his first success.

"Victory! my group is sold to the Duc d'Herouville, who is going to give
me some commissions," cried he, throwing the twelve hundred francs in
gold on the table before the old maid.

He had, as may be supposed concealed Hortense's purse; it lay next to
his heart.

"And a very good thing too," said Lisbeth. "I was working myself to
death. You see, child, money comes in slowly in the business you have
taken up, for this is the first you have earned, and you have been
grinding at it for near on five years now. That money barely repays me
for what you have cost me since I took your promissory note; that is
all I have got by my savings. But be sure of one thing," she said, after
counting the gold, "this money will all be spent on you. There is enough
there to keep us going for a year. In a year you may now be able to pay
your debt and have a snug little sum of your own, if you go on in the
same way."

Wenceslas, finding his trick successful, expatiated on the Duc
d'Herouville.

"I will fit you out in a black suit, and get you some new linen," said
Lisbeth, "for you must appear presentably before your patrons; and then
you must have a larger and better apartment than your horrible garret,
and furnish it property.--You look so bright, you are not like the same
creature," she added, gazing at Wenceslas.

"But my work is pronounced a masterpiece."

"Well, so much the better! Do some more," said the arid creature, who
was nothing but practical, and incapable of understanding the joy of
triumph or of beauty in Art. "Trouble your head no further about what
you have sold; make something else to sell. You have spent two hundred
francs in money, to say nothing of your time and your labor, on that
devil of a _Samson_. Your clock will cost you more than two thousand
francs to execute. I tell you what, if you will listen to me, you will
finish the two little boys crowning the little girl with cornflowers;
that would just suit the Parisians.--I will go round to Monsieur Graff
the tailor before going to Monsieur Crevel.--Go up now and leave me to
dress."

Next day the Baron, perfectly crazy about Madame Marneffe, went to see
Cousin Betty, who was considerably amazed on opening the door to see who
her visitor was, for he had never called on her before. She at once said
to herself, "Can it be that Hortense wants my lover?"--for she had heard
the evening before, at Monsieur Crevel's, that the marriage with the
C