“What will you do?” said Europe with an air.

“Mein Gott!  I hafe no power over her.—­I shall take de management of her little affairs——­Dere, dere, go to comfort her, and you shall say that in ein mont she shall live in a little palace.”

“You have invested heavily, Monsieur le Baron, and for large interest, in a woman’s heart.  I tell you—­you look to me younger.  I am but a waiting-maid, but I have often seen such a change.  It is happiness —­happiness gives a certain glow. . . .  If you have spent a little money, do not let that worry you; you will see what a good return it will bring.  And I said to madame, I told her she would be the lowest of the low, a perfect hussy, if she did not love you, for you have picked her out of hell.—­When once she has nothing on her mind, you will see.  Between you and me, I may tell you, that night when she cried so much—­What is to be said, we value the esteem of the man who maintains us—­and she did not dare tell you everything.  She wanted to fly.”

“To fly!” cried the Baron, in dismay at the notion.  “But the Bourse, the Bourse!—­Go ’vay, I shall not come in.—­But tell her that I shall see her at her window—­dat shall gife me courage!”

Esther smiled at Monsieur de Nucingen as he passed the house, and he went ponderously on his way, saying: 

“She is ein anchel!”

This was how Europe had succeeded in achieving the impossible.  At about half-past two Esther had finished dressing, as she was wont to dress when she expected Lucien; she was looking charming.  Seeing this, Prudence, looking out of the window, said, “There is monsieur!”

The poor creature flew to the window, thinking she would see Lucien; she saw Nucingen.

“Oh! how cruelly you hurt me!” she said.

“There is no other way of getting you to seem to be gracious to a poor old man, who, after all, is going to pay your debts,” said Europe.  “For they are all to be paid.”

“What debts?” said the girl, who only cared to preserve her love, which dreadful hands were scattering to the winds.

“Those which Monsieur Carlos made in your name.”

“Why, here are nearly four hundred and fifty thousand francs,” cried Esther.

“And you owe a hundred and fifty thousand more.  But the Baron took it all very well.—­He is going to remove you from hence, and place you in a little palace.—­On my honor, you are not so badly off.  In your place, as you have got on the right side of this man, as soon as Carlos is satisfied, I should make him give me a house and a settled income.  You are certainly the handsomest woman I ever saw, madame, and the most attractive, but we so soon grow ugly!  I was fresh and good-looking, and look at me!  I am twenty-three, about the same age as madame, and I look ten years older.  An illness is enough.—­Well, but when you have a house in Paris and investments, you need never be afraid of ending in the streets.”