him, laughing, that they now offered him a most seductive opportunity
to polish up his heart and know the supreme fascinations which love
conferred on a Parisian great lady. The princess was evidently in love
with him; he had nothing to fear but everything to gain by accepting
the interview; it was quite impossible he could descend from the
pedestal on which madame de Cadignan had placed him. Neither Blondet
nor Rastignac saw any impropriety in attributing this love to the
princess; she whose past had given rise to so many anecdotes could
very well stand that lesser calumny. Together they began to relate to
d'Arthez the adventures of the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse: her first
affair with de Marsay; her second with d'Ajuda, whom she had, they
said, distracted from his wife, thus avenging Madame de Beausant; also
her later connection with young d'Esgrignon, who had travelled with
her in Italy, and had horribly compromised himself on her account;
after that they told him how unhappy she had been with a certain
celebrated ambassador, how happy with a Russian general, besides
becoming the Egeria of two ministers of Foreign affairs, and various
other anecdotes. D'Arthez replied that he knew a great deal more than
they could tell him about her through their poor friend, Michel
Chrestien, who adored her secretly for four years, and had well-nigh
gone mad about her.

"I have often accompanied him," said Daniel, "to the opera. He would
make me run through the streets as far as her horses that he might see
the princess through the window of her coupe."

"Well, there you have a topic all ready for you," said Blondet,
smiling. "This is the very woman you need; she'll initiate you most
gracefully into the mysteries of elegance; but take care! she has
wasted many fortunes. The beautiful Diane is one of those spendthrifts