The two novelties were immediately remarked, and appreciated as they deserved to be, by the thirty or forty persons who constitute a sort of mysterious tribunal, and who, in the name of all Paris, pass sentence beyond appeal.  These thirty or forty persons have, from time to time, the fancy to declare “delicious” some woman who is manifestly ugly.  That is enough; she is “delicious” from that moment.

The beauty of the two sisters was unquestionable.  In the morning, it was their grace, their elegance, their distinction that attracted universal admiration; in the afternoon, it was declared that their walk had the freedom and ease of two young goddesses; in the evening, there was but one cry of rapture at the ideal perfection of their shoulders.  From that moment, all Paris had for the two sisters the eyes of the little pastry-cook of the Rue d’Amsterdam; all Paris repeated his ‘Mazette’, though naturally with the variations and developments imposed by the usages of the world.

Mrs. Scott’s drawing-room immediately became the fashion.  The habitues of three or four great American houses transferred themselves to the Scotts, who had three hundred persons at their first Wednesday.  Their circle increased; there was a little of everything to be found in their set—­Americans, Spaniards, Italians, Hungarians, Russians, and even Parisians.

When she had related her history to the Abbe Constantin, Mrs. Scott had not told all—­one never does tell all.  In a word, she was a coquette.  Mr. Scott had the most perfect confidence in his wife, and left her entire liberty.  He appeared very little; he was an honorable man, who felt a vague embarrassment at having made such a marriage, at having married so much money.

Having a taste for business, he had great pleasure in devoting himself entirely to the administering of the two immense fortunes which were in his hands, in continually increasing them, and in saying every year to his wife and sister in-law: 

“You are still richer than you were last year!”

Not content with watching with much prudence and ability over the interests which he had left in America, he launched in France into large speculations, and was as successful in Paris as he had been in New York.  In order to make money, the first thing is to have no need of it.

They made love to Mrs. Scott to an enormous extent; they made love to her in French, in Italian, in English, in Spanish; for she knew those four languages, and there is one advantage that foreigners have over our poor Parisians, who usually know only their mother tongue, and have not the resource of international passions.

Naturally, Mrs. Scott did not drive her adorers from her presence.  She had ten, twenty, thirty at a time.

No one could boast of any preference; to all she opposed the same amiable, laughing, joyous resistance.  It was clear to all that the game amused her, and that she did not for a moment take it seriously.  Mr. Scott never felt a moment’s anxiety, and he was perfectly right.  More, he enjoyed his wife’s successes; he was happy in seeing her happy.  He loved her dearly—­a little more than she loved him.  She loved him very much, and that was all.  There is a great difference between dearly and very much when these two adverbs are placed after the verb to love.