the rue du dix-décembre, looking quite new with its chalk-white houses and the final scaffoldings of some nearly finished buildings, stretched out beneath a clear february sun; a stream of carriages was passing at a rattling pace through this gleam of light, which traversed the damp shadow of the old saint-roch quarter; and, between the rue de la michodière and the rue de choiseul, there was a great tumult, the crushing of a crowd excited by a month's advertising, their eyes in the air, gaping at the monumental façade of the ladies' paradise, inaugurated that monday, on the occasion of a grand show of white goods.

the bright new masonry displayed a vast development of polychromatic architecture, relieved by gildings, announcing the tumult and sparkle of the business inside, and attracting attention like a gigantic window-display all aglow with the liveliest colours. in order not to neutralise the show of goods, the decoration of the ground floor was of a sober description; the base of sea-green marble; the corner pillars and the supporting columns were covered with black marble, the severity of which was relieved by gilded medallions; and the rest of plate-glass, in iron sashes, nothing but glass, which seemed to open up the depths of the halls and galleries to the full light of day. but as the floors ascended, the tones became brighter. the frieze on the ground floor was decorated with a series of mosaics, a garland of red and blue flowers, alternating with marble slabs, on which were cut the names of goods, running all round, encircling the colossus. then the base of the first floor, made of enamelled bricks, supported the large windows, as high as the frieze, formed of gilded escutcheons, with the arms of the towns of france, and designs in terra-cotta, the enamel of which reproduced the bright coloured flowers of the base. then, right at the top, the entablature blossomed forth like the ardent florescence of the entire façade, the mosaics and the faience reappeared with warmer colourings, the zinc gutters were carved and gilded, while along the acroteria ran a nation of statues, representing the great industrial and manufacturing cities, their delicate silhouettes standing out against the sky. the spectators were especially astonished at the sight of the central door, also decorated with a profusion of mosaics, faience, and terra-cotta, and surmounted by an allegorical group, the new gilding of which glittered in the sun: woman dressed and kissed by a flight of laughing cupids.

about two o'clock the police were obliged to make the crowd move on, and to look after the carriages. the palace was built, the temple raised to the extravagant folly of fashion. it dominated everything, covering a whole district with its shadow. the scar left on its flank by the demolition of bourras's hovel had already been so skilfully cicatrised that it would have been impossible to find the place formerly occupied by this old wart—the four façades now ran along the four streets, without a break in their superb isolation. since baudu's retirement, the old elbeuf, on the other side of the way, had been closed, walled up like a tomb, behind the shutters that were never now taken down; little by little the cab-wheels had splashed them, posters covered them up and pasted them together, a rising tide of advertising, which seemed like the last shovelful of earth thrown over the old-fashioned commerce; and, in the middle of this dead frontage, dirtied by the mud from the street, discoloured by the refuse of paris, was displayed, like a flag planted over a conquered empire, an immense yellow poster, quite wet, announcing in letters two feet high the great sale at the ladies' paradise. it was as if the colossus, after each enlargement, seized with shame and repugnance for the black old quarter, where it had modestly sprung up, and that it had later on slaughtered, had just turned its back to it, leaving the mud of the narrow streets in its track, presenting its upstart face to the noisy, sunny thoroughfare of new paris.

as it was now represented in the engraving of the advertisements, it had grown bigger and bigger, like the ogre of the legend, whose shoulders threatened to pierce the clouds. in the first place, in the foreground of the engraving, were the rue du dix-décembre, the rue de la michodière, and the rue de choiseul, filled with little black figures, and spread out immoderately, as if to make room for the customers of the whole world. then came a bird's eye view of the buildings themselves, of an exaggerated immensity, with their roofings which described the covered galleries, the glazed courtyards in which could be recognised the halls, the endless detail of this lake of glass and zinc shining in the sun. beyond, stretched forth paris, but paris diminished, eaten up by the monster: the houses, of a cottage-like humility in the neighbourhood of the building, then dying away in a cloud of indistinct chimneys; the monuments seemed to melt into nothing, to the left two dashes for notre-dame, to the right a circumflex accent for the invalides, in the background the pantheon, ashamed and lost, no larger than a lentil. the horizon, crumbled into powder, became no more than a contemptible frame-work, as far as the heights of châtillon, out into the open country, the vanishing expanse of which indicated how far reached the state of slavery.

ever since the morning the crowd had been increasing. no shop had ever yet stirred up the city with such a profusion of advertisements. the ladies' paradise now spent nearly six hundred thousand francs a year in posters, advertisements, and appeals of all sorts; the number of catalogues sent away amounted to four hundred thousand, more than a hundred thousand francs' worth of stuff was cut up for patterns. it was a complete invasion of the newspapers, the walls, and the ears of the public, like a monstrous brass trumpet, which, blown incessantly, spread to the four corners of the earth the tumult of the great sales. and, for the future, this façade, before which people were now crowding, became a living advertisement, with its bespangled, gilded magnificence, its windows large enough to display the entire poem of woman's clothing, its profusion of signs, painted, engraved, and cut in stone, from the marble slabs on the ground floor to the sheets of iron rounded off in semicircles above the roof, unfolding their gilded streamers on which the name of the house could be read in letters bright as the sun, standing out against the azure blue of the sky.

to celebrate the inauguration, there had been added trophies and flags; each storey was gay with banners and standards bearing the arms of the principal cities of france; and right at the top, the flags of all nations, run up on masts, fluttered in the air, while the show of cotton and linen goods downstairs assumed in the windows a tone of blinding intensity. nothing but white, a complete trousseau, and a mountain of sheets to the left, a lot of curtains forming a chapel, and pyramids of handkerchiefs to the right, fatigued the eyes; and, between the hung goods at the door, whole pieces of cotton, calico, and muslin in clusters, like snow-drifts, were planted some dressed engravings, sheets of bluish cardboard, on which a young bride, or a lady in ball costume, both life size and dressed in real lace and silk, smiled with their painted faces. a circle of idlers was constantly forming, a desire arose from the admiration of the crowd.

what caused an increase of curiosity around the ladies' paradise was a catastrophe of which all paris was talking, the burning down of the four seasons, the big shop bouthemont had opened near the opera-house, hardly three weeks before. the newspapers were full of details, of the fire breaking out through an explosion of gas during the night, the hurried flight of the young ladies in their night-dresses, and the heroic conduct of bouthemont, who had carried five of them out on his shoulders. the enormous losses were covered, and the people commenced to shrug their shoulders, saying what a splendid advertisement it was. but for the moment attention again flowed back to the ladies' paradise, excited by all these stories flying about, occupied to a wonderful extent by these colossal establishments, which by their importance took up such a large place in public life. wonderfully lucky, this mouret! paris saluted her star, and crowded to see him still standing, since the very flames now undertook to sweep all competition from beneath his feet; and the profits of the season were already being calculated, people began to estimate the swollen flood of customers which would be sent into his shop by the forced closing of the rival house. for a moment he had felt anxious, troubled at feeling a jealous woman against him, that madame desforges, to whom he owed in a manner his fortune. baron hartmann's financial dilettantism, putting money into the two affairs, annoyed him also. then he was exasperated at having missed a genial idea which had occurred to bouthemont, who had artfully had his shop blessed by the vicar of the madeleine, followed by all his clergy; an astonishing ceremony, a religious pomp paraded from the silk department to the glove department, and so on throughout the establishment. this imposing ceremony had not, it is true, prevented everything being destroyed, but had done as much good as a million francs' worth of advertisements, so great an impression had it produced on the fashionable world. from that day, mouret dreamed of having the archbishop.

the clock over the door was striking three, and the afternoon crush had commenced, nearly a hundred thousand customers were struggling in the various galleries and halls. outside, the carriages were stationed from one end of the rue du dix-décembre to the other, and over against the opera-house another compact mass occupied the cul-de-sac, where the future avenue was to commence. common cabs were mingled with private broughams, the drivers waiting amongst the wheels, the rows of horses neighing and shaking their bits, which sparkled in the sun. the lines were incessantly reformed, amidst the calls of the messengers, the poshing of the animals which closed in of their own accord, whilst fresh vehicles were continually arriving and taking their places with the rest. the pedestrians flew on to the refuges in frightened bands, the pavements were black with people, in the receding perspective of the wide and straight thoroughfare. and a clamour arose from between the white houses, this human stream rolled along under the soul of overflowing paris, a sweet and enormous breath, of which one could feel the giant caress.

madame de boves, accompanied by her daughter blanche and madame guibal, was standing, at a window, looking at a display of half made up costumes.

“oh! do look,” said she, “at those print costumes at nineteen francs fifteen sous!”

in their square boxes, the costumes, tied round with a favour, were folded so as to present the trimmings alone, embroidered with blue and red; and, occupying the corner of each box, was an engraving showing the garment made up, worn by a young person looking like some princess.

“but they are not worth more,” murmured madame guibal. “they fall into rags as soon as you handle them.”

they had now become intimate since monsieur de boves had been confined to his arm-chair by an attack of gout. the wife put up with the mistress, preferring that things should take place in her own house, for in this way she picked up a little pocket money, sums that the husband allowed himself to be robbed of, having, himself, need of forbearance.

“well! let's go in,” resumed madame guibal “we must see their show. hasn't your son-in-law made an appointment with you inside?”

madame de boves did not reply, entirely absorbed by the string of carriages, which, one by one, opened their doors and let out more customers.

“yes,” said blanche, at last, in her indolent voice. “paul is to join us about four o'clock in the reading-room, on leaving the ministry.”

they had been married about a month, and de vallagnosc, after a leave of absence of three weeks, spent in the south of france, had just returned to his post. the young woman had already her mother's portly look, and her flesh appeared puffed up and coarser since her marriage.

“but there's madame desforges over there!” exclaimed the countess, looking at a brougham that had just arrived.

“do you think so?” murmured madame guibal. “after all those stories! she must still be weeping over the fire at the four seasons.”

it was really henriette. on perceiving her friends, she came up with a gay, smiling air, concealing her defeat beneath the fashionable ease of her manner.

“dear me! yes, i wanted to have a look round. it's better to see for one's self, isn't it? oh! we are still good friends with monsieur mouret, though he is said to be furious since i have interested myself in that rival house. personally, there is only one thing i cannot forgive him, and that is, to have pushed on the marriage of my protege, mademoiselle de fontenailles, with that joseph——”

“what! it's done?” interrupted madame de boves. “what a horror!”

“yes, my dear, and solely to annoy us. i know him; he wished to intimate that the daughters of our great families are only fit to marry his shop messengers.”

she was getting quite animated. they had all four remained on the pavement, amidst the pushing at the entrance. little by little, however, the stream carried them in; and they had only to abandon themselves to the current, they passed the door as if lifted up, without being conscious of it, talking louder to make themselves heard. they were now asking each other about madame marty; it was said that poor monsieur marty, after violent scenes at home, had gone quite mad; he was diving into all the treasures of the earth, exhausting mines of gold, loading tumbrils with diamonds and precious stones.

“poor fellow!” said madame guibal, “he who was always so shabby, with his teacher's humility! and the wife?”

“she's ruining an uncle, now,” replied henriette, “a worthy old man who has gone to live with her, having lost his wife. but she must be here, we shall see her.”

a surprise made the ladies stop short. before them extended the shop, the largest drapery establishment in the world, as the advertisements said. the grand central gallery now ran from end to end, extending from the rue du dix-décembre to the rue neuve-saint-augustin; whilst to the right and to the left, like the aisles of a church, ran the monsigny gallery and the michodière gallery, right along the two streets, without a break. here and there the halls crossed and formed open spaces amidst the metallic framework of the suspended stairs and flying bridges. the inside arrangements had been all changed: the bargains were now placed on the rue du dix-décembre side, the silk department was in the centre, the glove department occupied the saint-augustin hall at the back; and, from the new grand vestibule, one beheld, on looking up, the bedding department, moved from one end of the second floor to the other. the number of departments now amounted to the enormous figure of fifty; several, quite fresh, were to be inaugurated that very day; others, become too important, had been simply divided, in order to facilitate the sales; and, owing to this continual increase of business, the staff had been increased to three thousand and forty-five employees.

what caused the ladies to stop was the prodigious spectacle of the grand exhibition of white goods. in the first place, there was the vestibule, a hall with bright mirrors, paved with mosaics, where the low-priced goods detained the voracious crowd. then there were the galleries, plunged in a glittering blaze of light, a borealistic vista, quite a country of snow, revealing the endless steppes hung with ermine, the accumulation of icebergs shimmering in the sun. one found there the whiteness of the outside windows, but vivified, colossal, burning from one end of the enormous building to the other, with the white flame of a fire in full swing. nothing but white goods, all the white articles from each department, a riot of white, a white star, the twinkling of which was at first blinding, so that the details could not be distinguished amidst this unique whiteness. but the eye soon became accustomed to it; to the left, in the monsigny gallery, jutted out the white promontories of cotton and calico, the white rocks formed of sheets, napkins, and handkerchiefs; whilst to the right, in the michodière gallery, occupied by the mercery, the hosiery, and the woollen goods, were exposed constructions of mother of pearl buttons, a pretty decoration composed of white socks, one whole room covered with white swanskin, traversed in the distance by a stream of light. but the brightness shone with especial brilliancy in the central gallery, amidst the ribbons and the cravats, the gloves and the silks. the counters disappeared beneath the whiteness of the silks, the ribbons, and the gloves.

round the iron columns were twined flounces of white muslin, looped up now and again with white silk handkerchiefs. the staircases were decorated with white drapings, quiltings and dimities alternating along the balustrades, encircling the halls as high as the second storey; and this tide of white assumed wings, hurried off and lost itself, like a flight of swans. and the white hung from the arches, a fall of down, a snowy sheet of large flakes; white counterpanes, white coverlets floated about in the air, suspended like banners in a church; long jets of maltese lace hung across, seeming to suspend swarms of white butterflies; other lace fluttered about on all sides, floating like fleecy clouds in a summer sky, filling the air with their clear breath. and the marvel, the altar of this religion of white was, above the silk counter, in the great hall, a tent formed of white curtains, which fell from the glazed roof. the muslin, the gauze, the lace flowed in light ripples, whilst very richly embroidered tulles, and pieces of oriental silk striped with silver, served as a background to this giant decoration, which partook of the tabernacle and of the alcove. it made one think of a broad white bed, awaiting in its virginal immensity the white princess, as in the legend, she who was to come one day, all powerful, with the bride's white veil.

“oh! extraordinary!” repeated the ladies. “wonderful!”

they never tired of this song in praise of white that the goods of the entire establishment were singing. mouret had never conceived anything more extraordinary; it was the master stroke of his genius for display. beneath the flow of all this whiteness, in the apparent disorder of the tissues, fallen as if by chance from the open drawers, there was a harmonious phrase, the white followed up and developed in all its tones, springing into existence, growing, and blossoming forth with the complicated orchestration of a master's fugue, the continual development of which carries away the mind in an ever-increasing flight. nothing but white, and never the same goods, all styles outvying with, opposing, and completing one another, attaining the very brilliancy of light itself. starting from the dull shades of the calico and linen, and the heavy shades of the flannel and cloth, there then came the velvet, silk, and satin goods—quite an ascending gamut, the white gradually lighted up, finishing in little flames at the breaks of the folds; and the white flew away in the transparencies of the curtains, becoming free and clear with the muslin, the lace, and above all the tulle, so light and airy that it was like the extreme and last note; whilst the silver of the oriental silk sung higher than all in the depths of the giant alcove.

the place was full of life. the lifts were besieged with people, there was a crush at the refreshment-bar and in the reading-room, quite a nation was moving about in these regions covered with the snowy fabrics. and the crowd seemed to be black, like skaters on a polish lake in december. on the ground floor there was a heavy swell, agitated by a reflux, in which could be distinguished nothing but the delicate and enraptured faces of the women. in the chisellings of the iron framework, along the staircases, on the flying bridges, there was an endless procession of small figures, as if lost amidst the snowy peaks of a mountain. a suffocating hot-house heat surprised one on these frozen heights. the buzz of voices made a great noise like a rushing stream. up above, the profusion of gildings, the glazed work picked out with gold, and the golden roses seemed like a ray of the sun shining on the alps of the grand exhibition of white goods.

“come,” said madame de boves, “we must go forward. it's impossible to stay here.”

since she came in, jouve, the inspector, standing near the door, had not taken his eyes off her; and when she turned round she encountered his gaze. then, as she resumed her walk, he let her get a little in front, but followed her at a distance, without, however, appearing to take any further notice of her.

“ah!” said madame guibal, stopping again as she came to the first pay-desk, “it's a pretty idea, these violets!”

she referred to the new present made by the ladies' paradise, one of mouret's ideas, which was making a great noise in the newspapers; small bouquets of white violets, bought by thousands at nice and distributed to every customer buying the smallest article. near each pay-desk were messengers in uniform, delivering the bouquets under the supervision of an inspector. and gradually all the customers were decorated in this way, the shop was filling with these white flowers, every woman becoming the bearer of a penetrating perfume of violets.

“yes,” murmured madame desforges, in a jealous voice, “it's not a bad idea.”

but, just as they were going away, they heard two shopmen joking about these violets. a tall, thin fellow was expressing his astonishment: the marriage between the governor and the first-hand in the costume department was coming off, then? whilst a short, fat fellow replied that he didn't know, but that the flowers were bought at any rate.

“what!” exclaimed madame de boves, “monsieur mouret is going to marry?”

“that's the latest news,” replied madame desforges, affecting the greatest indifference. “of course, he's sure to end like that.”

the countess shot a quick glance at her new friend. they both now understood why madame desforges had come to the ladies' paradise notwithstanding her rupture with mouret. no doubt she yielded to the invincible desire to see and to suffer.

“i shall stay with you,” said madame guibal, whose curiosity was awakened. “we shall meet madame de boves again in the reading-room.”

“very good,” replied the latter. “i want to go on the first floor. come along, blanche.” and she went up followed by her daughter, whilst jouve, the inspector, still on her track, ascended by another staircase, in order not to attract attention. the two other ladies were soon lost in the compact crowd on the ground floor.

all the counters were talking of nothing else but the governor's love affairs, amidst the press of business. the adventure, which had for months been occupying the employees, delighted at denise's long resistance, had all at once come to a crisis; it had become known that the young girl intended to leave the ladies' paradise, notwithstanding all mouret's entreaties, under the pretext of requiring rest. and the opinions were divided. would she leave? would she stay? bets of five francs circulated from department to department that she would leave the following sunday. the knowing ones staked a lunch on the final marriage; however, the others, those who believed in her departure, did not risk their money without good reasons. certainly the little girl had the strength of an adored woman who refuses, but the governor, on his side, was strong in his wealth, his happy widowerhood, and his pride which a last exaction might exasperate. nevertheless, they were all of opinion that this little saleswoman had carried on the business with the science of a rouée, full of genius, and that she was playing the supreme stake in thus offering him this bargain: marry me or i go away.

denise, however, thought but little of these things. she had never imposed any conditions or made any calculation. and the reason of her departure was the result of this very judgment of her conduct, which caused her continual surprise. had she wished for all this? had she shown herself artful, coquettish, ambitious? no, she had come simply, and was the first to feel astonished at inspiring this passion. and again, now, why did they ascribe her resolution to quit the ladies' paradise to craftiness? it was so natural! she began to feel a nervous uneasiness, an intolerable anguish, amidst this continual gossip which was going on in the house, mouret's feverish pursuit of her, and the combats she was obliged to engage in against herself; and she preferred to go away, seized with fear lest she might one day yield and regret it for ever afterwards. if there were in this any learned tactics, she was totally ignorant of it, and she asked herself in despair what was to be done to avoid appearing to be running after a husband. the idea of a marriage now irritated her, and she resolved to say no, and still no, in case he should push his folly to that extent. she alone ought to suffer. the necessity for the separation caused her tears to flow, but she told herself, with her great courage, that it was necessary, that she would have no rest or happiness if she acted in any other way.

when mouret received her resignation, he remained mute and cold, in the effort which he made to contain himself. then he replied that he granted her a week's reflection, before allowing her to commit such a stupid act. at the expiration of the week, when she returned to the subject, and expressed a strong wish to go away after the great sale, he said nothing further, but affected to talk the language of reason to her: she had little or no fortune, she would never find another position equal to that she was leaving. had she another situation in view? if so, he was quite prepared to offer her the advantages she expected to obtain elsewhere. and the young girl having replied that she had not looked for any other situation, that she intended to take a rest at valognes, thanks to the money she had already saved, he asked her what would prevent her returning to the ladies' paradise if her health alone were the reason of her departure. she remained silent, tortured by this cross-examination. he at once imagined that she was about to join a lover, a future husband perhaps. had she not confessed to him one evening that she loved some one? from that moment he carried deep in his heart, like the stab of a knife, this confession wrung from her in an hour of trouble. and if this man was to marry her, she was giving up all to follow him: that explained her obstinacy. it was all over, and he simply added in his icy tones, that he would detain her no longer, since she could not tell him the real cause of her leaving. these harsh words, free from anger, affected her far more than the anger she had feared.

throughout the week that denise was obliged to spend in the shop, mouret kept his rigid paleness. when he crossed the departments, he affected not to see her, never had he seemed more indifferent, more buried in his work; and the bets began again, only the brave ones dared to back the marriage. however, beneath this coldness, so unusual with him, mouret concealed a frightful crisis of indecision and suffering. fits of anger brought the blood to his head: he saw red, he dreamed of taking denise in a close embrace, keeping her, and stifling her cries. then he tried to reason with himself, to find some practical means of preventing her going away; but he constantly ran up against his powerlessness, the uselessness of his power and money. an idea, however, was growing amidst his mad projects, and gradually imposing itself, notwithstanding his revolt. after madame hédouin's death he had sworn never to marry again; deriving from a woman his first good fortune, he resolved in future to draw his fortune from all women. it was with him, as with bourdoncle, a superstition that the head of a great drapery establishment should be single, if he wished to retain his masculine power over the growing desires of his world of customers; the introduction of a woman changed the air, drove away the others, by bringing her own odour. and he still resisted the invincible logic of facts, preferring to die rather than yield, seized with sudden bursts of fury against denise, feeling that she was the revenge, fearing he should fall vanquished over his millions, broken like a straw by the eternal feminine force, the day he should marry her. then he slowly became cowardly again, dismissing his repugnance; why tremble? she was so sweet-tempered, so prudent, that he could abandon himself to her without fear. twenty times an hour the battle recommenced in his distracted mind. his pride tended to aggravate the wound, and he completely lost his reason when he thought that, even after this last submission, she might still say no, if she loved another. the morning of the great sale, he had still not decided on anything, and denise was to leave the next day.

when bourdoncle, on the day in question, entered mouret's office about three o'clock, according to custom, he surprised him sitting with his elbows on the desk, his hands over his eyes, so greatly absorbed that he had to touch him on the shoulder. mouret glanced up, his face bathed in tears; they both looked at each other, held out their hands, and a hearty grip was exchanged between these two men who had fought so many commercial battles side by side. for the past month bourdoncle's attitude had completely changed; he now bowed before denise, and even secretly pushed the governor on to a marriage with her. no doubt he was thus manoeuvring to save himself being swept away by a force which he now recognised as superior. but there could have been found at the bottom of this change the awakening of an old ambition, the timid and gradually growing hope to swallow up in his turn this mouret, before whom he had so long bowed. this was in the air of the house, in this struggle for existence, of which the continued massacres warmed up the business around him. he was carried away by the working of the machine, seized by the others' appetites, by that voracity which, from top to bottom, drove the lean ones to the extermination of the fat ones. but a sort of religions fear, the religion of chance, had up to that time prevented him making the attempt. and the governor was becoming childish, drifting into a ridiculous marriage, ruining his luck, destroying his charm with the customers. why should he dissuade him from it, when he could so easily take up the business of this played-out man, fallen into the arms of a woman? thus it was with the emotion of an adieu, the pity of an old friendship, that he shook his chiefs hand, saying:

“come, come, courage! marry her, and finish the matter.”

mouret already felt ashamed of his moment of cowardice, and got up, protesting: “no, no, it's too stupid. come, let's take our turn round the shop. things are looking well, aren't they? i fancy we shall have a magnificent day.”

they went out and commenced their afternoon inspection through the crowded departments. bourdoncle cast oblique glances at him, anxious at this last display of energy, watching his lips to catch the least sign of suffering. the business was in fact throwing forth its fire, in an infernal roar, which made the house tremble with the violent shaking of a big steamer going at full speed. at denise's counter were a crowd of mothers dragging along their little girls and boys, swamped beneath the garments they were trying on. the department had brought out all its white articles, and there, as everywhere else, was a riot of white, enough to dress in white a troop of shivering cupids, white cloth cloaks, white piques and cashmere dresses, sailor costumes, and even white zouave costumes. in the centre, for the sake of the effect, and although the season had not arrived, was a display of communion costumes, the white muslin dress and veil, the white satin shoes, a light gushing florescence, which, planted there, produced the effect of an enormous bouquet of innocence and candid delight. madame bourdelais was there with her three children, madeleine, edmond, lucien, seated according to their size, and was getting angry with the latter, the smallest, because he was struggling with denise, who was trying to put a woollen muslin jacket on him.

“keep still, lucien! don't you think it's rather tight, mademoiselle?” and with the sharp look of a woman difficult to deceive, she examined the stuff, studied the cut, and scrutinized the stitching. “no, it fits well,” she resumed. “it's no trifle to dress all these little ones. now i want a mantle for this young lady.”

denise had been obliged to assist in serving during the busy moments of the day. she was looking for the mantle required, when she set up a cry of surprise.

“what! it's you; what's the matter?”

her brother jean, holding a parcel in his hand, was standing before her. he had married a week before, and on the saturday his wife, a dark little woman, with a provoking, charming face, had paid a long visit to the ladies' paradise to make some purchases. the young people were to accompany denise to valognes, a regular marriage trip, a month's holiday, which would remind them of old times.

“just imagine,” said he, “thérèse has forgotten a lot of things. there are some articles to be changed, and others to be bought. so, as she was in a hurry, she sent me with this parcel. i'll explain——”

but she interrupted him on perceiving pépé, “what; pépé as well! and his school?”

“well,” said jean, “after dinner on sunday i had not the heart to take him back. he will go back this evening. the poor child is very downhearted at being shut up in paris whilst we are enjoying ourselves at home.”

denise smiled on them, in spite of her suffering. she handed over madame bourdelais to one of her young ladies, and came back to them in a corner of the department, which was, fortunately, getting deserted. the little ones, as she still called them, had now grown to be big fellows. pépé, twelve years old, was already taller and bigger than her, still silent and living on caresses, of a charming, cajolling sweetness; whilst jean, broad-shouldered, was quite a head taller than his sister, and still possessed his feminine beauty, with his blonde hair blowing about in the wind. and she, always slim, no fatter than a skylark, as she said, still retained her anxious motherly authority over them, treating them as children wanting all her attention, buttoning up jean's coat so that he should not look like a rake, and seeing that pépé had got a clean handkerchief. when she saw the latter's swollen eyes, she gently chided him.

“be reasonable, my boy. your studies cannot be interrupted. i'll take you away at the holidays. is there anything you want? but perhaps you prefer to have the money.” then she turned towards the other. “you, youngster, yet making him believe we are going to have wonderful fun! just try and be a little more careful.”

she had given jean four thousand francs, half of her savings, to enable him to set up housekeeping. the younger one cost her a great deal for schooling, all her money went for them, as in former days. they were her sole reason for living and working, for she had again declared she would never marry.

“well, here are the things,” resumed jean. “in the first place, there's a cloak in this parcel that thérèse——”

but he stopped, and denise, on turning round to see what had frightened him, perceived mouret behind them. for a moment he had stood looking at her in her motherly attitude between the two big boys, scolding and embracing them, turning them round as mothers do babies when changing their clothes. bourdoncle had remained on one side, appearing to be interested in the business, but he did not lose sight of this little scene.

“they are your brothers, are they not?” asked mouret, after a silence.

he had the icy tone and rigid attitude, which he now assumed with her. denise herself made an effort to remain cold and unconcerned. her smile died away, and she replied: “yes, sir. i've married off the eldest, and his wife has sent him for some purchases.”

mouret continued looking at the three of them. at last he said: “the youngest has grown very much. i recognise him, i remember having seen him in the tuileries gardens one evening with you.”

and his voice, which was becoming moderate, slightly trembled. she, suffocating, bent down, pretending to arrange pépé's belt. the two brothers, who had turned scarlet, stood smiling on their sister's master.

“they're very much like you,” said the latter.

“oh!” exclaimed she, “they're much handsomer than i am!”

for a moment he seemed to be comparing their faces. how she loved them! and he walked a step or two; then returned and whispered in her ear: “come to my office after business, i want to speak to you before you go away.”

this time mouret went off and continued his inspection. the battle was once more raging within him, for the appointment he had given caused him a sort of irritation. to what idea had he yielded on seeing her with her brothers? it was maddening to think he could no longer find the strength to assert his will. however, he could settle it by saying a word of adieu. bourdoncle, who had rejoined him, seemed less anxious, though he was still examining him with stealthy glances.

meanwhile denise had returned to madame bourdelais. “how are you getting on with the mantle, madame?”

“oh, very well. i've spent enough for one day. these little ones are ruining me!”

denise now being able to slip away, went and listened to jean's explanations, then accompanied him to the various counters, where he would certainly have lost his head without her. first came the mantle, which thérèse wished to change for a white cloth cloak, same size, same shape. and the young girl, having taken the parcel, went up to the ready-made department, followed by her two brothers.

the department had laid out its light coloured garments, summer jackets and mantillas, of light silk and fancy woollens. but there was little doing here, the customers were but few and far between. nearly all the young ladies were new-comers. clara had disappeared a month before, some said she had eloped with the husband of one of the saleswomen, others that she had gone on the streets. as for marguerite, she was at last about to take the management of the little shop at grenoble, where her cousin was waiting for her. madame aurélie remained immutable, in the round cuirass of her silk dress, with her imperial mask which retained the yellowish puffiness of an antique marble. her son albert's bad conduct was a source of great trouble to her, and she would have retired into the country had it not been for the inroads made on the family savings by this scapegrace, whose terrible extravagance threatened to swallow up piece by piece their rigolles property. it was a sort of punishment for their home broken up, for the mother had resumed her little excursions with her lady friends, and the father on his side continued his musical performances. bourdoncle was already looking upon madame aurélie with a discontented air, surprised that she had not the tact to resign; too old for business! the knell was about to sound which would sweep away the lhomme dynasty.

“ah! it's you,” said she to denise, with an exaggerated amiability. “you want this cloak changed, eh? certainly, at once. ah! there are your brothers; getting quite men, i declare!”

in spite of her pride, she would have gone on her knees to pay her court to the young girl. nothing else was being talked of in her department, as in the others, but denise's departure; and the first-hand was quite ill over it, for she had been reckoning on the protection of her former saleswoman. she lowered her voice: “they say you're going to leave us. really, it isn't possible?”

“but it is, though,” replied denise.

marguerite was listening. since her marriage had been decided on, she had marched about with her putty-looking face, assuming more disdainful airs than ever. she came up saying: “you are quite right. self-respect above everything, i say. allow me to bid you adieu, my dear.”

some customers arriving at that moment, madame aurélie requested her, in a harsh voice, to attend to business. then, as denise was taking the cloak to effect the “return” herself, she protested, and called an auxiliary. this, again, was an innovation suggested to mouret by the young girl—persons charged with carrying the articles, which relieved the saleswomen of a great burden.

“go with mademoiselle denise,” said the first-hand, giving her the cloak. then, returning to denise: “pray consider well. we are all heart-broken at your leaving.”

jean and pépé, who were waiting, smiling amidst this overflowing crowd of women, followed their sister. they now had to go to the underlinen department, to get four chemises like the half-dozen that thérèse had bought on the saturday. but there, where the exhibition of white goods was snowing down from every shelf, they were almost stifled, and found it very difficult to get past.

in the first place, at the stay counter a little scene was causing a crowd to collect. madame boutarel, who had arrived in paris this time with her husband and daughter, had been wandering all about the shop since the morning collecting an outfit for the young lady, who was about to be married. the father was consulted every moment, and they never appeared likely to finish. at last the family had just stranded here; and whilst the young lady was absorbed in a profound study of some drawers, the mother had disappeared, having cast her coquettish eyes on a delicious pair of stays. when monsieur boutarel, a big, full-blooded man, left his daughter, bewildered, to go and look for his wife, he at last found her in a fitting-room, at the door of which he was politely invited to take a seat. these rooms were like narrow cells, glazed with ground glass, where the men, and even the husbands, were not allowed to enter, by an exaggerated sentiment of propriety on the part of the directors. saleswomen came out and went in again quickly, allowing those outside to divine, by the rapid closing of the door, visions of ladies in their petticoats, with bare arms and shoulders—stout women with white flesh, and thin ones with flesh the colour of old ivory. a row of men were waiting outside, seated on arm-chairs, and looking very weary. monsieur boutarel, when he understood, got really angry, crying out that he wanted his wife, that he insisted on knowing what was going on inside, that he certainly would not allow her to undress without him. it was in vain that they tried to calm him; he seemed to think there were some very queer things going on inside. madame boutarel was obliged to come out, to the delight of the crowd, who were discussing and laughing over the affair.

denise and her brothers were at last able to get past. every article of female linen, all those white under-things that are usually concealed, were here displayed, in a suite of rooms, classed in various departments. the corsets and dress-improvers occupied one counter, there were the stitched corsets, the duchesse, the cuirass, and, above all, the white silk corsets, dove-tailed with colours, forming for this day a special display; an army of dummies without heads or legs, nothing but the bust, dolls' breasts flattened under the silk, and close by, on other dummies, were horse-hair and other dress improvers, prolonging these broomsticks into enormous, distended croups, of which the profile assumed a ludicrous unbecomingness. but afterwards commenced the gallant dishabille, a dishabille which strewed the vast rooms, as if an army of lovely girls had undressed themselves from department to department, down to the very satin of their skin. here were articles of fine linen, white cuffs and cravats, white fichus and collars, an infinite variety of light gewgaws, a white froth which escaped from the drawers and ascended like so much snow. there were jackets, little bodices, morning dresses and peignoirs, linen, nansouck, long white garments, roomy and thin, which spoke of the lounging in a lazy morning after a night of tenderness. then appeared the under-garments, falling one by one; the white petticoats of all lengths, the petticoat that clings to the knees, and the long petticoat with which the gay ladies sweep the pavement, a rising sea of petticoats, in which the legs were drowned; cotton, linen, and cambric drawers, large white drawers in which a man could dance; lastly, the chemises, buttoned at the neck for the night, or displaying the bosom in the day, simply supported by narrow shoulder-straps; chemises in all materials, common calico, irish linen, cambric, the last white veil slipping from the panting bosom and hips.

and, at the outfitting counter, there was an indiscreet unpacking, women turned round and viewed on all sides, from the small housewife with her common calicoes, to the rich lady drowned in laces, an alcove publicly open, of which the concealed luxury, the plaitings, the embroideries, the valenciennes lace, became a sort of sexual depravation, as it developed into costly fantasies. woman was dressing herself again, the white wave of this fall of linen was returning again to the shivering mystery of the petticoats, the chemise stiffened by the fingers of the workwomen, the frigid drawers retaining the creases of the box, all this cambric and muslin, dead, scattered over the counters, thrown about, heaped up, was going to become living, with the life of the flesh, odorous and warm with the odour of love, a white cloud become sacred, bathed in night, and of which the least flutter, the pink of a knee disclosed through the whiteness, ravaged the world. then there was another room devoted to the baby linen, where the voluptuous snowy whiteness of woman's clothing developed into the chaste whiteness of the infant: an innocence, a joy, the young wife become a mother, flannel garments, chemises and caps large as doll's things, baptismal dresses, cashmere pelisses, the white down of birth, like a fine shower of white feathers.

“they are embroidered chemises,” said jean, who was delighted with this display, this rising tide of feminine attire into which he was plunging.

pauline ran up at once, when she perceived denise; and before even asking what she wanted, began to talk in a low tone, stirred up by the rumours circulating in the shop. in her department, two saleswomen had even got quarrelling, one affirming and the other denying her departure.

“you'll stay with us, i'll stake my life. what would become of me?” and as denise replied that she intended to leave the next day. “no, no, you think so, but i know better. you must appoint me second-hand, now that i've got a baby. baugé is reckoning on it, my dear.”

pauline smiled with an air of conviction. she then gave the six chemises; and, jean having said that he was now going to the handkerchief counter, she called an auxiliary to carry the chemises and the jacket left by the auxiliary from the readymade department the girl who happened to answer was mademoiselle de fontenailles, recently married to joseph. she had just obtained this menial situation as a great favour, and she wore a long black blouse, marked on the shoulder with a number in yellow wool.

“follow this young lady,” said pauline. then returning, and again lowering her voice: “it's understood that i am to be appointed second-hand, eh?”

denise, troubled, defended herself; but at last promised, with a laugh, joking in her turn. and she went away, going down with jean and pépé, and followed by the auxiliary. on the ground-floor, they fell into the woollen department, a corner of a gallery entirely hung with white swanskin cloth and white flannel. liénard, whom his father had vainly recalled to angers, was talking to the handsome mignot, now a traveller, and who had boldly reappeared at the ladies' paradise. no doubt they were speaking of denise, for they both stopped talking to bow to her with a ceremonious air. in fact, as she went along through the departments the salesmen appeared full of emotion and bent their heads before her, uncertain of what she might be the next day. they whispered, thought she looked triumphant, and the betting was again altered; they began to risk bottles of wine, etc., over the event. she had gone through the linen-gallery, in order to get to the handkerchief counter, which was at the further end. they saw nothing but white goods: cottons, madapolams, muslins, etc.; then came the linen, in enormous piles, ranged in alternate pieces like blocks of stone, stout linen, fine linen, of all sizes, white and unbleached, pure flax, whitened in the sun; then the same thing commenced once more, there were departments for each sort of linen: house linen, table linen, kitchen linen, a continual fall of white goods, sheets, pillow-cases, innumerable styles of napkins, aprons, and dusters. and the bowing continued, they made way for denise to pass, baugé had rushed out to smile on her, as the good fairy of the house. at last, after crossing the counterpane department, a room hung with white banners, she arrived at the handkerchief counter, the ingenious decoration of which delighted the crowd; there were nothing but white columns, white pyramids, white castles, a complicated architecture, solely composed of handkerchiefs, cambric, irish linen, china silk, marked, embroidered by hand, trimmed with lace, hemstitched, and woven with vignettes, an entire city, built of white bricks, of infinite variety, standing out in a mirage against an eastern sky, warmed to a white heat.

“you say another dozen?” asked denise of her brother.

“yes, like this one,” replied he, showing a handkerchief in his parcel.

jean and pépé had not quitted her side, clinging to her, as they had done formerly, on arriving in paris, knocked up by the journey. this vast shop, in which she was quite at home, seemed to trouble them, and they sheltered themselves in her shadow, placing themselves under the protection of their second mother by an instinctive awakening of their infancy. people watched them as they passed, smiling at the two big fellows following in the footsteps of this grave thin girl; jean frightened with his beard, pépé bewildered in his tunic, all three of the same fair complexion, a fairness which caused the whisper from one end of the counters to the other: “they are her brothers! they are her brothers!”

but whilst denise was looking for a saleswoman there was a meeting. mouret and bourdoncle entered the gallery; and as the former again stopped in front of the young girl, without, however, speaking to her, madame desforges and madame guibal passed by. henriette suppressed the shiver which had invaded her whole being; she looked at mouret and then at denise. they had also looked at her, and it was a sort of mute catastrophe, the common end of these great dramas of the heart, a glance exchanged in the crush of a crowd. mouret had already gone off, whilst denise lost herself in the depths of the department, accompanied by her brothers, still in search of a disengaged salesman. but henriette having recognised mademoiselle de fontenailles, in the auxiliary following denise, with a yellow number on her shoulder, and her coarse, cadaverous, servant's-looking face, relieved herself by saying to madame guibal, in a trembling voice:

“just see what he's doing with that unfortunate girl. isn't it shameful? a marchioness! and he makes her follow like a dog the creatures picked up by him in the street!” she tried to calm herself, adding, with an affected air of indifference: “let's go and see their display of silks.”

the silk department was like a great chamber of love, hung with white by the caprice of some snowy maiden wishing to show off her spotless whiteness. all the milky tones of an adored person were there, from the velvet of the hips, to the fine silk of the thighs and the shining satin of the bosom. pieces of velvet hung from the columns, silk and satins stood out, on this white creamy ground, in draperies of a metallic and porcelain-like whiteness: and falling in arches were also poult and gros grain silks, light foulards, and surahs, which varied from the heavy white of a norwegian blonde to the transparent white, warmed by the sun, of an italian or a spanish beauty.

favier was just then engaged in measuring some white silk for “the pretty lady,” that elegant blonde, a frequent customer at the counter, and whom the salesmen never referred to except by this name. she had dealt at the shop for years, and yet they knew nothing about her—neither her life, her address, and not even her name. none of them tried to find out, although they all indulged in supposition every time she made her appearance, but simply for something to talk about. she was getting thinner, she was getting stouter, she had slept well, or she must have been out late the previous night—such were the remarks made about her: thus every little fact of her unknown life, outside events, domestic dramas, were in this way reproduced and commented on. that day she seemed very gay. so, on returning from the pay-desk where he had conducted her, favier remarked to hutin:

“perhaps she's going to marry again.”

“what! is she a widow?” asked the other.

“i don't know; but you must remember that she was in mourning the last time she came. unless she's made some money by speculating on the bourse.” a silence ensued. at last he ended by saying: “but that's her business. it wouldn't do to take notice of all the women we see here.”

but hutin was looking very thoughtful, having had, two days ago, a warm discussion with the direction, and feeling himself condemned. after the great sale his dismissal was certain. for a long time he had felt his position giving way; at the last stock-taking they had complained of his being below the amount of business fixed on in advance; and it was also, in fact chiefly, the slow working of the appetites that were swallowing him up in his turn—the whole silent war of the department, amidst the very motion of the machine. favier's obscure mining could be perceived—a deadened sound as of jaw-bones working under the earth. the latter had already received the promise of the first-hand's place. hutin, who was aware of all this, instead of attacking his old comrade, looked upon him as a clever fellow—a fellow who had always appeared so cold, so obedient, whom he had made use of to turn out robineau and bouthemont! he was full of a feeling of mingled surprise and respect.

“by the way,” resumed favier, “she's going to stay, you know. the governor has just been seen casting sheep's eyes at her. i shall be let in for a bottle of champagne over it.”

he referred to denise. the gossip was going on more than ever, from one counter to the other, across the constantly increasing crowd of customers. the silk sellers were especially excited, for they had been taking heavy bets about it.

“by jove!” exclaimed hutin, waking up as if from a dream, “wasn't i a flat not to have slept with her! i should be all right now!”

then he blushed at this confession on seeing favier laughing. he pretended to laugh also, and added, to recall his words, that it was this creature that had ruined him with the management however, a desire for violence seizing him, he finished by getting into a rage with the salesmen disbanded under the assault of the customers. but all at once he resumed his smile, having just perceived madame desforges and madame guibal slowly crossing the department.

“what can we serve you with to-day, madame?”

“nothing, thanks,” replied henriette. “you see i'm merely walking round; i've only come out of curiosity.”

when he had stopped her, he lowered his voice. quite a plan was springing up in his head. and he flattered her, running down the house; he had had enough of it, and preferred going away to assisting at such a scene of disorder. she listened to him, delighted. it was she herself who, thinking to get him away from the ladies' paradise, offered to have him engaged by bouthemont as first-hand in the silk department, when the four seasons started again. the matter was settled in whispers, whilst madame guibal interested herself in the displays.

“may i offer you one of these bouquets of violets?” resumed hutin, aloud, pointing to a table where there were four or five bunches of the flowers, which he had procured from the pay-desk for personal presents.

“ah, no!” exclaimed henriette, with a backward movement. “i don't wish to take any part in the wedding.”

they understood each other, and separated, exchanging glances of intelligence. as madame desforges was looking for madame guibal, she set up an exclamation of surprise on seeing her with madame marty. the latter, followed by her daughter valentine, had been carried away for the last two hours, right through the place, by one of those fits of spending from which she always emerged tired and confused. she had roamed about the furniture department that a show of white lacquered suites of furniture had changed into a vast young girl's room, the ribbon and neckerchief department forming white vellumy colonnades, the mercery and lace department, with its white fringes which surrounded ingenious trophies patiently composed of cards of buttons and packets of needles, and the hosiery department, in which there was a great crush this year to see an immense piece of decoration, the name “the ladies' paradise” in letters three yards high, formed of white socks on a groundwork of red ones. but madame marty was especially excited by the new departments; they could not open a new department without she must inaugurate it, she was bound to plunge in and buy something. and she had passed an hour at the millinery counter, installed in a new room on the ground-floor, having the cupboards emptied, taking the bonnets off the stands which stood on two tables, trying all of them on herself and her daughter, white hats, white bonnets, and white turbans. then she had gone down to the boot department, at the further end of a gallery on the ground-floor, behind the cravat department, a counter opened that day, and which she had turned topsy turvy, seized with sickly desires in the presence of the white silk slippers trimmed with swansdown, the white satin boots and shoes with their high louis xv. heels.

“oh! my dear,” she stammered, “you've no idea! they have a wonderful assortment of hoods. i've chosen one for myself and one for my daughter. and the boots, eh? valentine.”

“it's marvellous!” added the young girl, with her womanly boldness. “there are some boots at twenty francs and a half which are delicious!”

a salesman was following them, dragging along the eternal chair, on which was already heaped a mountain of articles.

“how is monsieur marty?” asked madame desforges.

“very well, i believe,” replied madame marty, bewildered by this brusque question, which fell ill-naturedly amidst her fever for spending. “he's still confined, my uncle had to go and see him this morning.”

“oh, look! isn't it lovely?”

the ladies, who had gone on a few steps, found themselves before the flowers and feathers department, installed in the central gallery, between the silk and glove departments. it appeared beneath the bright light of the glass roof as an enormous florescence, a white sheaf, tall and broad as an oak. the base was formed of single flowers, violets, lilies of the valley, hyacinths, daisies, all the delicate hues of the garden. then came bouquets, white roses, softened by a fleshy tint, great white pæonies, slightly shaded with carmine, white chrysanthemums, with narrow petals and starred with yellow. and the flowers still ascended, great mystical lilies, branches of apple blossom, bunches of lilac, a continual blossoming, surmounted, as high as the first storey, by ostrich feathers, white plumes, which were like the airy breath of this collection of white flowers. one whole corner was devoted to the display of trimmings and orange-flower wreaths. there were also metallic flowers, silver thistles and silver ears of com. amidst the foliage and the petals, amidst all this muslin, silk, and velvet, where drops of gum shone like dew, flew birds of paradise for hats, purple tangaras with black tails, and septicolores with their changing rainbow-like plumage.

“i'm going to buy a branch of apple-blossom,” resumed madame marty. “it's delicious, isn't it? and that little bird, do look, valentine. i must take it!”

madame guibal began to feel tired of standing still in the eddy of the crowd, and at last said: “well, we'll leave you to make your purchases. we're going upstairs.”

“no, no, wait for me!” cried the other. “i'm going up too. there's the perfumery department, i must see that.”

this department, created the day before, was next door to the reading-room. madame desforges, to avoid the crush on the stairs, spoke of going up in the lift, but they had to abandon the idea, there was such a crowd waiting their turn. at last they arrived, passing before the public refreshment bar, where the crowd was becoming so great that an inspector had to restrain the people's appetites by only allowing the gluttonous customers to enter in small groups. and the ladies already began to smell the perfumery department, a penetrating odour which scented the whole gallery. there was quite a struggle over one article, the paradise soap, a specialty of the house. in the show cases, and on the crystal tablets of the shelves, were ranged pots of pomade and paste, boxes of powder and paint, boxes of toilet vinegar; whilst the fine brushes, combs, scissors, and smelling-bottles occupied a special place. the salesmen had managed to decorate the shelves with white porcelain pots and white glass bottles. but what delighted the customers above all was a silver fountain, a shepherdess seated in the middle of a harvest of flowers, and from which flowed a continual stream of violet water, which fell with a musical plash into the metal basin. an exquisite odour was disseminated around, the ladies dipping their handkerchiefs in the scent as they passed.

“there,” said madame marty, when she had loaded herself with lotions, dentrifices, and cosmetics. “now i've done, i'm at your service. let's go and rejoin madame de boves.”

but on the landing of the great central staircase they were again stopped by the japanese department. this counter had grown wonderfully since the day mouret had amused himself by setting up, in the same place, a little proposition table, covered with a lot of soiled articles, without at all foreseeing its future success. few departments had had a more modest commencement, and now it overflowed with old bronzes, old ivories, old lacquer work. he did fifteen hundred thousand francs' worth of business a year in this department, ransacking the far east, where his travellers pillaged the palaces and the temples. besides, fresh departments were always springing up, they had tried two in december, in order to fill up the empty spaces caused by the dead winter season—a book department and a toy department, which would certainly grow also and sweep away certain shops in the neighbourhood. four years had sufficed for the japanese department to attract the entire artistic custom of paris. this time madame desforges herself, notwithstanding the rancour which had made her swear not to buy anything, succumbed before some finely carved ivory.

“send it to my house,” said she rapidly, at a neighbouring pay-desk. “ninety francs, is it not?” and, seeing madame marty and her daughter plunged in a lot of trashy porcelains, she resumed, as she carried madame guibal off: “you will find us in the reading-room, i really must sit down a little while.”

in the reading-room they were obliged to remain standing. all the chairs were occupied, round the large table covered with newspapers. great fat fellows were reading and lolling about without even thinking of giving up their seats to the ladies. a few women were writing, their faces on the paper, as if to conceal their letters under the flowers of their hats. madame de boves was not there, and henriette was getting very impatient when she perceived de vallagnosc, who was also looking for his wife and mother-in-law. he bowed, and said:

“they must be in the lace department—impossible to drag them away. i'll just see.” and he was gallant enough to procure them two chairs before going away.

in the lace department the crush was increasing every minute. the great show of white was there triumphing in its most delicate and dearest whiteness. it was an acute temptation, a mad desire, which bewildered all the women. the department had been turned into a white temple, tulles and maltese lace, falling from above, formed a white sky, one of those cloudy veils which pales the morning sun. bound the columns descended flounces of malines and valenciennes, white dancers' skirts, unfolding in a snowy shiver down to the ground. then on all sides, on every counter, was a stream of white spanish blonde as light as air, brussels with its large flowers on a delicate mesh, hand-made point, and venice point with heavier designs, alençon point, and bruges of royal and almost religious richness. it seemed that the god of dress had there set up his white tabernacle.

madame de boves, after wandering about for a long time before the counters with her daughter, and feeling a sensual desire to plunge her hands into the goods, had just decided to make deloche show her some alençon point. at first he brought out some imitation; but she wished to see some real alençon, and was not satisfied with the little pieces at three hundred francs the yard, insisting on having deep flounces at a thousand francs a yard, handkerchiefs and fans at seven and eight hundred francs. the counter was soon covered with a fortune. in a corner of the department jouve, the inspector, who had not lost sight of madame de boves, notwithstanding the latter's apparent dawdling, stood there amidst the crowd, with an indifferent air, but still keeping a sharp eye on her.

“have you any in hand-made point?” she asked; “show me some, please.”

the salesman, whom she had kept there for twenty minutes, dared not resist, she appeared so aristocratic, with her imposing air and princess's voice. however, he hesitated, for the salesmen were cautioned against heaping up these precious fabrics, and he had allowed himself to be robbed of ten yards of malines the week before. but she troubled him, he yielded, and abandoned the alençon point for a moment to take the lace asked for from a drawer.

“oh! look, mamma,” said blanche, who was ransacking a box close by, full of cheap valenciennes, “we might take some of this for pillow-cases.”

madame de boves not replying, her daughter on turning round saw her with her hands plunged amidst the lace, about to slip some alençon up the sleeve of her mantle. she did not appear surprised, and moved forward instinctively to conceal her mother, when jouve suddenly stood before them. he leant over, and politely murmured in the countess's ear:

“have the kindness to follow me, madame.”

she hesitated for a moment, shocked.

“but what for, sir?”

“have the kindness to follow me, madame,” repeated the inspector, without raising his voice.

her face was full of anguish, she threw a rapid glance around her. then she resigned herself all at once, resumed her haughty look, and walked by his side like a queen who deigns to accept the services of an aide-de-camp. not one of the customers had observed the scene, and deloche, on returning to the counter, looked at her being walked off, his mouth wide open with astonishment what! this one as well! this noble-looking lady! really it was time to have them all searched! and blanche, who was left free, followed her mother at a distance, lingering amidst the sea of faces, livid, divided between the duty of not deserting her mother and the terror of being detained with her. she saw her enter bourdoncle's office, but she contented herself with waiting near the door. bourdoncle, whom mouret had just got rid of, happened to be there. as a rule, he dealt with these sorts of robberies committed by persons of distinction. jouve had long been watching this lady, and had informed him of it, so that he was not astonished when the inspector briefly explained the matter to him; in fact, such extraordinary cases passed through his hands that he declared the women capable of anything once the rage for dress had seized them. as he was aware of mouret's acquaintance with the thief, he treated her with the utmost politeness.

“we excuse these moments of weakness, madame. but pray consider the consequences of such a thing. suppose some one else had seen you slip this lace——”

but she interrupted him in great indignation. she a thief! who did he take her for? she was the countess de boves, her husband, inspector-general of the stud, was received at court.

“i know, i know, madame,” repeated bourdoncle, quietly. “i have the honour of knowing you. in the first place, will you kindly give up the lace you have on you?”

she again protested, not allowing him to say another word, handsome in her violence, going as far as tears. any one else but he would have been shaken and feared some deplorable mistake, for she threatened to go to law to avenge herself for such an insult.

“take care, sir, my husband will certainly appeal to the minister.”

“come, you are not more reasonable than the others,” declared bourdoncle, losing patience. “we must search you.”

still she did not yield, but said with her superb assurance, “very good, search me. but i warn you, you are risking your house.”

jouve went to fetch two saleswomen from the corset department. when he returned, he informed bourdoncle that the lady's daughter, left at liberty, had not quitted the doorway, and asked if she should also be detained, although he had not seen her take anything. the manager, always correct, decided that she should not be brought in, for the sake of morality, and in order not to force a mother to blush before her daughter. the two men retired into a neighbouring room, whilst the saleswomen searched the countess, even taking off her dress to search her bosom and hips. besides the twelve yards of alençon point at a thousand francs the yard concealed in her sleeve, they found in her bosom a handkerchief, a fan, and a cravat, making a total of about fourteen thousand francs' worth of lace. she had been stealing like this for the last year, ravaged by a furious, irresistible passion for dress. these fits got worse, growing daily, sweeping away all the reasonings of prudence, and the enjoyment she felt in the indulgence of this passion was all the more violent from the fact that she was risking before the eyes of a crowd her name, her pride, and her husband's high position. now that the latter allowed her to empty his drawers, she stole although she had her pockets full of money, she stole for the pleasure of stealing, as one loves for the pleasure of loving, goaded on by desire, urged on by the species of kleptomania that her unsatisfied luxurious tastes had developed in her formerly at sight of the enormous and brutal temptation of the big shops.

“it's a trap,” cried she, when bourdoncle and jouve came in. “this lace has been placed on me, i swear before heaven.”

she was now weeping tears of rage, and fell on a chair, suffocated in her dress. the partner sent away the saleswomen, and resumed, with his quiet air: “we are quite willing, madame, to hush up this painful affair for the sake of your family. but you must first sign a paper thus worded: 'i have stolen some lace from the ladies' paradise,' followed by the details of the lace, and the day of the month. besides, i shall be happy to return you this document whenever you like to bring me a sum of two thousand francs for the poor.”

she got up again, and declared in a fresh outburst: “i'll never sign that, i'd rather die.”

“you won't die, madame; but i warn you that i shall shortly send for the police.”

then followed a frightful scene. she insulted him, she stammered that it was cowardly for a man to torture a woman in that way. her juno-like beauty, her tall majestic body was distorted by vulgar rage. then she tried to melt them, entreating them in the name of their mothers, and spoke of dragging herself at their feet. and as they remained quite unmoved, hardened by custom, she sat down all at once and began to write with a trembling hand. the pen sputtered, the words: “i have stolen,” written madly, went almost through the thin paper, whilst she repeated in a strangled voice: “there, sir, there. i yield to force.”

bourdoncle took the paper, carefully folded it, and put it in a drawer, saying: “you see it's in company, for ladies, after talking of dying rather than signing, generally forget to come and redeem their billets doux. however, i hold it at your disposal. you'll be able to judge whether it's worth two thousand francs.”

she was buttoning up her dress, and became as arrogant as ever, now that she had paid. “i can go now?” asked she, in a sharp tone.

bourdoncle was already occupied with other business. on jouve's report, he decided on deloche's dismissal, as a stupid fellow, who was always being robbed, never having any authority over the customers. madame de boves repeated her question, and as they dismissed her with an affirmative nod, she enveloped both of them in a murderous look. in the flood of insulting words that she kept back, a melodramatic cry escaped from her lips.

“wretches!” said she, banging the door after her.

meanwhile blanche had not gone far away from the office. her ignorance of what was going on inside, the passing backwards and forwards of jouve and the two saleswomen frightened her, she had visions of the police, the assize court, and the prison. but all at once she stopped short: de vallagnosc was before her, this husband of a month, with whom she still felt rather awkward; and he questioned her, astonished at her bewildered appearance.

“where's your mother? have you lost each other? come, tell me, you make me feel anxious.”

nothing in the way of a colourable fiction presented itself to her, and in great distress she told him everything in a low voice: “mamma, mamma—she has been stealing.”

“what! stealing?” at last he understood. his wife's bloated face, the pale mask, ravaged by fear, terrified him.

“some lace, like that, up her sleeve,” she continued stammering.

“you saw her, then? you were looking on?” murmured he, chilled to feel her a sort of accomplice.

they had to stop talking, several persons were already turning round. an hesitation full of anguish kept de vallagnosc motionless for a moment. what was to be done? he was about to go into bourdoncle's office, when he perceived mouret crossing the gallery. he told his wife to wait for him, and seized his old friend's arm, informing him of the affair, in broken sentences. the latter hastily took him into his office, where he soon put him at rest as to the possible consequences. he assured him that he need not interfere, and explained in what way the affair would be arranged, without appearing at all excited about this robbery, as if he had foreseen it long ago. but de vallagnosc, when he no longer feared an immediate arrest, did not accept the adventure with this admirable coolness. he had thrown himself into an arm-chair, and now that he could discuss the matter, began to lament his own unfortunate position. was it possible that he had married into a family of thieves? a stupid marriage that he had drifted into, just to please his father! surprised at this childish violence, mouret watched him weeping, thinking of his former pessimist boasting. had he not heard him announce scores of times the nothingness of life, in which evil alone had any attraction? and by way of a joke he amused himself for a minute or so, by preaching indifference to his friend, in a friendly, bantering tone. but at this de vallognosc got angry: he was quite unable to recover his compromised philosophy, his middle-class education broke out in virtuously indignant cries against his mother-in-law. as soon as trouble fell on him, at the least appearance of human suffering, at which he had always coldly laughed, the boasted sceptic was beaten and bleeding. it was abominable, they were dragging the honour of his race into the mud, and the world seemed to be coming to an end.

“come, calm yourself,” concluded mouret, stricken with pity. “i won't tell you that everything happens and nothing happens, because that does not seem to comfort you just now. but i think you ought to go and offer your arm to madame de boves, that would be wiser than causing a scandal. the deuce! you who professed such scorn before the universal rascality of the present day!”

“of course,” cried de vallagnosc, innocently, “when it affects other people!”

however, he got up, and followed his old school-fellow's advice. both were returning to the gallery when madame de boves came out of bourdoncle's office. she accepted her son-in-law's arm with a majestic air, and as mouret bowed to her with respectful gallantry, he heard her saying: “they've apologised to me. really, these mistakes are abominable.”

blanche rejoined them, and they were soon lost in the crowd. then mouret, alone and pensive, crossed the shop once more. this scene, which had changed his thoughts from the struggle going on within him, now increased his fever, and decided him to make a supreme effort. a vague connection arose in his mind: the robbery by this unfortunate woman, the last folly of the conquered customers, beaten at the feet of the tempter, evoked the proud and avenging image of denise, whose victorious grip he could feel at his throat. he stopped at the top of the central staircase, and gazed for a long time into the immense nave, where his nation of women were swarming.

six o'clock was about to strike, the daylight decreasing outside was gradually forsaking the covered galleries, already dark and waning at the further end of the halls, invaded by long shadows. and in this daylight, barely extinct, was commenced the lighting of the electric lamps, the globes of an opaque whiteness studding with bright moons the distant depths of the departments. it was a white brightness of a blinding fixity, extending like the reverberation of a discoloured star, killing the twilight then, when all were lighted, there was a delighted murmur in the crowd, the great show of white goods assumed a fairy splendour beneath this new illumination. it seemed that this colossal orgie of white was also burning, itself becoming a light. the song of the white seemed to soar upward in the inflamed whiteness of an aurora. a white glimmer gushed from the linen and calico department in the monsigny gallery, like the first bright gleam which lights up the eastern sky; whilst along the michodière gallery, the mercery and the lace, the fancy-goods and the ribbon departments threw out the reflection of distant hills—the white flash of the mother-of-pearl buttons, the silvered bronzes and the pearls. but the central nave especially was filled with a blaze of white: the puffs of white muslin round the columns, the white dimities and other stuffs draping the staircases, the white lace flying in the air, opened up a dreamy firmament, the dazzling whiteness of a paradise, where was being celebrated the marriage of the unknown queen. the tent of the silk hall was like a giant alcove, with its white curtains, gauzes and tulles, the dazzle of which protected the bride in her white nudity from the gaze of the curious. there was now nothing but this blinding white light in which all the whites blended, a multitude of stars twinkling in the bright clear light.

and mouret continued to watch his nation of women, amidst this shimmering blaze. their black shadows stood out vigorously on the pale ground-work. long eddies divided the crowd; the fever of this day's great sale swept past like a frenzy, rolling along the disordered sea of heads. people were commencing to leave, the pillage of the stuffs had encumbered all the counters, the gold was chinking in the tills; whilst the customers went away, their purses completely empty, and their heads turned by the wealth of luxury amidst which they had been wandering all day. it was he who possessed them thus, keeping them at his mercy by his continued display of novelties, his reduction of prices, and his “returns,” his gallantry and his advertisements. he had conquered the mothers themselves, reigning over them with the brutality of a despot, whose caprices were ruining many a household. his creation was a sort of new religion; the churches, gradually deserted by a wavering faith, were replaced by this bazaar, in the minds of the idle women of paris. women now came and spent their leisure time in his establishment, the shivering and anxious hours they formerly passed in churches: a necessary consumption of nervous passion, a growing struggle of the god of dress against the husband, the incessantly renewed religion of the body with the divine future of beauty. if he had closed his doors, there would have been a rising in the street, the despairing cry of worshippers deprived of their confessional and altar. in their still growing luxury, he saw them, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, obstinately clinging to the enormous iron building, along the suspended staircases and flying bridges. madame marty and her daughter, carried away to the highest point, were wandering amongst the furniture. retained by her young people, madame bourdelais could not get away from the fancy goods. then came another group, madame de boves, still on de vallagnosc's arm, and followed by blanche, stopping in each department, still daring to examine the articles with her superb air. but amidst the crowded sea of customers, this sea of bodies swelling with life, beating with desire, all decorated with bunches of violets, as though for the bridals of some sovereign, mouret could now distinguish nothing but the bare bust of madame desforges, who had stopped in the glove department with madame guibal. notwithstanding her jealous rancour, she was also buying, and he felt himself to be the master once more, having them at his feet, beneath the dazzle of the electric light, like a drove of cattle from whom he had drawn his fortune.

with a mechanical step, mouret went along the galleries, so absorbed that he abandoned himself to the pushing of the crowd. when he raised his head, he found himself in the new millinery department, the windows of which looked on to the rue du dix-décembre. and there, his forehead against the glass, he made another halt, watching the departure of the crowd. the setting sun was yellowing the roofs of the white houses, the blue sky was growing paler, refreshed by a pure breath; whilst in the twilight, which was already enveloping the streets, the electric lamps of the ladies' paradise threw out that fixed glimmer of stars lighted on the horizon at the decline of the day. towards the opera-house and the bourse were the rows of waiting carriages, the harness still retaining the reflections of the bright light, the gleam of a lamp, the glitter of a silvered bit every minute the cry of a footman was heard, and a cab drew near, or a brougham issued from the ranks, took up a customer, and went off at a rapid trot. the rows of carriages were now diminishing, six went off at a time, occupying the whole street, from the one side to the other, amidst the banging of doors, snapping of whips, and the hum of the passers-by, who swarmed between the wheels. there was a sort of continual enlargement, a spreading of the customers, carried off to the four corners of the city, emptying the building with the roaring clamour of a sluice. and the roof of the ladies' paradise, the big golden letters of the ensigns, the banners fluttering in the sky, still flamed forth with the reflections of the setting sun, so colossal in this oblique light, that they evoked the monster of advertising, the phalansterium whose wings, incessantly multiplied, were swallowing up the whole neighbourhood, as far as the distant woods of the suburbs. and the soul of paris, an enormous, sweet breath, fell asleep in the serenity of the evening, running in long and sweet caresses over the last carriages, spinning through the streets now becoming deserted by the crowd, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

mouret, gazing about, had just felt something grand in himself; and, in the shiver of triumph with which his flesh trembled, in the face of paris devoured and woman conquered, he experienced a sudden weakness, a defection of his strong will which overthrew him in his turn, beneath a superior force it was an unreasonable necessity to be vanquished in his victory, the nonsense of a warrior bending beneath the caprice of a child, on the morrow of his conquests. he who had struggled for months, who even that morning had sworn to stifle his passion, yielded all at once, seized by the vertigo of high places, happy to commit what he looked upon as a folly. his decision, so rapid, had assumed all at once such energy that he saw nothing but her as being useful and necessary in the world.

the evening, after the last dinner, he was waiting in his office, trembling like a young man about to stake his life's happiness, unable to keep still, incessantly going towards the door to listen to the rumours in the shop, where the men were doing the folding, drowned up to the shoulder in a sea of stuffs. at each footstep his heart beat. he felt a violent emotion, he rushed forward, for he had heard in the distance a deep murmur, which had gradually increased.

it was lhomme slowly approaching with the day's receipts. that day they were so heavy, there was such a quantity of silver and copper, that he had been obliged to enlist the services of two messengers. behind him came joseph and one of his colleagues, bending beneath the weight of the bags, enormous bags, thrown on their shoulders like sacks of wheat, whilst he walked on in front with the notes and gold, a note-book swollen with paper, and two bags hung round his neck, the weight of which swayed him to the right, the same side as his broken arm. slowly, perspiring and puffing, he had come from the other end of the shop, amidst the growing emotion of the salesmen. the employees in the glove and silk departments laughingly offered to relieve him of his burden, the fellows in the drapery and woollen departments were longing to see him make a false step, which would have scattered the gold through the place. then he had been obliged to mount the stairs, go across a bridge, going still higher, turning about, amidst the longing looks of the employees in the linen, the hosiery, and the mercery departments, who followed him, gazing with ecstasy at this fortune travelling in the air. on the first-floor the employees in the ready-made, the perfumery, the lace, and the shawl departments were ranged with devotion, as on the passage of a king. from counter to counter a tumult arose, like the clamour of a nation bowing down before the golden calf.

mouret opened the door, and lhomme appeared, followed by the two messengers, who were staggering; and, out of breath, he still had strength to cry out: “one million two hundred and forty-seven francs, nineteen sous!”

at last the million had been attained, the million picked up in a day, and of which mouret had so long dreamed. but he gave way to an angry gesture, and said impatiently, with the disappointed air of a man disturbed by some troublesome fellow: “a million! very good, put it there.” lhomme knew that he was fond of seeing the heavy receipts on his table before they were taken to the central cashier's office. the million covered the whole table, crushing the papers, almost overturning the ink, running out of the sacks, bursting the leather bags, making a great heap, the heap of the gross receipts, such as it had come from the customers' hands, still warm and living.

just as the cashier was going away, heart-broken at the governor's indifference, bourdoncle arrived, gaily exclaiming: “ah! we've done it this time. we've hooked the million, eh?”

but observing mouret's febrile pre-occupation, he understood at once and calmed down. his face was beaming with joy. after a short silence he resumed: “you've made up your mind, haven't you? well, i approve your decision.”

suddenly mouret planted himself before him, and with his terrible voice he thundered: “i say, my man, you're rather too lively. you think me played out, don't you? and you feel hungry. but be careful, i'm not one to be swallowed up, you know!”

discountenanced by the sharp attack of this wonderful fellow, who guessed everything, bourdoncle stammered: “what now? are you joking? i who have always admired you so!”

“don't tell lies!” replied mouret, more violently than ever “just listen, we were stupid to entertain the superstition that marriage would ruin us. is it not the necessary health, the very strength and order of life? well, my dear fellow, i'm going to marry her, and i'll pitch you all out at the slightest movement. yes, you'll go and be paid like the rest, bourdoncle.”

and with a gesture he dismissed him. bourdoncle felt himself condemned, swept away, by this victory gained by woman. he went off. denise was just going in, and he bowed with a profound respect, his head swimming.

“ah! you've come at last!” said mouret gently.

denise was pale with emotion. she had just experienced another grief, deloche had informed her of his dismissal, and as she tried to retain him, offering to speak in his favour, he obstinately declined to struggle against his bad luck, he wanted to disappear, what was the use of staying? why should he interfere with people who were happy? denise had bade him a sisterly adieu, her eyes full of tears. did she not herself long to sink into oblivion? everything was now about to be finished, and she asked nothing more of her exhausted strength than the courage to support this separation. in a few minutes, if she could only be valiant enough to crush her heart, she could go away alone, to weep unseen.

“you wished to see me, sir,” she said in her calm voice. “in fact, i intended to come and thank you for all your kindness to me.”

on entering, she had perceived the million on the desk, and the display of this money wounded her. above her, as if watching the scene, was the portrait of madame hédouin, in its gilded frame, and with the eternal smile of its painted lips.

“you are still resolved to leave us?” asked mouret, in a trembling voice.

“yes, sir. i must!”

then he took her hands, and said, in an explosion of tenderness, after the long period of coldness he had imposed on himself: “and if i married you, denise, would you still leave?” but she had drawn her hands away, struggling as if under the influence of a great grief. “oh! monsieur mouret. pray say no more. don't cause me such pain again! i cannot! i cannot! heaven is my witness that i was going away to avoid such a misfortune!”

she continued to defend herself in broken sentences. had she not already suffered too much from the gossip of the house? did he wish her to pass in his eyes and her own for a worthless woman? no, no, she would be strong, she would certainly prevent him doing such a thing. he, tortured, listened to her, repeating in a passionate tone: “i wish it. i wish it!”

“no, it's impossible. and my brothers? i have sworn not to marry. i cannot bring you those children, can i?”

“they shall be my brothers, too. say yes, denise.”

“no, no, leave me. you are torturing me!”

little by little he gave way, this last obstacle drove him mad. what! she still refused even at this price! in the distance he heard the clamour of his three thousand employees building up his immense fortune. and that stupid million lying there! he suffered from it as a sort of irony, he could have thrown it into the street.

“go, then!” he cried, in a flood of tears. “go and join the man you love. that's the reason, isn't it? you warned me, i ought to have known it, and not tormented you any further.” she stood there dazed before the violence of this despair. her heart was bursting. then, with the impetuosity of a child, she threw herself on his neck, sobbing also, and stammered: “oh! monsieur mouret, it's you that i love!”

a last murmur was rising from the ladies' paradise, the distant acclamation of a crowd. madame hédouin's portrait was still smiling, with its painted lips; mouret had fallen on his desk, on the million that he could no longer see. he did not quit denise, but clasped her in a desperate embrace, telling her that she could now go, that she could spend a month at valognes, which would silence everybody, and that he would then go and fetch her himself, and bring her back, all-powerful, and his wedded wife.

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