om, nodding to Madame
Nourrisson in a way to make her understand that she had not time to say
two words to her.

As soon as she was safe from observation, Asie unwrapped the papers
with the care of a savant unrolling a palimpsest. After reading the
instructions, she thought it wise to copy the lines intended for Lucien
on a sheet of letter-paper; then she went down to Madame Nourrisson, to
whom she talked while a little shop-girl went to fetch a cab from the
Boulevard des Italiens. She thus extracted the addresses of the Duchesse
de Maufrigneuse and of Madame de Serizy, which were known to Madame
Nourrisson by her dealings with their maids.

All this running about and elaborate business took up more than two
hours. Madame la Duchesse de Maufrigneuse, who lived at the top of the
Faubourg Saint-Honore, kept Madame de Saint-Esteve waiting an hour,
although the lady's-maid, after knocking at the boudoir door, had handed
in to her mistress a card with Madame de Saint-Esteve's name, on which
Asie had written, "Called about pressing business concerning Lucien."

Her first glance at the Duchess' face showed her how till-timed her
visit must be; she apologized for disturbing Madame la Duchesse when she
was resting, on the plea of the danger in which Lucien stood.

"Who are you?" asked the Duchess, without any pretence at politeness,
as she looked at Asie from head to foot; for Asie, though she might be
taken for a Baroness by Maitre Massol in the _Salle des Pas-Perdus_,
when she stood on the carpet in the boudoir of the Hotel de Cadignan,
looked like a splash of mud on a white satin gown.

"I am a dealer in cast-off clothes, Madame la Duchesse; for in such
matters every lady applies to women whose business rests on a basis of
perfect secrecy. I have never betrayed anybody, though God knows how
many great ladies have intrusted their diamonds to me by the month while
wearing false jewels made to imitate them exactly."

"You have some other name?" said the Duchess, smiling at a reminiscence
recalled to her by this reply.

"Yes, Madame la Duchesse, I am Madame de Saint-Esteve on great
occasions, but in the trade I am Madame Nourrisson."

"Well, well," said the Duchess in an altered tone.

"I am able to be of great service," Asie went on, "for we hear the
husbands' secrets as well as the wives'. I have done many little jobs
for Monsieur de Marsay, whom Madame la Duchesse----"

"That will do, that will do!" cried the Duches