the ball at sceaux by balzac

8/10/2019 The Ball at Sceaux by balzac

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THE BALL AT SCEAUX

The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldestfamilies in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause ithintelli!ence and braver" durin! the ar in La #endeea!ainst the $e%ublic& After havin! esca%ed all thedan!ers hich threatened the ro"alist leaders durin!this storm" %eriod of modern histor", he as ont tosa" in 'est, () am one of the men ho !ave themselvesto be *illed on the ste%s of the throne&( And the%leasantr" had some truth in it, as s%o*en b" a manleft for dead at the blood" battle of Les +uatre

Chemins& Thou!h ruined b" conscation, the staunch #endeen steadil" refused the lucrative %osts o-ered tohim b" the Em%eror .a%oleon& )mmovable in hisaristocratic faith, he had blindl" obe"ed its %rece%ts hen he thou!ht it ttin! to choose a com%anion forlife& )n s%ite of the blandishments of a rich butrevolutionar" %arvenu, ho valued the alliance at ahi!h !ure, he married /ademoiselle de 0er!arouet, ithout a fortune, but belon!in! to one of the oldest

families in Brittan"&

1hen the second revolution burst on /onsieur deFontaine he as encumbered ith a lar!e famil"&Thou!h it as no %art of the noble !entlemen2s viesto solicit favors, he "ielded to his ife2s ish, left hiscountr" estate, of hich the income barel" su-iced tomaintain his children, and came to Paris& Saddened b" seein! the !reediness of his former comrades in therush for %laces and di!nities under the ne

Constitution, he as about to return to his %ro%ert" hen he received a ministerial des%atch, in hich a ell3*non ma!nate announced to him hisnomination as marechal de cam%, or bri!adier3!eneral, under a rule hich alloed the o-icers of theCatholic armies to count the tent" submer!ed "ears



of Louis X#)))&2s rei!n as "ears of service& Some da"slater he further received, ithout an" solicitation, e4o-icio, the crosses of the Le!ion of Honor and ofSaint3Louis&

Sha*en in his determination b" these successivefavors, due, as he su%%osed, to the monarch2sremembrance, he as no lon!er satised ith ta*in!his famil", as he had %iousl" done ever" Sunda", to cr"(#ive le $oi( in the hall of the Tuileries hen the ro"alfamil" %assed throu!h on their a" to cha%el5 hecraved the favor of a %rivate audience& The audience,at once !ranted, as in no sense %rivate& The ro"aldrain!3room as full of old adherents, hose

%odered heads, seen from above, su!!ested a car%etof sno& There the Count met some old friends, horeceived him somehat coldl"5 but the %rinces hethou!ht A67$ABLE, an enthusiastic e4%ression hichesca%ed him hen the most !racious of his masters, to hom the Count had su%%osed himself to be *nononl" b" name, came to sha*e hands ith him, ands%o*e of him as the most thorou!h #endeen of themall& .otithstandin! this ovation, none of these

au!ust %ersons thou!ht of in8uirin! as to the sum ofhis losses, or of the mone" he had %oured so!enerousl" into the chests of the Catholic re!iments&He discovered, a little late, that he had made ar athis on cost& Toards the end of the evenin! hethou!ht he mi!ht venture on a itt" allusion to thestate of his a-airs, similar, as it as, to that of man"other !entlemen& His /a'est" lau!hed heartil"enou!h5 an" s%eech that bore the hall3mar* of it as

certain to %lease him5 but he nevertheless re%lied ithone of those ro"al %leasantries hose seetness ismore formidable than the an!er of a rebu*e& 7ne ofthe 0in!2s most intimate advisers too* an o%%ortunit"of !oin! u% to the fortune3see*in! #endeen, and madehim understand b" a *een and %olite hint that thetime had not "et come for settlin! accounts ith the



soverei!n5 that there ere bills of much lon!erstandin! than his on the boo*s, and there, no doubt,the" ould remain, as %art of the histor" of the$evolution& The Count %rudentl" ithdre from the

venerable !rou%, hich formed a res%ectful semi3circle before the au!ust famil"5 then, havin!e4tricated his sord, not ithout some di-icult", fromamon! the lean le!s hich had !ot mi4ed u% ith it,he crossed the court"ard of the Tuileries and !ot intothe hac*ne" cab he had left on the 8ua"& 1ith therestive s%irit, hich is %eculiar to the nobilit" of theold school, in hom still survives the memor" of theLea!ue and the da" of the Barricades 9in :;<<=, hebeailed himself in his cab, loudl" enou!h tocom%romise him, over the chan!e that had come overthe Court& (Formerl",( he said to himself, (ever" onecould s%ea* freel" to the 0in! of his on little a-airs5the nobles could as* him a favor, or for mone", hen itsuited them, and noada"s one cannot recover themone" advanced for his service ithout raisin! ascandal> B" Heaven> the cross of Saint3Louis and theran* of bri!adier3!eneral ill not ma*e !ood the threehundred thousand livres ) have s%ent, out and out, on

the ro"al cause& ) must s%ea* to the 0in!, face to face,in his on room&(

This scene cooled /onsieur de Fontaine2s ardor all themore e-ectuall" because his re8uests for an intervie ere never ansered& And, indeed, he sa the u%startsof the Em%ire obtainin! some of the o-ices reserved,under the old monarch", for the hi!hest families&

(All is lost>( he e4claimed one mornin!& (The 0in! hascertainl" never been other than a revolutionar"& Butfor /onsieur, ho never dero!ates, and is somecomfort to his faithful adherents, ) do not *no hathands the cron of France mi!ht not fall into if thin!sare to !o on li*e this& Their cursed constitutionals"stem is the orst %ossible !overnment, and can



never suit France& Louis X#)))& and /onsieur Beu!nots%oiled ever"thin! at Saint 7uen&(

The Count, in des%air, as %re%arin! to retire to hisestate, abandonin!, ith di!nit", all claims tore%a"ment& At this moment the events of the ?@th/arch 9:<:;= !ave arnin! of a fresh storm,threatenin! to overhelm the le!itimate monarch andhis defenders& /onsieur de Fontaine, li*e one of those!enerous souls ho do not dismiss a servant in atorrent of rain5 borroed on his lands to follo therouted monarch", ithout *noin! hether thiscom%licit" in emi!ration ould %rove more %ro%itiousto him than his %ast devotion& But hen he %erceived

that the com%anions of the 0in!2s e4ile ere in hi!her favor than the brave men ho had %rotested, sord inhand, a!ainst the establishment of the re%ublic, hema" %erha%s have ho%ed to derive !reater %rot fromthis 'ourne" into a forei!n land than from active anddan!erous service in the heart of his on countr"& .or as his courtier3li*e calculation one of these rashs%eculations hich %romise s%lendid results on %a%er,and are ruinous in e-ect& He asto 8uote the

ittiest and most successful of our di%lomatesone of the faithful ve hundred ho shared the e4ile of theCourt at hent, and one of the ft" thousand horeturned ith it& 6urin! the short banishment ofro"alt", /onsieur de Fontaine as so ha%%" as to beem%lo"ed b" Louis X#)))&, and found more than oneo%%ortunit" of !ivin! him %roofs of !reat %oliticalhonest" and sincere attachment& 7ne evenin!, henthe 0in! had nothin! better to do, he recalled

/onsieur de Fontaine2s itticism at the Tuileries& Theold #endeen did not let such a ha%%" chance sli%5 hetold his histor" ith so much vivacit" that a *in!, honever for!ot an"thin!, mi!ht remember it at aconvenient season& The ro"al amateur of literaturealso observed the ele!ant st"le !iven to some notes hich the discreet !entleman had been invited to



recast& This little success stam%ed /onsieur deFontaine on the 0in!2s memor" as one of the lo"alservants of the Cron&

At the second restoration the Count as one of thoses%ecial envo"s ho ere sent throu!hout thede%artments char!ed ith absolute 'urisdiction overthe leaders of revolt5 but he used his terrible %oers ith moderation& As soon as the tem%orar"commission as ended, the Hi!h Provost found a seatin the Priv" Council, became a de%ut", s%o*e little,listened much, and chan!ed his o%inions ver"considerabl"& Certain circumstances, un*non tohistorians, brou!ht him into such intimate relations

ith the Soverei!n, that one da", as he came in, theshred monarch addressed him thus (/" friendFontaine, ) shall ta*e care never to a%%oint "ou to bedirector3!eneral, or minister& .either "ou nor ), asem%lo"ees, could *ee% our %lace on account of ouro%inions& $e%resentative !overnment has thisadvanta!e5 it saves Us the trouble 1e used to have, ofdismissin! 7ur Secretaries of State& 7ur Council is a%erfect inn3%arlor, hither %ublic o%inion sometimes

sends stran!e travelers5 hoever, 1e can ala"s nd a%lace for 7ur faithful adherents&(

This ironical s%eech as introductor" to a rescri%t!ivin! /onsieur de Fontaine an a%%ointment asadministrator in the o-ice of Cron lands& As aconse8uence of the intelli!ent attention ith hich helistened to his ro"al Friend2s sarcasms, his nameala"s rose to His /a'est"2s li%s hen a commission as to be a%%ointed of hich the members ere toreceive a handsome salar"& He had the !ood sense tohold his ton!ue about the favor ith hich he ashonored, and *ne ho to entertain the monarch inthose familiar chats in hich Louis X#)))& deli!hted asmuch as in a ell3ritten note, b" his brilliant manner of re%eatin! %olitical anecdotes, and the %olitical or



%arliamentar" tittle3tattleif the e4%ression ma" %asshich at that time as rife& )t is ell *non that he as immensel" amused b" ever" detail of hisouvernementabilitea ord ado%ted b" his facetious

/a'est"&

Than*s to the Comte de Fontaine2s !ood sense, it,and tact, ever" member of his numerous famil",hoever "oun!, ended, as he 'estin!l" told hisSoverei!n, in attachin! himself li*e a sil*orm to theleaves of the Pa"3List& Thus, b" the 0in!2sintervention, his eldest son found a hi!h and 4ed%osition as a la"er& The second, before therestoration a mere ca%tain, as a%%ointed to the

command of a le!ion on the return from hent5 then,than*s to the confusion of :<:;, hen the re!ulations ere evaded, he %assed into the bod"!uard, returnedto a line re!iment, and found himself after the a-airof the Trocadero a lieutenant3!eneral ith acommission in the uards& The "oun!est, a%%ointedsous3%refet, ere lon! became a le!al o-icial anddirector of a munici%al board of the cit" of Paris, here he as safe from chan!es in Le!islature& These

bounties, bestoed ithout %arade, and as secret asthe favor en'o"ed b" the Count, fell un%erceived&Thou!h the father and his three sons each hadsinecures enou!h to en'o" an income in salariesalmost e8ual to that of a chief of de%artment, their%olitical !ood fortune e4cited no env"& )n those earl"da"s of the constitutional s"stem, fe %ersons had ver" %recise ideas of the %eaceful domain of the civilservice, here astute favorites mana!ed to nd an

e8uivalent for the demolished abbe"s& /onsieur leComte de Fontaine, ho till latel" boasted that he hadnot read the Charter, and dis%la"ed such indi!nationat the !reed of courtiers, had, before lon!, %roved tohis au!ust master that he understood, as ell as the0in! himself, the s%irit and resources of there%resentative s"stem& At the same time,



notithstandin! the established careers o%en to histhree sons, and the %ecuniar" advanta!es derivedfrom four o-icial a%%ointments, /onsieur de Fontaine as the head of too lar!e a famil" to be able to re3

establish his fortune easil" and ra%idl"&

His three sons ere rich in %ros%ects, in favor, and intalent5 but he had three dau!hters, and as afraid of ear"in! the monarch2s benevolence& )t occurred tohim to mention onl" one b" one, these vir!ins ea!er toli!ht their torches& The 0in! had too much !ood tasteto leave his or* incom%lete& The marria!e of theeldest ith a $eceiver3eneral, Planat de Baudr", asarran!ed b" one of those ro"al s%eeches hich cost

nothin! and are orth millions& 7ne evenin!, henthe Soverei!n as out of s%irits, he smiled on hearin!of the e4istence of another 6emoiselle de Fontaine,for hom he found a husband in the %erson of a "oun!ma!istrate, of inferior birth, no doubt, but ealth",and hom he created Baron& 1hen, the "ear after, the #endeen s%o*e of /ademoiselle Emilie de Fontaine,the 0in! re%lied in his thin shar% tones, (Amicus Platosed ma!is amica .atio&( Then, a fe da"s later, he

treated his (friend Fontaine( to a 8uatrain, harmlessenou!h, hich he st"led an e%i!ram, in hich he madefun of these three dau!hters so s*ilfull" introduced,under the form of a trinit"& .a", if re%ort is to bebelieved, the monarch had found the %oint of the 'estin the Unit" of the three 6ivine Persons&

()f "our /a'est" ould onl" condescend to turn thee%i!ram into an e%ithalamiumD( said the Count, tr"in!to turn the sall" to !ood account&

(Thou!h ) see the rh"me of it, ) fail to see the reason,(retorted the 0in!, ho did not relish an" %leasantr",hoever mild, on the sub'ect of his %oetr"&



From that da" his intercourse ith /onsieur deFontaine shoed less amenit"& 0in!s en'o"contradictin! more than %eo%le thin*& Li*e most "oun!est children, Emilie de Fontaine as a Ben'amin

s%oilt b" almost ever"bod"& The 0in!2s coolness,therefore, caused the Count all the more re!ret,because no marria!e as ever so di-icult to arran!eas that of this darlin! dau!hter& To understand all theobstacles e must ma*e our a" into the neresidence here the o-icial as housed at the e4%enseof the nation& Emilie had s%ent her childhood on thefamil" estate, en'o"in! the abundance hich su-icesfor the 'o"s of earl" "outh5 her li!htest ishes hadbeen la to her sisters, her brothers, her mother, andeven her father& All her relations doted on her& Havin!come to "ears of discretion 'ust hen her famil" asloaded ith the favors of fortune, the enchantment oflife continued& The lu4ur" of Paris seemed to her 'ustas natural as a ealth of oers or fruit, or as therural %lent" hich had been the 'o" of her rst "ears& ust as in her childhood she had never been thartedin the satisfaction of her %la"ful desires, so no, atfourteen, she as still obe"ed hen she rushed into

the hirl of fashion&

Thus, accustomed b" de!rees to the en'o"ment ofmone", ele!ance of dress, of !ilded drain!3roomsand ne carria!es, became as necessar" to her as thecom%liments of atter", sincere or false, and thefestivities and vanities of court life& Li*e most s%oiledchildren, she t"ranniGed over those ho loved her, and*e%t her blandishments for those ho ere

indi-erent& Her faults !re ith her !roth, and her%arents ere to !ather the bitter fruits of thisdisastrous education& At the a!e of nineteen Emilie deFontaine had not "et been %leased to ma*e a choicefrom amon! the man" "oun! men hom her father2s%olitics brou!ht to his entertainments& Thou!h so "oun!, she asserted in societ" all the freedom of mind



that a married oman can en'o"& Her beaut" as soremar*able that, for her, to a%%ear in a room as tobe its 8ueen5 but, li*e soverei!ns, she had no friends,thou!h she as ever"here the ob'ect of attentions to

hich a ner nature than hers mi!ht %erha%s havesuccumbed& .ot a man, not even an old man, had it inhim to contradict the o%inions of a "oun! !irl hoseli!htest loo* could re*indle love in the coldest heart&

She had been educated ith a care hich her sistershad not en'o"ed5 %ainted %rett" ell, s%o*e )talian andEn!lish, and %la"ed the %iano brilliantl"5 her voice,trained b" the best masters, had a rin! in it hichmade her sin!in! irresistibl" charmin!& Clever, and

intimate ith ever" branch of literature, she mi!hthave made fol*s believe that, as /ascarille sa"s,%eo%le of 8ualit" come into the orld *noin!ever"thin!& She could ar!ue uentl" on )talian orFlemish %aintin!, on the /iddle A!es or the$enaissance5 %ronounced at ha%haGard on boo*s neor old, and could e4%ose the defects of a or* ith acruell" !raceful it& The sim%lest thin! she said asacce%ted b" an admirin! crod as a fetfah of the

Sultan b" the Tur*s& She thus daGGled shallo %ersons5as to dee%er minds, her natural tact enabled her todiscern them, and for them she %ut forth so muchfascination that, under cover of her charms, sheesca%ed their scrutin"& This enchantin! veneercovered a careless heart5 the o%inioncommon toman" "oun! !irlsthat no one else delt in a s%hereso loft" as to be able to understand the merits of hersoul5 and a %ride based no less on her birth than on

her beaut"& )n the absence of the overhelmin!sentiment hich, sooner or later, or*s havoc in a oman2s heart, she s%ent her "oun! ardor in animmoderate love of distinctions, and e4%ressed thedee%est contem%t for %ersons of inferior birth&Su%remel" im%ertinent to all nel"3created nobilit",she made ever" e-ort to !et her %arents reco!niGed as



e8uals b" the most illustrious families of the Saint3ermain 8uarter&

These sentiments had not esca%ed the observin! e"eof /onsieur de Fontaine, ho more than once, henhis to elder !irls ere married, had smarted underEmilie2s sarcasm& Lo!ical readers ill be sur%rised tosee the old $o"alist bestoin! his eldest dau!hter ona $eceiver3eneral, %ossessed, indeed, of some oldhereditar" estates, but hose name as not %recededb" the little ord to hich the throne oed so man"%artisans, and his second to a ma!istrate too latel"Baronied to obscure the fact that his father had soldreood& This noteorth" chan!e in the ideas of a

noble on the ver!e of his si4tieth "earan a!e henmen rarel" renounce their convictionsas due notmerel" to his unfortunate residence in the modernBab"lon, here, sooner or later, countr" fol*s all !ettheir corners rubbed don5 the Comte de Fontaine2sne %olitical conscience as also a result of the0in!2s advice and friendshi%& The %hiloso%hical %rincehad ta*en %leasure in convertin! the #endeen to theideas re8uired b" the advance of the nineteenth

centur", and the ne as%ect of the /onarch"& LouisX#)))& aimed at fusin! %arties as .a%oleon had fusedthin!s and men& The le!itimate 0in!, ho as not lessclever %erha%s than his rival, acted in a contrar"direction& The last head of the House of Bourbon as 'ust as ea!er to satisf" the third estate and thecreations of the Em%ire, b" curbin! the cler!", as therst of the .a%oleons had been to attract the !randold nobilit", or to endo the Church& The Priv"

Councillor, bein! in the secret of these ro"al %ro'ects,had insensibl" become one of the most %rudent andinuential leaders of that moderate %art" hich mostdesired a fusion of o%inion in the interests of thenation& He %reached the e4%ensive doctrines ofconstitutional !overnment, and lent all his ei!ht toencoura!e the %olitical see3sa hich enabled his



master to rule France in the midst of storms& Perha%s/onsieur de Fontaine ho%ed that one of the sudden!usts of le!islation, hose une4%ected e-orts thenstartled the oldest %oliticians, mi!ht carr" him u% to

the ran* of %eer& 7ne of his most ri!id %rinci%les asto reco!niGe no nobilit" in France but that of the%eera!ethe onl" families that mi!ht en'o" an"%rivile!es&

(A nobilit" bereft of %rivile!es,( he ould sa", (is atool ithout a handle&(

As far from Lafa"ette2s %art" as he as from LaBourdonna"e2s, he ardentl" en!a!ed in the tas* of

!eneral reconciliation, hich as to result in a neera and s%lendid fortunes for France& He strove toconvince the families ho fre8uented his drain!3room, or those hom he visited, ho fe favorableo%enin!s ould henceforth be o-ered b" a civil ormilitar" career& He ur!ed mothers to !ive their bo"s astart in inde%endent and industrial %rofessions,e4%lainin! that militar" %osts and hi!h overnmenta%%ointments must at last %ertain, in a 8uite

constitutional order, to the "oun!er sons of membersof the %eera!e& Accordin! to him, the %eo%le hadcon8uered a su-icientl" lar!e share in %ractical!overnment b" its elective assembl", its a%%ointmentsto la3o-ices, and those of the e4che8uer, hich, saidhe, ould ala"s, as heretofore, be the natural ri!ht of the distin!uished men of the third estate&

These ne notions of the head of the Fontaines, andthe %rudent matches for his eldest !irls to hich the"

had led, met ith stron! resistance in the bosom ofhis famil"& The Comtesse de Fontaine remainedfaithful to the ancient beliefs hich no oman coulddison, ho, throu!h her mother, belon!ed to the$ohans& Althou!h she had for a hile o%%osed theha%%iness and fortune aaitin! her to eldest !irls,



she "ielded to those %rivate considerations hichhusband and ife conde to each other hen theirheads are restin! on the same %illo& /onsieur deFontaine calml" %ointed out to his ife, b" e4act

arithmetic that their residence in Paris, the necessit"for entertainin!, the ma!nicence of the house hichmade u% to them no for the %rivations so bravel"shared in La #endee, and the e4%enses of their sons,salloed u% the chief %art of their income fromsalaries& The" must therefore seiGe, as a boon fromheaven, the o%%ortunities hich o-ered for settlin!their !irls ith such ealth& 1ould the" not some da"en'o" si4t"ei!ht"a hundred thousand francs a "earD Such advanta!eous matches ere not to be met ith ever" da" for !irls ithout a %ortion& A!ain, it as time that the" should be!in to thin* ofeconomiGin!, to add to the estate of Fontaine, and re3establish the old territorial fortune of the famil"& TheCountess "ielded to such co!ent ar!uments, as ever"mother ould have done in her %lace, thou!h %erha%s ith a better !race5 but she declared that Emilie, atan" rate, should marr" in such a a" as to satisf" the%ride she had unfortunatel" contributed to foster in

the !irl2s "oun! soul&

Thus events, hich ou!ht to have brou!ht 'o" into thefamil", had introduced a small leaven of discord& The$eceiver3eneral and the "oun! la"er ere theob'ects of a ceremonious formalit" hich the Countessand Emilie contrived to create& This eti8uette soonfound even am%ler o%%ortunit" for the dis%la" ofdomestic t"rann"5 for Lieutenant3eneral de Fontaine

married /ademoiselle /on!enod, the dau!hter of arich ban*er5 the President ver" sensibl" found a ifein a "oun! lad" hose father, tice or thrice amillionaire, had traded in salt5 and the third brother,faithful to his %lebeian doctrines, married/ademoiselle rossetete, the onl" dau!hter of the$eceiver3eneral at Bour!es& The three sisters3in3la



and the to brothers3in3la found the hi!h s%here of%olitical bi!i!s, and the drain!3rooms of theFaubour! Saint3ermain, so full of charm and of%ersonal advanta!es, that the" united in formin! a

little court round the overbearin! Emilie& This treat"beteen interest and %ride as not, hoever, so rml" cemented but that the "oun! des%ot as, notunfre8uentl", the cause of revolts in her little realm&Scenes, hich the hi!hest circles ould not havedisoned, *e%t u% a sarcastic tem%er amon! all themembers of this %oerful famil"5 and this, ithoutseriousl" diminishin! the re!ard the" %rofessed in%ublic, de!enerated sometimes in %rivate intosentiments far from charitable& Thus the Lieutenant3eneral2s ife, havin! become a Baronne, thou!htherself 8uite as noble as a 0er!arouet, and ima!inedthat her !ood hundred thousand francs a "ear !aveher the ri!ht to be as im%ertinent as her sister3in3laEmilie, hom she ould sometimes ish to seeha%%il" married, as she announced that the dau!hterof some %eer of France had married /onsieur So3and3So ith no title to his name& The #icomtesse deFontaine amused herself b" ecli%sin! Emilie in the

taste and ma!nicence that ere cons%icuous in herdress, her furniture, and her carria!es& The satiricals%irit in hich her brothers and sisters sometimesreceived the claims avoed b" /ademoiselle deFontaine roused her to rath that a %erfect hailstormof shar% sa"in!s could hardl" miti!ate& So hen thehead of the famil" felt a sli!ht chill in the 0in!2s tacitand %recarious friendshi%, he trembled all the morebecause, as a result of her sisters2 deant moc*er", his

favorite dau!hter had never loo*ed so hi!h&

)n the midst of these circumstances, and at a moment hen this %ett" domestic arfare had become serious,the monarch, hose favor /onsieur de Fontaine stillho%ed to re!ain, as attac*ed b" the malad" of hichhe as to die& The !reat %olitical chief, ho *ne so



ell ho to steer his bar* in the midst of tem%ests,soon succumbed& Certain then of favors to come, theComte de Fontaine made ever" e-ort to collect theelite of marr"in! men about his "oun!est dau!hter&

Those ho ma" have tried to solve the di-icult%roblem of settlin! a hau!ht" and ca%ricious !irl, illunderstand the trouble ta*en b" the unluc*" father&Such an a-air, carried out to the li*in! of his belovedchild, ould orthil" cron the career the Count hadfolloed for these ten "ears at Paris& From the a" in hich his famil" claimed salaries under ever"de%artment, it mi!ht be com%ared ith the House of Austria, hich, b" intermarria!e, threatens to %ervadeEuro%e& The old #endeen as not to be discoura!ed inbrin!in! forard suitors, so much had he hisdau!hter2s ha%%iness at heart, but nothin! could bemore absurd than the a" in hich the im%ertinent "oun! thin! %ronounced her verdicts and 'ud!ed themerits of her adorers& )t mi!ht have been su%%osedthat, li*e a %rincess in the Arabian .i!hts, Emilie asrich enou!h and beautiful enou!h to choose fromamon! all the %rinces in the orld& Her ob'ections ere each more %re%osterous than the last one had

too thic* *nees and as bo3le!!ed, another asshort3si!hted, this one2s name as 6urand, that onelim%ed, and almost all ere too fat& Livelier, moreattractive, and !a"er than ever after dismissin! to or three suitors, she rushed into the festivities of the inter season, and to balls, here her *een e"escriticised the celebrities of the da", deli!hted inencoura!in! %ro%osals hich she invariabl" re'ected&

.ature had bestoed on her all the advanta!esneeded for %la"in! the %art of Celimene& Tall andsli!ht, Emilie de Fontaine could assume a di!nied ora frolicsome mien at her ill& Her nec* as ratherlon!, alloin! her to a-ect beautiful attitudes ofscorn and im%ertinence& She had cultivated a lar!e variet" of those turns of the head and feminine



!estures, hich em%hasiGe so cruell" or so ha%%il" ahint of a smile& Fine blac* hair, thic* and stron!l"3arched e"ebros, lent her countenance an e4%ressionof %ride, to hich her co8uettish instincts and her

mirror had tau!ht her to add terror b" a stare, or!entleness b" the softness of her !aGe, b" the set ofthe !racious curve of her li%s, b" the coldness or theseetness of her smile& 1hen Emilie meant to con8uer a heart, her %ure voice did not lac* melod"5 but shecould also !ive it a sort of curt clearness hen she asminded to %aral"Ge a %artner2s indiscreet ton!ue& Hercolorless face and alabaster bro ere li*e the lim%idsurface of a la*e, hich b" turns is ri%%led b" theim%ulse of a breeGe and recovers its !lad serenit" hen the air is still& /ore than one "oun! man, a victim to her scorn, accused her of actin! a %art5 butshe 'ustied herself b" ins%irin! her detractors iththe desire to %lease her, and then sub'ectin! them toall her most contem%tuous ca%rice& Amon! the "oun!!irls of fashion, not one *ne better than she ho toassume an air of reserve hen a man of talent asintroduced to her, or ho to dis%la" the insultin!%oliteness hich treats an e8ual as an inferior, and to

%our out her im%ertinence on all ho tried to holdtheir heads on a level ith hers& 1herever she entshe seemed to be acce%tin! homa!e rather thancom%liments, and even in a %rincess her airs andmanner ould have transformed the chair on hichshe sat into an im%erial throne&

/onsieur de Fontaine discovered too late ho utterl"the education of the dau!hter he loved had been

ruined b" the tender devotion of the hole famil"& Theadmiration hich the orld is at rst read" to bestoon a "oun! !irl, but for hich, sooner or later, it ta*esits reven!e, had added to Emilie2s %ride, and increasedher self3condence& Universal subservience haddevelo%ed in her the selshness natural to s%oiltchildren, ho, li*e *in!s, ma*e a %la"thin! of



ever"thin! that comes to hand& As "et the !races of "outh and the charms of talent hid these faults fromever" e"e5 faults all the more odious in a oman, sinceshe can onl" %lease b" self3sacrice and unselshness5

but nothin! esca%es the e"e of a !ood father, and/onsieur de Fontaine often tried to e4%lain to hisdau!hter the more im%ortant %a!es of the m"steriousboo* of life& #ain e-ort> He had to lament hisdau!hter2s ca%ricious indocilit" and ironicalshredness too often to %ersevere in a tas* so di-icultas that of correctin! an ill3dis%osed nature& Hecontented himself ith !ivin! her from time to timesome !entle and *ind advice5 but he had the sorro ofseein! his tenderest ords slide from his dau!hter2sheart as if it ere of marble& A father2s e"es are sloto be unsealed, and it needed more than onee4%erience before the old $o"alist %erceived that hisdau!hter2s rare caresses ere bestoed on him ithan air of condescension& She as li*e "oun! children, ho seem to sa" to their mother, (/a*e haste to *issme, that ) ma" !o to %la"&( )n short, Emilie vouchsafedto be fond of her %arents& But often, b" those sudden hims, hich seem ine4%licable in "oun! !irls, she

*e%t aloof and scarcel" ever a%%eared5 she com%lainedof havin! to share her father2s and mother2s heart ith too man" %eo%le5 she as 'ealous of ever" one,even of her brothers and sisters& Then, after creatin! adesert about her, the stran!e !irl accused all nature of her unreal solitude and her ilful !riefs& Stron! in thee4%erience of her tent" "ears, she blamed fate,because, not *noin! that the mains%rin! ofha%%iness is in ourselves, she demanded it of the

circumstances of life& She ould have ed to the endsof the earth to esca%e a marria!e such as those of herto sisters, and nevertheless her heart as full ofhorrible 'ealous" at seein! them married, rich, andha%%"& )n short, she sometimes led her motherho as as much a victim to her va!aries as /onsieur deFontaineto sus%ect that she had a touch of madness&



But such aberrations are 8uite ine4%licable5 nothin! iscommoner than this unconfessed %ride develo%ed inthe heart of "oun! !irls belon!in! to families hi!h inthe social scale, and !ifted b" nature ith !reat

beaut"& The" are almost all convinced that theirmothers, no fort" or ft" "ears of a!e, can neithers"m%athiGe ith their "oun! souls, nor conceive oftheir ima!inin!s& The" fanc" that most mothers, 'ealous of their !irls, ant to dress them in their on a" ith the %remeditated %ur%ose of ecli%sin! themor robbin! them of admiration& Hence, often, secrettears and dumb revolt a!ainst su%%osed t"rann"& )nthe midst of these oes, hich become ver" realthou!h built on an ima!inar" basis, the" have also amania for com%osin! a scheme of life, hile castin!for themselves a brilliant horosco%e5 their ma!icconsists in ta*in! their dreams for realit"5 secretl", intheir lon! meditations, the" resolve to !ive their heartand hand to none but the man %ossessin! this or theother 8ualication5 and the" %aint in fanc" a model to hich, hether or no, the future lover mustcorres%ond& After some little e4%erience of life, andthe serious reections that come ith "ears, b" dint of

seein! the orld and its %rosaic round, b" dint ofobservin! unha%%" e4am%les, the brilliant hues oftheir ideal are e4tin!uished& Then, one ne da", in thecourse of events, the" are 8uite astonished to ndthemselves ha%%" ithout the nu%tial %oetr" of theirda"3dreams& )t as on the stren!th of that %oetr" that/ademoiselle Emilie de Fontaine, in her slender isdom, had dran u% a %ro!ramme to hich a suitormust conform to be e4ce%ted& Hence her disdain and

sarcasm&

(Thou!h "oun! and of an ancient famil", he must be a%eer of France,( said she to herself& () could not bearnot to see m" coat3of3arms on the %anels of m"carria!e amon! the folds of aGure mantlin!, not todrive li*e the %rinces don the broad al* of the



Cham%s3El"sees on the da"s of Lon!cham%s in Hol" 1ee*& Besides, m" father sa"s that it ill someda" bethe hi!hest di!nit" in France& He must be a soldierbut ) reserve the ri!ht of ma*in! him retire5 and he

must bear an 7rder, that the sentries ma" %resentarms to us&(

And these rare 8ualications ould count for nothin!if this creature of fanc" had not the most amiabletem%er, a ne !ure, intelli!ence, and, above all, if he ere not slender& To be lean, a %ersonal !race hich isbut fu!itive, es%eciall" under a re%resentative!overnment, as an indis%ensable condition&/ademoiselle de Fontaine had an ideal standard

hich as to be the model& A "oun! man ho at therst !lance did not full the re8uisite conditions didnot even !et a second loo*&

(ood Heavens> see ho fat he is>( as ith her theutmost e4%ression of contem%t&

To hear her, %eo%le of res%ectable cor%ulence ereinca%able of sentiment, bad husbands, and unt for

civiliGed societ"& Thou!h it is esteemed a beaut" in theEast, to be fat seemed to her a misfortune for a oman5 but in a man it as a crime& These %arado4ical vies ere amusin!, than*s to a certain liveliness ofrhetoric& The Count felt nevertheless that b"3and3b"his dau!hter2s a-ections, of hich the absurdit" ouldbe evident to some omen ho ere not less clear3si!hted than merciless, ould inevitabl" become asub'ect of constant ridicule& He feared lest hereccentric notions should deviate into bad st"le& He

trembled to thin* that the %itiless orld mi!ht alread" be lau!hin! at a "oun! oman ho remained so lon!on the sta!e ithout arrivin! at an" conclusion of thedrama she as %la"in!& /ore than one actor in it,dis!usted b" a refusal, seemed to be aitin! for thesli!htest turn of ill3luc* to ta*e his reven!e& The



indi-erent, the loo*ers3on ere be!innin! to ear" ofit5 admiration is ala"s e4haustin! to human bein!s&The old #endeen *ne better than an" one that ifthere is an art in choosin! the ri!ht moment for

comin! forard on the boards of the orld, on thoseof the Court, in a drain!3room or on the sta!e, it isstill more di-icult to 8uit them in the nic* of time& Sodurin! the rst inter after the accession of CharlesX&, he redoubled his e-orts, seconded b" his threesons and his sons3in3la, to assemble in the rooms ofhis o-icial residence the best matches hich Parisand the various de%utations from de%artments couldo-er& The s%lendor of his entertainments, the lu4ur"of his dinin!3room, and his dinners, fra!rant ithtrues, rivaled the famous ban8uets b" hich theministers of that time secured the vote of their%arliamentar" recruits&

The Honorable 6e%ut" as conse8uentl" %ointed at asa most inuential corru%ter of the le!islative honest"of the illustrious Chamber that as d"in! as it ouldseem of indi!estion& A himsical result> his e-orts to!et his dau!hter married secured him a s%lendid

%o%ularit"& He %erha%s found some covert advanta!ein sellin! his trues tice over& This accusation,started b" certain moc*in! Liberals, ho made u% b"their o of ords for their small folloin! in theChamber, as not a success& The Poitevin !entlemanhad ala"s been so noble and so honorable, that he as not once the ob'ect of those e%i!rams hich themalicious 'ournalism of the da" hurled at the threehundred votes of the centre, at the /inisters, the

coo*s, the 6irectors3eneral, the %rincel" Am%hitr"ons, and the o-icial su%%orters of the #illele/inistr"&

At the close of this cam%ai!n, durin! hich /onsieurde Fontaine had on several occasions brou!ht out allhis forces, he believed that this time the %rocession of



suitors ould not be a mere dissolvin! vie in hisdau!hter2s e"es5 that it as time she should ma*e u%her mind& He felt a certain inard satisfaction athavin! ell fullled his dut" as a father& And havin!

left no stone unturned, he ho%ed that, amon! so man" hearts laid at Emilie2s feet, there mi!ht be one to hich her ca%rice mi!ht !ive a %reference& )nca%ableof re%eatin! such an e-ort, and tired, too, of hisdau!hter2s conduct, one mornin!, toards the end ofLent, hen the business at the Chamber did notdemand his vote, he determined to as* hat her vies ere& 1hile his valet as artisticall" decoratin! hisbald "ello head ith the delta of %oder hich, iththe han!in! (ailes de %i!eon,( com%leted his venerable st"le of hairdressin!, Emilie2s father, not ithout some secret mis!ivin!s, told his old servant to!o and desire the hau!ht" damsel to a%%ear in the%resence of the head of the famil"&

(ose%h,( he added, hen his hair as dressed, (ta*eaa" that toel, dra bac* the curtains, %ut thosechairs s8uare, sha*e the ru!, and la" it 8uite strai!ht&6ust ever"thin!&.o, air the room a little b"

o%enin! the indo&(

The Count multi%lied his orders, %uttin! ose%h out of breath, and the old servant, understandin! hismaster2s intentions, aired and tidied the room, ofcourse the least cared for of an" in the house, andsucceeded in !ivin! a loo* of harmon" to the les ofbills, the letter3bo4es, the boo*s and furniture of thissanctum, here the interests of the ro"al demesnes ere debated over& 1hen ose%h had reduced thischaos to some sort of order, and brou!ht to the frontsuch thin!s as mi!ht be most %leasin! to the e"e, as if it ere a sho% front, or such as b" their color mi!ht!ive the e-ect of a *ind of o-icial %oetr", he stood fora minute in the midst of the lab"rinth of %a%ers %iled



in some %laces even on the oor, admired hishandior*, 'er*ed his head, and ent&

The an4ious sinecure3holder did not share hisretainer2s favorable o%inion& Before seatin! himself inhis dee% chair, hose rounded bac* screened himfrom drau!hts, he loo*ed round him doubtfull",e4amined his dressin!3!on ith a hostile e4%ression,shoo* o- a fe !rains of snu-, carefull" i%ed hisnose, arran!ed the ton!s and shovel, made the re,%ulled u% the heels of his sli%%ers, %ulled out his little8ueue of hair hich had lod!ed horiGontall" beteenthe collar of his aistcoat and that of his dressin!3!on restorin! it to its %er%endicular %osition5 then

he se%t u% the ashes of the hearth, hich bore itness to a %ersistent catarrh& Finall", the old mandid not settle himself till he had once more loo*ed allover the room, ho%in! that nothin! could !iveoccasion to the sauc" and im%ertinent remar*s ith hich his dau!hter as a%t to anser his !ood advice&7n this occasion he as an4ious not to com%romisehis di!nit" as a father& He daintil" too* a %inch ofsnu-, cleared his throat to or three times, as if he

ere about to demand a count out of the House5 thenhe heard his dau!hter2s li!ht ste%, and she came inhummin! an air from )l Barbiere&

(ood3mornin!, %a%a& 1hat do "ou ant ith me soearl"D( Havin! sun! these ords, as thou!h the" erethe refrain of the melod", she *issed the Count, not ith the familiar tenderness hich ma*es adau!hter2s love so seet a thin!, but ith the li!htcarelessness of a mistress condent of %leasin!, hatever she ma" do&

(/" dear child,( said /onsieur de Fontaine, !ravel", ()sent for "ou to tal* to "ou ver" seriousl" about "ourfuture %ros%ects& Iou are at this moment under the



necessit" of ma*in! such a choice of a husband asma" secure "our durable ha%%iness(

(/" !ood father,( re%lied Emilie, assumin! her mostcoa4in! tone of voice to interru%t him, (it stri*es methat the armistice on hich e a!reed as to m" suitorsis not "et e4%ired&(

(Emilie, e must to3da" forbear from 'estin! on soim%ortant a matter& For some time %ast the e-orts ofthose ho most trul" love "ou, m" dear child, havebeen concentrated on the endeavor to settle "ousuitabl"5 and "ou ould be !uilt" of in!ratitude inmeetin! ith levit" those %roofs of *indness hich )

am not alone in lavishin! on "ou&(

As she heard these ords, after ashin! amischievousl" in8uisitive loo* at the furniture of herfather2s stud", the "oun! !irl brou!ht forard thearmchair hich loo*ed as if it had been least used b"%etitioners, set it at the side of the re%lace so as tosit facin! her father, and settled herself in so solemnan attitude that it as im%ossible not to read in it a

moc*in! intention, crossin! her arms over the daint"trimmin!s of a %elerine a la nei!e, and ruthlessl"crushin! its endless frills of hite tulle& After alau!hin! side !lance at her old father2s troubled face,she bro*e silence&

() never heard "ou sa", m" dear father, that theovernment issued its instructions in its dressin!3!on& Hoever,( and she smiled, (that does notmatter5 the mob are %robabl" not %articular& .o,

hat are "our %ro%osals for le!islation, and "ouro-icial introductionsD(

() shall not ala"s be able to ma*e them, headstron!!irl>Listen, Emilie& )t is m" intention no lon!er tocom%romise m" re%utation, hich is %art of m"children2s fortune, b" recruitin! the re!iment of



dancers hich, s%rin! after s%rin!, "ou %ut to rout& Iou have alread" been the cause of man" dan!erousmisunderstandin!s ith certain families& ) ho%e toma*e "ou %erceive more trul" the di-iculties of "our

%osition and of ours& Iou are to3and3tent", m" dearchild, and "ou ou!ht to have been married nearl"three "ears since& Iour brothers and "our to sistersare richl" and ha%%il" %rovided for& But, m" dear, thee4%enses occasioned b" these marria!es, and the st"leof house*ee%in! "ou re8uire of "our mother, havemade such inroads on our income that ) can hardl"%romise "ou a hundred thousand francs as a marria!e%ortion& From this da" forth ) shall thin* onl" of%rovidin! for "our mother, ho must not be sacricedto her children& Emilie, if ) ere to be ta*en from m"famil" /adame de Fontaine could not be left atan"bod"2s merc", and ou!ht to en'o" the auence hich ) have !iven her too late as the reard of herdevotion in m" misfortunes& Iou see, m" child, thatthe amount of "our fortune bears no relation to "ournotions of !randeur& Even that ould be such asacrice as ) have not hitherto made for either of m"children5 but the" have !enerousl" a!reed not to

e4%ect in the future an" com%ensation for theadvanta!e thus !iven to a too favored child&(

()n their %osition>( said Emilie, ith an ironical toss of her head&

(/" dear, do not so de%reciate those ho love "ou&7nl" the %oor are !enerous as a rule5 the rich haveala"s e4cellent reasons for not handin! over tent"thousand francs to a relation& Come, m" child, do not%out, let us tal* rationall"&Amon! the "oun!marr"in! men have "ou noticed /onsieur de/anervilleD(

(7h, he minces his ordshe sa"s Jules instead of ules5 he is ala"s loo*in! at his feet, because he



thin*s them small, and he !aGes at himself in the!lass> Besides, he is fair& ) don2t li*e fair men&(

(1ell, then, /onsieur de BeaudenordD(

(He is not noble> he is ill made and stout& He is dar*,it is true&)f the to !entlemen could a!ree tocombine their fortunes, and the rst ould !ive hisname and his !ure to the second, ho should *ee%his dar* hair, then%erha%s(

(1hat can "ou sa" a!ainst /onsieur de $asti!nacD(

(/adame de .ucin!en has made a ban*er of him,( she

said ith meanin!&

(And our cousin, the #icomte de PortenduereD(

(A mere bo", ho dances badl"5 besides, he has nofortune& And, after all, %a%a, none of these %eo%lehave titles& ) ant, at least, to be a countess li*e m"mother&(

(Have "ou seen no one, then, this inter(

(.o, %a%a&(

(1hat then do "ou antD(

(The son of a %eer of France&

(/" dear !irl, "ou are mad>( said /onsieur deFontaine, risin!&

But he suddenl" lifted his e"es to heaven, and seemedto nd a fresh fount of resi!nation in some reli!iousthou!ht5 then, ith a loo* of fatherl" %it" at hisdau!hter, ho herself as moved, he too* her hand,%ressed it, and said ith dee% feelin! (od is m" itness, %oor mista*en child, ) have conscientiousl"dischar!ed m" dut" to "ou as a father



conscientiousl", do ) sa"D /ost lovin!l", m" Emilie& Ies, od *nos> This inter ) have brou!ht before "oumore than one !ood man, hose character, hosehabits, and hose tem%er ere *non to me, and all

seemed orth" of "ou& /" child, m" tas* is done& Fromthis da" forth "ou are the arbiter of "our fate, and )consider m"self both ha%%" and unha%%" at ndin!m"self relieved of the heaviest of %aternal functions& )*no not hether "ou ill for an" lon! time, no, hear a voice hich, to "ou, has never been stern5 butremember that con'u!al ha%%iness does not rest somuch on brilliant 8ualities and am%le fortune as onreci%rocal esteem& This ha%%iness is, in its nature,modest, and devoid of sho& So no, m" dear, m"consent is !iven beforehand, hoever the son3in3lama" be hom "ou introduce to me5 but if "ou shouldbe unha%%", remember "ou ill have no ri!ht toaccuse "our father& ) shall not refuse to ta*e %ro%erste%s and hel% "ou, onl" "our choice must be seriousand nal& ) ill never tice com%romise the res%ectdue to m" hite hairs&(

The a-ection thus e4%ressed b" her father, the solemn

tones of his ur!ent address, dee%l" touched/ademoiselle de Fontaine5 but she concealed heremotion, seated herself on her father2s *neesfor hehad dro%%ed all tremulous into his chair a!aincaressed him fondl", and coa4ed him so en!a!in!l"that the old man2s bro cleared& As soon as Emiliethou!ht that her father had !ot over his %ainfula!itation, she said in a !entle voice () have to than* "ou for "our !raceful attention, m" dear father& Iou

have had "our room set in order to receive "ourbeloved dau!hter& Iou did not %erha%s *no that "ou ould nd her so foolish and so headstron!& But,%a%a, is it so di-icult to !et married to a %eer ofFranceD Iou declared that the" ere manufactured b"doGens& At least, "ou ill not refuse to advise me&(



(.o, m" %oor child, no5and more than once ) ma"have occasion to cr", 2Beare>2 $emember that thema*in! of %eers is so recent a force in our!overnment machiner" that the" have no !reat

fortunes& Those ho are rich loo* to becomin! richer&The ealthiest member of our %eera!e has not halfthe income of the least rich lord in the En!lish U%%erChamber& Thus all the French %eers are on the loo*outfor !reat heiresses for their sons, herever the" ma"meet ith them& The necessit" in hich the" ndthemselves of marr"in! for mone" ill certainl" e4istfor at least to centuries&

(Pendin! such a fortunate accident as "ou lon! for

and this fastidiousness ma" cost "ou the best "ears of "our life"our attractions mi!ht or* a miracle, formen often marr" for love in these da"s& 1hene4%erience lur*s behind so seet a face as "ours itma" achieve onders& )n the rst %lace, have "ou notthe !ift of reco!niGin! virtue in the !reater or smallerdimensions of a man2s bod"D This is no small matter>To so ise a "oun! %erson as "ou are, ) need notenlar!e on all the di-iculties of the enter%rise& ) am

sure that "ou ould never attribute !ood sense to astran!er because he had a handsome face, or all the virtues because he had a ne !ure& And ) am 8uite of "our mind in thin*in! that the sons of %eers ou!ht tohave an air %eculiar to themselves, and %erfectl"distinctive manners& Thou!h noada"s no e4ternalsi!n stam%s a man of ran*, those "oun! men ill have,%erha%s, to "ou the indenable somethin! that illreveal it& Then, a!ain, "ou have "our heart ell in

hand, li*e a !ood horseman ho is sure his steedcannot bolt& Luc* be ith "ou, m" dear>(

(Iou are ma*in! !ame of me, %a%a& 1ell, ) assure "outhat ) ould rather die in /ademoiselle de Conde2sconvent than not be the ife of a %eer of France&(



She sli%%ed out of her father2s arms, and %roud ofbein! her on mistress, ent o- sin!in! the air ofCara non dubitare, in the (/atrimonio Se!reto&(

As it ha%%ened, the famil" ere that da" *ee%in! theanniversar" of a famil" fete& At dessert /adamePlanat, the $eceiver3eneral2s ife, s%o*e ith someenthusiasm of a "oun! American onin! an immensefortune, ho had fallen %assionatel" in love ith hersister, and made throu!h her the most s%lendid%ro%osals&

(A ban*er, ) rather thin*,( observed Emilie carelessl"&() do not li*e mone" dealers&(

(But, Emilie,( re%lied the Baron de #illaine, thehusband of the Count2s second dau!hter, ("ou do notli*e la"ers either5 so that if "ou refuse men of ealth ho have not titles, ) do not 8uite see in hat class "ou are to choose a husband&(

(Es%eciall", Emilie, ith "our standard of slimness,(added the Lieutenant3eneral&

() *no hat ) ant,( re%lied the "oun! lad"&

(/" sister ants a ne name, a ne "oun! man, ne%ros%ects, and a hundred thousand francs a "ear,(said the Baronne de Fontaine& (/onsieur de /arsa",for instance&(

() *no, m" dear,( retorted Emilie, (that ) do not meanto ma*e such a foolish marria!e as some ) have seen&

/oreover, to %ut an end to these matrimonialdiscussions, ) hereb" declare that ) shall loo* onan"one ho tal*s to me of marria!e as a foe to m"%eace of mind&(

An uncle of Emilie2s, a vice3admiral, hose fortunehad 'ust been increased b" tent" thousand francs a



"ear in conse8uence of the Act of )ndemnit", and aman of sevent", feelin! himself %rivile!ed to sa" hardthin!s to his !rand3niece, on hom he doted, in orderto mollif" the bitter tone of the discussion no

e4claimed

(6o not tease m" %oor little Emilie5 don2t "ou see sheis aitin! till the 6uc de Bordeau4 comes of a!e>(

The old man2s %leasantr" as received ith !enerallau!hter&

(Ta*e care ) don2t marr" "ou, old fool>( re%lied the "oun! !irl, hose last ords ere ha%%il" droned in

the noise&

(/" dear children,( said /adame de Fontaine, tosoften this sauc" retort, (Emilie, li*e "ou, ill ta*e noadvice but her mother2s&(

(Bless me> ) shall ta*e no advice but m" on in amatter hich concerns no one but m"self,( said/ademoiselle de Fontaine ver" distinctl"&

At this all e"es ere turned to the head of the famil"&Ever" one seemed an4ious as to hat he ould do toassert his di!nit"& The venerable !entleman en'o"edmuch consideration, not onl" in the orld5 ha%%ierthan man" fathers, he as also a%%reciated b" hisfamil", all its members havin! a 'ust esteem for thesolid 8ualities b" hich he had been able to ma*etheir fortunes& Hence he as treated ith the dee%res%ect hich is shon b" En!lish families, and some

aristocratic houses on the continent, to the livin!re%resentatives of an ancient %edi!ree& 6ee% silencehad fallen5 and the !uests loo*ed alternatel" from thes%oilt !irl2s %roud and sul*" %out to the severe facesof /onsieur and /adame de Fontaine&



() have made m" dau!hter Emilie mistress of her onfate,( as the re%l" s%o*en b" the Count in a dee% voice&

$elations and !uests !aGed at /ademoiselle deFontaine ith min!led curiosit" and %it"& The ordsseemed to declare that fatherl" a-ection as ear" ofthe contest ith a character that the hole famil"*ne to be incorri!ible& The sons3in3la muttered,and the brothers !lanced at their ives ith moc*in!smiles& From that moment ever" one ceased to ta*ean" interest in the hau!ht" !irl2s %ros%ects ofmarria!e& Her old uncle as the onl" %erson ho, asan old sailor, ventured to stand on her tac*, and ta*e

her broadsides, ithout ever troublin! himself toreturn her re&

1hen the ne eather as settled, and after thebud!et as voted, the hole famil"a %erfect e4am%leof the %arliamentar" families on the northern side ofthe Channel ho have a footin! in ever" !overnmentde%artment, and ten votes in the House of Commonse aa" li*e a brood of "oun! birds to the charmin!

nei!hborhoods of Aulna", Anton", and Chatena"& The ealth" $eceiver3eneral had latel" %urchased in this%art of the orld a countr"3house for his ife, horemained in Paris onl" durin! the session& Thou!h thefair Emilie des%ised the commonalt", her feelin! asnot carried so far as to scorn the advanta!es of afortune ac8uired in a %rofession5 so she accom%aniedher sister to the sum%tuous villa, less out of a-ectionfor the members of her famil" ho ere visitin! there,than because fashion has ordained that ever" oman ho has an" self3res%ect must leave Paris in thesummer& The !reen seclusion of Sceau4 ansered to%erfection the re8uirements of !ood st"le and of theduties of an o-icial %osition&



As it is e4tremel" doubtful that the fame of the (Bal deSceau4( should ever have e4tended be"ond theborders of the 6e%artment of the Seine, it ill benecessar" to !ive some account of this ee*l" festivit",

hich at that time as im%ortant enou!h to threatento become an institution& The environs of the littleton of Sceau4 en'o" a re%utation due to the scener", hich is considered enchantin!& Perha%s it is 8uiteordinar", and oes its fame onl" to the stu%idit" of theParis tonsfol*, ho, emer!in! from the ston" ab"ssin hich the" are buried, ould nd somethin! toadmire in the ats of La Beauce& Hoever, as the%oetic shades of Aulna", the hillsides of Anton", andthe valle" of the Bieve are %eo%led ith artists hohave traveled far, b" forei!ners ho are ver" hard to%lease, and b" a !reat man" %rett" omen not devoidof taste, it is to be su%%osed that the Parisians areri!ht& But Sceau4 %ossesses another attraction notless %oerful to the Parisian& )n the midst of a !arden hence there are deli!htful vies, stands a lar!erotunda o%en on all sides, ith a li!ht, s%readin! roofsu%%orted on ele!ant %illars& This rural baldachinoshelters a dancin!3oor& The most stuc*3u%

landoners of the nei!hborhood rarel" fail to ma*e ane4cursion thither once or tice durin! the season,arrivin! at this rustic %alace of Ter%sichore either indashin! %arties on horsebac*, or in the li!ht andele!ant carria!es hich %oder the %hiloso%hical%edestrian ith dust& The ho%e of meetin! some omen of fashion, and of bein! seen b" themand theho%e, less often disa%%ointed, of seein! "oun! %easant!irls, as il" as 'ud!escrods the ballroom at Sceau4

ith numerous sarms of la"ers2 cler*s, of thedisci%les of Aescula%ius, and other "ouths hosecom%le4ions are *e%t %ale and moist b" the dam%atmos%here of Paris bac*3sho%s& And a !ood man"bour!eois marria!es have had their be!innin! to thesound of the band occu%"in! the centre of this



circular ballroom& )f that roof could s%ea*, hat love3stories could it not tell>

This interestin! medle" !ave the Sceau4 balls at thattime a s%ice of more amusement than those of to orthree %laces of the same *ind near Paris5 and it hadincontestable advanta!es in its rotunda, and thebeaut" of its situation and its !ardens& Emilie as therst to e4%ress a ish to %la" at bein! C7//7. F7L0 at this !leeful suburban entertainment, and %romisedherself immense %leasure in min!lin! ith the crod&Ever"bod" ondered at her desire to ander throu!hsuch a mob5 but is there not a *een %leasure to !rand%eo%le in an inco!nitoD /ademoiselle de Fontaine

amused herself ith ima!inin! all these ton3bred!ures5 she fancied herself leavin! the memor" of abeitchin! !lance and smile stam%ed on more thanone sho%*ee%er2s heart, lau!hed beforehand at thedamsels2 airs, and shar%ened her %encils for thescenes she %ro%osed to s*etch in her satirical album&Sunda" could not come soon enou!h to satisf" herim%atience&

The %art" from the #illa Planat set out on foot, so asnot to betra" the ran* of the %ersona!es ho ereabout to honor the ball ith their %resence& The"dined earl"& And the month of /a" humored thisaristocratic esca%ade b" one of its nest evenin!s&/ademoiselle de Fontaine as 8uite sur%rised to ndin the rotunda some 8uadrilles made u% of %ersons ho seemed to belon! to the u%%er classes& Here andthere, indeed, ere some "oun! men ho loo* asthou!h the" must have saved for a month to shine fora da"5 and she %erceived several cou%les hose tooheart" !lee su!!ested nothin! con'u!al5 still, shecould onl" !lean instead of !atherin! a harvest& She as amused to see that %leasure in a cotton dress asso ver" li*e %leasure robed in satin, and that the !irlsof the middle class danced 8uite as ell as ladiesna",



sometimes better& /ost of the omen ere sim%l" andsuitabl" dressed& Those ho in this assembl"re%resented the rulin! %oer, that is to sa", thecountr"3fol*, *e%t a%art ith onderful %oliteness& )n

fact, /ademoiselle Emilie had to stud" the variouselements that com%osed the mi4ture before she couldnd an" sub'ect for %leasantr"& But she had not timeto !ive herself u% to malicious criticism, oro%%ortunit" for hearin! man" of the startlin!s%eeches hich caricaturists so !ladl" %ic* u%& Thehau!ht" "oun! lad" suddenl" found a oer in this ide eldthe meta%hor is reasonablehoses%lendor and colorin! or*ed on her ima!ination ithall the fascination of novelt"& )t often ha%%ens that eloo* at a dress, a han!in!, a blan* sheet of %a%er, ithso little heed that e do not at rst detect a stain or abri!ht s%ot hich afterards stri*es the e"e as thou!hit had come there at the ver" instant hen e see it5and b" a sort of moral %henomenon somehatresemblin! this, /ademoiselle de Fontaine discoveredin a "oun! man the e4ternal %erfection of hich shehad so lon! dreamed&

Seated on one of the clums" chairs hich mar*ed theboundar" line of the circular oor, she had %lacedherself at the end of the ro formed b" the famil"%art", so as to be able to stand u% or %ush forard asher fanc" moved her, treatin! the livin! %ictures and!rou%s in the hall as if she ere in a %icture !aller"5im%ertinentl" turnin! her e"e3!lass on %ersons notto "ards aa", and ma*in! her remar*s as thou!hshe ere criticisin! or %raisin! a stud" of a head, a

%aintin! of !enre& Her e"es, after anderin! over the vast movin! %icture, ere suddenl" cau!ht b" this!ure, hich seemed to have been %laced on %ur%osein one corner of the canvas, and in the best li!ht, li*ea %erson out of all %ro%ortion ith the rest&



The stran!er, alone and absorbed in thou!ht, leanedli!htl" a!ainst one of the columns that su%%orted theroof5 his arms ere folded, and he leaned sli!htl" onone side as thou!h he had %laced himself there to

have his %ortrait ta*en b" a %ainter& His attitude,thou!h full of ele!ance and di!nit", as devoid ofa-ectation& .othin! su!!ested that he had half turnedhis head, and bent it a little to the ri!ht li*e Ale4ander, or Lord B"ron, and some other !reat men,for the sole %ur%ose of attractin! attention& His 4ed!aGe folloed a !irl ho as dancin!, and betra"edsome stron! feelin!& His slender, eas" frame recalledthe noble %ro%ortions of the A%ollo& Fine blac* haircurled naturall" over a hi!h forehead& At a !lance/ademoiselle de Fontaine observed that his linen asne, his !loves fresh, and evidentl" bou!ht of a !oodma*er, and his feet ere small and ell shod in bootsof )rish *id& He had none of the vul!ar trin*etsdis%la"ed b" the dandies of the .ational uard or theLovelaces of the countin!3house& A blac* ribbon, to hich an e"e3!lass as attached, hun! over a aistcoat of the most fashionable cut& .ever had thefastidious Emilie seen a man2s e"es shaded b" such

lon!, curled lashes& /elanchol" and %assion eree4%ressed in this face, and the com%le4ion as of amanl" olive hue& His mouth seemed read" to smile,unbendin! the corners of elo8uent li%s5 but this, farfrom hintin! at !aiet", revealed on the contrar" a sortof %athetic !race& There as too much %romise in thathead, too much distinction in his hole %erson, toallo of one2s sa"in!, (1hat a handsome man>( or(1hat a ne man>( 7ne anted to *no him& The most

clear3si!hted observer, on seein! this stran!er, couldnot have hel%ed ta*in! him for a clever man attractedto this rural festivit" b" some %oerful motive&

All these observations cost Emilie onl" a minute2sattention, durin! hich the %rivile!ed !entlemanunder her severe scrutin" became the ob'ect of her



secret admiration& She did not sa" to herself, (Hemust be a %eer of France>( but (7h, if onl" he is noble,and he surel" must be( 1ithout nishin! herthou!ht, she suddenl" rose, and folloed b" her

brother the eneral, she made her a" toards thecolumn, a-ectin! to atch the merr" 8uadrille5 but b"a strata!em of the e"e, familiar to omen, she lost nota !esture of the "oun! man as she ent toards him&The stran!er %olitel" moved to ma*e a" for thenecomers, and ent to lean a!ainst another %illar&Emilie, as much nettled b" his %oliteness as she mi!hthave been b" an im%ertinence, be!an tal*in! to herbrother in a louder voice than !ood taste en'oined5 sheturned and tossed her head, !esticulated ea!erl", andlau!hed for no %articular reason, less to amuse herbrother than to attract the attention of theim%erturbable stran!er& .one of her little artssucceeded& /ademoiselle de Fontaine then folloedthe direction in hich his e"es ere 4ed, anddiscovered the cause of his indi-erence&

)n the midst of the 8uadrille, close in front of them, a%ale !irl as dancin!5 her face as li*e one of the

divinities hich irodet has introduced into hisimmense com%osition of French 1arriors received b"7ssian& Emilie fancied that she reco!niGed her as adistin!uished milad" ho for some months had beenlivin! on a nei!hborin! estate& Her %artner as a ladof about fteen, ith red hands, and dressed innan*een trousers, a blue coat, and hite shoes, hichshoed that the damsel2s love of dancin! made hereas" to %lease in the matter of %artners& Her

movements did not betra" her a%%arent delicac", but afaint ush alread" tin!ed her hite chee*s, and hercom%le4ion as !ainin! color& /ademoiselle deFontaine ent nearer, to be able to e4amine the "oun!lad" at the moment hen she returned to her %lace, hile the side cou%les in their turn danced the !ure&



But the stran!er ent u% to the %rett" dancer, andleanin! over, said in a !entle but commandin! tone

(Clara, m" child, do not dance an" more&(

Clara made a little %outin! face, bent her head, andnall" smiled& 1hen the dance as over, the "oun!man ra%%ed her in a cashmere shal ith a lover2scare, and seated her in a %lace sheltered from the ind& #er" soon /ademoiselle de Fontaine, seein!them rise and al* round the %lace as if %re%arin! toleave, found means to follo them under %retence ofadmirin! the vies from the !arden& Her brother lenthimself ith malicious !ood3humor to the diva!ations

of her rather eccentric anderin!s& Emilie then sathe attractive cou%le !et into an ele!ant tilbur", b" hich stood a mounted !room in liver"& At the moment hen, from his hi!h seat, the "oun! man as drain!the reins even, she cau!ht a !lance from his e"e suchas a man casts aimlessl" at the crod5 and then sheen'o"ed the feeble satisfaction of seein! him turn hishead to loo* at her& The "oun! lad" did the same& 1asit from 'ealous"D

() ima!ine "ou have no seen enou!h of the !arden,(said her brother& (1e ma" !o bac* to the dancin!&(

() am read",( said she& (6o "ou thin* the !irl can be arelation of Lad" 6udle"2sD(

(Lad" 6udle" ma" have some male relation sta"in! ith her,( said the Baron de Fontaine5 (but a "oun!!irl>.o>(

.e4t da" /ademoiselle de Fontaine e4%ressed a ishto ta*e a ride& Then she !raduall" accustomed her olduncle and her brothers to escortin! her in ver" earl"rides, e4cellent, she declared for her health& She had a%articular fanc" for the environs of the hamlet hereLad" 6udle" as livin!& .otithstandin! her cavalr"



manoeuvres, she did not meet the stran!er so soon asthe ea!er search she %ursued mi!ht have alloed herto ho%e& She ent several times to the (Bal de Sceau4( ithout seein! the "oun! En!lishman ho had

dro%%ed from the s*ies to %ervade and beautif" herdreams& Thou!h nothin! s%urs on a "oun! !irl2s infant%assion so e-ectuall" as an obstacle, there as a time hen /ademoiselle de Fontaine as on the %oint of!ivin! u% her stran!e and secret search, almostdes%airin! of the success of an enter%rise hosesin!ularit" ma" !ive some idea of the boldness of hertem%er& )n %oint of fact, she mi!ht have anderedlon! about the villa!e of Chatena" ithout meetin!her Un*non& The fair Clarasince that as the nameEmilie had overheardas not En!lish, and thestran!er ho escorted her did not dell amon! theoer" and fra!rant boers of Chatena"&

7ne evenin! Emilie, out ridin! ith her uncle, ho,durin! the ne eather, had !ained a fairl" lon! trucefrom the !out, met Lad" 6udle"& The distin!uishedforei!ner had ith her in her o%en carria!e /onsieur #andenesse& Emilie reco!niGed the handsome cou%le,

and her su%%ositions ere at once dissi%ated li*e adream& Anno"ed, as an" oman must be hosee4%ectations are frustrated, she touched u% her horseso suddenl" that her uncle had the !reatest di-icult"in folloin! her, she had set o- at such a %ace&

() am too old, it ould seem, to understand these "outhful s%irits,( said the old sailor to himself as he%ut his horse to a canter5 (or %erha%s "oun! %eo%leare not hat the" used to be& But hat ails m" nieceD.o she is al*in! at a foot3%ace li*e a !endarme on%atrol in the Paris streets& 7ne mi!ht fanc" she anted to outan* that orth" man, ho loo*s to meli*e an author dreamin! over his %oetr", for he has, )thin*, a noteboo* in his hand& /" ord, ) am a !reat



sim%leton> )s not that the ver" "oun! man e are insearch of>(

At this idea the old admiral moderated his horse2s%ace so as to follo his niece ithout ma*in! an"noise& He had %la"ed too man" %ran*s in the "ears:KK: and soon after, a time of our histor" hen!allantr" as held in honor, not to !uess at once thatb" the merest chance Emilie had met the Un*non ofthe Sceau4 !ardens& )n s%ite of the lm hich a!e haddran over his !ra" e"es, the Comte de 0er!arouetcould reco!niGe the si!ns of e4treme a!itation in hisniece, under the unmoved e4%ression she tried to !iveto her features& The !irl2s %iercin! e"es ere 4ed in a

sort of dull amaGement on the stran!er, ho 8uietl" al*ed on in front of her&

(A", that2s it,( thou!ht the sailor& (She is folloin! himas a %irate follos a merchantman& Then, hen shehas lost si!ht of him, she ill be in des%air at not*noin! ho it is she is in love ith, and hether heis a mar8uis or a sho%*ee%er& $eall" these "oun!heads need an old fo!" li*e me ala"s b" their side&&&(

He une4%ectedl" s%urred his horse in such a a" as toma*e his niece2s bolt, and rode so hastil" beteen herand the "oun! man on foot that he obli!ed him to fallbac* on to the !rass" ban* hich rose from theroadside& Then, abru%tl" drain! u%, the Counte4claimed

(Couldn2t "ou !et out of the a"D(

() be! "our %ardon, monsieur& But ) did not *no thatit la" ith me to a%olo!iGe to "ou because "ou almostrode me don&(

(There, enou!h of that, m" !ood fello>( re%lied thesailor harshl", in a sneerin! tone that as nothin! lessthan insultin!& At the same time the Count raised his



huntin!3cro% as if to stri*e his horse, and touched the "oun! fello2s shoulder, sa"in!, (A liberal citiGen is areasoner5 ever" reasoner should be %rudent&(

The "oun! man ent u% the ban*side as he heard thesarcasm5 then he crossed his arms, and said in ane4cited tone of voice, () cannot su%%ose, monsieur, as) loo* at "our hite hairs, that "ou still amuse "ourself b" %rovo*in! duels(

(1hite hairs>( cried the sailor, interru%tin! him& (Ioulie in "our throat& The" are onl" !ra"&(

A 8uarrel thus be!un had in a fe seconds become so

erce that the "oun!er man for!ot the moderation hehad tried to %reserve& ust as the Comte de 0er!arouetsa his niece comin! bac* to them ith ever" si!n ofthe !reatest uneasiness, he told his anta!onist hisname, biddin! him *ee% silence before the "oun! lad"entrusted to his care& The stran!er could not hel%smilin! as he !ave a visitin! card to the old man,desirin! him to observe that he as livin! at acountr"3house at Chevreuse5 and, after %ointin! this

out to him, he hurried aa"&

(Iou ver" nearl" dama!ed that %oor "oun! counter3 'um%er, m" dear,( said the Count, advancin! hastil" tomeet Emilie& (6o "ou not *no ho to hold "our horseinDAnd there "ou leave me to com%romise m" di!nit" in order to screen "our foll"5 hereas if "ou had butsto%%ed, one of "our loo*s, or one of "our %rett"s%eechesone of those "ou can ma*e so %rettil" hen "ou are not %ertould have set ever"thin! ri!ht,

even if "ou had bro*en his arm&(

(But, m" dear uncle, it as "our horse, not mine, thatcaused the accident& ) reall" thin* "ou can no lon!erride5 "ou are not so !ood a horseman as "ou ere last "ear&But instead of tal*in! nonsense(



(.onsense, b" ad> )s it nothin! to be so im%ertinentto "our uncleD(

(7u!ht e not to !o on and in8uire if the "oun! manis hurtD He is lim%in!, uncle, onl" loo*>(

(.o, he is runnin!5 ) rated him soundl"&(

(7h, "es, uncle5 ) *no "ou there>(

(Sto%,( said the Count, %ullin! Emilie2s horse b" thebridle, () do not see the necessit" of ma*in! advancesto some sho%*ee%er ho is onl" too luc*" to have beenthron don b" a charmin! "oun! lad", or the

commander of La Belle3Poule&(

(1h" do "ou thin* he is an"thin! so common, m" dear uncleD He seems to me to have ver" ne manners&(

(Ever" one has manners noada"s, m" dear&(

(.o, uncle, not ever" one has the air and st"le hichcome of the habit of fre8uentin! drain!3rooms, and )am read" to la" a bet ith "ou that the "oun! man is

of noble birth&(

(Iou had not lon! to stud" him&(

(.o, but it is not the rst time ) have seen him&(

(.or is it the rst time "ou have loo*ed for him,(re%lied the admiral ith a lau!h&

Emilie colored& Her uncle amused himself for some

time ith her embarrassment5 then he said (Emilie, "ou *no that ) love "ou as m" on child, %recisel"because "ou are the onl" member of the famil" hohas the le!itimate %ride of hi!h birth& 6evil ta*e it,child, ho could have believed that sound %rinci%les ould become so rareD 1ell, ) ill be "our condant&/" dear child, ) see that his "oun! !entleman is not



indi-erent to "ou& Hush> All the famil" ould lau!h atus if e sailed under the ron! a!& Iou *no hatthat means& 1e to ill *ee% our secret, and )%romise to brin! him strai!ht into the drain!3room&(

(1hen, uncleD(

(To3morro&(

(But, m" dear uncle, ) am not committed toan"thin!D(

(.othin! hatever, and "ou ma" bombard him, set reto him, and leave him to founder li*e an old hul* if

"ou choose& He on2t be the rst, ) fanc"D(

(Iou A$E *ind, uncle>(

As soon as the Count !ot home he %ut on his !lasses,8uietl" too* the card out of his %oc*et, and read,(/a4imilien Lon!ueville, $ue de Sentier&(

(/a*e "ourself ha%%", m" dear niece,( he said toEmilie, ("ou ma" hoo* him ith an" eas" conscience5

he belon!s to one of our historical families, and if heis not a %eer of France, he infallibl" ill be&(

(Ho do "ou *no so muchD(

(That is m" secret&(

(Then do "ou *no his nameD(

The old man boed his !ra" head, hich as not

unli*e a !narled oa*3stum%, ith a fe leavesutterin! about it, ithered b" autumnal frosts5 andhis niece immediatel" be!an to tr" the ever3ne %oer of her co8uettish arts& Lon! familiar ith the secret of ca'olin! the old man, she lavished on him the mostchildli*e caresses, the tenderest names5 she even entso far as to *iss him to induce him to divul!e so



im%ortant a secret& The old man, ho s%ent his life in%la"in! o- these scenes on his niece, often %a"in! forthem ith a %resent of 'eelr", or b" !ivin! her his bo4 at the o%era, this time amused himself ith her

entreaties, and, above all, her caresses& But as hes%un out this %leasure too lon!, Emilie !re an!r",%assed from coa4in! to sarcasm and sul*s5 then,ur!ed b" curiosit", she recovered herself& Thedi%lomatic admiral e4tracted a solemn %romise fromhis niece that she ould for the future be !entler, lessnois", and less ilful, that she ould s%end less, and,above all, tell him ever"thin!& The treat" bein!concluded, and si!ned b" a *iss im%ressed on Emilie2s hite bro, he led her into a corner of the room, dreher on to his *nee, held the card under the thumbs soas to hide it, and then uncovered the letters one b"one, s%ellin! the name of Lon!ueville5 but he rml"refused to sho her an"thin! more&

This incident added to the intensit" of /ademoisellede Fontaine2s secret sentiment, and durin! chief %artof the ni!ht she evolved the most brilliant %icturesfrom the dreams ith hich she had fed her ho%es& At

last, than*s to chance, to hich she had so oftena%%ealed, Emilie could no see somethin! ver" unli*ea chimera at the fountain3head of the ima!inar" ealth ith hich she !ilded her married life&)!norant, as all "oun! !irls are, of the %erils of loveand marria!e, she as %assionatel" ca%tivated b" thee4ternals of marria!e and love& )s not this as much asto sa" that her feelin! had birth li*e all the feelin!s of e4treme "outhseet but cruel mista*es, hich e4ert

a fatal inuence on the lives of "oun! !irls soine4%erienced as to trust their on 'ud!ment to ta*ecare of their future ha%%inessD

.e4t mornin!, before Emilie as aa*e, her uncle hadhastened to Chevreuse& 7n reco!niGin!, in thecourt"ard of an ele!ant little villa, the "oun! man he



had so determinedl" insulted the da" before, he entu% to him ith the %ressin! %oliteness of men of theold court&

(1h", m" dear sir, ho could have !uessed that )should have a brush, at the a!e of sevent"3three, iththe son, or the !randson, of one of m" best friends& )am a vice3admiral, monsieur5 is not that as much as tosa" that ) thin* no more of !htin! a duel than ofsmo*in! a ci!arD 1h", in m" time, no to "oun! mencould be intimate till the" had seen the color of theirblood> But 2sdeath, sir, last evenin!, sailor3li*e, ) hadta*en a dro% too much !ro! on board, and ) ran "oudon& Sha*e hands5 ) ould rather ta*e a hundred

rebu-s from a Lon!ueville than cause his famil" thesmallest re!ret&(

Hoever coldl" the "oun! man tried to behave to theComte de 0er!arouet, he could not resist the fran*cordialit" of his manner, and %resentl" !ave him hishand&

(Iou ere !oin! out ridin!,( said the Count& (6o not

let me detain "ou& But, unless "ou have other %lans, )be! "ou ill come to dinner to3da" at the #illa Planat&/" ne%he, the Comte de Fontaine, is a man it isessential that "ou should *no& Ah, ha> And ) %ro%oseto ma*e u% to "ou for m" clumsiness b" introducin! "ou to ve of the %rettiest omen in Paris& So, so, "oun! man, "our bro is clearin!> ) am fond of "oun!%eo%le, and ) li*e to see them ha%%"& Their ha%%inessreminds me of the !ood times of m" "outh, henadventures ere not lac*in!, an" more than duels& 1e

ere !a" do!s then> .oada"s "ou thin* and orr"over ever"thin!, as thou!h there had never been afteenth and a si4teenth centur"&(



(But, monsieur, are e not in the ri!htD The si4teenthcentur" onl" !ave reli!ious libert" to Euro%e, and thenineteenth ill !ive it %olitical lib(

(7h, e ill not tal* %olitics& ) am a %erfect old omanultra "ou see& But ) do not hinder "oun! men frombein! revolutionar", so lon! as the" leave the 0in! atlibert" to dis%erse their assemblies&(

1hen the" had !one a little a", and the Count andhis com%anion ere in the heart of the oods, the oldsailor %ointed out a slender "oun! birch sa%lin!,%ulled u% his horse, too* out one of his %istols, andthe bullet as lod!ed in the heart of the tree, fteen

%aces aa"&

(Iou see, m" dear fello, that ) am not afraid of aduel,( he said ith comical !ravit", as he loo*ed at/onsieur Lon!ueville&

(.or am ),( re%lied the "oun! man, %rom%tl" coc*in!his %istol5 he aimed at the hole made b" the Comte2sbullet, and sent his on close to it&

(That is hat ) call a ell3educated man,( cried theadmiral ith enthusiasm&

6urin! this ride ith the "outh, hom he alread"re!arded as his ne%he, he found endlesso%%ortunities of catechiGin! him on all the tries of hich a %erfect *noled!e constituted, accordin! tohis %rivate code, an accom%lished !entleman&

(Have "ou an" debtsD( he at last as*ed of hiscom%anion, after man" other in8uiries&

(.o, monsieur&(

(1hat, "ou %a" for all "ou haveD(



(Punctuall"5 otherise e should lose our credit, andever" sort of res%ect&(

(But at least "ou have more than one mistressD Ah, "ou blush, comrade> 1ell, manners have chan!ed& Allthese notions of laful order, 0antism, and libert"have s%oilt the "oun! men& Iou have no uimard no,no 6uthe, no creditorsand "ou *no nothin! ofheraldr"5 h", m" dear "oun! friend, "ou are not full"ed!ed& The man ho does not so his ild oats in thes%rin! sos them in the inter& )f ) have but ei!ht"thousand francs a "ear at the a!e of sevent", it isbecause ) ran throu!h the ca%ital at thirt"& 7h> ithm" ifein decenc" and honor& Hoever, "our

im%erfections ill not interfere ith m" introducin! "ou at the Pavillon Planat& $emember, "ou have%romised to come, and ) shall e4%ect "ou&(

(1hat an odd little old man>( said Lon!ueville tohimself& (He is so 'oll" and hale5 but thou!h he ishesto seem a !ood fello, ) ill not trust him too far&(

.e4t da", at about four o2cloc*, hen the house %art"

ere dis%ersed in the drain!3rooms and billiard3room, a servant announced to the inhabitants of the #illa Planat, (/onsieur 6E Lon!ueville&( 7n hearin!the name of the old admiral2s %rote!e, ever" one,don to the %la"er ho as about to miss his stro*e,rushed in, as much to stud" /ademoiselle deFontaine2s countenance as to 'ud!e of this %hoeni4 ofmen, ho had earned honorable mention to thedetriment of so man" rivals& A sim%le but ele!ant st"leof dress, an air of %erfect ease, %olite manners, a

%leasant voice ith a rin! in it hich found a res%onsein the hearer2s heart3strin!s, on the !ood3ill of thefamil" for /onsieur Lon!ueville& He did not seemunaccustomed to the lu4ur" of the $eceiver3eneral2sostentatious mansion& Thou!h his conversation asthat of a man of the orld, it as eas" to discern that



he had had a brilliant education, and that his*noled!e as as thorou!h as it as e4tensive& He*ne so ell the ri!ht thin! to sa" in a discussion onnaval architecture, trivial, it is true, started b" the old

admiral, that one of the ladies remar*ed that he musthave %assed throu!h the Ecole Pol"techni8ue&

(And ) thin*, madame,( he re%lied, (that ) ma" re!ardit as an honor to have !ot in&(

)n s%ite of ur!ent %ressin!, he refused %olitel" butrml" to be *e%t to dinner, and %ut an end to the%ersistenc" of the ladies b" sa"in! that he as theHi%%ocrates of his "oun! sister, hose delicate health

re8uired !reat care&

(/onsieur is %erha%s a medical manD( as*ed one ofEmilie2s sisters3in3la ith ironical meanin!&

(/onsieur has left the Ecole Pol"techni8ue,(/ademoiselle de Fontaine *indl" %ut in5 her face hadushed ith richer color, as she learned that the "oun! lad" of the ball as /onsieur Lon!ueville2ssister&

(But, m" dear, he ma" be a doctor and "et have beento the Ecole Pol"techni8ueis it not so, monsieurD(

(There is nothin! to %revent it, madame,( re%lied the "oun! man&

Ever" e"e as on Emilie, ho as !aGin! ith uneas"curiosit" at the fascinatin! stran!er& She breathed

more freel" hen he added, not ithout a smile, ()have not the honor of belon!in! to the medical%rofession5 and ) even !ave u% !oin! into theEn!ineers in order to %reserve m" inde%endence&(

(And "ou did ell,( said the Count& (But ho can "oure!ard it as an honor to be a doctorD( added the



Breton nobleman& (Ah, m" "oun! friend, such a manas "ou(

(/onsieur le Comte, ) res%ect ever" %rofession thathas a useful %ur%ose&(

(1ell, in that e a!ree& Iou res%ect those %rofessions,) ima!ine, as a "oun! man res%ects a doa!er&(

/onsieur Lon!ueville made his visit neither too lon!nor too short& He left at the moment hen he sa thathe had %leased ever"bod", and that each one2scuriosit" about him had been roused&

(He is a cunnin! rascal>( said the Count, comin! intothe drain!3room after seein! him to the door&

/ademoiselle de Fontaine, ho had been in the secretof this call, had dressed ith some care to attract the "oun! man2s e"e5 but she had the littledisa%%ointment of ndin! that he did not besto onher so much attention as she thou!ht she deserved&The famil" ere a !ood deal sur%rised at the silenceinto hich she had retired& Emilie !enerall" dis%la"ed

all her arts for the benet of necomers, her itt"%rattle, and the ine4haustible elo8uence of her e"esand attitudes& 1hether it as that the "oun! man2s%leasin! voice and attractive manners had charmedher, that she as seriousl" in love, and that thisfeelin! had or*ed a chan!e in her, her demeanor hadlost all its a-ectations& Bein! sim%le and natural, shemust, no doubt, have seemed more beautiful& Some ofher sisters, and an old lad", a friend of the famil", sa

in this behavior a renement of art& The" su%%osedthat Emilie, 'ud!in! the man orth" of her, intendedto dela" revealin! her merits, so as to daGGle himsuddenl" hen she found that she %leased him& Ever"member of the famil" as curious to *no hat thisca%ricious creature thou!ht of the stran!er5 but hen,durin! dinner, ever" one chose to endo /onsieur



Lon!ueville ith some fresh 8ualit" hich no one elsehad discovered, /ademoiselle de Fontaine sat forsome time in silence& A sarcastic remar* of her uncle2ssuddenl" roused her from her a%ath"5 she said,

somehat e%i!rammaticall", that such heavenl"%erfection must cover some !reat defect, and that she ould ta*e !ood care ho she 'ud!ed so !ifted a manat rst si!ht&

(Those ho %lease ever"bod", %lease nobod",( sheadded5 (and the orst of all faults is to have none&(

Li*e all !irls ho are in love, Emilie cherished theho%e of bein! able to hide her feelin!s at the bottom

of her heart b" %uttin! the Ar!us3e"es that atched onthe ron! tac*5 but b" the end of a fortni!ht there as not a member of the lar!e famil" %art" ho asnot in this little domestic secret& 1hen /onsieurLon!ueville called for the third time, Emilie believedit as chie" for her sa*e& This discover" !ave hersuch into4icatin! %leasure that she as startled as shereected on it& There as somethin! in it ver" %ainfulto her %ride& Accustomed as she as to be the centre

of her orld, she as obli!ed to reco!niGe a force thatattracted her outside herself5 she tried to resist, butshe could not chase from her heart the fascinatin!ima!e of the "oun! man&

Then came some an4iet"& To of /onsieurLon!ueville2s 8ualities, ver" adverse to !eneralcuriosit", and es%eciall" to /ademoiselle deFontaine2s, ere une4%ected modest" and discretion&He never s%o*e of himself, of his %ursuits, or of his

famil"& The hints Emilie thre out in conversation, andthe tra%s she laid to e4tract from the "oun! fellosome facts concernin! himself, he could evade iththe adroitness of a di%lomatist concealin! a secret& )fshe tal*ed of %aintin!, he res%onded as a connoisseur5if she sat don to %la", he shoed ithout conceit that



he as a ver" !ood %ianist5 one evenin! he deli!htedall the %art" b" 'oinin! his deli!htful voice to Emilie2sin one of Cimarosa2s charmin! duets& But hen the"tried to nd out hether he ere a %rofessional

sin!er, he baed them so %leasantl" that he did nota-ord these omen, %ractised as the" ere in the artof readin! feelin!s, the least chance of discoverin! to hat social s%here he belon!ed& Hoever boldl" theold uncle cast the boardin!3hoo*s over the vessel,Lon!ueville sli%%ed aa" cleverl", so as to %reservethe charm of m"ster"5 and it as eas" to him toremain the (handsome Stran!er( at the #illa, becausecuriosit" never overste%%ed the bounds of !oodbreedin!&

Emilie, distracted b" this reserve, ho%ed to !et moreout of the sister than the brother, in the form ofcondences& Aided b" her uncle, ho as as s*ilful insuch manoeuvres as in handlin! a shi%, sheendeavored to brin! u%on the scene the hithertounseen !ure of /ademoiselle Clara Lon!ueville& Thefamil" %art" at the #illa Planat soon e4%ressed the!reatest desire to ma*e the ac8uaintance of so

amiable a "oun! lad", and to !ive her someamusement& An informal dance as %ro%osed andacce%ted& The ladies did not des%air of ma*in! a "oun! !irl of si4teen tal*&

.otithstandin! the little clouds %iled u% b" sus%icionand created b" curiosit", a li!ht of 'o" shone inEmilie2s soul, for she found life delicious hen thusintimatel" connected ith another than herself& Shebe!an to understand the relations of life& 1hether it isthat ha%%iness ma*es us better, or that she as toofull" occu%ied to torment other %eo%le, she becameless caustic, more !entle, and indul!ent& This chan!ein her tem%er enchanted and amaGed her famil"&Perha%s, at last, her selshness as bein!transformed to love& )t as a dee% deli!ht to her to



loo* for the arrival of her bashful and unconfessedadorer& Thou!h the" had not uttered a ord of%assion, she *ne that she as loved, and ith hatart did she not lead the stran!er to unloc* the stores

of his information, hich %roved to be varied> She%erceived that she, too, as bein! studied, and thatmade her endeavor to remed" the defects hereducation had encoura!ed& 1as not this her rsthoma!e to love, and a bitter re%roach to herselfD Shedesired to %lease, and she as enchantin!5 she loved,and she as idoliGed& Her famil", *noin! that her%ride ould su-icientl" %rotect her, !ave her enou!hfreedom to en'o" the little childish deli!hts hich !iveto rst love its charm and its violence& /ore than oncethe "oun! man and /ademoiselle de Fontaine al*ed,tete3a3tete, in the avenues of the !arden, here nature as dressed li*e a oman !oin! to a ball& /ore thanonce the" had those conversations, aimless andmeanin!less, in hich the em%tiest %hrases are those hich cover the dee%est feelin!s& The" often admiredto!ether the settin! sun and its !or!eous colorin!&The" !athered daisies to %ull the %etals o-, and san!the most im%assioned duets, usin! the notes set don

b" Per!olesi or $ossini as faithful inter%reters toe4%ress their secrets&

The da" of the dance came& Clara Lon!ueville and herbrother, hom the servants %ersisted in honorin! iththe noble 6E, ere the %rinci%le !uests& For the rsttime in her life /ademoiselle de Fontaine felt%leasure in a "oun! !irl2s trium%h& She lavished onClara in all sincerit" the !racious %ettin! and little

attentions hich omen !enerall" !ive each otheronl" to e4cite the 'ealous" of men& Emilie, had, indeed,an ob'ect in vie5 she anted to discover somesecrets& But, bein! a !irl, /ademoiselle Lon!uevilleshoed even more mother3it than her brother, forshe did not even loo* as if she ere hidin! a secret,and *e%t the conversation to sub'ects unconnected



ith %ersonal interests, hile, at the same time, she!ave it so much charm that /ademoiselle de Fontaine as almost envious, and called her (the Siren&(Thou!h Emilie had intended to ma*e Clara tal*, it as

Clara, in fact, ho 8uestioned Emilie5 she had meantto 'ud!e her, and she as 'ud!ed b" her5 she asconstantl" %rovo*ed to nd that she had betra"ed heron character in some re%l" hich Clara hade4tracted from her, hile her modest and candidmanner %rohibited an" sus%icion of %erd"& There asa moment hen /ademoiselle de Fontaine seemedsorr" for an ill3'ud!ed sall" a!ainst the commonalt" to hich Clara had led her&

(/ademoiselle,( said the seet child, () have heard somuch of "ou from /a4imilien that ) had the *eenestdesire to *no "ou, out of a-ection for him5 but is nota ish to *no "ou a ish to love "ouD(

(/" dear Clara, ) feared ) mi!ht have dis%leased "oub" s%ea*in! thus of %eo%le ho are not of noblebirth&(

(7h, be 8uite eas"& That sort of discussion is %ointlessin these da"s& As for me, it does not a-ect me& ) ambeside the 8uestion&(

Ambitious as the anser mi!ht seem, it lled/ademoiselle de Fontaine ith the dee%est 'o"5 for,li*e all infatuated %eo%le, she e4%lained it, as oraclesare e4%lained, in the sense that harmoniGed ith her ishes5 she be!an dancin! a!ain in hi!her s%irits thanever, as she atched Lon!ueville, hose !ure and

!race almost sur%assed those of her ima!inar" ideal&She felt added satisfaction in believin! him to be ellborn, her blac* e"es s%ar*led, and she danced ith allthe %leasure that comes of dancin! in the %resence ofthe bein! e love& The cou%le had never understoodeach other as ell as at this moment5 more than once



the" felt their n!er ti%s thrill and tremble as the" ere married in the !ures of the dance&

The earl" autumn had come to the handsome %air, inthe midst of countr" festivities and %leasures5 the"had abandoned themselves softl" to the tide of theseetest sentiment in life, stren!thenin! it b" athousand little incidents hich an" one can ima!ine5for love is in some res%ects ala"s the same& The"studied each other throu!h it all, as much as loverscan&

(1ell, ell5 a irtation never turned so 8uic*l" into alove match,( said the old uncle, ho *e%t an e"e on

the to "oun! %eo%le as a naturalist atches an insectin the microsco%e&

The s%eech alarmed /onsieur and /adame Fontaine&The old #endeen had ceased to be so indi-erent to hisdau!hter2s %ros%ects as he had %romised to be& He ent to Paris to see* information, and found none&Uneas" at this m"ster", and not "et *noin! hatmi!ht be the outcome of the in8uir" hich he had

be!!ed a Paris friend to institute ith reference to thefamil" of Lon!ueville, he thou!ht it his dut" to arnhis dau!hter to behave %rudentl"& The fatherl"admonition as received ith moc* submission s%iced ith iron"&

(At least, m" dear Emilie, if "ou love him, do not onit to him&(

(/" dear father, ) certainl" do love him5 but ) ill

aait "our %ermission before ) tell him so&(

(But remember, Emilie, "ou *no nothin! of hisfamil" or his %ursuits&(

() ma" be i!norant, but ) am content to be& But,father, "ou ished to see me married5 "ou left me at



libert" to ma*e m" choice5 m" choice is irrevocabl"madehat more is needfulD(

()t is needful to ascertain, m" dear, hether the manof "our choice is the son of a %eer of France,( the venerable !entleman retorted sarcasticall"&

Emilie as silent for a moment& She %resentl" raisedher head, loo*ed at her father, and said somehatan4iousl", (Are not the Lon!uevillesD(

(The" became e4tinct in the %erson of the old 6uc de$ostein3Limbour!, ho %erished on the sca-old in:KM& He as the last re%resentative of the last and

"oun!er branch&(

(But, %a%a, there are some ver" !ood familiesdescended from bastards& The histor" of Francesarms ith %rinces bearin! the bar sinister on theirshields&(

(Iour ideas are much chan!ed,( said the old man, itha smile&

The folloin! da" as the last that the Fontaine famil" ere to s%end at the Pavillon Planat& Emilie, !reatl"disturbed b" her father2s arnin!, aaited ithe4treme im%atience the hour at hich "oun!Lon!ueville as in the habit of comin!, to rin! somee4%lanation from him& She ent out after dinner, and al*ed alone across the shrubber" toards an arbort for lovers, here she *ne that the ea!er "outh ould see* her5 and as she hastened thither she

considered of the best a" to discover so im%ortant amatter ithout com%romisin! herselfa ratherdi-icult thin!> Hitherto no direct avoal hadsanctioned the feelin!s hich bound her to thisstran!er& Li*e /a4imilien, she had secretl" en'o"edthe seetness of rst love5 but both ere e8uall"%roud, and each feared to confess that love&



/a4imilien Lon!ueville, to hom Clara hadcommunicated her not unfounded sus%icions as toEmilie2s character, as b" turns carried aa" b" the violence of a "oun! man2s %assion, and held bac* b" a

ish to *no and test the oman to hom he ouldbe entrustin! his ha%%iness& His love had not hinderedhim from %erceivin! in Emilie the %re'udices hichmarred her "oun! nature5 but before attem%tin! tocounteract them, he ished to be sure that she lovedhim, for he ould no sooner ris* the fate of his lovethan of his life& He had, therefore, %ersistentl" *e%t asilence to hich his loo*s, his behavior, and hissmallest actions !ave the lie&

7n her side, the self3res%ect natural to a "oun! !irl,au!mented in /ademoiselle de Fontaine b" themonstrous vanit" founded on her birth and beaut",*e%t her from meetin! the declaration half3a", hichher !roin! %assion sometimes ur!ed her to invite&Thus the lovers had instinctivel" understood thesituation ithout e4%lainin! to each other their secretmotives& There are times in life hen such va!ueness%leases "outhful minds& ust because each had

%ost%oned s%ea*in! too lon!, the" seemed to be%la"in! a cruel !ame of sus%ense& He as tr"in! todiscover hether he as beloved, b" the e-ort an"confession ould cost his hau!ht" mistress5 she ever"minute ho%ed that he ould brea* a too res%ectfulsilence&

Emilie, seated on a rustic bench, as reectin! on allthat had ha%%ened in these three months full ofenchantment& Her father2s sus%icions ere the lastthat could a%%eal to her5 she even dis%osed of them atonce b" to or three of those reections natural to anine4%erienced !irl, hich, to her, seemed conclusive& Above all, she as convinced that it as im%ossiblethat she should deceive herself& All the summerthrou!h she had not been able to detect in /a4imilien



a sin!le !esture, or a sin!le ord, hich couldindicate a vul!ar ori!in or vul!ar occu%ations5 na"more, his manner of discussin! thin!s revealed a mandevoted to the hi!hest interests of the nation&

(Besides,( she reected, (an o-ice cler*, a ban*er, ora merchant, ould not be at leisure to s%end a holeseason in %a"in! his addresses to me in the midst of oods and elds5 astin! his time as freel" as anobleman ho has life before him free of all care&(

She had !iven herself u% to meditations far moreinterestin! to her than these %reliminar" thou!hts, hen a sli!ht rustlin! in the leaves announced to herthan /a4imilien had been atchin! her for a minute,

not %robabl" ithout admiration&

(6o "ou *no that it is ver" ron! to ta*e a "oun! !irlthus unaaresD( she as*ed him, smilin!&

(Es%eciall" hen the" are bus" ith their secrets,(re%lied /a4imilien archl"&

(1h" should ) not have m" secretsD Iou certainl" have "ours&(

(Then "ou reall" ere thin*in! of "our secretsD( he ent on, lau!hin!&

(.o, ) as thin*in! of "ours& /" on, ) *no&(

(But %erha%s m" secrets are "ours, and "ours mine,(cried the "oun! man, softl" seiGin! /ademoiselle deFontaine2s hand and drain! it throu!h his arm&

After al*in! a fe ste%s the" found themselves under a clum% of trees hich the hues of the sin*in! sun ra%%ed in a haGe of red and bron& This touch ofnatural ma!ic lent a certain solemnit" to the moment&The "oun! man2s free and ea!er action, and, above all,the throbbin! of his sur!in! heart, hose hurried



beatin! s%o*e to Emilie2s arm, stirred her to anemotion that as all the more disturbin! because it as %roduced b" the sim%lest and most innocentcircumstances& The restraint under hich the "oun!

!irls of the u%%er class live !ives incredible force toan" e4%losion of feelin!, and to meet an im%assionedlover is one of the !reatest dan!ers the" canencounter& .ever had Emilie and /a4imilien alloedtheir e"es to sa" so much that the" dared never s%ea*&Carried a a" b" this into4ication, the" easil" for!otthe %ett" sti%ulations of %ride, and the coldhesitancies of sus%icion& At rst, indeed, the" couldonl" e4%ress themselves b" a %ressure of hands hichinter%reted their ha%%" thou!hts&

After sloin! %acin! a fe ste%s in lon! silence,/ademoiselle de Fontaine s%o*e& (/onsieur, ) have a8uestion to as* "ou,( she said tremblin!, and in ana!itated voice& (But, remember, ) be!, that it is in amanner com%ulsor" on me, from the rather sin!ular%osition ) am in ith re!ard to m" famil"&(

A %ause, terrible to Emilie, folloed these sentences,

hich she had almost stammered out& 6urin! theminute hile it lasted, the !irl, hau!ht" as she as,dared not meet the ashin! e"e of the man she loved,for she as secretl" conscious of the meanness of thene4t ords she added (Are "ou of noble birthD(

As soon as the ords ere s%o*en she ished herselfat the bottom of a la*e&

(/ademoiselle,( Lon!ueville !ravel" re%lied, and his

face assumed a sort of stern di!nit", () %romise toanser "ou trul" as soon as "ou shall have ansered inall sincerit" a 8uestion ) ill %ut to "ou>(He releasedher arm, and the !irl suddenl" felt alone in the orld,as he said (1hat is "our ob'ect in 8uestionin! me asto m" birthD(



She stood motionless, cold, and s%eechless&

(/ademoiselle,( /a4imilien ent on, (let us !o nofurther if e do not understand each other& ) love "ou,( he said, in a voice of dee% emotion& (1ell, then,(he added, as he heard the 'o"ful e4clamation she couldnot su%%ress, (h" as* me if ) am of noble birthD(

(Could he s%ea* so if he ere notD( cried a voice ithin her, hich Emilie believed came from thede%ths of her heart& She !racefull" raised her head,seemed to nd ne life in the "oun! man2s !aGe, andheld out her hand as if to rene the alliance&

(Iou thou!ht ) cared ver" much for di!nitiesD( saidshe ith *een archness&

() have no titles to o-er m" ife,( he re%lied, in a half3s%ortive, half3serious tone& (But if ) choose one of hi!hran*, and amon! omen hom a ealth" home hasaccustomed to the lu4ur" and %leasures of a nefortune, ) *no hat such a choice re8uires of me&Love !ives ever"thin!,( he added li!htl", (but onl" tolovers& 7nce married, the" need somethin! more thanthe vault of heaven and the car%et of a meado&(

(He is rich,( she reected& (As to titles, %erha%s heonl" ants to tr" me& He has been told that ) am madabout titles, and bent on marr"in! none but a %eer2sson& /" %ri!!ish sisters have %la"ed me thattric*&(() assure "ou, monsieur,( she said aloud, (that) have had ver" e4trava!ant ideas about life and the orld5 but no,( she added %ointedl", loo*in! at him

in a %erfectl" distractin! a", () *no here trueriches are to be found for a ife&(

() must believe that "ou are s%ea*in! from the de%thsof "our heart,( he said, ith !entle !ravit"& (But this inter, m" dear Emilie, in less than to months%erha%s, ) ma" be %roud of hat ) shall have to o-er



"ou if "ou care for the %leasures of ealth& This is theonl" secret ) shall *ee% loc*ed here,( and he laid hishand on his heart, (for on its success m" ha%%inessde%ends& ) dare not sa" ours&(

(Ies, "es, ours>(

E4chan!in! such seet nothin!s, the" slol" madetheir a" bac* to re'oin the com%an"& /ademoisellede Fontaine had never found her lover more amiableor ittier his li!ht !ure, his en!a!in! manners,seemed to her more charmin! than ever, since theconversation hich had made her to some e4tent the%ossessor of a heart orth" to be the env" of ever"

oman& The" san! an )talian duet ith so muche4%ression that the audience a%%laudedenthusiasticall"& Their adieu4 ere in a conventionaltone, hich concealed their ha%%iness& )n short, thisda" had been to Emilie li*e a chain bindin! her moreclosel" than ever to the Stran!er2s fate& The stren!thand di!nit" he had dis%la"ed in the scene hen the"had confessed their feelin!s had %erha%s im%ressed/ademoiselle de Fontaine ith the res%ect ithout

hich there is no true love&

1hen she as left alone in the drain!3room ith herfather, the old man ent u% to her a-ectionatel", heldher hands, and as*ed her hether she had !ained an"li!ht at to /onsieur Lon!ueville2s famil" and fortune&

(Ies, m" dear father,( she re%lied, (and ) am ha%%ierthan ) could have ho%ed& )n short, /onsieur deLon!ueville is the onl" man ) could ever marr"&(

(#er" ell, Emilie,( said the Count, (then ) *no hatremains for me to do&(

(6o "ou *no of an" im%edimentD( she as*ed, insincere alarm&



(/" dear child, the "oun! man is totall" un*non tome5 but unless he is not a man of honor, so lon! as "ou love him, he is as dear to me as a son&(

(.ot a man of honor>( e4claimed Emilie& (As to that, )am 8uite eas"& /" uncle, ho introduced him to us, ill anser for him& Sa", m" dear uncle, has he been alibuster, an outla, a %irateD(

() *ne ) should nd m"self in this 4>( cried the oldsailor, a*in! u%& He loo*ed round the room, but hisniece had vanished (li*e Saint3Elmo2s res,( to use hisfavorite e4%ression&

(1ell, uncle,( /onsieur de Fontaine ent on, (hocould "ou hide from us all "ou *ne about this "oun!manD Iou must have seen ho an4ious e have been&)s /onsieur de Lon!ueville a man of famil"D(

() don2t *no him from Adam or Eve,( said the Comtede 0er!arouet& (Trustin! to that craG" child2s tact, )!ot him here b" a method of m" on& ) *no that thebo" shoots ith a %istol to admiration, hunts ell,%la"s onderfull" at billiards, at chess, and atbac*!ammon5 he handles the foils, and rides a horseli*e the late Chevalier de Saint3eor!es& He has athorou!h *noled!e of all our vinta!es& He is as !oodan arithmetician as Bareme, dras, dances, and sin!s ell& The devil2s in it> hat more do "ou antD )f thatis not a %erfect !entleman, nd me a bour!eois ho*nos all this, or an" man ho lives more nobl" thanhe does& 6oes he do an"thin!, ) as* "ouD 6oes hecom%romise his di!nit" b" han!in! about an o-ice,

boin! don before the u%starts "ou call 6irectors3eneralD He al*s u%ri!ht& He is a man&Hoever, )have 'ust found in m" aistcoat %oc*et the card he!ave me hen he fancied ) anted to cut his throat,%oor innocent& Ioun! men are ver" sim%le3mindednoada"s> Here it is&(



($ue du Sentier, .o& ;,( said /onsieur de Fontaine,tr"in! to recall amon! all the information he hadreceived, somethin! hich mi!ht concern thestran!er& (1hat the devil can it meanD /essrs& Palma,

1erbrust N Co&, holesale dealers in muslins,calicoes, and %rinted cotton !oods, live there&Sta", )have it Lon!ueville the de%ut" has an interest in their house& 1ell, but so far as ) *no, Lon!ueville has butone son of to3and3thirt", ho is not at all li*e ourman, and to hom he !ave ft" thousand francs a "ear that he mi!ht marr" a minister2s dau!hter5 he antsto be made a %eer li*e the rest of 2em&) never heardhim mention this /a4imilien& Has he a dau!hterD 1hat is this !irl ClaraD Besides, it is o%en to an"adventurer to call himself Lon!ueville& But is not thehouse of Palma, 1erbrust N Co& half ruined b" somes%eculation in /e4ico or the )ndiesD ) ill clear allthis u%&(

(Iou s%ea* a solilo8u" as if "ou ere on the sta!e, andseem to account me a ci%her,( said the old admiralsuddenl"& (6on2t "ou *no that if he is a !entleman, )have more than one ba! in m" hold that ill sto% an"

lea* in his fortuneD(

(As to that, if he is a son of Lon!ueville2s, he ill antnothin!5 but,( said /onsieur de Fontaine, sha*in! hishead from side to side, (his father has not even ashed o- the stains of his ori!in& Before the$evolution he as an attorne", and the 6E he hassince assumed no more belon!s to him than half of hisfortune&(

(Pooh> %ooh> ha%%" those hose fathers erehan!ed>( cried the admiral !ail"&

Three or four da"s after this memorable da", on one of those ne mornin!s in the month of .ovember, hichsho the boulevards cleaned b" the shar% cold of an



earl" frost, /ademoiselle de Fontaine, ra%%ed in ane st"le of fur ca%e, of hich she ished to set thefashion, ent out ith to of her sisters3in3la, on hom she had been ont to dischar!e her most

cuttin! remar*s& The three omen ere tem%ted tothe drive, less b" their desire to tr" a ver" ele!antcarria!e, and ear !ons hich ere to set thefashion for the inter, than b" their ish to see a ca%e hich a friend had observed in a handsome lace andlinen sho% at the corner of the $ue de la Pai4& As soonas the" ere in the sho% the Baronne de Fontaine%ulled Emilie b" the sleeve, and %ointed out to her/a4imilien Lon!ueville seated behind the des*, anden!a!ed in %a"in! out the chan!e for a !old %iece toone of the or*omen ith hom he seemed to be inconsultation& The (handsome stran!er( held in hishand a %arcel of %atterns, hich left no doubt as to hishonorable %rofession&

Emilie felt an ic" shudder, thou!h no one %erceived it&Than*s to the !ood breedin! of the best societ", shecom%letel" concealed the ra!e in her heart, andansered her sister3in3la ith the ords, () *ne it,(

ith a fulness of intonation and inimitable decision hich the most famous actress of the time mi!ht haveenvied her& She ent strai!ht u% to the des*&Lon!ueville loo*ed u%, %ut the %atterns in his %oc*et ith distractin! coolness, boed to /ademoiselle deFontaine, and came forard, loo*in! at her *eenl"&

(/ademoiselle,( he said to the sho%!irl, ho folloedhim, loo*in! ver" much disturbed, () ill send tosettle that account5 m" house deals in that a"& Buthere,( he his%ered into her ear, as he !ave her athousand3franc note, (ta*e thisit is beteenourselves&Iou ill for!ive me, ) trust,mademoiselle,( he added, turnin! to Emilie& (Iou ill*indl" e4cuse the t"rann" of business matters&(



()ndeed, monsieur, it seems to me that it is noconcern of mine,( re%lied /ademoiselle de Fontaine,loo*in! at him ith a bold e4%ression of sarcasticindi-erence hich mi!ht have made an" one believe

that she no sa him for the rst time&

(6o "ou reall" mean itD( as*ed /a4imilien in a bro*en voice&

Emilie turned her bac* u%on him ith amaGin!insolence& These ords, s%o*en in an undertone, hadesca%ed the ears of her to sisters3in3la& 1hen, afterbu"in! the ca%e, the three ladies !ot into the carria!ea!ain, Emilie, seated ith her bac* to the horses,

could not resist one last com%rehensive !lance intothe de%ths of the odious sho%, here she sa/a4imilien standin! ith his arms folded, in theattitude of a man su%erior to the disaster that has sosuddenl" fallen on him& Their e"es met and ashedim%lacable loo*s& Each ho%ed to inict a cruel oundon the heart of a lover& )n one instant the" ere as fara%art as if one had been in China and the other inreenland&

6oes not the breath of vanit" ither ever"thin!D/ademoiselle de Fontaine, a %re" to the most violentstru!!le that can torture the heart of a "oun! !irl,rea%ed the richest harvest of an!uish that %re'udiceand narro3mindedness ever soed in a human soul&Her face, but 'ust no fresh and velvet", as strea*ed ith "ello lines and red %atches5 the %aleness of herchee*s seemed ever" no and then to turn !reen&Ho%in! to hide her des%air from her sisters, she ould

lau!h as she %ointed out some ridiculous dress or%asser3b"5 but her lau!hter as s%asmodic& She asmore dee%l" hurt b" their uns%o*en com%assion thanb" an" satirical comments for hich she mi!ht havereven!ed herself& She e4hausted her it in tr"in! toen!a!e them in a conversation, in hich she tried to



e4%end her fur" in senseless %arado4es, hea%in! on allmen en!a!ed in trade the bitterest insults and itticisms in the orst taste&

7n !ettin! home, she had an attac* of fever, hich atrst assumed a somehat serious character& B" theend of a month the care of her %arents and of the%h"sician restored her to her famil"&

Ever" one ho%ed that this lesson ould be severeenou!h to subdue Emilie2s nature5 but she insensibl"fell into her old habits and thre herself a!ain intothe orld of fashion& She declared that there as nodis!race in ma*in! a mista*e& )f she, li*e her father,

had a vote in the Chamber, she ould move for anedict, she said, b" hich all merchants, and es%eciall"dealers in calico, should be branded on the forehead,li*e Berri shee%, don to the third !eneration& She ished that none but nobles should have the ri!ht to ear the anti8ue French costume, hich as sobecomin! to the courtiers of Louis X#& To hear her, it as a misfortune for France, %erha%s, that there asno outard and visible di-erence beteen a merchant

and a %eer of France& And a hundred more such%leasantries, eas" to ima!ine, ere ra%idl" %oured out hen an" accident brou!ht u% the sub'ect&

But those ho loved Emilie could see throu!h all herbanter a tin!e of melanchol"& )t as clear that/a4imilien Lon!ueville still rei!ned over thatine4orable heart& Sometimes she ould be as !entle asshe had been durin! the brief summer that had seenthe birth of her love5 sometimes, a!ain, she as

unendurable& Ever" one made e4cuses for herine8ualit" of tem%er, hich had its source insu-erin!s at once secret and *non to all& The Comtede 0er!arouet had some inuence over her, than*s tohis increased %rodi!alit", a *ind of consolation hichrarel" fails of its e-ect on a Parisian !irl&



The rst ball at hich /ademoiselle de Fontainea%%eared as at the .ea%olitan ambassador2s& As shetoo* her %lace in the rst 8uadrille she sa, a fe "ards aa" from her, /a4imilien Lon!ueville, ho

nodded sli!htl" to her %artner&

()s that "oun! man a friend of "oursD( she as*ed, itha scornful air&

(7nl" m" brother,( he re%lied&

Emilie could not hel% startin!& (Ah>( he continued,(and he is the noblest soul livin!(

(6o "ou *no m" nameD( as*ed Emilie, ea!erl"interru%tin! him&

(.o, mademoiselle& )t is a crime, ) confess, not toremember a name hich is on ever" li%) ou!ht to sa" in ever" heart& But ) have a valid e4cuse& ) have but 'ust arrived from erman"& /" ambassador, ho is inParis on leave, sent me here this evenin! to ta*e careof his amiable ife, hom "ou ma" see "onder in thatcorner&(

(A %erfect tra!ic mas*>( said Emilie, after loo*in! atthe ambassadress&

(And "et that is her ballroom face>( said the "oun!man, lau!hin!& () shall have to dance ith her> So )thou!ht ) mi!ht have some com%ensation&(/ademoiselle de Fontaine courtesied& () as ver"much sur%rised,( the voluble "oun! secretar" ent on,

(to nd m" brother here& 7n arrivin! from #ienna )heard that the %oor bo" as ill in bed5 and ) countedon seein! him before comin! to this ball5 but !ood%olic" ill ala"s allo us to indul!e famil" a-ection&The Padrona della case ould not !ive me time to callon m" %oor /a4imilien&(



(Then, monsieur, "our brother is not, li*e "ou, indi%lomatic em%lo"ment&(

(.o,( said the attache, ith a si!h, (the %oor fellosacriced himself for me& He and m" sister Clara haverenounced their share of m" father2s fortune to ma*ean eldest son of me& /" father dreams of a %eera!e,li*e all ho vote for the ministr"& )ndeed, it is%romised him,( he added in an undertone& (Aftersavin! u% a little ca%ital m" brother 'oined a ban*in!rm, and ) hear he has 'ust e-ected a s%eculation inBraGil hich ma" ma*e him a millionaire& Iou see mein the hi!hest s%irits at havin! been able, b" m"di%lomatic connections, to contribute to his success& )

am im%atientl" e4%ectin! a dis%atch from theBraGilian Le!ation, hich ill hel% to lift the cloudfrom his bro& 1hat do "ou thin* of himD(

(1ell, "our brother2s face does not loo* to me li*e thatof a man busied ith mone" matters&(

The "oun! attache shot a scrutiniGin! !lance at thea%%arentl" calm face of his %artner&

(1hat>( he e4claimed, ith a smile, (can "oun! ladiesread the thou!hts of love behind the silent broD(

(Iour brother is in love, thenD( she as*ed, betra"edinto a movement of curiosit"&

(Ies5 m" sister Clara, to hom he is as devoted as amother, rote to me that he had fallen in love thissummer ith a ver" %rett" !irl5 but ) have had no

further nes of the a-air& 1ould "ou believe that the%oor bo" used to !et u% at ve in the mornin!, and ent o- to settle his business that he mi!ht be bac*b" four o2cloc* in the countr" here the lad" asD )nfact, he ruined a ver" nice thorou!hbred that ) had 'ust !iven him& For!ive m" chatter, mademoiselle5 )have but 'ust come home from erman"& For a "ear )



have heard no decent French, ) have been eanedfrom French faces, and satiated ith ermans, to sucha de!ree that, ) believe, in m" %atriotic mania, ) couldtal* to the chimeras on a French candlestic*& And if )

tal* ith a lac* of reserve unbecomin! in adi%lomatist, the fault is "ours, mademoiselle& 1as itnot "ou ho %ointed out m" brotherD 1hen he is thetheme ) become ine4haustible& ) should li*e to%roclaim to all the orld ho !ood and !enerous he is&He !ave u% no less than a hundred thousand francs a "ear, the income from the Lon!ueville %ro%ert"&(

)f /ademoiselle de Fontaine had the benet of theseim%ortant revelations, it as %artl" due to the s*ill

ith hich she continued to 8uestion her condin!%artner from the moment hen she found that he asthe brother of her scorned lover&

(And could "ou, ithout bein! !rieved, see "ourbrother sellin! muslin and calicoD( as*ed Emilie, atthe end of the third !ure of the 8uadrille&

(Ho do "ou *no thatD( as*ed the attache& (Than*

od, thou!h ) %our out a ood of ords, ) have alread" ac8uired the art of not tellin! more than ) intend, li*eall the other di%lomatic a%%rentices ) *no&(

(Iou told me, ) assure "ou&(

/onsieur de Lon!ueville loo*ed at /ademoiselle deFontaine ith a sur%rise that as full of %ers%icacit"& A sus%icion ashed u%on him& He !lanced in8uirin!l"from his brother to his %artner, !uessed ever"thin!,

clas%ed his hands, 4ed his e"es on the ceilin!, andbe!an to lau!h, sa"in!, () am an idiot> Iou are thehandsomest %erson here5 m" brother *ee%s stealin!!lances at "ou5 he is dancin! in s%ite of his illness,and "ou %retend not to see him& /a*e him ha%%",( headded, as he led her bac* to her old uncle& () shall not



be 'ealous, but ) shall ala"s shiver a little at callin! "ou m" sister(

The lovers, hoever, ere to %rove as ine4orable toeach other as the" ere to themselves& At about to inthe mornin!, refreshments ere served in an immensecorridor, here, to leave %ersons of the same coteriefree to meet each other, the tables ere arran!ed as ina restaurant& B" one of those accidents hich ala"sha%%en to lovers, /ademoiselle de Fontaine foundherself at a table ne4t to that at hich the moreim%ortant !uests ere seated& /a4imilien as of the!rou%& Emilie, ho lent an attentive ear to hernei!hbors2 conversation, overheard one of those

dialo!ues into hich a "oun! oman so easil" falls ith a "oun! man ho has the !race and st"le of/a4imilien Lon!ueville& The lad" tal*in! to the "oun!ban*er as a .ea%olitan duchess, hose e"es shotli!htnin! ashes, and hose s*in had the sheen ofsatin& The intimate terms on hich Lon!uevillea-ected to be ith her stun! /ademoiselle deFontaine all the more because she had 'ust !iven herlover bac* tent" times as much tenderness as she

had ever felt for him before&

(Ies, monsieur, in m" countr" true love can ma*eever" *ind of sacrice,( the 6uchess as sa"in!, in asim%er&

(Iou have more %assion than Frenchomen,( said/a4imilien, hose burnin! !aGe fell on Emilie& (The"are all vanit"&(

(/onsieur,( Emilie ea!erl" inter%osed, (is it not ver" ron! to calumniate "our on countr"D 6evotion is tobe found in ever" nation&(

(6o "ou ima!ine, mademoiselle,( retorted the )talian, ith a sardonic smile, (that a Parisian ould beca%able of folloin! her lover all over the orldD(



(7h, madame, let us understand each other& She ouldfollo him to a desert and live in a tent but not to sitin a sho%&(

A disdainful !esture com%leted her meanin!& Thus,under the inuence of her disastrous education, Emilefor the second time *illed her buddin! ha%%iness, anddestro"ed its %ros%ects of life& /a4imilien2s a%%arentindi-erence, and a oman2s smile, had run! fromher one of those sarcasms hose treacherous Gestala"s let her astra"&

(/ademoiselle,( said Lon!ueville, in a lo voice,under cover of the noise made b" the ladies as the"

rose from the table, (no one ill ever more ardentl"desire "our ha%%iness than )5 %ermit me to assure "ouof this, as ) am ta*in! leave of "ou& ) am startin! for)tal" in a fe da"s&(

(1ith a 6uchess, no doubtD(

(.o, but %erha%s ith a mortal blo&(

()s not that %ure fanc"D( as*ed Emilie, ith an an4ious

!lance&

(.o,( he re%lied& (There are ounds hich neverheal&(

(Iou are not to !o,( said the !irl, im%eriousl", and shesmiled&

() shall !o,( re%lied /a4imilien, !ravel"&

(Iou ill nd me married on "our return, ) arn "ou,(she said co8uettishl"&

() ho%e so&(

()m%ertinent retch>( she e4claimed& (Ho cruel areven!e>(



A fortni!ht later /a4imilien set out ith his sisterClara for the arm and %oetic scenes of beautiful)tal", leavin! /ademoiselle de Fontaine a %re" to themost vehement re!ret& The "oun! Secretar" to the

Embass" too* u% his brother2s 8uarrel, and contrivedto ta*e si!nal ven!eance on Emilie2s disdain b"ma*in! *non the occasion of the lovers2 se%aration&He re%aid his fair %artner ith interest all the sarcasm ith hich she had formerl" attac*ed /a4imilien, andoften made more than one E4cellenc" smile b"describin! the fair foe of the countin!3house, theamaGon ho %reached a crusade a!ainst ban*ers, the "oun! !irl hose love had eva%orated before a bale ofmuslin& The Comte de Fontaine as obli!ed to use hisinuence to %rocure an a%%ointment to $ussia for Au!uste Lon!ueville in order to %rotect his dau!hterfrom the ridicule hea%ed u%on her b" this dan!erous "oun! %ersecutor&

.ot lon! after, the /inistr" bein! com%elled to raise alev" of %eers to su%%ort the aristocratic %art",tremblin! in the U%%er Chamber under the lash of anillustrious riter, !ave /onsieur uiraudin de

Lon!ueville a %eera!e, ith the title of #icomte&/onsieur de Fontaine also obtained a %eera!e, thereard due as much to his delit" in evil da"s as to hisname, hich claimed a %lace in the hereditar"Chamber&

About this time Emilie, no of a!e, made, no doubt,some serious reections on life, for her tone andmanners chan!ed %erce%tibl"& )nstead of amusin!herself b" sa"in! s%iteful thin!s to her uncle, shelavished on him the most a-ectionate attentions5 shebrou!ht him his stic* ith a %erseverin! devotion thatmade the c"nical smile, she !ave him her arm, rode inhis carria!e, and accom%anied him in all his drives5she even %ersuaded him that she li*ed the smell oftobacco, and read him his favorite %a%er La



+uotidienne in the midst of clouds of smo*e, hichthe malicious old sailor intentionall" ble over her5she learned %i8uet to be a match for the old count5and this fantastic damsel even listened ithout

im%atience to his %eriodical narratives of the battlesof the Belle3Poule, the manoeuvres of the #ille deParis, /& de Su-ren2s rst e4%edition, or the battle of Abou*ir&

Thou!h the old sailor had often said that he *ne hislon!itude and latitude too ell to allo himself to beca%tured b" a "oun! corvette, one ne mornin! Parisdrain!3rooms heard the nes of the marria!e of/ademoiselle de Fontaine to the Comte de

0er!arouet& The "oun! Countess !ave s%lendidentertainments to dron thou!ht5 but she, no doubt,found a void at the bottom of the hirl%ool5 lu4ur" asine-ectual to dis!uise the em%tiness and !rief of hersorroin! soul5 for the most %art, in s%ite of theashes of assumed !aiet", her beautiful face e4%resseduns%o*en melanchol"& Emilie a%%eared, hoever, fullof attentions and consideration for her old husband, ho, on retirin! to his rooms at ni!ht, to the sounds

of a livel" band, ould often sa", () do not *nom"self& 1as ) to ait till the a!e of sevent"3to toembar* as %ilot on board the Belle Emilie after tent" "ears of matrimonial !alle"sD(

The conduct of the "oun! Countess as mar*ed b"such strictness that the most clear3si!hted criticismhad no fault to nd ith her& Loo*ers on chose tothin* that the vice3admiral had reserved the ri!ht ofdis%osin! of his fortune to *ee% his ife more ti!htl"in hand5 but this as a notion as insultin! to the uncleas to the niece& Their conduct as indeed so delicatel" 'udicious that the men ho ere most interested in!uessin! the secrets of the cou%le could never decide hether the old Count re!arded her as a ife or as adau!hter& He as often heard to sa" that he had



rescued his niece as a castaa" after shi%rec*5 andthat, for his %art, he had never ta*en a meanadvanta!e of hos%italit" hen he had saved an enem"from the fur" of the storm& Thou!h the Countess

as%ired to rei!n in Paris and tried to *ee% %ace ith/esdames the 6uchesses de /aufri!neuse and duChaulieu, the /ar8uises d2Es%ard and d2Ai!lemont,the Comtesses Feraud, de /ontcornet, and de$estaud, /adame de Cam%s, and /ademoiselle desTouches, she did not "ield to the addresses of the "oun! #icomte de Portenduere, ho made her his idol&

To "ears after her marria!e, in one of the olddrain!3rooms in the Faubour! Saint3ermain, here

she as admired for her character, orth" of the oldschool, Emilie heard the #icomte de Lon!uevilleannounced& )n the corner of the room here she assittin!, %la"in! %i8uet ith the Bisho% of Perse%olis,her a!itation as not observed5 she turned her headand sa her former lover come in, in all the freshnessof "outh& His father2s death, and then that of hisbrother, *illed b" the severe climate of Saint3Petersbur!, had %laced on /a4imilien2s head the

hereditar" %lumes of the French %eer2s hat& Hisfortune matched his learnin! and his merits5 onl" theda" before his "outhful and fervid elo8uence haddaGGled the Assembl"& At this moment he stood beforethe Countess, free, and !raced ith all the advanta!esshe had formerl" re8uired of her ideal& Ever" mother ith a dau!hter to marr" made amiable advances to aman !ifted ith the virtues hich the" attributed tohim, as the" admired his attractive %erson5 but Emilie

*ne, better than an" one, that the #icomte deLon!ueville had the steadfast nature in hich a ise oman sees a !uarantee of ha%%iness& She loo*ed atthe admiral ho, to use his favorite e4%ression,seemed li*el" to hold his course for a lon! time "et,and cursed the follies of her "outh&



At this moment /onsieur de Perse%olis said ithE%isco%al !race (Fair lad", "ou have thron aa" the*in! of hearts) have on& But do not re!ret "ourmone"& ) *ee% it for m" little seminaries&(

PA$)S, 6ecember :<?&

the ball at sceaux by balzac

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