a rich woman. Would you believe it?--he succeeded. Rastignac, who might
have fought at need, like Jarnac, went over to the opinion of Henri II.
on the strength of his great maxim, 'There is no such thing as absolute
right; there are only circumstances.' This brings us to the history of
his fortune."

"You might just as well make a start with your story instead of drawing
us on to traduce ourselves," said Blondet with urbane good humor.

"Aha! my boy," returned Bixiou, administering a little tap to the back
of Blondet's head, "you are making up for lost time over the champagne!"

"Oh! by the sacred name of shareholder, get on with your story!" cried
Couture.

"I was within an ace of it," retorted Bixiou, "but you with your
profanity have brought me to the climax."

"Then, are there shareholders in the tale?" inquired Finot.

"Yes; rich as rich can be--like yours."

"It seems to me," Finot began stiffly, "that some consideration is owing
to a good fellow to whom you look for a bill for five hundred francs
upon occasion----"

"Waiter!" called Bixiou.

"What do you want with the waiter?" asked Blondet.

"I want five hundred francs to repay Finot, so that I can tear up my I.
O. U. and set my tongue free."

"Get on with your story," said Finot, making believe to laugh.

"I take you all to witness that I am not the property of this insolent
fellow, who fancies that my silence is worth no more than five hundred
francs. You will never be a minister if you cannot gauge people's
consciences. There, my good Finot," he added soothingly, "I will get on
with my story without personalities, and we shall be quits."

"Now," said Couture with a smile, "he will begin to prove for our
benefit that Nucingen made Rastignac's fortune."

"You are not so far out as you think," returned Bixiou. "You do not know
what Nucingen is, financially speaking."

"Do you know so much as a word as to his beginnings?" asked Blondet.

"I have only known him in his own house," said Bixiou, "but we may have
seen each other in the street in the old days."

"The prosperity of the firm of Nucingen is one of the most extraordinary
things seen in our days," began Blondet. "In 1804 Nucingen's name was
scarcely known. At that time bankers would have shuddered at the idea of
three hundred thousand francs' worth of his acceptances in the market.
The great capitalist felt his inferiority. How was he to get known? He
suspended payment. Good! Every mar