XVI

RETURN TO PARIS.--THE BUSINESS AGENT

A few days later, Monsieur Dufresne paid another visit to the family in the country. Edouard received him like an old friend, Madame Germeuil courteously, and Adeline rather coldly. The newcomer talked much of his affairs, of his speculations, of his extensive schemes. All this charmed and dazzled Murville, who was already crazy to start on the career which his friend was to open to him, and who, hurt by his mother-in-law's lack of confidence in this method of making his way, was keenly desirous to prove to her the absurdity of her fears.

Despite all that Edouard could say, Dufresne stayed but one day with him. His time was all occupied and his interests recalled him to Paris.

But the season was advancing; they could not remain longer among the fields, which were already losing their verdure. It was the end of October, and they had been in the country nearly six months. Edouard looked forward with delight to the moment for returning to Paris.

Adeline reproached him gently; Madame Germeuil said nothing, but she was already apprehensive for the future, and everything had not turned out as she had hoped when she gave her daughter's hand to Murville. The latter was of a weak, irresolute character, and yet Adeline did whatever he desired.

"Ah!" thought the good lady, "my daughter is too loving, too emotional.

She is not the wife that Edouard needed. She knows how to do nothing but embrace and sigh; and if he ever chooses to make a fool of himself, she will never have the strength to resist! Let us hope that he will not do it."

They returned to Paris. Then Edouard set about realizing the plans that he had formed. Every day he went to the Bourse and to the cafes where business men gathered; he did not go into any business at once, but he listened, walked about, talked and made acquaintances. Dufresne was often present, and he had promised his friend to let him in for a share in his brilliant speculations. Moreover, when business was not brisk, such people pa.s.sed their time agreeably, laughing, telling one another the news of the day, talking about theatres, b.a.l.l.s, fashions, concerts and love-affairs. The course of the stock market did not prevent them from being thoroughly posted as to the course of literature, music and dancing. While negotiating bills of exchange on Vienna or London, they enquired the name of the actress who was to play in the new piece; they undertook to sell shares and to hire a box at the Bouffons; they extolled the honesty of this or that tradesman, and the eccentricity of Lord Byron; the punctuality of a commission merchant, and the pirouettes of Paul; they knew the cause of the latest failure, and the plot of the melodrama which was then the rage; they knew what had happened at the last ball given by a banker, and in his wife's curtained box at the theatre. In fact, they knew everything, for they discussed all subjects.

At all these gatherings they declared war and peace, and settled the course of the weather; they divided, reunited, and enlarged empires with the end of a cane or switch; they knew the secrets of the cabinets of all the powers of Europe!--yet when they returned home to their wives, they did not notice everything that had taken place during their absence.

Adeline sighed for the happy days that she had pa.s.sed in the country immediately after her marriage. However, her husband still loved her; she did not doubt it; but she saw him less frequently, and when he was with her, he no longer, as formerly, talked of love, of constancy, of conjugal happiness, but he a.s.sured her that he would soon be engaged in extensive affairs, speculations, in which he would make large profits.

"But what need have we of so much money, my dear?" said Adeline, throwing her arms about her husband; "I am soon to be a mother, that is to me the greatest of all joys; with your love I desire no other----"

"My dear love, what you say is very pretty; I share your sentiments, but I see farther than you do. Never fear, we shall be very happy some day."

"Ah! my dear, never so happy, never more happy than I have been; before you knew Dufresne, you thought of n.o.body but me!"

"Well, now you are going to talk about Dufresne, are you? You don't like him; you have taken a grudge against him. What has he done to cause this? He gives me good advice, and he is pushing me along the road to wealth; I don't see in that any reason for detesting him!"

"I detest n.o.body."

"But you receive him coldly, and Madame Dolban too."

"I receive him as I do everybody."

"Oh! no doubt; you would like to live like a bear, and never see any company."

"I have not said that; but formerly I was enough for you, and you didn't need company to be happy in your home."

"Pshaw! now you are crying! tears are no argument! how childish you are!

you know perfectly well that I love you, that I love n.o.body but you!"

"Oh! I won't cry any more, my dear. If it pleases you, I will see a great deal of company."

"Oh! I don't say that; we will see if my plans succeed. Dufresne tells me that it would not be a bad idea for me to give evening parties, punches, with a violin and an ecarte table. But don't mention this yet to your mother,--she is so peculiar!"

"I won't say anything, my dear."

Edouard went out to his business, and Adeline remained alone. Thereupon, she gave free vent to her tears, for she could not conceal the fact from herself, that her husband was not the same. Still he loved her tenderly, he was not unfaithful; why then should she be disturbed by a change which was only natural and which nothing could prevent? Eight months of wedded life had not diminished Adeline's affection. Her love was still as ardent, as exclusive, her caresses as warm and pa.s.sionate; but a man's heart needs a respite in its affections; it is unable to love a long while with the same pa.s.sion; it beats violently and then stops; it blazes and then grows cold; it is a fire which does not burn with equal intensity; a trifle is sufficient to extinguish or rekindle it.

The young wife said all this to herself to console herself; above all, she determined to conceal her grief from her mother; but she could not change with respect to Dufresne; that man aroused in her a feeling of repulsion, which her heart could not explain. And yet he was agreeable, courteous to her; he had never ceased to be respectful in his attentions: at what then could she take offence? She had no idea, but she did not like him, and her glance caused him an embarra.s.sment and confusion which were not natural; she fancied that she detected in him a sort of constraint which she could not define. When she appeared, Dufresne seemed ill at ease, and he left the room if Madame Dolban were present; if chance caused him to be left alone with his friend's wife, he had nothing to say; but at such times, his eyes followed Adeline's every movement, and they wore an expression which she could not endure.

Several days after the conversation he had had with his wife, Edouard returned home with a triumphant air; his face was radiant, his eyes gleamed with pleasure.

"What's the matter, son-in-law, what has happened to you?" said Mamma Germeuil; "you seem very happy."

"In truth, I am, and I have good reason to be."

"Of course you will let us share your joy, my dear."

"Yes, mesdames, you will cease now, I hope, to say that I delude myself with chimeras; by the luckiest chance I have recently become acquainted with a rich foreigner, who proposes to settle in France. He was looking for a large, pleasant house, all furnished, in one of the best quarters of the city; I found one for him; he looked at it, was delighted with it, bought it, and gives me six thousand francs for my trouble; and the seller gives me as much more for my commission. Well! isn't that rather pleasant? Twelve thousand francs earned in a moment."

"True, son-in-law, but you have been running about for three months to reach that moment!"

"Twelve thousand francs! That is well worth taking a little trouble for!"

"That is true, but such affairs must be rare."

"I shall find others."

"They will not all be so fortunate."

"Oh! if a man earned twelve thousand francs every day, he would be too lucky."

"In this matter, you do not seem to have needed Dufresne's a.s.sistance?"

"Oh! he will put me in the way of more profitable ones yet. But in order to do a good business, I must have an office. You must understand that when my clients come to see me, I can't receive them in a salon or a bedroom. I must have an office well stocked with boxes. That makes an impression; and as it is impossible to have a suitable place here, we must move."

"What! do you mean to leave these lodgings, son-in-law?"

"Ah! my dear! this is where our hands were united by mamma. It was here that Hymen fulfilled our wishes, and I have been so happy here!"

"My dear love, one is happy anywhere when one is rich. We will take a much handsomer apartment. This salon is too small."

"It is large enough to receive our friends."

"Yes, but friends are not the only ones to be received; we have acquaintances too."

"Son-in-law, don't you think that you are undertaking an establishment beyond your means?"

"Madame, I wish to make my fortune; that is a very praiseworthy ambition, it seems to me; why should I not try what thousands of others have tried successfully? Have I less merit, less talents than my predecessors? I propose to prove the contrary to your satisfaction. Who is this manufacturer, whose name is in every mouth, whose wealth is immense and his credit unlimited? He came to Paris without a sou; he simply knew how to write and make figures; he entered, as a petty clerk, the establishment of which to-day he is the owner; but he was ambitious, he worked hard, and everything succeeded with him. This financier, who is engaged in such enormous operations on the Bourse, arrived from his village, asking hospitality at the taverns along the road, sleeping on straw, and eating nothing but bread, lucky when he had enough of that to satisfy his appet.i.te. He stopped at Paris on Place du Peron, hesitating whether he should ask alms or should jump into the river. A tradesman happened to notice him and gave him a letter to carry; the promptness and zeal which he displayed in doing the errand interested people in his favor. Every one selected him for his messenger; he soon succeeded in saving some money, and speculated on his own account; the movement of stocks was favorable to him; and to make a long story short, he has become a millionaire. I could cite you a hundred similar examples; and since one may become something from nothing, it seems to me that it is much easier to become rich when one already has something in hand."

"When one has nothing, son-in-law, one does not risk ruining oneself."

"Oh! only the fools ruin themselves, madame!"

"It is better to be a fool than a knave, and many people have made their fortunes only at the expense of those of other people."

"I trust, madame, that you do not consider me capable of enriching myself in that way?"

"No, of course not! But before everything else one should be orderly and economical. By this means the financier and manufacturer whom you mentioned just now have grown rich, and not by giving extravagant receptions and b.a.l.l.s."