Edward。 Charles Edward heard him with much seriousness。 The doctor had
explained the case at length； and showed that it was absolutely
necessary to sacrifice the hair to insure the success of the
operation。
〃 'Cut off Claudine's hair！' cried he in peremptory tones。 'No。 I
would sooner lose her。'
〃Even now； after a lapse of four years； Bianchon still quotes that
speech； we have laughed over it for half an hour together。 Claudine；
informed of the verdict； saw in it a proof of affections； she felt
sure that she was loved。 In the face of her weeping family； with her
husband on his knees； she was inexorable。 She kept the hair。 The
strength that came with the belief that she was loved came to her aid；
the operation succeeded perfectly。 There are stirrings of the inner
life which throw all the calculations of surgery into disorder and
baffle the laws of medical science。
〃Claudine wrote a delicious letter to La Palferine； a letter in which
the orthography was doubtful and the punctuation all to seek； to tell
him of the happy result of the operation； and to add that Love was
wiser than all the sciences。
〃 'Now；' said La Palferine one day； 'what am I to do to get rid of
Claudine？'
〃 'Why； she is not at all troublesome； she leaves you master of your
actions；' objected we。
〃 'That is true；' returned La Palferine； 'but I do not choose that
anything shall slip into my life without my consent。'
〃From that day he set himself to torment Claudine。 It seemed that he
held the bourgeoise； the nobody； in utter horror； nothing would
satisfy him but a woman with a title。 Claudine； it was true； had made
progress； she had learned to dress as well as the best…dressed woman
of the Faubourg Saint…Germain； she had freed her bearing of the
unhallowed traces； she walked with a chastened； inimitable grace； but
this was not enough。 This praise of her enabled Claudine to swallow
down the rest。
〃But one day La Palferine said； 'If you wish to be the mistress of one
La Palferine； poor； penniless； and without prospects as he is； you
ought at least to represent him worthily。 You should have a carriage
and liveried servants and a title。 Give me all the gratifications of
vanity that will never be mine in my own person。 The woman whom I
honor with my regard ought never to go on foot； if she is bespattered
with mud； I suffer。 That is how I am made。 If she is mine； she must be
admired of all Paris。 All Paris shall envy me my good fortune。 If some
little whipper…snapper seeing a brilliant countess pass in her
brilliant carriage shall say to himself； 〃Who can call such a divinity
his？〃 and grow thoughtfulwhy； it will double my pleasure。'
〃La Palferine owned to us that he flung this programme at Claudine's
head simply to rid himself of her。 As a result he was stupefied with
astonishment for the first and probably the only time in his life。
〃 'Dear；' she said； and there was a ring in her voice that betrayed
the great agitation which shook her whole being； 'it is well。 All this
shall be done； or I will die。'
〃She let fall a few happy tears on his hand as she kissed it。
〃 'You have told me what I must do to be your mistress still；' she
added； 'I am glad。'
〃 'And then' （La Palferine told us） 'she went out with a little
coquettish gesture like a woman that has had her way。 As she stood in
my garrett doorway； tall and proud； she seemed to reach the stature of
an antique sibyl。'
〃All this should sufficiently explain the manners and customs of the
Bohemia in which the young /condottiere/ is one of the most brilliant
figures；〃 Nathan continued after a pause。 〃Now it so happened that I
discovered Claudine's identity； and could understand the appalling
truth of one line which you perhaps overlooked in that letter of hers。
It was on this wise。〃
The Marquise； too thoughtful now for laughter； bade Nathan 〃Go on；〃 in
a tone that told him plainly how deeply she had been impressed by
these strange things； and even more plainly how much she was
interested in La Palferine。
〃In 1829； one of the most influential； steady； and clever of dramatic
writers was du Bruel。 His real name is unknown to the public； on the
play…bills he is de Cursy。 Under the Restoration he had a place in the
Civil Service； and being really attached to the elder branch； he sent
in his resignation bravely in 1830； and ever since has written twice
as many plays to fill the deficit in his budget made by his noble
conduct。 At that time du Bruel was forty years old； you know the story
of his life。 Like many of his brethren； he bore a stage dancer an
affection hard to explain； but well known in the whole world of
letters。 The woman； as you know； was Tullia； one of the /premiers
sujets/ of the Academie Royale de Musique。 Tullia is merely a
pseudonym like du Bruel's name of de Cursy。
〃For the ten years between 1817 and 1827 Tullia was in her glory on
the heights of the stage of the Opera。 With more beauty than
education； a mediocre dancer with rather more sense than most of her
class； she took no part in the virtuous reforms which ruined the corps
de ballet； she continued the Guimard dynasty。 She owed her ascendency；
moreover； to various well…known protectors； to the Duc de Rhetore （the
Due de Chaulieu's eldest son）； to the influence of a famous
Superintendent of Fine Arts； and sundry diplomatists and rich
foreigners。 During her apogee she had a neat little house in the Rue
Chauchat； and lived as Opera nymphs used to live in the old days。 Du
Bruel was smitten with her about the time when the Duke's fancy came
to an end in 1823。 Being a mere subordinate in the Civil Service； du
Bruel tolerated the Superintendent of Fine Arts； believing that he
himself was really preferred。 After six years this connection was
almost a marriage。 Tullia has always been very careful to say nothing
of her family； we have a vague idea that she comes from Nanterre。 One
of her uncles； formerly a simple bricklayer or carpenter； is now； it
is said； a very rich contractor； thanks to her influence and generous
loans。 This fact leaked out through du Bruel。 He happened to say that
Tullia would inherit a fine fortune sooner or later。 The contractor
was a bachelor； he had a weakness for the niece to whom he is
indebted。
〃 'He is not clever enough to be ungrateful；' said she。
〃In 1829 Tullia retired from the stage of her own accord。 At the age
of thirty she saw that she was growing somewhat stouter； and she had
tried pantomime without success。 Her whole art consisted in the trick
of raising her skirts； after Noblet's manner； in a pirouette which
inflated them balloon…fashion and exhibited the smallest possible
quantity of clothing to the pit。 The aged Vestris had told her at the
very beginning that this /temps/； well executed by a fine woman； is
worth all the art imaginable。 It is the chest…note C of dancing。 For
which reason； he said； the very greatest dancersCamargo； Guimard；
and Taglioni； all of them thin； brown； and plaincould only redeem
their physical defects by their genius。 Tullia； still in the height of
her glory； retired before younger and cleverer dancers； she did
wisely。 She was an aristocrat； she had scarcely stooped below the
noblesse in her /liaisons/； she declined to dip her ankles in the
troubled waters of July。 Insolent and beautiful as she was； Claudine
possessed handsome souvenirs； but very little ready money； still； her
jewels were magnificent； and she had as fine furniture as any one in
Paris。
〃On quitting the stage when she； forgotten to…day； was yet in the
height of her fame； one thought possessed hershe meant du Bruel to
marry her； and at the time of this story； you must understand that the
marriage had taken place； but was kept a secret。 How do women of her
class contrive to make a man marry them after seven or eight years of
intimacy？ What springs do they touch？ What machinery do they set in
motion？ But； however comical such domestic dramas may be； we are not
now concerned with them。 Du Bruel was secretly married； the thing was
done。
〃Cursy before his marriage was supposed to be a jolly companion； now
and again he stayed out all night； and to some extent led the life of
a Bohemian； he would unbend at a supper…party。 He went out to all
appearance to a rehearsal at the Opera…Comique； and found himself in
some unaccountable way at Dieppe； or Baden； or Saint…Germain； he gave
dinners； led the Titanic thriftless life of artists； journalists； and
writers； levied his tribute on all the greenrooms of Paris； and； in
short； was one of us。 Finot； Lousteau； du Tillet； Desroches； Bixiou；
Blondet； Couture； and des Lupeaulx tolerated him in spite of his
pedantic manner and ponderous official attitude。 But once married；
Tullia made a slave of du Bruel。 There was no help for it。 He was in
love with Tullia； poor devil。
〃 'Tullia' （so he said） 'had left the stage to be his alone； to be a
good and charming wife。' And somehow Tullia managed to induce the most
Puritanical members of du Bruel's family to accept her。 From the very
first； before any one suspected her motives； she assiduously visited
old Mme。 de Bonfalot； who bored her horribly； she made handsome
presents to mean old Mme。 de Chisse； du Bruel's great…aunt； she spent
a summer with the latter lady； and never missed a single mass。 She
even went to confession； received absolution； and took the sacrament；
but this； you must remember； was in the country； and under the aunt's
eyes。
〃 'I shall have real aunts now； do you understand？' she said to us
when she came back in the winter。
〃She was so delighted with her respectability； so glad to renounce her
independence； that she found means to compass her end。 She flattered
the old people。 She went on foot every day to sit for a couple of
hours with Mme。 du Bruel the elder while that lady was illa
Maintenon's stratagem which amazed du Bruel。 And he admired his wife
without criticism； he was so fast in the toils already that he did not
feel his bonds。
〃Claudine succeeded in making him understand that only under the
elastic system of a bourgeois government； only at the bourgeois court
of the Citizen…King； could a Tullia； now metamorphosed into a Mme。 du
Bruel； be accepte