ll and break your neck at the first push."

"At that rate," said Madame de Rastignac, laughing, while Madame de
l'Estorade was silent, disdaining to reply, "the political world must be
peopled by none but scoundrels."

"That is so, madame,--ask Lazarille"; and as he made this allusion to a
famous stage joke, he laid his hand on the minister's shoulder.

"My dear fellow," said Rastignac, "I think your generalities are a
little too particular."

"No, no; but come," returned Monsieur de Ronquerolles, "let us talk
seriously. To my knowledge, this Monsieur de Sallenauve--that is the
name I think he has taken in exchange for Dorlange, which he himself
called theatrical--has done, within a short time, two fine actions. I,
being present and assisting, saw him stand up to be killed by the Duc de
Rhetore, on account of certain ill-sounding words said about a friend.
Those words, in the first place, he could not help hearing; and having
heard them it was, I will not say his duty, but his _right_ to resent
them."

"Ah!" said Madame de Rastignac, "then it was he who fought that duel
people said so much about?"

"Yes, madame, and I ought to say--for I understand such matters--that at
the meeting he behaved with consummate bravery."

To avoid the recital of the second fine action, Madame de l'Estorade, at
the risk of impolitely cutting short a topic thus begun, rose, and made
an almost imperceptible sign to her husband that she wished to go. But
Monsieur de l'Estorade took advantage of its faintness to stay where he
was.

Monsieur de Ronquerolles continued:--

"His other fine action was to throw himself in front of some runaway
horses to save madame's daughter from imminent death."

All eyes turned on Madame de l'Estorade, who, this time, blushed deeply;
but recovering speech, if only in order to seem composed, she said with
feeling,--

"According to your theory of heroism you must think Monsieur de
Sallenauve very foolish to have thus risked his life and his future; but
I assure you that there is one woman who will never agree with you, and
that is--the mother of my child."

As she said the words, tears were in Madame de l'Estorade's voice; she
pressed Madame de Rastignac's hand affectionately, and made so decided a
movement to leave the room that she finally put in motion her immovable
husband.

"Thank you," said Madame de Rastignac, as she accompanied her to
the door, "for having broken a lance with that cynic; Mon