scene when the two women had sworn to be like sisters. So
she had brought from the depths of the Vosges a humble relation on her
mother's side, a very pious and honest soul, who had been cook to the
Bishop of Nancy. Fearing, however, her inexperience of Paris ways, and
yet more the evil counsel which wrecks such fragile virtue, at first
Lisbeth always went to market with Mathurine, and tried to teach
her what to buy. To know the real prices of things and command the
salesman's respect; to purchase unnecessary delicacies, such as fish,
only when they were cheap; to be well informed as to the price current
of groceries and provisions, so as to buy when prices are low in
anticipation of a rise,--all this housekeeping skill is in Paris
essential to domestic economy. As Mathurine got good wages and many
presents, she liked the house well enough to be glad to drive good
bargains. And by this time Lisbeth had made her quite a match for
herself, sufficiently experienced and trustworthy to be sent to market
alone, unless Valerie was giving a dinner--which, in fact, was not
unfrequently the case. And this was how it came about.

The Baron had at first observed the strictest decorum; but his passion
for Madame Marneffe had ere long become so vehement, so greedy, that he
would never quit her if he could help it. At first he dined there four
times a week; then he thought it delightful to dine with her every day.
Six months after his daughter's marriage he was paying her two thousand
francs a month for his board. Madame Marneffe invited any one her dear
Baron wished to entertain. The dinner was always arranged for six; he
could bring in three unexpected guests. Lisbeth's economy enabled her
to solve the extraordinary problem of keeping up the table in the best
style for a thousand francs a month, giving the other thousand to Madame
Marneffe. Valerie's dress being chiefly paid for by Crevel and the
Baron, the two women saved another thousand francs a month on this.

And so this pure and innocent being had already accumulated a hundred
and fifty thousand francs in savings. She had capitalized her income
and monthly bonus, and swelled the amount by enormous interest, due to
Crevel's liberality in allowing his "little Duchess" to invest her money
in partnership with him in his financial operations. Crevel had taught
Valerie the slang and the procedure of the money market, and, like every
Parisian woman, she had soon outstripped her maste