XXIV
THEINFLUENCEOFSOCIALRELATIONSANDPOSITION
InaccordancewiththeadviceoftheAbbeBrossettetheDuchessedeGrandlieuaskedtheMarquisd’Ajudatobringherthatkingofpoliticalcut-throats，thecelebratedComteMaximedeTrailles，archdukeofBohemia，theyoungestofyoungmen，thoughhewasnowfullyfiftyyearsofage。Monsieurd’AjudaarrangedtodinewithMaximeattheclubintheruedeBeuane，andproposedtohimafterdinnertogoandplaydummywhistwiththeDucdeGrandlieu，whohadanattackofgoutandwasallalone。
Thoughtheson-in-lawofthedukeandthecousinoftheduchesshadeveryrighttopresenthiminasalonwherehehadneveryetsetfoot，MaximedeTraillesdidnotdeceivehimselfastothemeaningofaninvitationthusgiven。Hefeltcertainthatthedukeortheduchesshadsomeneedofhim。Clublifewheremenplaycardswithothermenwhomtheydonotreceiveintheirownhousesisbynomeansoneofthemosttriflingsignsofthepresentage。
TheDucdeGrandlieudidMaximethehonorofappearingtosufferfromhisgout。Afterseveralgamesofwhisthewenttobed，leavinghiswife/tete-a-tete/withMaximeandd’Ajuda。Theduchess，secondedbythemarquis，communicatedherprojecttoMonsieurdeTrailles，andaskedhisassistance，whileostensiblyaskingonlyforhisadvice。