one of the frequenters of her attractive salon. Of her literary
friends she was especially proud. According to Theophile Gautier, this
was her coquetry, her luxury. If in some salon, some one--as was not
unusual at that time--attacked one of her friends, with what eloquent
anger did she defend them! What keen repartees, what incisive sarcasm!
On these occasions, her beauty glowed and became illuminated with a
divine radiance; she was magnificent; one might have thought Apollo
was preparing to flay Marsyas!

"Madame de Girardin professed for Balzac a lively admiration to
which he was sensible, and for which he showed his gratitude by
frequent visits; a costly return for him who was, with good right,
so avaricious of his time and of his working hours. Never did
woman possess to so high a degree as Delphine,--we were allowed to
call her by this familiar name among ourselves--the gift of
drawing out the wit of her guests. With her, we always found
ourselves in poetical raptures, and each left her salon amazed at
himself. There was no flint so rough that she could not cause it
to emit one spark; and with Balzac, as you may well believe, there
was no need of trying to strike fire; he flashed and kindled at
once." (Theophile Gautier, _Life Portraits, Balzac_.)

Balzac was interested in the occult sciences--in chiromancy and
cartomancy. He had been told of a sibyl even more astonishing than
Mademoiselle Lenormand, and he resolved that Madame de Girardin, Mery
and Theophile Gautier should drive with him to the abode of the
pythoness at Auteuil. The address given them was incorrect, only a
family of honest citizens living there, and the old mother became
angry at being taken for a sorceress. They had to make an ignominious
retreat, but Balzac insisted that this really was the place and