ing one of those modern "condottieri" whose ink is
worth more than powder and shot of the olden time.

This loan from du Tillet was already made when Florine returned with
fifty thousand francs. Instead of creating a savings fund with that sum,
Raoul, certain of success (simply because he felt it was necessary),
and already humiliated at having accepted the actress's money, deceived
Florine as to his actual position, and persuaded her to employ the money
in refurnishing her house. The actress, who did not need persuasion,
not only spent the sum in hand, but she burdened herself with a debt of
thirty thousand francs, with which she obtained a charming little house
all to herself in the rue Pigale, whither her old society resorted.
Raoul had reserved the production of his great piece, in which was
a part especially suited to Florine, until her return. This
comedy-vaudeville was to be Raoul's farewell to the stage. The
newspapers, with that good nature which costs nothing, prepared the way
for such an ovation to Florine that even the Theatre-Francais talked of
engaging her. The feuilletons proclaimed her the heiress of Mars.

This triumph was sufficiently dazzling to prevent Florine from carefully
studying the ground on which Nathan was advancing; she lived, for the
time being, in a round of festivities and glory. According to those
about her, he was now a great political character; he was justified in
his enterprise; he would certainly be a deputy, probably a minister in
course of time, like so many others. As for Nathan himself, he firmly
believed that in the next session of the Chamber he should find himself
in government with two other journalists, one of whom, already a
minister, was anxious to associate some of his own craft with himself,
and so consolidate his power. After a separation of six months, Nathan
met Florine again with pleasure, and returned easily to his old way of
life. All his comforts came from the actress, but he embroidered the
heavy tissue of his life with the flowers of ideal passion; his letters
to Marie were masterpieces of grace and style. Nathan made her the
light of his life; he undertook nothing without consulting his "guardian
angel." In despair at being on the popular side, he talked of going over
to that of the aristocracy; but, in spite of his habitual agility,
even he saw the absolute impossibility of such a jump; it was easier
to become a minister. Marie's precious replies were deposit