lardiere, attacked by a dangerous
illness, was likely to die in a few days. If Rabourdin succeeded him,
his talents (for Celestine did vouchsafe him an administrative gift)
would be so thoroughly appreciated that the office of Master of
petitions, formerly promised, would now be given to him; she fancied she
saw him the king's commissioner, presenting bills to the Chambers and
defending them; then indeed she could help him; she would even be, if
needful, his secretary; she would sit up all night to do the work! All
this to drive in the Bois in a pretty carriage, to equal Madame Delphine
de Nucingen, to raise her salon to the level of Madame Colleville's, to
be invited to the great ministerial solemnities, to win listeners and
make them talk of her as "Madame Rabourdin DE something or other"
(she had not yet determined on the estate), just as they did of Madame
Firmiani, Madame d'Espard, Madame d'Aiglemont, Madame de Carigliano, and
thus efface forever the odious name of Rabourdin.

These secret schemes brought some changes into the household. Madame
Rabourdin began to walk with a firm step in the path of /debt/. She set
up a man-servant, and put him in livery of brown cloth with red pipins,
she renewed parts of her furniture, hung new papers on the walls,
adorned her salon with plants and flowers, always fresh, and crowded
it with knick-knacks that were then in vogue; then she, who had always
shown scruples as to her personal expenses, did not hesitate to put
her dress in keeping with the rank to which she aspired, the profits of
which were discounted in several of the shops where she equipped herself
for war. To make her "Wednesdays" fashionable she gave a dinner on
Fridays, the guests being expected to pay their return visit and take
a cup of tea on the following Wednesday. She chose her guests cleverly
among influential deputies or other persons of note who, sooner or
later, might advance her interests. In short, she gathered an agreeable
and befitting circle about her. People amused themselves at her house;
they said so at least, which is quite enough to attract society in
Paris. Rabourdin was so absorbed in completing his great and serious
work that he took no notice of the sudden reappearance of luxury in the
bosom of his family.

Thus the wife and the husband were besieging the same fortress, working
on parallel lines, but without each other's knowledge.

CHAPTER II. MONSIEUR DES LUPEAULX

At the mi