acute enough to deceive an entire congress of diplomatists. In
a couple of words, he is a moral half-caste, not quite a fraud, nor
entirely genuine. But, hush! he has succeeded already; nobody asks
anything further, and every one calls him an illustrious man.'

"'Well, my esteemed and excellent friend, and how may Your Intelligence
be?' So Rastignac addressed the stranger as he sat down at a neighboring
table.

"'Neither well nor ill; I am overwhelmed with work. I have all the
necessary materials for some very curious historical memoirs in my
hands, and I cannot find any one to whom I can ascribe them. It worries
me, for I shall have to be quick about it. Memoirs are falling out of
fashion.'

"'What are the memoirs--contemporaneous, ancient, or memoirs of the
court, or what?'

"'They relate to the Necklace affair.'

"'Now, isn't that a coincidence?' said Rastignac, turning to me and
laughing. He looked again to the literary speculation, and said,
indicating me:

"'This is M. de Valentin, one of my friends, whom I must introduce to
you as one of our future literary celebrities. He had formerly an aunt,
a marquise, much in favor once at court, and for about two years he has
been writing a Royalist history of the Revolution.'

"Then, bending over this singular man of business, he went on:

"'He is a man of talent, and a simpleton that will do your memoirs for
you, in his aunt's name, for a hundred crowns a volume.'

"'It's a bargain,' said the other, adjusting his cravat. 'Waiter, my
oysters.'

"'Yes, but you must give me twenty-five louis as commission, and you
will pay him in advance for each volume,' said Rastignac.

"'No, no. He shall only have fifty crowns on account, and then I shall
be sure of having my manuscript punctually.'

"Rastignac repeated this business conversation to me in low tones; and
then, without giving me any voice in the matter, he replied:

"'We agree to your proposal. When can we call upon you to arrange the
affair?'

"'Oh, well! Come and dine here to-morrow at seven o'clock.'

"We rose. Rastignac flung some money to the waiter, put the bill in his
pocket, and we went out. I was quite stupified by the flippancy and ease
with which he had sold my venerable aunt, la Marquise de Montbauron.

"'I would sooner take ship for the Brazils, and give the Indians lessons
in algebra, though I don't know a word of it, than tarnish my family
name.'

"Rastignac burst out laughing.

"'How