ng all the anxieties of a man who hopes
to triumph. His blood seemed to him to be tingling in his toe-nails, and
his head ready to burst like an overheated steam engine.

"I had more dan one hundert tousand crowns' vort of enjoyment--in my
mind," he said to du Tillet when telling him the story.

He listened to every little noise in the street, and at two in the
morning he heard his mistress' carriage far away on the boulevard. His
heart beat vehemently under his silk waistcoat as the gate turned on
its hinges. He was about to behold the heavenly, the glowing face of
his Esther!--the clatter of the carriage-step and the slam of the door
struck upon his heart. He was more agitated in expectation of this
supreme moment than he would have been if his fortune had been at stake.

"Ah, ha!" cried he, "dis is vat I call to lif--it is too much to lif; I
shall be incapable of everything."

"Madame is alone; come down," said Europe, looking in. "Above all, make
no noise, great elephant."

"Great Elephant!" he repeated, laughing, and walking as if he trod on
red-hot iron.

Europe led the way, carrying a candle.

"Here--count dem!" said the Baron when he reached the drawing-room,
holding out the notes to Europe.

Europe took the thirty notes very gravely and left the room, locking the
banker in.

Nucingen went straight to the bedroom, where he found the handsome
Englishwoman.

"Is that you, Lucien?" said she.

"Nein, my peauty," said Nucingen, but he said no more.

He stood speechless on seeing a woman the very antipodes to Esther;
fair hair where he had seen black, slenderness where he had admired
a powerful frame! A soft English evening where he had looked for the
bright sun of Arabia.

"Heyday! were have you come from?--who are you?--what do you want?"
cried the Englishwoman, pulling the bell, which made no sound.

"The bells dey are in cotton-vool, but hafe not any fear--I shall go
'vay," said he. "Dat is dirty tousant franc I hafe tron in de vater. Are
you dat mistress of Mensieur Lucien de Rubempre?"

"Rather, my son," said the lady, who spoke French well, "But vat vas
you?" she went on, mimicking Nucingen's accent.

"Ein man vat is ver' much took in," replied he lamentably.

"Is a man took in ven he finds a pretty voman?" asked she, with a laugh.

"Permit me to sent you to-morrow some chewels as a soufenir of de Baron
von Nucingen."

"Don't know him!" said she, laughing like a crazy creature. "But the