“Don’t make any engagement, dear boy; wait.  They want to exploit you; we will talk of it to-night.”

“Pshaw!” said Lucien.  “I am sure I am quite as sharp and shrewd as they can be.”

Finot and Hector Merlin evidently had not fallen out over that affair of the white lines and spaces in the columns, for it was Finot who introduced Lucien to the journalist.  Coralie and Mme. du Val-Noble were overwhelmingly amiable and polite to each other, and Mme. du Val-Noble asked Lucien and Coralie to dine with her.

Hector Merlin, short and thin, with lips always tightly compressed, was the most dangerous journalist present.  Unbounded ambition and jealousy smouldered within him; he took pleasure in the pain of others, and fomented strife to turn it to his own account.  His abilities were but slender, and he had little force of character, but the natural instinct which draws the upstart towards money and power served him as well as fixity of purpose.  Lucien and Merlin at once took a dislike to one another, for reasons not far to seek.  Merlin, unfortunately, proclaimed aloud the thoughts that Lucien kept to himself.  By the time the dessert was put on the table, the most touching friendship appeared to prevail among the men, each one of whom in his heart thought himself a cleverer fellow than the rest; and Lucien as the newcomer was made much of by them all.  They chatted frankly and unrestrainedly.  Hector Merlin, alone, did not join in the laughter.  Lucien asked the reason of his reserve.

“You are just entering the world of letters, I can see,” he said.  “You are a journalist with all your illusions left.  You believe in friendship.  Here we are friends or foes, as it happens; we strike down a friend with the weapon which by rights should only be turned against an enemy.  You will find out, before very long, that fine sentiments will do nothing for you.  If you are naturally kindly, learn to be ill-natured, to be consistently spiteful.  If you have never heard this golden rule before, I give it you now in confidence, and it is no small secret.  If you have a mind to be loved, never leave your mistress until you have made her shed a tear or two; and if you mean to make your way in literature, let other people continually feel your teeth; make no exception even of your friends; wound their susceptibilities, and everybody will fawn upon you.”

Hector Merlin watched Lucien as he spoke, saw that his words went to the neophyte’s heart like a stab, and Hector Merlin was glad.  Play followed, Lucien lost all his money, and Coralie brought him away; and he forgot for a while, in the delights of love, the fierce excitement of the gambler, which was to gain so strong a hold upon him.