entures
of the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse: her first affair with de Marsay; her
second with d'Ajuda, whom she had, they said, distracted from his wife,
thus avenging Madame de Beausant; also her later connection with young
d'Esgrignon, who had travelled with her in Italy, and had horribly
compromised himself on her account; after that they told him how unhappy
she had been with a certain celebrated ambassador, how happy with a
Russian general, besides becoming the Egeria of two ministers of Foreign
affairs, and various other anecdotes. D'Arthez replied that he knew a
great deal more than they could tell him about her through their poor
friend, Michel Chrestien, who adored her secretly for four years, and
had well-nigh gone mad about her.

"I have often accompanied him," said Daniel, "to the opera. He would
make me run through the streets as far as her horses that he might see
the princess through the window of her coupe."

"Well, there you have a topic all ready for you," said Blondet, smiling.
"This is the very woman you need; she'll initiate you most gracefully
into the mysteries of elegance; but take care! she has wasted many
fortunes. The beautiful Diane is one of those spendthrifts who don't
cost a penny, but for whom a man spends millions. Give yourself up to
her, body and soul, if you choose; but keep your money in your hand,
like the old fellow in Girodet's 'Deluge.'"

From the tenor of these remarks it was to be inferred that the princess
had the depth of a precipice, the grace of a queen, the corruption
of diplomatists, the mystery of a first initiation, and the dangerous
qualities of a siren. The two clever men of the world, incapable of
foreseeing the denouement of their joke, succeeded in presenting Diane
d'Uxelles as a consummate specimen of the Parisian woman, the cleverest
of coquettes, the most enchanting mistress in the world. Right or wrong,
the woman whom they thus treated so lightly was sacred to d'Arthez; his
desire to meet her needed no spur; he consented to do so at the first
word, which was all the two friends wanted of him.

Madame d'Espard went to see the princess as soon as she had received
this answer.

"My dear, do you feel yourself in full beauty and coquetry?" she said.
"If so, come and dine with me a few days hence, and I'll serve up
d'Arthez. Our man of genius is by nature, it seems, a savage; he
fears women, and has never loved! Make your plans on that. He is
all intellect, and so