gleam
of sunshine.

The Baron, a clerk by the time he was twelve years old in the ancient
house of Aldrigger at Strasbourg, had never set foot in the world of
sentiment. So there he stood in front of his idol, hearing in his brain
a thousand modes of speech, while none came to his lips, till at length
he acted on the brutal promptings of desire that betrayed a man of
sixty-six.

"Vill you come to Rue Taitbout?" said he.

"Wherever you please, monsieur," said Esther, rising.

"Verever I please!" he echoed in rapture. "You are ein anchel from de
sky, and I lofe you more as if I was a little man, vile I hafe gray
hairs----"

"You had better say white, for they are too fine a black to be only
gray," said Asie.

"Get out, foul dealer in human flesh! You hafe got your moneys; do not
slobber no more on dis flower of lofe!" cried the banker, indemnifying
himself by this violent abuse for all the insolence he had submitted to.

"You old rip! I will pay you out for that speech!" said Asie,
threatening the banker with a gesture worthy of the Halle, at which the
Baron merely shrugged his shoulders. "Between the lip of the pot and
that of the guzzler there is often a viper, and you will find me there!"
she went on, furious at Nucingen's contempt.

Millionaires, whose money is guarded by the Bank of France, whose
mansions are guarded by a squad of footmen, whose person in the streets
is safe behind the rampart of a coach with swift English horses, fear no
ill; so the Baron looked calmly at Asie, as a man who had just given her
a hundred thousand francs.

This dignity had its effect. Asie beat a retreat, growling down the
stairs in highly revolutionary language; she spoke of the guillotine!

"What have you said to her?" asked the Madonna a la broderie, "for she
is a good soul."

"She hafe solt you, she hafe robbed you----"

"When we are beggared," said she, in a tone to rend the heart of a
diplomate, "who has ever any money or consideration for us?"

"Poor leetle ting!" said Nucingen. "Do not stop here ein moment longer."

The Baron offered her his arm; he led her away just as she was, and put
her into his carriage with more respect perhaps than he would have shown
to the handsome Duchesse de Maufrigneuse.

"You shall hafe a fine carriage, de prettiest carriage in Paris," said
Nucingen, as they drove along. "Everyting dat luxury shall sopply shall
be for you. Not any qveen shall be more rich dan vat you shall be.
Y