onounced incapable of the control of his own affairs, a
trustee has to be appointed. Who will be the trustee?"

"His brother," said the Marquise.

The Chevalier bowed. There was a short silence, very uncomfortable for
the five persons who were present. The judge, in sport as it were,
had laid open the woman's sore place. Popinot's countenance of common,
clumsy good-nature, at which the Marquise, the Chevalier, and Rastignac
had been inclined to laugh, had gained importance in their eyes. As
they stole a look at him, they discerned the various expressions of
that eloquent mouth. The ridiculous mortal was a judge of acumen. His
studious notice of the boudoir was accounted for: he had started from
the gilt elephant supporting the chimney-clock, examining all this
luxury, and had ended by reading this woman's soul.

"If the Marquis d'Espard is mad about China, I see that you are not less
fond of its products," said Popinot, looking at the porcelain on the
chimney-piece. "But perhaps it was from M. le Marquis that you had these
charming Oriental pieces," and he pointed to some precious trifles.

This irony, in very good taste, made Bianchon smile, and petrified
Rastignac, while the Marquise bit her thin lips.

"Instead of being the protector of a woman placed in a cruel dilemma--an
alternative between losing her fortune and her children, and being
regarded as her husband's enemy," she said, "you accuse me, monsieur!
You suspect my motives! You must own that your conduct is strange!"

"Madame," said the judge eagerly, "the caution exercised by the Court in
such cases as these might have given you, in any other judge, a perhaps
less indulgent critic than I am.--And do you suppose that M. d'Espard's
lawyer will show you any great consideration? Will he not be suspicious
of motives which may be perfectly pure and disinterested? Your life will
be at his mercy; he will inquire into it without qualifying his search
by the respectful deference I have for you."

"I am much obliged to you, monsieur," said the Marquise satirically.
"Admitting for the moment that I owe thirty thousand or fifty thousand
francs, in the first place, it would be a mere trifle to the d'Espards
and the Blamont-Chauvrys. But if my husband is not in the possession
of his mental faculties, would that prevent his being pronounced
incapable?"

"No, madame," said Popinot.

"Although you have questioned me with a sort of cunning which I
should not have sus