e, who
affected blindness. "This is how you ought to furnish a house! When a
man brings millions home from India, and wants to do business with the
Nucingens, he should place himself on the same level."

"I belong to a Temperance Society!"

"Then you will drink like a fish!" said Bixiou, "for the Indies are
uncommon hot, uncle!"

It was Bixiou's jest during supper to treat Peyrade as an uncle of his,
returned from India.

"Montame du Fal-Noble tolt me you shall have some iteas," said Nucingen,
scrutinizing Peyrade.

"Ah, this is what I wanted to hear," said du Tillet to Rastignac; "the
two talking gibberish together."

"You will see, they will understand each other at last," said Bixiou,
guessing what du Tillet had said to Rastignac.

"Sir Baronet, I have imagined a speculation--oh! a very comfortable
job--bocou profitable and rich in profits----"

"Now you will see," said Blondet to du Tillet, "he will not talk one
minute without dragging in the Parliament and the English Government."

"It is in China, in the opium trade----"

"Ja, I know," said Nucingen at once, as a man who is well acquainted
with commercial geography. "But de English Gover'ment hafe taken up de
opium trate as a means dat shall open up China, and she shall not allow
dat ve----"

"Nucingen has cut him out with the Government," remarked du Tillet to
Blondet.

"Ah! you have been in the opium trade!" cried Madame du Val-Noble. "Now
I understand why you are so narcotic; some has stuck in your soul."

"Dere! you see!" cried the Baron to the self-styled opium merchant,
and pointing to Madame du Val-Noble. "You are like me. Never shall a
millionaire be able to make a voman lofe him."

"I have loved much and often, milady," replied Peyrade.

"As a result of temperance," said Bixiou, who had just seen Peyrade
finish his third bottle of claret, and now had a bottle of port wine
uncorked.

"Oh!" cried Peyrade, "it is very fine, the Portugal of England."

Blondet, du Tillet, and Bixiou smiled at each other. Peyrade had the
power of travestying everything, even his wit. There are very few
Englishmen who will not maintain that gold and silver are better in
England than elsewhere. The fowls and eggs exported from Normandy to the
London market enable the English to maintain that the poultry and eggs
in London are superior (very fine) to those of Paris, which come from
the same district.

Esther and Lucien were dumfounded by this perfection of