y dog! Hold fast that you may acquire; and, above
all, acquire that you may hold. Those are my opinions, which I have the
honor to share with Prince Metternich."

"--as to commemorate my promotion to the order of the Legion of honor,"
continued Cesar.

"Yes, I know. Who told me of that,--the Kellers, or Nucingen?"

Roguin, surprised at such tact, made an admiring gesture.

"No, no; it was in the Chamber."

"In the Chamber? was it Monsieur de la Billardiere?" said Birotteau.

"Precisely."

"He is charming," whispered Cesar to his uncle.

"He pours out phrases, phrases, phrases," said Pillerault, "enough to
drown you."

"Possibly I showed myself worthy of this signal, royal favor,--" resumed
Birotteau.

"By your labors in perfumery; the Bourbons know how to reward all merit.
Ah! let us support those generous princes, to whom we are about to owe
unheard-of prosperity. Believe me, the Restoration feels that it must
run a tilt against the Empire; the Bourbons have conquests to make, the
conquests of peace. You will see their conquests!"

"Monsieur will perhaps do us the honor to be present at our ball?" said
Madame Cesar.

"To pass an evening with you, Madame, I would sacrifice the making of
millions."

"He certainly does chatter," said Cesar to his uncle.

* * * * *

While the declining glory of perfumery was about to send forth its
setting rays, a star was rising with feeble light upon the commercial
horizon. Anselme Popinot was laying the corner-stone of his fortune
in the Rue des Cinq-Diamants. This narrow little street, where loaded
wagons can scarcely pass each other, runs from the Rue des Lombards at
one end, to the Rue Aubry-le-Boucher at the other, entering the latter
opposite to the Rue Quincampoix, that famous thoroughfare of old
Paris where French history has so often been enacted. In spite of this
disadvantage, the congregation of druggists in that neighborhood made
Popinot's choice of the little street a good one. The house, which
stands second from the Rue des Lombards, was so dark that except at
certain seasons it was necessary to use lights in open day. The embryo
merchant had taken possession, the preceding evening, of the dingy
and disgusting premises. His predecessor, who sold molasses and coarse
sugars, had left the stains of his dirty business upon the walls, in the
court, in the store-rooms. Imagine a large and spacious shop, with great
iron-bound doors