act to appear at that of God。
〃Your clerk seems to me a bad lot； quite capable of getting you
into hot water； but he is as clever as any rogue。 He says the line
for you to take is to call out louder than any one； and to send
out an inspector； a special commissioner； to discover who is
really guilty； rake up abuses； and make a fuss； in short； but if
we stir up the struggle； who will stand between us and the law？
〃If your commissioner arrives here by the 1st of September； and
you have given him your orders； sending by him two hundred
thousand francs to place in our storehouses the supplies we
profess to have secured in remote country places； we shall be
absolutely solvent and regarded as blameless。 You can trust the
soldier who is the bearer of this letter with a draft in my name
on a house in Algiers。 He is a trustworthy fellow； a relation of
mine； incapable of trying to find out what he is the bearer of。 I
have taken measures to guarantee the fellow's safe return。 If you
can do nothing； I am ready and willing to die for the man to whom
we owe our Adeline's happiness！〃
The anguish and raptures of passion and the catastrophe which had
checked his career of profligacy had prevented Baron Hulot's ever
thinking of poor Johann Fischer； though his first letter had given
warning of the danger now become so pressing。 The Baron went out of
the dining…room in such agitation that he literally dropped on to a
sofa in the drawing…room。 He was stunned； sunk in the dull numbness of
a heavy fall。 He stared at a flower on the carpet； quite unconscious
that he still held in his hand Johann's fatal letter。
Adeline； in her room； heard her husband throw himself on the sofa；
like a lifeless mass； the noise was so peculiar that she fancied he
had an apoplectic attack。 She looked through the door at the mirror；
in such dread as stops the breath and hinders motion； and she saw her
Hector in the attitude of a man crushed。 The Baroness stole in on
tiptoe； Hector heard nothing； she went close up to him； saw the
letter； took it； read it； trembling in every limb。 She went through
one of those violent nervous shocks that leave their traces for ever
on the sufferer。 Within a few days she became subject to a constant
trembling； for after the first instant the need for action gave her
such strength as can only be drawn from the very wellspring of the
vital powers。
〃Hector； come into my room；〃 said she； in a voice that was no more
than a breath。 〃Do not let your daughter see you in this state！ Come；
my dear； come！〃
〃Two hundred thousand francs？ Where can I find them？ I can get Claude
Vignon sent out there as commissioner。 He is a clever； intelligent
fellow。That is a matter of a couple of days。But two hundred
thousand francs！ My son has not so much； his house is loaded with
mortgages for three hundred thousand。 My brother has saved thirty
thousand francs at most。 Nucingen would simply laugh at me！Vauvinet？
he was not very ready to lend me the ten thousand francs I wanted to
make up the sum for that villain Marneffe's boy。 No； it is all up with
me； I must throw myself at the Prince's feet； confess how matters
stand； hear myself told that I am a low scoundrel； and take his
broadside so as to go decently to the bottom。〃
〃But； Hector； this is not merely ruin； it is disgrace；〃 said Adeline。
〃My poor uncle will kill himself。 Only kill usyourself and me； you
have a right to do that； but do not be a murderer！ Come； take courage；
there must be some way out of it。〃
〃Not one；〃 said Hulot。 〃No one in the Government could find two
hundred thousand francs； not if it were to save an Administration！
Oh； Napoleon！ where art thou？〃
〃My uncle！ poor man！ Hector； he must not be allowed to kill himself in
disgrace。〃
〃There is one more chance；〃 said he； 〃but a very remote one。Yes；
Crevel is at daggers drawn with his daughter。He has plenty of money；
he alone could〃
〃Listen； Hector it will be better for your wife to perish than to
leave