tain how to spend its energies, whither to steer its course, how
to adapt its sails to the winds. At first he determined to fling himself
heart and soul into his work, but he was diverted from this purpose by
the need of society and connections; then he saw how great an influence
women exert in social life, and suddenly made up his mind to go out
into this world to seek a protectress there. Surely a clever and
high-spirited young man, whose wit and courage were set off to advantage
by a graceful figure and the vigorous kind of beauty that readily
strikes a woman's imagination, need not despair of finding a
protectress. These ideas occurred to him in his country walks with his
sisters, whom he had once joined so gaily. The girls thought him very
much changed.

His aunt, Mme. de Marcillac, had been presented at court, and had moved
among the brightest heights of that lofty region. Suddenly the young
man's ambition discerned in those recollections of hers, which had been
like nursery fairy tales to her nephews and nieces, the elements of
a social success at least as important as the success which he had
achieved at the Ecole de Droit. He began to ask his aunt about those
relations; some of the old ties might still hold good. After much
shaking of the branches of the family tree, the old lady came to the
conclusion that of all persons who could be useful to her nephew among
the selfish genus of rich relations, the Vicomtesse de Beauseant was
the least likely to refuse. To this lady, therefore, she wrote in the
old-fashioned style, recommending Eugene to her; pointing out to
her nephew that if he succeeded in pleasing Mme. de Beauseant, the
Vicomtesse would introduce him to other relations. A few days after his
return to Paris, therefore, Rastignac sent his aunt's letter to Mme.
de Beauseant. The Vicomtesse replied by an invitation to a ball for
the following evening. This was the position of affairs at the Maison
Vauquer at the end of November 1819.

A few days later, after Mme. de Beauseant's ball, Eugene came in at two
o'clock in the morning. The persevering student meant to make up for the
lost time by working until daylight. It was the first time that he had
attempted to spend the night in this way in that silent quarter. The
spell of a factitious energy was upon him; he had beheld the pomp and
splendor of the world. He had not dined at the Maison Vauquer; the
boarders probably would think that he would walk home at da