the whole village happy, fifty-five
thousand francs--and stuffed them into the pocket of his coat. But a
millionaire's lavishness can only be compared with his eagerness for
gain. As soon as a whim or a passion is to be gratified, money is dross
to a Croesus; in fact, he finds it harder to have whims than gold. A
keen pleasure is the rarest thing in these satiated lives, full of the
excitement that comes of great strokes of speculation, in which these
dried-up hearts have burned themselves out.

For instance, one of the richest capitalists in Paris one day met an
extremely pretty little working-girl. Her mother was with her, but the
girl had taken the arm of a young fellow in very doubtful finery, with a
very smart swagger. The millionaire fell in love with the girl at first
sight; he followed her home, he went in; he heard all her story, a
record of alternations of dancing at Mabille and days of starvation,
of play-going and hard work; he took an interest in it, and left five
thousand-franc notes under a five-franc piece--an act of generosity
abused. Next day a famous upholsterer, Braschon, came to take the
damsel's orders, furnished rooms that she had chosen, and laid out
twenty thousand francs. She gave herself up to the wildest hopes,
dressed her mother to match, and flattered herself she would find a
place for her ex-lover in an insurance office. She waited--a day, two
days--then a week, two weeks. She thought herself bound to be faithful;
she got into debt. The capitalist, called away to Holland, had forgotten
the girl; he never went once to the Paradise where he had placed her,
and from which she fell as low as it is possible to fall even in Paris.

Nucingen did not gamble, Nucingen did not patronize the Arts, Nucingen
had no hobby; thus he flung himself into his passion for Esther with a
headlong blindness, on which Carlos Herrera had confidently counted.

After his breakfast, the Baron sent for Georges, his body-servant, and
desired him to go to the Rue Taitbout and ask Mademoiselle Eugenie,
Madame van Bogseck's maid, to come to his office on a matter of
importance.

"You shall look out for her," he added, "an' make her valk up to my
room, and tell her I shall make her fortune."

Georges had the greatest difficulty in persuading Europe-Eugenie to
come.

"Madame never lets me go out," said she; "I might lose my place," and
so forth; and Georges sang her praises loudly to the Baron, who gave him
ten louis.