Then she tried keeping house with a female friend; then the double menage began to quarrel and get into debt. Then she determined upon a boarding-house existence and lived for some time at that famous mansion kept by Madame de Saint Amour, in the Rue Royale, at Paris, where she began exercising her graces and fascinations upon the shabby dandies and fly-blown beauties who frequented her landlady's salons. Becky loved society and, indeed, could no more exist without it than an opium-eater without his dram, and she was happy enough at the period of her boarding-house life. "The women here are as amusing as those in May Fair," she told an old London friend who met her, "only, their dresses are not quite so fresh. The men wear cleaned gloves, and are sad rogues, certainly, but they are not worse than Jack This and Tom That. The mistress of the house is a little vulgar, but I don't think she is so vulgar as Lady ------" and here she named the name of a great leader of fashion that I would die rather than reveal. In fact, when you saw Madame de Saint Amour's rooms lighted up of a night, men with plaques and cordons at the ecarte tables, and the women at a little distance, you might fancy yourself for a while in good society, and that Madame was a real Countess. Many people did so fancy, and Becky was for a while one of the most dashing ladies of the Countess's salons.
But it is probable that her old creditors of 1815 found her out and caused her to leave Paris, for the poor little woman was forced to fly from the city rather suddenly, and went thence to Brussels.

Then she tried keeping house with a female friend, until they began to quarrel and get into debt. Then she lived for some time at that famous boarding-house kept by Madame de Saint Amour, in the Rue Royale at Paris, where she began using her fascinations upon the shabby dandies and fly-blown beauties who frequented her landlady's salons. Becky loved society and indeed, could no more exist without it than an opium-eater without his dram; and she was happy enough at this time of her life.
"The women here are as amusing as those in May Fair," she told an old London friend, "only their dresses are not quite so fresh. The men are sad rogues, certainly, but no worse than many. The mistress of the house is a little vulgar, but I don't think she is so vulgar as Lady ____" and here she named a great leader of fashion.
In fact, when you saw Madame de Saint Amour's rooms lit up at night, and the women at a little distance, you might fancy yourself in good society, and that Madame was a real Countess. Many people did so fancy, and Becky was for a while one of the most dashing ladies of her salons.
But her old creditors of 1815 found her out and caused her to leave Paris. The poor little woman was forced to fly rather suddenly, and went to Brussels.
