"Burgundian" is the name given, since the reign of Charles VI., to those noisy detonations, the result of which is to fling upon the carpet or the clothes a little coal or ember, the trifling nucleus of a conflagration. Heat or fire releases, they say, a bubble of air left in the heart of the wood by a gnawing worm. "Inde amor, inde burgundus." We tremble when we see the structure we had so carefully erected between the logs rolling down like an avalanche. Oh! to build and stir and play with fire when we love is the material development of our thoughts.
It was at this moment that I entered the room. Rastignac gave a jump and said: —
"Ah! there you are, dear Horace; how long have you been here?"
"Just come."
"Ah!"
He took up the two letters, directed them, and rang for his servant.
"Take these," he said, "and deliver them."
Joseph departed without a word; admirable servant!
We began to talk of the expedition to Morea, to which I was anxious to be appointed as physician. Eugene remarked that I should lose a great deal of time if I left Paris. We then conversed on various matters, and I think you will be glad if I suppress the conversation.
When the Marquise de Listomere rose, about half-past two in the afternoon of that day, her waiting-maid, Caroline, gave her a letter which she read while Caroline was doing her hair (an imprudence which many young women are thoughtless enough to commit).
"Dear angel of love," said the letter, "treasure of my life and happiness – "
At these words the marquise was about to fling the letter in the fire; but there came into her head a fancy – which all virtuous women will readily understand – to see how a man who began a letter in that style could possibly end it. When she had turned the fourth page and read it, she let her arms drop like a person much fatigued.
"Caroline, go and ask who left this letter."
"Madame, I received it myself from the valet of Monsieur le Baron de Rastignac."
After that there was silence for some time.
"Does Madame intend to dress?" asked Caroline at last.
"No – He is certainly a most impertinent man," reflected the marquise.
I request all women to imagine for themselves the reflections of which this was the first.
Madame de Listomere ended hers by a formal decision to forbid her porter to admit Monsieur de Rastignac, and to show him, herself, something more than disdain when she met him in society; for his insolence far surpassed that of other men which the marquise had ended by overlooking. At first she thought of keeping the letter; but on second thoughts she burned it.
"Madame had just received such a fine love-letter; and she read it," said Caroline to the housemaid.
"I should never have thought that of madame," replied the other, quite surprised.
That evening Madame de Listomere went to a party at the Marquis de Beauseant's, where Rastignac would probably betake himself. It was Saturday. The Marquis de Beauseant was in some way a connection of Monsieur de Rastignac, and the young man was not likely to miss coming. By two in the morning Madame de Listomere, who had gone there solely for the purpose of crushing Eugene by her coldness, discovered that she was waiting in vain. A brilliant man – Stendhal – has given the fantastic name of "crystallization" to the process which Madame de Listomere's thoughts went through before, during, and after this evening.
Four days later Eugene was scolding his valet.
"Ah ca! Joseph; I shall soon have to send you away, my lad."