ive charm about it all which acted like a spell on the
mind of a needy man.

"An income of a hundred thousand livres a year is a very nice beginning
of the catechism, and a wonderful assistance to putting morality into
our actions," he said, sighing. "Truly my sort of virtue can scarcely
go afoot, and vice means, to my thinking, a garret, a threadbare coat, a
gray hat in winter time, and sums owing to the porter.... I should like
to live in the lap of luxury a year, or six months, no matter! And then
afterwards, die. I should have known, exhausted, and consumed a thousand
lives, at any rate."

"Why, you are taking the tone of a stockbroker in good luck," said
Emile, who overheard him. "Pooh! your riches would be a burden to you as
soon as you found that they would spoil your chances of coming out above
the rest of us. Hasn't the artist always kept the balance true between
the poverty of riches and the riches of poverty? And isn't struggle a
necessity to some of us? Look out for your digestion, and only look,"
he added, with a mock-heroic gesture, "at the majestic, thrice holy, and
edifying appearance of this amiable capitalist's dining-room. That man
has in reality only made his money for our benefit. Isn't he a kind of
sponge of the polyp order, overlooked by naturalists, which should be
carefully squeezed before he is left for his heirs to feed upon? There
is style, isn't there, about those bas-reliefs that adorn the walls? And
the lustres, and the pictures, what luxury well carried out! If one may
believe those who envy him, or who know, or think they know, the origins
of his life, then this man got rid of a German and some others--his best
friend for one, and the mother of that friend, during the Revolution.
Could you house crimes under the venerable Taillefer's silvering locks?
He looks to me a very worthy man. Only see how the silver sparkles, and
is every glittering ray like a stab of a dagger to him?... Let us go in,
one might as well believe in Mahomet. If common report speak truth, here
are thirty men of talent, and good fellows too, prepared to dine off the
flesh and blood of a whole family;... and here are we ourselves, a pair
of youngsters full of open-hearted enthusiasm, and we shall be partakers
in his guilt. I have a mind to ask our capitalist whether he is a
respectable character...."

"No, not now," cried Raphael, "but when he is dead drunk, we shall have
had our dinner then."

The two friends sat