e the cousin wouldn't have fallen among us like a
cannon-ball," answered the notary.

"That doesn't prove anything," said Monsieur des Grassins; "the old
miser is always making mysteries."

"Des Grassins, my friend, I have invited the young man to dinner. You
must go and ask Monsieur and Madame de Larsonniere and the du Hautoys,
with the beautiful demoiselle du Hautoy, of course. I hope she will be
properly dressed; that jealous mother of hers does make such a fright of
her! Gentlemen, I trust that you will all do us the honor to come," she
added, stopping the procession to address the two Cruchots.

"Here you are at home, madame," said the notary.

After bowing to the three des Grassins, the three Cruchots returned
home, applying their provincial genius for analysis to studying, under
all its aspects, the great event of the evening, which undoubtedly
changed the respective positions of Grassinists and Cruchotines. The
admirable common-sense which guided all the actions of these great
machinators made each side feel the necessity of a momentary alliance
against a common enemy. Must they not mutually hinder Eugenie from
loving her cousin, and the cousin from thinking of Eugenie? Could the
Parisian resist the influence of treacherous insinuations, soft-spoken
calumnies, slanders full of faint praise and artless denials, which
should be made to circle incessantly about him and deceive him?

IV

When the four relations were left alone, Monsieur Grandet said to his
nephew,--

"We must go to bed. It is too late to talk about the matters which have
brought you here; to-morrow we will take a suitable moment. We breakfast
at eight o'clock; at midday we eat a little fruit or a bit of bread, and
drink a glass of white wine; and we dine, like the Parisians, at five
o'clock. That's the order of the day. If you like to go and see the
town and the environs you are free to do so. You will excuse me if my
occupations do not permit me to accompany you. You may perhaps hear
people say that I am rich,--Monsieur Grandet this, Monsieur Grandet
that. I let them talk; their gossip does not hurt my credit. But I have
not a penny; I work in my old age like an apprentice whose worldly goods
are a bad plane and two good arms. Perhaps you'll soon know yourself
what a franc costs when you have got to sweat for it. Nanon, where are
the candles?"

"I trust, my nephew, that you will find all you want," said Madame
Grandet; "but if you s