"We will help you, Mademoiselle Nanon," said Madame des Grassins
gaily, quite joyous at the joy she had given Eugenie.

"I have never in my life been so pleased," the heiress said to her; "I
have never seen anything so pretty."

"Adolphe brought it from Paris, and he chose it," Madame des Grassins
whispered in her ear.

"Go on! go on! damned intriguing thing!" thought the president. "If
you ever have a suit in court, you or your husband, it shall go hard
with you."

The notary, sitting in his corner, looked calmly at the abbe, saying
to himself: "The des Grassins may do what they like; my property and
my brother's and that of my nephew amount in all to eleven hundred
thousand francs. The des Grassins, at the most, have not half that;
besides, they have a daughter. They may give what presents they like;
heiress and presents too will be ours one of these days."

At half-past eight in the evening the two card-tables were set out.
Madame des Grassins succeeded in putting her son beside Eugenie. The
actors in this scene, so full of interest, commonplace as it seems,
were provided with bits of pasteboard striped in many colors and
numbered, and with counters of blue glass, and they appeared to be
listening to the jokes of the notary, who never drew a number without
making a remark, while in fact they were all thinking of Monsieur
Grandet's millions. The old cooper, with inward self-conceit, was
contemplating the pink feathers and the fresh toilet of Madame des