his antecedents and his social position--

Vautrin
Be off to your lodge!

Buteux
Little Nini, daughter of Giroflee is there--

Vautrin
She may let a spy pass in.

Buteux
She! She is a little cat to whom it is not necessary to point out the
stool-pigeons.

Vautrin
You may judge my power from what I am in process of doing for Raoul.
Ought he not to be preferred before all? Raoul de Frescas is a young
man who has remained pure as an angel in the midst of our mire-pit; he
is our conscience; moreover, he is my creation; I am at once his
father, his mother, and I desire to be his guiding providence. I, who
can never know happiness, still delight in making other people happy.
I breathe through his lips, I live in his life, his passions are my
own; and it is impossible for me to know noble and pure emotions
excepting in the heart of this being unsoiled by crime. You have your
fancies, here I show you mine. In exchange for the blight which
society has brought upon me, I give it a man of honor, and enter upon
a struggle with destiny; do you wish to be of my party? Obey me.

All
In life, and death--

Vautrin (aside)
So my savage beasts are once more brought to submission. (Aloud)
Philosopher, try to put on the air, the face, the costume of an
_employe_ of the lost goods bureau, and take back to the embassy the
plate borrowed by Lafouraille. (To Fil-de-Soie) You, Fil-de-Soie, must
prepare a sumptuous dinner, as Monsieur de Frescas is to entertain a
few friends. You will afterwards dress yourself as a respectable man,
and assume the air of a lawyer. You will go to number six, Rue Oblin,
ring seven times at the fourth-story door, and ask for Pere Giroflee.
When they ask where you come from, you will answer from a seaport in
Bohemia. They will let you in. I want certain letters and papers of
the Duc de Christoval; here are the text and patterns. I want an
absolute fac-simile, with the briefest possible delay. Lafouraille,
you must go and insert a few lines in the newspapers, notifying the
arrival of . . . (He whispers into his ear.) This forms part of my
plan. Now leave me.

Lafouraille
Well, are you satisfied?

Vautrin
Yes.

Philosopher
You want nothing more of us?

Vautrin
Nothing.

Fil-de-Soie
There will be no more rebellion; every one will be good.

Buteux
Let your mind rest easy; we are going to be not only polite, but
honest.

Vautrin
That is right, boys; a little integrity, a great deal of addres