who do not blush to marry a woman for her
money, proclaim the necessity of a complete separation of sentiment and
interest. The other sort are lunatics that love and imagine that they
and the woman they love are the only two beings in the world; for them
millions are dirt; the glove or the camellia flower that She wore is
worth millions. If the squandered filthy lucre is never to be found
again in their possession, you find the remains of floral relics hoarded
in dainty cedar-wood boxes. They cannot distinguish themselves one from
the other; for them there is no 'I' left. _Thou_--that is their Word
made flesh. What can you do? Can you stop the course of this 'hidden
disease of the heart'? There are fools that love without calculation and
wise men that calculate while they love."

"To my thinking Bixiou is sublime," cried Blondet. "What does Finot say
to it?"

"Anywhere else," said Finot, drawing himself up in his cravat, "anywhere
else, I should say, with the 'gentlemen'; but here, I think----"

"With the scoundrelly scapegraces with whom you have the honor to
associate?" said Bixiou.

"Upon my word, yes."

"And you?" asked Bixiou, turning to Couture.

"Stuff and nonsense!" cried Couture. "The woman that will not make a
stepping-stone of her body, that the man she singles out may reach his
goal, is a woman that has no heart except for her own purposes."

"And you, Blondet?"

"I do not preach, I practise."

"Very good," rejoined Bixiou in his most ironical tones. "Rastignac was
not of your way of thinking. To take without repaying is detestable, and
even rather bad form; but to take that you may render a hundred-fold,
like the Lord, is a chivalrous deed. This was Rastignac's view. He felt
profoundly humiliated by his community of interests with Delphine de
Nucingen; I can tell you that he regretted it; I have seen him deploring
his position with tears in his eyes. Yes, he shed tears, he did
indeed--after supper. Well, now to _our_ way of thinking----"

"I say, you are laughing at us," said Finot.

"Not the least in the world. We were talking of Rastignac. From your
point of view his affliction would be a sign of his corruption; for by
that time he was not nearly so much in love with Delphine. What would
you have? he felt the prick in his heart, poor fellow. But he was a
man of noble descent and profound depravity, whereas we are virtuous
artists. So Rastignac meant to enrich Delphine; he was a poor man, she