e disease in life?" cried Bixiou.

But Bianchon was already out of sight, so great was his haste to tell
Despleins the wonderful news. Two hours later, Joseph's miserable
sister-in-law was removed to the decent hospital established by Doctor
Dubois, which was afterward bought of him by the city of Paris. Three
weeks later, the "Hospital Gazette" published an account of one of
the boldest operations of modern surgery, on a case designated by the
initials "F. B." The patient died,--more from the exhaustion produced by
misery and starvation than from the effects of the treatment.

No sooner did this occur, than the Comte de Brambourg went, in deep
mourning, to call on the Comte de Soulanges, and inform him of the sad
loss he had just sustained. Soon after, it was whispered about in the
fashionable world that the Comte de Soulanges would shortly marry his
daughter to a parvenu of great merit, who was about to be appointed
brigadier-general and receive command of a regiment of the Royal Guard.
De Marsay told this news to Eugene de Rastignac, as they were supping
together at the Rocher de Cancale, where Bixiou happened to be.

"It shall not take place!" said the witty artist to himself.

Among the many old friends whom Philippe now refused to recognize, there
were some, like Giroudeau, who were unable to revenge themselves; but
it happened that he had wounded Bixiou, who, thanks to his brilliant
qualities, was everywhere received, and who never forgave an insult. One
day at the Rocher de Cancale, before a number of well-bred persons
who were supping there, Philippe had replied to Bixiou, who spoke of
visiting him at the hotel de Brambourg: "You can come and see me when
you are made a minister."

"Am I to turn Protestant before I can visit you?" said Bixiou,
pretending to misunderstand the speech; but he said to himself, "You may
be Goliath, but I have got my sling, and plenty of stones."

The next day he went to an actor, who was one of his friends, and
metamorphosed himself, by the all-powerful aid of dress, into a
secularized priest with green spectacles; then he took a carriage and
drove to the hotel de Soulanges. Received by the count, on sending in
a message that he wanted to speak with him on a matter of serious
importance, he related in a feigned voice the whole story of the dead
countess, the secret particulars of whose horrible death had been
confided to him by Bianchon; the history of Agathe's death; the histor