he two ladies, but he could discover
nothing on their impenetrable faces.

"Go, leave us--Have the kindness to wait a few moments that the people
in the bank may not connect you with this negotiation," said Madame de
Nucingen to the countess.

"I must ask you to add to all your other kindness that of keeping this
matter secret," said Madame de Vandenesse.

"Most assuredly, since it is for charity," replied the baroness,
smiling. "I will send your carriage round to the garden gate, so that no
one will see you leave the house."

"You have the thoughtful grace of a person who has suffered," said the
countess.

"I do not know if I have grace," said the baroness; "but I have suffered
much. I hope that your anxieties cost less than mine."

When a man has laid a plot like that du Tillet was scheming against
Nathan, he confides it to no man. Nucingen knew something of it, but
his wife knew nothing. The baroness, however, aware that Raoul was
embarrassed, was not the dupe of the two sisters; she guessed into
whose hands that money was to go, and she was delighted to oblige
the countess; moreover, she felt a deep compassion for all such
embarrassments. Rastignac, so placed that he was able to fathom the
manoeuvres of the two bankers, came to breakfast that morning with
Madame de Nucingen.

Delphine and Rastignac had no secrets from each other; and the baroness
related to him her scene with the countess. Eugene, who had never
supposed that Delphine could be mixed up in the affair, which was only
accessory to his eyes,--one means among many others,--opened her eyes to
the truth. She had probably, he told her, destroyed du Tillet's chances
of selection, and rendered useless the intrigues and deceptions of
the past year. In short, he put her in the secret of the whole affair,
advising her to keep absolute silence as to the mistake she had just
committed.

"Provided the cashier does not tell Nucingen," she said.

A few moments after mid-day, while du Tillet was breakfasting, Monsieur
Gigonnet was announced.

"Let him come in," said the banker, though his wife was at table. "Well,
my old Shylock, is our man locked up?"

"No."

"Why not? Didn't I give you the address, rue du Mail, hotel--"

"He has paid up," said Gigonnet, drawing from his wallet a pile of
bank-bills. Du Tillet looked furious. "You should never frown at money,"
said his impassible associate; "it brings ill-luck."

"Where did you get that money, madame