ike a second self for
me. Yes, in my own thoughts I shall live your life. You shall have the
holiday life, in the glare of the world and among the swift working
springs of intrigue. I will lead the work-a-day life, the tradesman's
life of sober toil, and the patient labor of scientific research.

"You shall be our aristocracy," he went on, looking at Eve as he spoke.
"If you totter, you shall have my arm to steady you. If you have reason
to complain of the treachery of others, you will find a refuge in our
hearts, the love there will never change. And influence and favor and
the goodwill of others might fail us if we were two; we should stand in
each other's way; go forward, you can tow me after you if it comes to
that. So far from envying you, I will dedicate my life to yours. The
thing that you have just done for me, when you risked the loss of your
benefactress, your love it may be, rather than forsake or disown me,
that little thing, so great as it was--ah, well, Lucien, that in itself
would bind me to you forever if we were not brothers already. Have
no remorse, no concern over seeming to take the larger share. This
one-sided bargain is exactly to my taste. And, after all, suppose that
you should give me a pang now and again, who knows that I shall not
still be your debtor all my life long?"

He looked timidly towards Eve as he spoke; her eyes were full of tears,
she saw all that lay below the surface.

"In fact," he went on, turning to Lucien, who stood amazed at this, "you
are well made, you have a graceful figure, you wear your clothes with
an air, you look like a gentleman in that blue coat of yours with the
yellow buttons and the plain nankeen trousers; now I should look like
a workingman among those people, I should be awkward and out of my
element, I should say foolish things, or say nothing at all; but as for
you, you can overcome any prejudice as to names by taking your mother's;
you can call yourself Lucien de Rubempre; I am and always shall be David
Sechard. In this society that you frequent, everything tells for you,
everything would tell against me. You were born to shine in it. Women
will worship that angel face of yours; won't they, Eve?"

Lucien sprang up and flung his arms about David. David's humility
had made short work of many doubts and plenty of difficulties. Was it
possible not to feel twice tenderly towards this friend, who by the way
of friendship had come to think the very thoughts that