Their tastes indeed differ--Raoul is religious and moral, melancholy and dignified; Enguerrand is a lion of the first water,--elegant to the tips of his nails.

These demigods nevertheless are very mild to mortals.

Though Enguerrand is the best pistol-shot in Paris, and Raoul the best fencer, the first is so good-tempered that you would be a brute to quarrel with him, the last so true a Catholic, that if you quarrelled with him you need not fear his sword.

He would not die in the committal of what the Church holds a mortal sin." "Are you speaking ironically?
Do you mean to imply that men of the name of Vandemar are not brave ?" "On the contrary, I believe that, though masters of their weapons, they are too brave to abuse their skill; and I must add that, though they are sleeping partners in a shop, they would not cheat you of a farthing.
Benign stars on earth, as Castor and Pollux were in heaven." "But partners in a shop!" "Bah! when a minister himself, like the late M.de M______, kept a shop, and added the profits of 'bons bons' to his revenue, you may form some idea of the spirit of the age.

If young nobles are not generally sleeping partners in shops, still they are more or less adventurers in commerce.