e it as you offer it," replied Lucien, bowing with much grace to
the Marquise.

"What a coxcomb!" said the Count in an undertone to Madame d'Espard. "He
has succeeded in winning an ancestry."

"With these young men such coxcombry, when it is addressed to us, almost
always implies some success in high places," said the lady; "for with
you older men it means ill-fortune. And I should very much like to
know which of my grand lady friends has taken this fine bird under her
patronage; then I might find the means of amusing myself this evening.
My ticket, anonymously sent, is no doubt a bit of mischief planned by a
rival and having something to do with this young man. His impertinence
is to order; keep an eye on him. I will take the Duc de Navarrein's arm.
You will be able to find me again."

Just as Madame d'Espard was about to address her cousin, the mysterious
mask came between her and the Duke to whisper in her ear:

"Lucien loves you; he wrote the note. Your Prefet is his greatest foe;
how can he speak in his presence?"

The stranger moved off, leaving Madame d'Espard a prey to a double
surprise. The Marquise knew no one in the world who was capable of
playing the part assumed by this mask; she suspected a snare, and went
to sit down out of sight. The Comte Sixte du Chatelet--whom Lucien
had abridged of his ambitious _du_ with an emphasis that betrayed long
meditated revenge--followed the handsome dandy, and presently met a
young man to whom he thought he could speak without reserve.

"Well, Rastignac, have you seen Lucien? He has come out in a new skin."

"If I were half as good looking as he is, I should be twice as rich,"
replied the fine gentleman, in a light but meaning tone, expressive of
keen raillery.

"No!" said the fat mask in his ear, repaying a thousand ironies in one
by the accent he lent the monosyllable.

Rastignac, who was not the man to swallow an affront, stood as if struck
by lightning, and allowed himself to be led into a recess by a grasp of
iron which he could not shake off.

"You young cockerel, hatched in Mother Vauquer's coop--you, whose heart
failed you to clutch old Taillefer's millions when the hardest part of
the business was done--let me tell you, for your personal safety, that
if you do not treat Lucien like the brother you love, you are in our
power, while we are not in yours. Silence and submission! or I shall
join your game and upset the skittles. Lucien de Rubempre is under t