“ThoughdeMarsaywasrichwhenhestartedinlifehewasanexception，“saidthehost，aparvenunamedFinot，ambitiousofseemingintimatewiththeseyoungmen。“Anyonebuthe，“addedFinotbowingtothatpersonage，“wouldhavebeenruinedbyit。“
“Atrueremark，“saidMaximedeTrailles。
“Andatrueidea，“addedRastignac。
“Mydearfellow，“saiddeMarsay，gravely，toSavinien；“debtsarethecapitalstockofexperience。Agooduniversityeducationwithtutorsforallbranches，whodon’tteachyouanything，costssixtythousandfrancs。Iftheeducationoftheworlddoescostdouble，atleastitteachesyoutounderstandlife，politics，men，——andsometimeswomen。“
BlondetconcludedthelessonbyaparaphrasefromLaFontaine:“Theworldsellsdearlywhatwethinkitgives。“
InsteadoflayingtoheartthesensibleadvicewhichthecleverestpilotsoftheParisianarchipelagogavehim，Savinientookitallasajoke。
“Takecare，mydearfellow，“saiddeMarsayoneday。“Youhaveagreatname；ifyoudon’tobtainthefortunethatnamerequiresyou’llendyourdaysintheuniformofacavalry-sergeant。’Wehaveseenthefallofnoblerheads，’“headded，declaimingthelineofCorneilleashetookSavinien’sarm。“Aboutsixyearsago，“hecontinued，“ayoungComted’Esgrignoncameamongus；buthedidnotstaytwoyearsintheparadiseofthegreatworld。Alas！helivedandmovedlikearocket。
HerosetotheDuchessedeMaufrigneuseandfelltohisnativetown，whereheisnowexpiatinghisfaultswithawheezyoldfatherandagameofwhistattwosousapoint。TellMadamedeSerizyyoursituation，candidly，withoutshame；shewillunderstanditandbeveryusefultoyou。Whereas，ifyouplaythecharadeoffirstlovewithhershewillposeasaRaffaelleMadonna，practiceallthelittlegamesofinnocenceuponyou，andtakeyoujourneyingatenormouscostthroughtheLandofSentiment。“
Savinien，stilltooyoungandtoopureinhonor，darednotconfesshispositionastomoneytoMadamedeSerizy。Atamomentwhenheknewnotwhichwaytoturnhehadwrittenhismotheranappealingletter，towhichsherepliedbysendinghimthesumoftwentythousandfrancs，whichwasallshepossessed。Thisassistancebroughthimtothecloseofthefirstyear。Duringthesecond，beingharnessedtothechariotofMadamedeSerizy，whowasseriouslytakenwithhim，andwhowas，asthesayingis，forminghim，hehadrecoursetothedangerousexpedientofborrowing。Oneofhisfriends，adeputyandthefriendofhiscousintheComtedePortenduere，advisedhiminhisdistresstogotoGobseckorGigonnetorPalma，who，ifdulyinformedastohismother’smeans，wouldgivehimaneasydiscount。Usuryandthedeceptivehelpofrenewalsenabledhimtoleadahappylifefornearlyeighteenmonths。WithoutdaringtoleaveMadamedeSerizythepoorboyhadfallenmadlyinlovewiththebeautifulComtessedeKergarouet，aprudeafterthefashionofyoungwomenwhoareawaitingthedeathofanoldhusbandandmakingcapitaloftheirvirtueintheinterestsofasecondmarriage。Quiteincapableofunderstandingthatcalculatingvirtueisinvulnerable，SavinienpaidcourttoEmiliedeKergarouetinallthesplendorofarichman。Henevermissedeitherballortheateratwhichshewaspresent。
“Youhaven’tpowderenough，myboy，toblowupthatrock，“saiddeMarsay，laughing。
Thatyoungkingoffashion，whodid，outofcommiserationforthelad，endeavortoexplaintohimthenatureofEmiliedeFontaine，merelywastedhiswords；thegloomylightsofmisfortuneandthetwilightofaprisonwereneededtoconvinceSavinien。
Anote，imprudentlygiventoajewelerincollusionwiththemoney-
lenders，whodidnotwishtohavetheodiumofarrestingtheyoungman，wasthemeansofsendingSaviniendePortenduere，indefaultofonehundredandseventeenthousandfrancsandwithouttheknowledgeofhisfriends，tothedebtor’sprisonatSainte-Pelagie。SosoonasthefactwasknownRastignac，deMarsay，andLuciendeRubemprewenttoseehim，andeachofferedhimabanknoteofathousandfrancswhentheyfoundhowreallydestitutehewas。Everythingbelongingtohimhadbeenseizedexcepttheclothesandthefewjewelshewore。ThethreeyoungmenwhobroughtanexcellentdinnerwiththemdiscussedSavinien’ssituationwhiledrinkingdeMarsay’swine，ostensiblytoarrangeforhisfuturebutreally，nodoubt，tojudgeofhim。
“WhenamanisnamedSaviniendePortenduere，“criedRastignac，“andhasafuturepeerofFranceforacousinandAdmiralKergarouetforagreat-uncle，andcommitstheenormousblunderofallowinghimselftobeputinSainte-Pelagie，itisverycertainthathemustnotstaythere，mygoodfellow。“
“Whydidn’tyoutellme？“crieddeMarsay。“Youcouldhavehadmytraveling-carriage，tenthousandfrancs，andlettersofintroductionforGermany。WeknowGobseckandGigonnetandtheothercrocodiles；wecouldhavemadethemcapitulate。Buttellme，inthefirstplace，whatasseverledyoutodrinkofthatcursedspring。“
“DesLupeaulx。“
Thethreeyoungmenlookedateachotherwithoneandthesamethoughtandsuspicion，buttheydidnotutterit。
“Explainallyourresources；showusyourhand，“saiddeMarsay。
WhenSavinienhadtoldofhismotherandherold-fashionedways，andthelittlehousewiththreewindowsintheRuedesBourgeois，withoutothergroundsthanacourtforthewellandashedforthewood；whenhehadvaluedthehouse，builtofsandstoneandpointedinreddishcement，andputapriceonthefarmatBordieres，thethreedandieslookedateachother，andallthreesaidwithasolemnairthewordoftheabbeinAlfreddeMusset’s“Marronsdufeu“whichhadthenjustappeared，——“Sad！“
“Yourmotherwillpayifyouwriteacleverletter，“saidRastignac。
“Yes，butafterwards？“crieddeMarsay。
“Ifyouhadmerelybeenputinthefiacre，“saidLucien，“thegovernmentwouldfindyouaplaceindiplomacy，butSaint-Pelagieisn’ttheantechamberofanembassy。“
“YouarenotstrongenoughforParisianlife，“saidRastignac。
“Letusconsiderthematter，“saiddeMarsay，lookingSavinienoverasajockeyexaminesahorse。“Youhavefineblueeyes，wellopened，awhiteforeheadwellshaped，magnificentblackhair，alittlemoustachewhichsuitsthosepalecheeks，andaslimfigure；you’veafootthattellsrace，shouldersandchestnotquitethoseofaporter，butsolid。YouarewhatIcallanelegantmalebrunette。YourfaceisofthestyleLouisXII。，hardlyanycolor，well-formednose；andyouhavethethingthatpleaseswomen，asomething，Idon’tknowwhatitis，whichmentakenoaccountofthemselves；itisintheair，themanner，thetoneofthevoice，thedartoftheeye，thegesture，——inshort，inanumberoflittlethingswhichwomenseeandtowhichtheyattachameaningwhichescapesus。Youdon’tknowyourmerits，mydearfellow。
Takeacertaintoneandstyleandinsixmonthsyou’llcaptivateanEnglish-womanwithahundredthousandpounds；butyoumustcallyourselfviscount，atitlewhichbelongstoyou。Mycharmingstep-
mother，LadyDudley，whohasnotherequalformatchingtwohearts，willfindyousomesuchwomaninthefensofGreatBritain。Whatyoumustnowdoistogetthepaymentofyourdebtspostponedforninetydays。Whydidn’tyoutellusaboutthem？Themoney-lendersatBadenwouldhavesparedyou——servedyouperhaps；butnow，afteryouhaveoncebeeninprison，they’lldespiseyou。Amoney-lenderis，likesociety，likethemasses，downonhiskneesbeforethemanwhoisstrongenoughtotrickhim，andpitilesstothelambs。TotheeyesofsomepersonsSainte-Pelagieisashe-devilwhoburnsthesoulsofyoungmen。Doyouwantmycandidadvice？IshalltellyouasItoldthatlittled’Esgrignon:’Arrangetopayyourdebtsleisurely；keepenoughtoliveonforthreeyears，andmarrysomegirlintheprovinceswhocanbringyouanincomeofthirtythousandfrancs。’InthecourseofthreeyearsyoucansurelyfindsomevirtuousheiresswhoiswillingtocallherselfMadamelaVicomtessedePortenduere。
Suchisvirtue，——let’sdrinktoit。Igiveyouatoast:’Thegirlwithmoney！“
Theyoungmendidnotleavetheirex-friendtilltheofficialhourforparting。Thegatewasnosoonerclosedbehindthemthantheysaidtoeachother:“He’snotstrongenough！““He’squitecrushed。““Idon’tbelievehe’llpullthroughit？“
ThenextdaySavinienwrotehismotheraconfessionintwenty-twopages。MadamedePortenduere，afterweepingforonewholeday，wrotefirsttoherson，promisingtogethimoutofprison，andthentotheComtedePortenduereandtoAdmiralKergarouet。
Theletterstheabbehadjustreadandwhichthepoormotherwasholdinginherhandandmoisteningwithtears，weretheanswerstoherappeal，whichhadarrivedthatmorning，andhadalmostbrokenherheart。
Paris，September，1829。
ToMadamedePortenduere:
Madame，——YoucannotdoubttheinterestwhichtheadmiralandI
bothfeelinyourtroubles。WhatyouaskofMonsieurdeKergarouetgrievesmeallthemorebecauseourhousewasahometoyourson；wewereproudofhim。IfSavinienhadhadmoreconfidenceintheadmiralwecouldhavetakenhimtolivewithus，andhewouldalreadyhaveobtainedsomegoodsituation。But，unfortunately，hetoldusnothing；heranintodebtofhisownaccord，andeveninvolvedhimselfforme，whoknewnothingofhispecuniaryposition。ItisallthemoretoberegrettedbecauseSavinienhas，forthemoment，tiedourhandsbyallowingtheauthoritiestoarresthim。
Ifmynephewhadnotshownafoolishpassionformeandsacrificedourrelationshiptothevanityofalover，wecouldhavesenthimtotravelinGermanywhilehisaffairswerebeingsettledhere。
MonsieurdeKergarouetintendedtogethimaplaceintheWaroffice；butthisimprisonmentfordebtwillparalyzesuchefforts。
Youmustpayhisdebts；lethimenterthenavy；hewillmakehiswaylikethetruePortenduerethatheis；hehasthefireofthefamilyinhisbeautifulblackeyes，andwewillallhelphim。
Donotbedisheartened，madame；youhavemanyfriends，amongwhomIbegyoutoconsidermeasoneofthemostsincere；Isendyouourbestwishes，withtherespectsofYourveryaffectionateservant，EmiliedeKergarouet。
Thesecondletterwasasfollows:——
Portenduere，August，1829。