In spite of two hundred thousand francs given by Crevel to his daughter at the time when his vanity was flattered by this marriage, before the Baron had robbed him of Josepha; in spite of the two hundred thousand francs paid off by Victorin in the course of seven years, the property was still burdened with a debt of five hundred thousand francs, in consequence of Victorin’s devotion to his father.  Happily, a rise in rents and the advantages of the situation had at this time improved the value of the houses.  The speculation was justifying itself after eight years’ patience, during which the lawyer had strained every nerve to pay the interest and some trifling amounts of the capital borrowed.

The tradespeople were ready to offer good rents for the shops, on condition of being granted leases for eighteen years.  The dwelling apartments rose in value by the shifting of the centre in Paris life —­henceforth transferred to the region between the Bourse and the Madeleine, now the seat of the political power and financial authority in Paris.  The money paid to him by the Minister, added to a year’s rent in advance and the premiums paid by his tenants, would finally reduce the outstanding debt to two hundred thousand francs.  The two houses, if entirely let, would bring in a hundred thousand francs a year.  Within two years more, during which the Hulots could live on his salaries, added to by the Marshal’s investments, Victorin would be in a splendid position.

This was manna from heaven.  Victorin could give up the first floor of his own house to his mother, and the second to Hortense, excepting two rooms reserved for Lisbeth.  With Cousin Betty as the housekeeper, this compound household could bear all these charges, and yet keep up a good appearance, as beseemed a pleader of note.  The great stars of the law-courts were rapidly disappearing; and Victorin Hulot, gifted with a shrewd tongue and strict honesty, was listened to by the Bench and Councillors; he studied his cases thoroughly, and advanced nothing that he could not prove.  He would not hold every brief that offered; in fact, he was a credit to the bar.

The Baroness’ home in the Rue Plumet had become so odious to her, that she allowed herself to be taken to the Rue Louis-le-Grand.  Thus, by her son’s care, Adeline occupied a fine apartment; she was spared all the daily worries of life; for Lisbeth consented to begin again, working wonders of domestic economy, such as she had achieved for Madame Marneffe, seeing here a way of exerting her silent vengeance on those three noble lives, the object, each, of her hatred, which was kept growing by the overthrow of all her hopes.

Once a month she went to see Valerie, sent, indeed, by Hortense, who wanted news of Wenceslas, and by Celestine, who was seriously uneasy at the acknowledged and well-known connection between her father and a woman to whom her mother-in-law and sister-in-law owed their ruin and their sorrows.  As may be supposed, Lisbeth took advantage of this to see Valerie as often as possible.