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  CHAPTER XV.

  "HOW HAPPY COULD I BE WITH EITHER."

  Madame Dambreuse, in her boudoir, between her niece and Miss John, waslistening to M. Roque as he described the severe military duties he hadbeen forced to perform.

  She was biting her lips, and appeared to be in pain.

  "Oh! 'tis nothing! it will pass away!"

  And, with a gracious air:

  "We are going to have an acquaintance of yours at dinner withus,--Monsieur Moreau."

  Louise gave a start.

  "Oh! we'll only have a few intimate friends there--amongst others,Alfred de Cisy."

  And she spoke in terms of high praise about his manners, his personalappearance, and especially his moral character.

  Madame Dambreuse was nearer to a correct estimate of the state ofaffairs than she imagined; the Vicomte was contemplating marriage. Hesaid so to Martinon, adding that Mademoiselle Cecile was certain to likehim, and that her parents would accept him.

  To warrant him in going so far as to confide to another his intentionson the point, he ought to have satisfactory information with regard toher dowry. Now Martinon had a suspicion that Cecile was M. Dambreuse'snatural daughter; and it is probable that it would have been a verystrong step on his part to ask for her hand at any risk. Such audacity,of course, was not unaccompanied by danger; and for this reason Martinonhad, up to the present, acted in a way that could not compromise him.Besides, he did not see how he could well get rid of the aunt. Cisy'sconfidence induced him to make up his mind; and he had formally made hisproposal to the banker, who, seeing no obstacle to it, had just informedMadame Dambreuse about the matter.

  Cisy presently made his appearance. She arose and said:

  "You have forgotten us. Cecile, shake hands!"

  At the same moment Frederick entered the room.

  "Ha! at last we have found you again!" exclaimed Pere Roque. "I calledwith Cecile on you three times this week!"

  Frederick had carefully avoided them. He pleaded by way of excuse thathe spent all his days beside a wounded comrade.

  For a long time, however, a heap of misfortunes had happened to him, andhe tried to invent stories to explain his conduct. Luckily the guestsarrived in the midst of his explanation. First of all M. Paul deGremonville, the diplomatist whom he met at the ball; then Fumichon,that manufacturer whose conservative zeal had scandalised him oneevening. After them came the old Duchesse de Montreuil Nantua.

  But two loud voices in the anteroom reached his ears. They were that ofM. de Nonancourt, an old beau with the air of a mummy preserved in coldcream, and that of Madame de Larsillois, the wife of a prefect of LouisPhilippe. She was terribly frightened, for she had just heard an organplaying a polka which was a signal amongst the insurgents. Many of thewealthy class of citizens had similar apprehensions; they thought thatmen in the catacombs were going to blow up the Faubourg Saint-Germain.Some noises escaped from cellars, and things that excited suspicion werepassed up to windows.

  Everyone in the meantime made an effort to calm Madame de Larsillois.Order was re-established. There was no longer anything to fear.

  "Cavaignac has saved us!"

  As if the horrors of the insurrection had not been sufficientlynumerous, they exaggerated them. There had been twenty-three thousandconvicts on the side of the Socialists--no less!

  They had no doubt whatever that food had been poisoned, that GardesMobiles had been sawn between two planks, and that there had beeninscriptions on flags inciting the people to pillage and incendiarism.

  "Aye, and something more!" added the ex-prefect.

  "Oh, dear!" said Madame Dambreuse, whose modesty was shocked, while sheindicated the three young girls with a glance.

  M. Dambreuse came forth from his study accompanied by Martinon. Sheturned her head round and responded to a bow from Pellerin, who wasadvancing towards her. The artist gazed in a restless fashion towardsthe walls. The banker took him aside, and conveyed to him that it wasdesirable for the present to conceal his revolutionary picture.

  "No doubt," said Pellerin, the rebuff which he received at the Club ofIntellect having modified his opinions.

  M. Dambreuse let it slip out very politely that he would give him ordersfor other works.

  "But excuse me. Ah! my dear friend, what a pleasure!"

  Arnoux and Madame Arnoux stood before Frederick.

  He had a sort of vertigo. Rosanette had been irritating him all theafternoon with her display of admiration for soldiers, and the oldpassion was re-awakened.

  The steward came to announce that dinner was on the table. With a lookshe directed the Vicomte to take Cecile's arm, while she said in a lowtone to Martinon, "You wretch!" And then they passed into thedining-room.

  Under the green leaves of a pineapple, in the middle of the table-cloth,a dorado stood, with its snout reaching towards a quarter of roebuck andits tail just grazing a bushy dish of crayfish. Figs, huge cherries,pears, and grapes (the first fruits of Parisian cultivation) rose likepyramids in baskets of old Saxe. Here and there a bunch of flowersmingled with the shining silver plate. The white silk blinds, drawn downin front of the windows, filled the apartment with a mellow light. Itwas cooled by two fountains, in which there were pieces of ice; and tallmen-servants, in short breeches, waited on them. All these luxuriesseemed more precious after the emotion of the past few days. They felt afresh delight at possessing things which they had been afraid oflosing; and Nonancourt expressed the general sentiment when he said:

  "Ah! let us hope that these Republican gentlemen will allow us to dine!"

  "In spite of their fraternity!" Pere Roque added, with an attempt atwit.

  These two personages were placed respectively at the right and at theleft of Madame Dambreuse, her husband being exactly opposite her,between Madame Larsillois, at whose side was the diplomatist and the oldDuchesse, whom Fumichon elbowed. Then came the painter, the dealer infaience, and Mademoiselle Louise; and, thanks to Martinon, who hadcarried her chair to enable her to take a seat near Louise, Frederickfound himself beside Madame Arnoux.

  She wore a black barege gown, a gold hoop on her wrist, and, as on thefirst day that he dined at her house, something red in her hair, abranch of fuchsia twisted round her chignon. He could not help saying:

  "'Tis a long time since we saw each other."

  "Ah!" she returned coldly.

  He went on, in a mild tone, which mitigated the impertinence of hisquestion:

  "Have you thought of me now and then?"

  "Why should I think of you?"

  Frederick was hurt by these words.

  "You are right, perhaps, after all."

  But very soon, regretting what he had said, he swore that he had notlived a single day without being ravaged by the remembrance of her.

  "I don't believe a single word of it, Monsieur."

  "However, you know that I love you!"

  Madame Arnoux made no reply.

  "You know that I love you!"

  She still kept silent.

  "Well, then, go be hanged!" said Frederick to himself.

  And, as he raised his eyes, he perceived Mademoiselle Roque at the otherside of Madame Arnoux.

  She thought it gave her a coquettish look to dress entirely in green, acolour which contrasted horribly with her red hair. The buckle of herbelt was large and her collar cramped her neck. This lack of elegancehad, no doubt, contributed to the coldness which Frederick at firstdisplayed towards her. She watched him from where she sat, some distanceaway from him, with curious glances; and Arnoux, close to her side, invain lavished his gallantries--he could not get her to utter threewords, so that, finally abandoning all hope of making himself agreeableto her, he listened to the conversation. She now began rolling about aslice of Luxembourg pineapple in her pea-soup.

  Louis Blanc, according to Fumichon, owned a large house in the RueSaint-Dominique, which he refused to let to the workmen.

  "For my part, I think it rather a funny thing," said Nonancourt, "to seeLedr
u-Rollin hunting over the Crown lands."

  "He owes twenty thousand francs to a goldsmith!" Cisy interposed, "and'tis maintained----"

  Madame Darnbreuse stopped him.

  "Ah! how nasty it is to be getting hot about politics! and for such ayoung man, too! fie, fie! Pay attention rather to your fair neighbour!"

  After this, those who were of a grave turn of mind attacked thenewspapers. Arnoux took it on himself to defend them. Frederick mixedhimself up in the discussion, describing them as commercialestablishments just like any other house of business. Those who wrotefor them were, as a rule, imbeciles or humbugs; he gave his listeners tounderstand that he was acquainted with journalists, and combated withsarcasms his friend's generous sentiments.

  Madame Arnoux did not notice that this was said through a feeling ofspite against her.

  Meanwhile, the Vicomte was torturing his brain in the effort to make aconquest of Mademoiselle Cecile. He commenced by finding fault with theshape of the decanters and the graving of the knives, in order to showhis artistic tastes. Then he talked about his stable, his tailor and hisshirtmaker. Finally, he took up the subject of religion, and seized theopportunity of conveying to her that he fulfilled all his duties.

  Martinon set to work in a better fashion. With his eyes fixed on hercontinually, he praised, in a monotonous fashion, her birdlike profile,her dull fair hair, and her hands, which were unusually short. Theplain-looking young girl was delighted at this shower of flatteries.

  It was impossible to hear anything, as all present were talking at thetops of their voices. M. Roque wanted "an iron hand" to govern France.Nonancourt even regretted that the political scaffold was abolished.They ought to have all these scoundrels put to death together.

  "Now that I think of it, are we speaking of Dussardier?" said M.Dambreuse, turning towards Frederick.

  The worthy shopman was now a hero, like Sallesse, the brothers Jeanson,the wife of Pequillet, etc.

  Frederick, without waiting to be asked, related his friend's history; itthrew around him a kind of halo.

  Then they came quite naturally to refer to different traits of courage.

  According to the diplomatist, it was not hard to face death, witness thecase of men who fight duels.

  "We might take the Vicomte's testimony on that point," said Martinon.

  The Vicomte's face got very flushed.

  The guests stared at him, and Louise, more astonished than the rest,murmured:

  "What is it, pray?"

  "He _sank_ before Frederick," returned Arnoux, in a very low tone.

  "Do you know anything, Mademoiselle?" said Nonancourt presently, and herepeated her answer to Madame Dambreuse, who, bending forward a little,began to fix her gaze on Frederick.

  Martinon did not wait for Cecile's questions. He informed her that thisaffair had reference to a woman of improper character. The young girldrew back slightly in her chair, as if to escape from contact with sucha libertine.

  The conversation was renewed. The great wines of Bordeaux were sentround, and the guests became animated. Pellerin had a dislike to theRevolution, because he attributed to it the complete loss of the SpanishMuseum.

  This is what grieved him most as a painter.

  As he made the latter remark, M. Roque asked:

  "Are you not yourself the painter of a very notable picture?"

  "Perhaps! What is it?"

  "It represents a lady in a costume--faith!--a little light, with apurse, and a peacock behind."

  Frederick, in his turn, reddened. Pellerin pretended that he had notheard the words.

  "Nevertheless, it is certainly by you! For your name is written at thebottom of it, and there is a line on it stating that it is MonsieurMoreau's property."

  One day, when Pere Roque and his daughter were waiting at his residenceto see him, they saw the Marechale's portrait. The old gentleman hadeven taken it for "a Gothic painting."

  "No," said Pellerin rudely, "'tis a woman's portrait."

  Martinon added:

  "And a living woman's, too, and no mistake! Isn't that so, Cisy?"

  "Oh! I know nothing about it."

  "I thought you were acquainted with her. But, since it causes you pain,I must beg a thousand pardons!"

  Cisy lowered his eyes, proving by his embarrassment that he must haveplayed a pitiable part in connection with this portrait. As forFrederick, the model could only be his mistress. It was one of thoseconvictions which are immediately formed, and the faces of the assemblyrevealed it with the utmost clearness.

  "How he lied to me!" said Madame Arnoux to herself.

  "It is for her, then, that he left me," thought Louise.

  Frederick had an idea that these two stories might compromise him; andwhen they were in the garden, Mademoiselle Cecile's wooer burst outlaughing in his face.

  "Oh, not at all! 'twill do you good! Go ahead!"

  What did he mean? Besides, what was the cause of this good nature, socontrary to his usual conduct? Without giving any explanation, heproceeded towards the lower end, where the ladies were seated. The menwere standing round them, and, in their midst, Pellerin was giving ventto his ideas. The form of government most favourable for the arts was anenlightened monarchy. He was disgusted with modern times, "if it wereonly on account of the National Guard"--he regretted the Middle Ages andthe days of Louis XIV. M. Roque congratulated him on his opinions,confessing that they overcame all his prejudices against artists. Butalmost without a moment's delay he went off when the voice of Fumichonattracted his attention.

  Arnoux tried to prove that there were two Socialisms--a good and a bad.The manufacturer saw no difference whatever between them, his headbecoming dizzy with rage at the utterance of the word "property."

  "'Tis a law written on the face of Nature! Children cling to their toys.All peoples, all animals are of my opinion. The lion even, if he wereable to speak, would declare himself a proprietor! Thus I myself,messieurs, began with a capital of fifteen thousand francs. Would you besurprised to hear that for thirty years I used to get up at four o'clockevery morning? I've had as much pain as five hundred devils in making myfortune! And people will come and tell me I'm not the master, that mymoney is not my money; in short, that property is theft!"

  "But Proudhon----"

  "Let me alone with your Proudhon! if he were here I think I'd stranglehim!"

  He would have strangled him. After the intoxicating drink he hadswallowed Fumichon did not know what he was talking about any longer,and his apoplectic face was on the point of bursting like a bombshell.

  "Good morrow, Arnoux," said Hussonnet, who was walking briskly over thegrass.

  He brought M. Dambreuse the first leaf of a pamphlet, bearing the titleof "The Hydra," the Bohemian defending the interests of a reactionaryclub, and in that capacity he was introduced by the banker to hisguests.

  Hussonnet amused them by relating how the dealers in tallow hired threehundred and ninety-two street boys to bawl out every evening "Lamps,"[H]and then turning into ridicule the principles of '89, the emancipationof the negroes, and the orators of the Left; and he even went so far asto do "Prudhomme on a Barricade," perhaps under the influence of a kindof jealousy of these rich people who had enjoyed a good dinner. Thecaricature did not please them overmuch. Their faces grew long.

  This, however, was not a time for joking, so Nonancourt observed, as herecalled the death of Monseigneur Affre and that of General de Brea.These events were being constantly alluded to, and arguments wereconstructed out of them. M. Roque described the archbishop's end as"everything that one could call sublime." Fumichon gave the palm to themilitary personage, and instead of simply expressing regret for thesetwo murders, they held disputes with a view to determining which oughtto excite the greatest indignation. A second comparison was nextinstituted, namely, between Lamoriciere and Cavaignac, M. Dambreuseglorifying Cavaignac, and Nonancourt, Lamoriciere.

  [H] The word also means "grease-pots."--TRANSLATOR.

  Not one of the p
ersons present, with the exception of Arnoux, had everseen either of them engaged in the exercise of his profession. None theless, everyone formulated an irrevocable judgment with reference totheir operations.

  Frederick, however, declined to give an opinion on the matter,confessing that he had not served as a soldier. The diplomatist and M.Dambreuse gave him an approving nod of the head. In fact, to have foughtagainst the insurrection was to have defended the Republic. The result,although favourable, consolidated it; and now they had got rid of thevanquished, they wanted to be conquerors.

  As soon as they had got out into the garden, Madame Dambreuse, takingCisy aside, chided him for his awkwardness. When she caught sight ofMartinon, she sent him away, and then tried to learn from her futurenephew the cause of his witticisms at the Vicomte's expense.

  "There's nothing of the kind."

  "And all this, as it were, for the glory of M. Moreau. What is theobject of it?"

  "There's no object. Frederick is a charming fellow. I am very fond ofhim."

  "And so am I, too. Let him come here. Go and look for him!"

  After two or three commonplace phrases, she began by lightly disparagingher guests, and in this way she placed him on a higher level than theothers. He did not fail to run down the rest of the ladies more or less,which was an ingenious way of paying her compliments. But she left hisside from time to time, as it was a reception-night, and ladies wereevery moment arriving; then she returned to her seat, and the entirelyaccidental arrangement of the chairs enabled them to avoid beingoverheard.

  She showed herself playful and yet grave, melancholy and yet quiterational. Her daily occupations interested her very little--there was anorder of sentiments of a less transitory kind. She complained of thepoets, who misrepresent the facts of life, then she raised her eyestowards heaven, asking of him what was the name of a star.

  Two or three Chinese lanterns had been suspended from the trees; thewind shook them, and lines of coloured light quivered on her whitedress. She sat, after her usual fashion, a little back in her armchair,with a footstool in front of her. The tip of a black satin shoe could beseen; and at intervals Madame Dambreuse allowed a louder word thanusual, and sometimes even a laugh, to escape her.

  These coquetries did not affect Martinon, who was occupied with Cecile;but they were bound to make an impression on M. Roque's daughter, whowas chatting with Madame Arnoux. She was the only member of her own sexpresent whose manners did not appear disdainful. Louise came and satbeside her; then, yielding to the desire to give vent to her emotions:

  "Does he not talk well--Frederick Moreau, I mean?"

  "Do you know him?"

  "Oh! intimately! We are neighbours; and he used to amuse himself with mewhen I was quite a little girl."

  Madame Arnoux cast at her a sidelong glance, which meant:

  "I suppose you are not in love with him?"

  The young girl's face replied with an untroubled look:

  "Yes."

  "You see him often, then?"

  "Oh, no! only when he comes to his mother's house. 'Tis ten months nowsince he came. He promised, however, to be more particular."

  "The promises of men are not to be too much relied on, my child."

  "But he has not deceived me!"

  "As he did others!"

  Louise shivered: "Can it be by any chance that he promised something toher;" and her features became distracted with distrust and hate.

  Madame Arnoux was almost afraid of her; she would have gladly withdrawnwhat she had said. Then both became silent.

  As Frederick was sitting opposite them on a folding-stool, they keptstaring at him, the one with propriety out of the corner of her eye, theother boldly, with parted lips, so that Madame Dambreuse said to him:

  "Come, now, turn round, and let her have a good look at you!"

  "Whom do you mean?"

  "Why, Monsieur Roque's daughter!"

  And she rallied him on having won the heart of this young girl from theprovinces. He denied that this was so, and tried to make a laugh of it.

  "Is it credible, I ask you? Such an ugly creature!"

  However, he experienced an intense feeling of gratified vanity. Herecalled to mind the reunion from which he had returned one night, sometime before, his heart filled with bitter humiliation, and he drew adeep breath, for it seemed to him that he was now in the environmentthat really suited him, as if all these things, including the Dambreusemansion, belonged to himself. The ladies formed a semicircle around himwhile they listened to what he was saying, and in order to create aneffect, he declared that he was in favor of the re-establishment ofdivorce, which he maintained should be easily procurable, so as toenable people to quit one another and come back to one another withoutany limit as often as they liked. They uttered loud protests; a few ofthem began to talk in whispers. Little exclamations every now and thenburst forth from the place where the wall was overshadowed witharistolochia. One would imagine that it was a mirthful cackling of hens;and he developed his theory with that self-complacency which isgenerated by the consciousness of success. A man-servant brought intothe arbour a tray laden with ices. The gentlemen drew close together andbegan to chat about the recent arrests.

  Thereupon Frederick revenged himself on the Vicomte by making himbelieve that he might be prosecuted as a Legitimist. The other urged byway of reply that he had not stirred outside his own room. His adversaryenumerated in a heap the possible mischances. MM. Dambreuse andGremonville found the discussion very amusing. Then they paid Frederickcompliments, while expressing regret at the same time that he did notemploy his abilities in the defence of order. They grasped his handwith the utmost warmth; he might for the future count on them. At last,just as everyone was leaving, the Vicomte made a low bow to Cecile:

  "Mademoiselle, I have the honour of wishing you a very good evening."

  She replied coldly:

  "Good evening." But she gave Martinon a parting smile.

  Pere Roque, in order to continue the conversation between himself andArnoux, offered to see him home, "as well as Madame"--they were goingthe same way. Louise and Frederick walked in front of them. She hadcaught hold of his arm; and, when she was some distance away from theothers she said:

  "Ah! at last! at last! I've had enough to bear all the evening! Hownasty those women were! What haughty airs they had!"

  He made an effort to defend them.

  "First of all, you might certainly have spoken to me the moment you camein, after being away a whole year!"

  "It was not a year," said Frederick, glad to be able to give some sortof rejoinder on this point in order to avoid the other questions.

  "Be it so; the time appeared very long to me, that's all. But, duringthis horrid dinner, one would think you felt ashamed of me. Ah! Iunderstand--I don't possess what is needed in order to please as theydo."

  "You are mistaken," said Frederick.

  "Really! Swear to me that you don't love anyone!"

  He did swear.

  "You love nobody but me alone?"

  "I assure you, I do not."

  This assurance filled her with delight. She would have liked to lose herway in the streets, so that they might walk about together the wholenight.

  "I have been so much tormented down there! Nothing was talked about butbarricades. I imagined I saw you falling on your back covered withblood! Your mother was confined to her bed with rheumatism. She knewnothing about what was happening. I had to hold my tongue. I could standit no longer, so I took Catherine with me."

  And she related to him all about her departure, her journey, and the lieshe told her father.

  "He's bringing me back in two days. Come to-morrow evening, as if youwere merely paying a casual visit, and take advantage of the opportunityto ask for my hand in marriage."

  Never had Frederick been further from the idea of marriage. Besides,Mademoiselle Roque appeared to him a rather absurd young person. Howdifferent she was from a woman like Madame Dambreuse! A very differentfutur
e was in store for him. He had found reason to-day to feelperfectly certain on that point; and, therefore, this was not the timeto involve himself, from mere sentimental motives, in a step of suchmomentous importance. It was necessary now to be decisive--and then hehad seen Madame Arnoux once more. Nevertheless he was rather embarrassedby Louise's candour.

  He said in reply to her last words:

  "Have you considered this matter?"

  "How is that?" she exclaimed, frozen with astonishment and indignation.

  He said that to marry at such a time as this would be a piece of folly.

  "So you don't want to have me?"

  "Nay, you don't understand me!"

  And he plunged into a confused mass of verbiage in order to impress uponher that he was kept back by more serious considerations; that he hadbusiness on hand which it would take a long time to dispose of; thateven his inheritance had been placed in jeopardy (Louise cut all thisexplanation short with one plain word); that, last of all, the presentpolitical situation made the thing undesirable. So, then, the mostreasonable course was to wait patiently for some time. Matters would, nodoubt, right themselves--at least, he hoped so; and, as he could thinkof no further grounds to go upon just at that moment, he pretended tohave been suddenly reminded that he should have been with Dussardier twohours ago.

  Then, bowing to the others, he darted down the Rue Hauteville, took aturn round the Gymnase, returned to the boulevard, and quickly rushed upRosanette's four flights of stairs.

  M. and Madame Arnoux left Pere Roque and his daughter at the entrance ofthe Rue Saint-Denis. Husband and wife returned home without exchanging aword, as he was unable to continue chattering any longer, feeling quiteworn out. She even leaned against his shoulder. He was the only man whohad displayed any honourable sentiments during the evening. Sheentertained towards him feelings of the utmost indulgence. Meanwhile, hecherished a certain degree of spite against Frederick.

  "Did you notice his face when a question was asked about the portrait?When I told you that he was her lover, you did not wish to believe whatI said!"

  "Oh! yes, I was wrong!"

  Arnoux, gratified with his triumph, pressed the matter even further.

  "I'd even make a bet that when he left us, a little while ago, he wentto see her again. He's with her at this moment, you may be sure! He'sfinishing the evening with her!"

  Madame Arnoux had pulled down her hat very low.

  "Why, you're shaking all over!"

  "That's because I feel cold!" was her reply.

  As soon as her father was asleep, Louise made her way into Catherine'sroom, and, catching her by the shoulders, shook her.

  "Get up--quick! as quick as ever you can! and go and fetch a cab forme!"

  Catherine replied that there was not one to be had at such an hour.

  "Will you come with me yourself there, then?"

  "Where, might I ask?"

  "To Frederick's house!"

  "Impossible! What do you want to go there for?"

  It was in order to have a talk with him. She could not wait. She mustsee him immediately.

  "Just think of what you're about to do! To present yourself this way ata house in the middle of the night! Besides, he's asleep by this time!"

  "I'll wake him up!"

  "But this is not a proper thing for a young girl to do!"

  "I am not a young girl--I'm his wife! I love him! Come--put on yourshawl!"

  Catherine, standing at the side of the bed, was trying to make up hermind how to act. She said at last:

  "No! I won't go!"

  "Well, stay behind then! I'll go there by myself!"

  Louise glided like an adder towards the staircase. Catherine rushedafter her, and came up with her on the footpath outside the house. Herremonstrances were fruitless; and she followed the girl, fastening herundervest as she hurried along in the rear. The walk appeared to herexceedingly tedious. She complained that her legs were getting weak fromage.

  "I'll go on after you--faith, I haven't the same thing to drive me onthat you have!"

  Then she grew softened.

  "Poor soul! You haven't anyone now but your Catau, don't you see?"

  From time to time scruples took hold of her mind.

  "Ah, this is a nice thing you're making me do! Suppose your fatherhappened to wake and miss you! Lord God, let us hope no misfortune willhappen!"

  In front of the Theatre des Varietes, a patrol of National Guardsstopped them.

  Louise immediately explained that she was going with her servant to lookfor a doctor in the Rue Rumfort. The patrol allowed them to pass on.

  At the corner of the Madeleine they came across a second patrol, and,Louise having given the same explanation, one of the National Guardsasked in return:

  "Is it for a nine months' ailment, ducky?"

  "Oh, damn it!" exclaimed the captain, "no blackguardisms in the ranks!Pass on, ladies!"

  In spite of the captain's orders, they still kept cracking jokes.

  "I wish you much joy!"

  "My respects to the doctor!"

  "Mind the wolf!"

  "They like laughing," Catherine remarked in a loud tone. "That's the wayit is to be young."

  At length they reached Frederick's abode.

  Louise gave the bell a vigorous pull, which she repeated several times.The door opened a little, and, in answer to her inquiry, the portersaid:

  "No!"

  "But he must be in bed!"

  "I tell you he's not. Why, for nearly three months he has not slept athome!"

  And the little pane of the lodge fell down sharply, like the blade of aguillotine.

  They remained in the darkness under the archway.

  An angry voice cried out to them:

  "Be off!"

  The door was again opened; they went away.

  Louise had to sit down on a boundary-stone; and clasping her face withher hands, she wept copious tears welling up from her full heart. Theday was breaking, and carts were making their way into the city.

  Catherine led her back home, holding her up, kissing her, and offeringher every sort of consolation that she could extract from her ownexperience. She need not give herself so much trouble about a lover. Ifthis one failed her, she could find others.