ittle detail of the
scene and of the effect produced upon Eugene by her present; he shared
in the pleasure and excitement of the young people, and seemed to be not
the least happy of the three. He loved Rastignac already for his own as
well as for his daughter's sake.

"You must go and see her; she is expecting you this evening. That great
lout of an Alsatian is going to have supper with his opera-dancer. Aha!
he looked very foolish when my attorney let him know where he was. He
says he idolizes my daughter, does he? He had better let her alone, or I
will kill him. To think that my Delphine is his"--he heaved a sigh--"it
is enough to make me murder him, but it would not be manslaughter to
kill that animal; he is a pig with a calf's brains.--You will take me
with you, will you not?"

"Yes, dear Father Goriot; you know very well how fond I am of you----"

"Yes, I do know very well. You are not ashamed of me, are you? Not you!
Let me embrace you," and he flung his arms around the student's neck.

"You will make her very happy; promise me that you will! You will go to
her this evening, will you not?"

"Oh! yes. I must go out; I have some urgent business on hand."

"Can I be of any use?"

"My word, yes! Will you go to old Taillefer's while I go to Mme. de
Nucingen? Ask him to make an appointment with me some time this evening;
it is a matter of life and death."

"Really, young man!" cried Father Goriot, with a change of countenance;
"are you really paying court to his daughter, as those simpletons were
saying down below?... _Tonnerre de dieu!_ you have no notion what a tap
_a la Goriot_ is like, and if you are playing a double game, I shall put
a stop to it by one blow of the fist... Oh! the thing is impossible!"

"I swear to you that I love but one woman in the world," said the
student. "I only knew it a moment ago."

"Oh! what happiness!" cried Goriot.

"But young Taillefer has been called out; the duel comes off to-morrow
morning, and I have heard it said that he may lose his life in it."

"But what business is it of yours?" said Goriot.

"Why, I ought to tell him so, that he may prevent his son from putting
in an appearance----"

Just at that moment Vautrin's voice broke in upon them; he was standing
at the threshold of his door and singing:

"Oh! Richard, oh my king!
All the world abandons thee!
Broum! broum! broum! broum! broum!

The same old story everywhere,
A roving