EVENTH.

Saint-Charles (alone)
A bad beginning! Ten louis thrown away. To shadow him indeed! It is
too stupid not to have a spice of wit in it, this habit of calling
things by their right name, at the outset. If the pretended steward,
for there is no steward here, if the baron is as clever as his
footman, I shall have nothing to base my information on, excepting
what they conceal from me. This room is very fine. There is neither
portrait of the king, nor emblem of royalty here. Well, it is plain
they do not frame their opinions. Is the furniture suggestive of
anything? No. It is too new to have been even paid for. But for the
air which the porter whistled, doubtless a signal, I should be
inclined to believe in the De Frescas people.

SCENE EIGHTH.
Saint-Charles, Vautrin and Lafouraille.
(Vautrin wears a bright maroon coat, of old-fashioned cut, with large
heavy buttons; his breeches are black silk, as are his stockings. His
shoes have gold buckles, his waistcoat is flowered, he wears two
watch-chains, his cravat belongs to the time of the Revolution; his
wig is white, his face old, keen, withered, dissipated looking. He
speaks low, and his voice is cracked.)

Vautrin (to Lafouraille)
Very good; you may go. (Exit Lafouraille. Aside) Now for the tug of
war, Monsieur Blondet. (Aloud) I am at your service, sir.

Saint-Charles (aside)
A worn out fox is still dangerous. (Aloud) Excuse me, baron, for
disturbing you, while yet unknown to you.

Vautrin
I can guess what your business is.

Saint-Charles (aside)
Indeed?

Vautrin
You are an architect, and have a proposal to make to me; but I have
already received most excellent offers.

Saint-Charles
Excuse me, your Dutchman must have mispronounced my name. I am the
Chevalier de Saint-Charles.

Vautrin (raising his spectacles)
Let me see--we are old acquaintances. You were at the Congress of
Vienna, and then bore the name of Count of Gorcum--a fine name!

Saint-Charles (aside)
Go choke yourself, old man! (Aloud) So you were there also?

Vautrin
I should think so! And I am glad to have come upon you again. You were
a deuced clever fellow, you know. How you fooled them all!

Saint-Charles (aside)
We'll stick to Vienna, then. (Aloud) Ah, baron! I recall you perfectly
now; you also steered your bark pretty cleverly there.

Vautrin
Of course I did, and what women we had there! Yes, indeed! And have
you still your fair Italian?

Saint-Charles
Did you know he