Scenes from a Courtesan's Life [119]
him come in with Lucien. "Go and see Madame du Val-Noble, whom I discover in a box on the third tier with her nabob.--A great many nabobs grow in the Indies," she added, with a knowing glance at Lucien.
"And that one," said Lucien, smiling, "is uncommonly like yours."
"And them," said Esther, answering Lucien with another look of intelligence, while still speaking to the Baron, "bring her here with her nabob; he is very anxious to make your acquaintance. They say he is very rich. The poor woman has already poured out I know not how many elegies; she complains that her nabob is no good; and if you relieve him of his ballast, perhaps he will sail closer to the wind."
"You tink ve are all tieves!" said the Baron as he went away.
"What ails you, my Lucien?" asked Esther in her friend's ear, just touching it with her lips as soon as the box door was shut.
"I am lost! I have just been turned from the door of the Hotel de Grandlieu under pretence that no one was admitted. The Duke and Duchess were at home, and five pairs of horses were champing in the courtyard."
"What! will the marriage not take place?" exclaimed Esther, much agitated, for she saw a glimpse of Paradise.
"I do not yet know what is being plotted against me----"
"My Lucien," said she in a deliciously coaxing voice, "why be worried about it? You can make a better match by and by--I will get you the price of two estates----"
"Give us supper to-night that I may be able to speak in secret to Carlos, and, above all, invite the sham Englishman and Val-Noble. That nabob is my ruin; he is our enemy; we will get hold of him, and we----"
But Lucien broke off with a gesture of despair.
"Well, what is it?" asked the poor girl.
"Oh! Madame de Serizy sees me!" cried Lucien, "and to crown our woes, the Duc de Rhetore, who witnessed my dismissal, is with her."
In fact, at that very minute, the Duc de Rhetore was amusing himself with Madame de Serizy's discomfiture.
"Do you allow Lucien to be seen in Mademoiselle Esther's box?" said the young Duke, pointing to the box and to Lucien; "you, who take an interest in him, should really tell him such things are not allowed. He may sup at her house, he may even--But, in fact, I am no longer surprised at the Grandlieus' coolness towards the young man. I have just seen their door shut in his face--on the front steps----"
"Women of that sort are very dangerous," said Madame de Serizy, turning her opera-glass on Esther's box.
"Yes," said the Duke, "as much by what they can do as by what they wish----"
"They will ruin him!" cried Madame de Serizy, "for I am told they cost as much whether they are paid or no."
"Not to him!" said the young Duke, affecting surprise. "They are far from costing him anything; they give him money at need, and all run after him."
The Countess' lips showed a little nervous twitching which could not be included in any category of smiles.
"Well, then," said Esther, "come to supper at midnight. Bring Blondet and Rastignac; let us have two amusing persons at any rate; and we won't be more than nine."
"You must find some excuse for sending the Baron to fetch Eugenie under pretence of warning Asie, and tell her what has befallen me, so that Carlos may know before he has the nabob under his claws."
"That shall be done," said Esther.
And thus Peyrade was probably about to find himself unwittingly under the same roof with his adversary. The tiger was coming into the lion's den, and a lion surrounded by his guards.
When Lucien went back to Madame de Serizy's box, instead of turning to him, smiling and arranging her skirts for him to sit by her, she affected to pay him not the slightest attention, but looked about the house through her glass. Lucien could see, however, by the shaking of her hand that the Countess was suffering from one of those terrible emotions by which illicit joys are paid for. He went to the front of the box all the same, and sat down by her at the opposite corner, leaving a little vacant space between himself and the Countess. He leaned
"And that one," said Lucien, smiling, "is uncommonly like yours."
"And them," said Esther, answering Lucien with another look of intelligence, while still speaking to the Baron, "bring her here with her nabob; he is very anxious to make your acquaintance. They say he is very rich. The poor woman has already poured out I know not how many elegies; she complains that her nabob is no good; and if you relieve him of his ballast, perhaps he will sail closer to the wind."
"You tink ve are all tieves!" said the Baron as he went away.
"What ails you, my Lucien?" asked Esther in her friend's ear, just touching it with her lips as soon as the box door was shut.
"I am lost! I have just been turned from the door of the Hotel de Grandlieu under pretence that no one was admitted. The Duke and Duchess were at home, and five pairs of horses were champing in the courtyard."
"What! will the marriage not take place?" exclaimed Esther, much agitated, for she saw a glimpse of Paradise.
"I do not yet know what is being plotted against me----"
"My Lucien," said she in a deliciously coaxing voice, "why be worried about it? You can make a better match by and by--I will get you the price of two estates----"
"Give us supper to-night that I may be able to speak in secret to Carlos, and, above all, invite the sham Englishman and Val-Noble. That nabob is my ruin; he is our enemy; we will get hold of him, and we----"
But Lucien broke off with a gesture of despair.
"Well, what is it?" asked the poor girl.
"Oh! Madame de Serizy sees me!" cried Lucien, "and to crown our woes, the Duc de Rhetore, who witnessed my dismissal, is with her."
In fact, at that very minute, the Duc de Rhetore was amusing himself with Madame de Serizy's discomfiture.
"Do you allow Lucien to be seen in Mademoiselle Esther's box?" said the young Duke, pointing to the box and to Lucien; "you, who take an interest in him, should really tell him such things are not allowed. He may sup at her house, he may even--But, in fact, I am no longer surprised at the Grandlieus' coolness towards the young man. I have just seen their door shut in his face--on the front steps----"
"Women of that sort are very dangerous," said Madame de Serizy, turning her opera-glass on Esther's box.
"Yes," said the Duke, "as much by what they can do as by what they wish----"
"They will ruin him!" cried Madame de Serizy, "for I am told they cost as much whether they are paid or no."
"Not to him!" said the young Duke, affecting surprise. "They are far from costing him anything; they give him money at need, and all run after him."
The Countess' lips showed a little nervous twitching which could not be included in any category of smiles.
"Well, then," said Esther, "come to supper at midnight. Bring Blondet and Rastignac; let us have two amusing persons at any rate; and we won't be more than nine."
"You must find some excuse for sending the Baron to fetch Eugenie under pretence of warning Asie, and tell her what has befallen me, so that Carlos may know before he has the nabob under his claws."
"That shall be done," said Esther.
And thus Peyrade was probably about to find himself unwittingly under the same roof with his adversary. The tiger was coming into the lion's den, and a lion surrounded by his guards.
When Lucien went back to Madame de Serizy's box, instead of turning to him, smiling and arranging her skirts for him to sit by her, she affected to pay him not the slightest attention, but looked about the house through her glass. Lucien could see, however, by the shaking of her hand that the Countess was suffering from one of those terrible emotions by which illicit joys are paid for. He went to the front of the box all the same, and sat down by her at the opposite corner, leaving a little vacant space between himself and the Countess. He leaned