"If madame goes out without her this evening," said Georges to his
master, whose eyes glowed like carbuncles, "she will be here by ten
o'clock."

"Goot. You shall come to dress me at nine o'clock--and do my hair.
I shall look so goot as possible. I belief I shall really see dat
mistress--or money is not money any more."

The Baron spent an hour, from noon till one, in dyeing his hair and
whiskers. At nine in the evening, having taken a bath before dinner,
he made a toilet worthy of a bridegroom and scented himself--a perfect
Adonis. Madame de Nucingen, informed of this metamorphosis, gave herself
the treat of inspecting her husband.

"Good heavens!" cried she, "what a ridiculous figure! Do, at least, put
on a black satin stock instead of that white neckcloth which makes your
whiskers look so black; besides, it is so 'Empire,' quite the old fogy.
You look like some super-annuated parliamentary counsel. And take
off these diamond buttons; they are worth a hundred thousand francs
apiece--that slut will ask you for them, and you will not be able to
refuse her; and if a baggage is to have them, I may as well wear them as
earrings."

The unhappy banker, struck by the wisdom of his wife's reflections,
obeyed reluctantly.

"Ridikilous, ridikilous! I hafe never telt you dat you shall be
ridikilous when you dressed yourself so smart to see your little
Mensieur de Rastignac!"

"I should hope that you never saw me make myself ridiculous. Am I the
woman to make such blunders in the first syllable of my dress? Come,
turn about. Button your coat up to the neck, all but the two top
buttons, as the Duc de Maufrigneuse does. In short, try to look young."

"Monsieur," said Georges, "here is Mademoiselle Eugenie."

"Adie, motame," said the banker, and he escorted his wife as far as her
own rooms, to make sure that she should not overhear their conference.

On his return, he took Europe by the hand and led her into his room with
a sort of ironical respect.

"Vell, my chilt, you are a happy creature, for you are de maid of dat
most beautiful voman in de vorlt. And your fortune shall be made if you
vill talk to her for me and in mine interests."

"I would not do such a thing for ten thousand francs!" exclaimed Europe.
"I would have you to know, Monsieur le Baron, that I am an honest girl."

"Oh yes. I expect to pay dear for your honesty. In business dat is vat
ve call curiosity."

"And that is not everything," Europe went