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a chair； the clerks glanced at him knowingly。
〃I have made inquiries； M。 Lantin；〃 said the jeweler； 〃and if you
are still resolved to dispose of the gems； I am ready to pay you
the price I offered。〃
〃Certainly； sir；〃 stammered M。 Lantin。
Whereupon the proprietor took from a drawer eighteen large bills；
counted and handed them to M。 Lantin； who signed a receipt and
with a trembling hand put the money into his pocket。
As he was about to leave the store； he turned toward the
merchant； who still wore the same knowing smile； and lowering his
eyes； said：
〃I haveI have other gems which I have received from the same
source。 Will you buy them also？〃
The merchant bowed： 〃Certainly； sir。〃
M。 Lantin said gravely： 〃I will bring them to you。〃 An hour later
he returned with the gems。
The large diamond earrings were worth twenty thousand francs； the
bracelets thirty…five thousand； the rings； sixteen thousand； a
set of emeralds and sapphires； fourteen thousand； a gold chain
with solitaire pendant； forty thousandmaking the sum of one
hundred and forty…three thousand francs。
The jeweler remarked； jokingly：
〃There was a person who invested all her earnings in precious
stones。〃
M。 Lantin replied； seriously：
〃It is only another way of investing one's money。〃
That day he lunched at Voisin's and drank wine worth twenty
francs a bottle。 Then he hired a carriage and made a tour of the
Bois； and as he scanned the various turn…outs with a contemptuous
air he could hardly refrain from crying out to the occupants：
〃I； too； am rich！I am worth two hundred thousand francs。〃
Suddenly he thought of his employer。 He drove up to the office；
and entered gaily； saying：
〃Sir； I have come to resign my position。 I have just inherited
three hundred thousand francs。〃
He shook hands with his former colleagues and confided to them
some of his projects for the future； then he went off to dine at
the Cafe Anglais。
He seated himself beside a gentleman of aristocratic bearing； and
during the meal informed the latter confidentially that he had
just inherited a fortune of four hundred thousand francs。
For the first time in his life he was not bored at the theater；
and spent the remainder of the night in a gay frolic。
Six months afterward he married again。 His second wife was a very
virtuous woman； with a violent temper。 She caused him much
sorrow。
COUNTESS SATAN
I。
They were discussing dynamite； the social revolution； Nihilism；
and even those who cared least about politics had something to
say。 Some were alarmed； others philosophized； and others again
tried to smile。
〃Bah！〃 Nsaid； 〃when we are all blown up； we shall see what it
is like。 Perhaps； after all； it may be an amusing sensation；
provided one goes high enough。〃
〃But we shall not be blown up at all；〃 G； the optimist； said；
interrupting him。 〃It is all a romance。〃
〃You are mistaken； my dear fellow；〃 Jules de Creplied。 〃It is
like a romance； but with this confounded Nihilism； everything is
the same； it would be a mistake to trust to it。 For instance； the
manner in which I made Bakounine's acquaintance〃
They knew that he was a good narrator； and it was no secret that
his life had been an adventurous one； so they drew closer to him；
and listened intently。 This is what he told them：
II
〃I met Countess Nioska W； that strange woman who was usually
called Countess Satan； in Naples。 I immediately attached myself
to her out of curiosity； and soon fell in love with her。 Not that
she was beautiful； for she was a Russian with the bad
characteristics of the Russian type。 She was thin and squat at
the same time； while her face was sallow and puffy； with high
cheek…bones and a Cossack's nose。 But her conversation bewitched
everyone。
〃She was many…sided； learned； a philosopher； scientifically
depraved； satanic。 Perhaps the word is rather pretentious； but it
exactly expresses what I want to say； for in other words she
loved evil for the sake of evil。 She rejoiced in other people's
vices； she liked to sow the seeds of evil； in order to see it
flourish。 And that； too； by fraud on an enormous scale。 It was
not enough for her to corrupt individuals； she only did that to
keep her hand in； what she wished to do was to corrupt the
masses。 By slightly altering it after her own fashion； she might
have used Caligula's famous wish。 She also might have wished that
the whole human race had but one head； not in order that she
might cut it off； but that she might make the philosophy of
Nihilism flourish there。
〃What a temptation to become the lord and master of such a
monster！ I allowed myself to be tempted； and undertook the
adventure。 The means came unsought for by me； and the only thing
that I had to do was to show myself more perverted and satanic
than she was herself。 And so I played the devil。
〃 'Yes；' I said； 'we writers are the best workmen for doing evil；
as our books may be bottles of poison。 The so…called men of
action only turn the handle of the mitrailleuse which we have
loaded。 Formulas will destroy the world； and it is we who invent
them。'
〃 'That is true；' said she； 'and that is what is wanting in
Bakounine； I am sorry to say。'
〃That name was constantly in her mouth。 So I asked her for
details； which she gave me； as she knew the man intimately。
〃 'After all；' she said； with a contemptuous grimace； 'he is only
a kind of Garibaldi。'
〃She told me； although she made fun of him as she did so； about
that 'Odyssey' of the barricades and of the hulks which made up
Bakounine's history； and which is； nevertheless； the exact truth；
about his adventures as chief of the insurgents at Prague and
then at Dresden； of his first death sentence； about his
imprisonment at Olmutz； in the casemates of the fortress of St。
Peter and St。 Paul； and in a subterranean dungeon at
Schusselburg； about his exile to Siberia and his wonderful escape
down the river Amour； on a Japanese coasting…vessel； and about
his final arrival； by way of Yokohama and San Francisco； in London；
whence he was directing all the operations of Nihilism。
〃 'You see；' she said； 'he is a thorough adventurer； and now all
his adventures are over。 He got married at Tobolsk and became a
mere respectable； middle…class man。 And then he has no individual
ideas。 Herzen； the pamphleteer of 〃Kolokol；〃 inspired him with
the only fertile phrase that he ever uttered： 〃Land and Liberty！〃
But that is not yet the definite formula； the general
formulawhat I may call the dynamite formula。 At best； Bakounine
would only become an incendiary； and burn down cities。 And what
is that； I ask you？ Bah！ A second…hand Rostoptchin！ He wants a
prompter； and I offered to become his； but he did not take me
seriously。'
* * * * * * *
〃It would be useless to enter into all the psychological details
which marked the course of my passion for the Countess； and to
explain to you more fully the curious and daily growing
attraction which she had for me。 It was getting exasperating； and
the more so as she resisted me as stoutly as the shyest of
innocents could have done。 At the end of a month of mad Satanism；
I saw what her game