boxes occupied by persons of his acquaintance;
he had, moreover, his right of entry into the omnibus box.
Chateau-Renaud rented a stall beside his own, while Beauchamp, as a
journalist, had unlimited range all over the theatre. It happened that
on this particular night the minister's box was placed at the disposal
of Lucien Debray, who offered it to the Comte de Morcerf, who again,
upon his mother's rejection of it, sent it to Danglars, with an
intimation that he should probably do himself the honor of joining the
baroness and her daughter during the evening, in the event of their
accepting the box in question. The ladies received the offer with too
much pleasure to dream of a refusal. To no class of persons is the
presentation of a gratuitous opera-box more acceptable than to the
wealthy millionaire, who still hugs economy while boasting of carrying a
king's ransom in his waistcoat pocket.

Danglars had, however, protested against showing himself in a
ministerial box, declaring that his political principles, and his
parliamentary position as member of the opposition party would not
permit him so to commit himself; the baroness had, therefore, despatched
a note to Lucien Debray, bidding him call for them, it being wholly
impossible for her to go alone with Eugenie to the opera. There is no
gainsaying the fact that a very unfavorable construction would have
been put upon the circumstance if the two women had gone without escort,
while the addition of a third, in the person of her mother's admitted
lover, enabled Mademoiselle Danglars to defy malice and ill-nature. One
must take the world as one finds it.

The curtain rose, as usual, to an almost empty house, it being one of
the absurdities of Parisian fashion never to appear at the opera
until after the beginning of the performance, so that the first act is
generally played without the slightest attention being paid to it,
that part of the audience already assembled being too much occupied in
observing the fresh arrivals, while nothing is heard but the noise of
opening and shutting doors, and the buzz of conversation. "Surely," said
Albert, as the door of a box on the first circle opened, "that must be
the Countess G----."

"And who is the Countess G----?" inquired Chateau-Renaud.

"What a question! Now, do you know, baron, I have a great mind to pick a
quarrel with you for asking it; as if all the world did not know who the
Countess G---- was."

"Ah, to be sure,"