When they reached the rue de la Victoire where the celebrated actress lived, Bixiou, who meditated a trick upon the distrustful provincial, had scarcely finished teaching him his role; but Gazonal was quick, as we shall see, to take a hint.
The three friends went up to the second floor of a rather handsome house, and found Madame Jenny Cadine just finishing dinner, for she played that night in an afterpiece at the Gymnase. Having presented Gazonal to this great power, Leon and Bixiou, in order to leave them alone together, made the excuse of looking at a piece of furniture in another room; but before leaving, Bixiou had whispered in the actress’s ear: “He is Leon’s cousin, a manufacturer, enormously rich; he wants to win a suit before the Council of State against his prefect, and he thinks it wise to fascinate you in order to get Massol on his side.”
All Paris knows the beauty of that young actress, and will therefore understand the stupefaction of the Southerner on seeing her. Though she had received him at first rather coldly, he became the object of her good graces before they had been many minutes alone together.
“How strange!” said Gazonal, looking round him disdainfully on the furniture of the salon, the door of which his accomplices had left half open, “that a woman like you should be allowed to live in such an ill-furnished apartment.”
“Ah, yes, indeed! but how can I help it? Massol is not rich; I am hoping he will be made a minister.”
“What a happy man!” cried Gazonal, heaving the sigh of a provincial.
“Good!” thought she. “I shall have new furniture, and get the better of Carabine.”
“Well, my dear!” said Leon, returning, “you’ll be sure to come to Carabine’s to-night, won’t you?—supper and lansquenet.”
“Will monsieur be there?” said Jenny Cadine, looking artlessly and graciously at Gazonal.
“Yes, madame,” replied the countryman, dazzled by such rapid success.