friend lent me a pair of gloves. Little Greybeard went to let M'me Bourgade know that a gentleman asked the favour of a few moments' conversation with her. She came, and our host left us under the pretext of going to buy coal.

M'me Bourgade was a tall, handsome woman, excessively thin; she had large sad eyes, beautiful brows and superb hair, but had lost many of her teeth, which made her look older than her age. She stood before me, quiet and trembling; poverty and suffering had made her timid.

66

Madame," I said, "I am a friend of Matthew Debay; he loves your daughter, and I have the honour of asking you in his name, for her hand."

That is the way diplomacy is taught in the Normal School.

"Sit down, sir," she said, softly. She was not surprised at my demand; she had expected it. She knew that Matthew loved her daughter, and she acknowledged with maternal modesty that her daughter loved Matthew. I was sure of it! She had thought a good deal about the possibility of this marriage.

On the one hand, she was glad to confide her daughter's future to an honest man before she died. She thought that her death was not distant. What disturbed her was the idea of Matthew's health; he did not look very robust. Some day he might take to his bed, lose his scholars and leave his wife without resources, with children perhaps for everything was to be considered. I might have reassured her with a single word, but I did not. I was too happy at seeing a marriage arranged with that sublime imprudence of the poor, who say: "Let us love each other; each day will bring its bread."

Besides, M'me Bourgade was only discussing the matter with me for form's sake. Matthew was already established in her heart. She loved him with that love of the mother-in-law for her son-in-law, which is a woman's last passion. M'me de Sévigné never loved her husband as she loved M. de Grignan.

M'me Bourgade took me to her room and introduced me to her daughter. The beautiful Fanny had on a gown of faded calico. She had neither cap, nor collar, nor cuffs; washing is so dear! I could admire a great roll of magnificent fair hair; a throat, too slender as yet, but of rare elegance, and wrists for which a duchess would have paid a high price. Her face was her mother's, with twenty years taken from it. On seeing them side by side, I thought involuntarily of those architectural drawings, where, in one frame, are sketched a temple in ruins, and the same restored. Fanny's figure without corsets, and without crinoline, owed nothing to art, and was singularly graceful and well made; but what struck me most in the future M'me Debay, was the limpid whiteness of her skin. It looked like milk, but transparent milk; in fact, I can't better describe her face than to say that it reminded me of a pearl.

She was very frankly happy, the little pearl of the Rue Traversine, when she heard the news that I had brought. In the midst of her joy, in came Matthew, who never dreamed of finding me there. He could not believe that he was loved, until he had been told so three times. We all talked at once, and the quartettes of Beethoven are poor music when compared to the one that we sang. Then I slipped off through the half-open door and left them.

Matthew was married on the first Thursday in June, and I was groomsman. I shared that honour with a young journalist, one of our friends. The other two guests were a painter and a professor, allies of Matthew. M'me Bourgade had lost sight of all her acquaintances. The mayoralty-house of the 11th Ward is opposite the Church of St. Sulpice. We only had to cross the street. The whole wedding party, including Louis, was contained in two large hacks, which took us out to dine near Meudon. Our dining room was a little cottage, surrounded by lilacs, and we found a bird that was building its nest in the moss above our heads. We drank to the health of this other happy pair. Let who will believe me, but Mattthew was no longer ugly.

There are some faces that only please in a drawing-room; there are others that only charm in the country. The painted dolls that we admire in Paris would be horrible to meet in the corner of a wood. I shudder only to think of it. Matthew, on the contrary, made a very presentable rustic hero. He announced to us at dessert, that he was going to set off for Auray with his wife and mother-in-law. Dear good Mamma Debay was eager to embrace her new daugh

ter.
Matthew could write his the-
sis at his leisure. He would be
doctor whenever the sardines al-
lowed it.

"For my part," said Louis, "I engage you all to hold yourselves in readiness for next year. You will assist at the marriage ceremonies of Louis Debay and M'lle X., one of the richest heiresses of Paris."

"Long live M'lle X., the glorious unknown."

"While waiting to find her," continued the orator, "people will

say that I am wasting my fortune, throwing away my money, dispersing my inheritance to the four winds of heaven. Remember what I promise you. I shall sow my gold as a sower sows grain. Let the world talk, and wait for my harvest."

Why not acknowledge that we were drinking champagne?

Matthew said to his brother. "Do as you choose. I doubt nothing now. I believe all things possible since she marries me for love."

But the Sunday following, at the railroad depôt, Matthew seemed less at ease about his brother's plans.

"You are playing a doubtful game my dear boy," he said, pressing Louis's hand. "If Boileau were not as old-fashioned as the barbers of his day, I should say to you: That sea thou seekest abounds in shipwrecks.'"

"Nonsense; it is not Boileau, one quotes, but Balzac. That sea I seek abounds in heiresses. Count upon me, beloved brother. If there remains one such creature in the world, she shall be ours."

"Very well, remember, that whatever happens, there is a bed for you at Auray."

"Add another pillow to that bed. We will come in our carriage to visit you.

Little Greybeard eyed Louis from head to foot with a glance of approbation which seemed to say: "Young man, your ambition pleases me." But Louis did not condescend to cast a glance in return upon anything so insignificant as Little Greybeard.

He took me by the arm when the cars started, and carried me off to dine at Janodet's. He was gay and full of happy hopes.

"The die is cast. I have burnt my ships. Yesterday I hired a

delicious suite of rooms in the Rue Provence. The painters are there. In a week the upholsterers will take their place. It is there, my simple soul, that you shall come every Sunday and partake of the cutlet of friendship."

"What in the world induces you to commence your campaign in the middle of summer? There isn't a cat in Paris."

"Let me alone! As soon as my nest is finished I shall leave for Vichy. Acquaintances are easily made at watering places. People get intimate and invite each other for the ensuing winter. I have thought of everything, and my plans are matured. To think that in a fortnight I shall have bidden adieu to this awful Latin Quarter!" "Where we have passed so many happy hours!"

"We thought we were amusing ourselves because we did not know anything about amusement. See here, do you consider this chicken eatable?"

"Most excellent, my dear fellow." "Atrocious! By the way, I have a cook, a young man intending to marry, dines abroad, but he always breakfasts at home. I have nothing left to do but to find a serThere is no one you could

vant.

recommend?"

"Upon my word, I regret exceedingly that I shall have to stay eighteen months longer at the school; otherwise I should offer myself in that capacity. I think you will make such a magnificent master."

are

"My dear creature, you neither small enough nor large enough. I must have a colossus or

"Indeed! Well, I have read Aristotle, the chapter on hats." blue coat with red facings?" "What do you think of a sky

"I like the uniform of the Pope's Swiss, yellow, red and black, with a halberd. What do you think of that?"

"You are stupid. I have thought of all the different colours. Black

is

very distingué with a cockade, but it is too solemn. Chocolate is not young enough. Dark blue is assumed by all commercial people. I will reflect longer upon this. Look at my new visiting card."

"Louis de Bay and a marquis's coronet! I forgive the because that can hurt nobody; but niarquisate, I think you might have respected your old father's name. I am not very strict in my notions, but it always vexes me to see an honest man disguised as a marquis after the carnival. This is a delicate way of denying your family. To be a marquis, your father must be a duke or dead-choose."

Why do you look at things so gravely? My dear good father would be the first to laugh at seeing his name so transmogrified. Don't you think that diaræsis on they is an admirable invention ? That is what is called giving an aristocratic colouring! Now I want my coat of arms. Do you understand heraldry?"

"Very badly."

"You know enough to draw me a shield."

Francis, some paper. Here, this will do for your coat of arms. You carry quartered gold and gules. This represents lions gules Remain where you are. on a field of gold, and that gold Have you ever reflected upon the martlets on a field gules. Are you subject of liveries? It is a very grave question."

a gnome.

satisfied?"

"Enchanted. What is a martlet?"

"A duck."* "Better and better. Now a motto as daring as you can make it." "Bay de rien ne s'ebayt;' which being freely interpreted, would read, Baÿ' never says die."

·

"Magnificent. From this moment, I owe you homage as my suzerain."

"Very well! most loyal marquis; let us light our cigars, and take me back to the school."

*The word canard, duck, is universally received in French as “hoax.” (To be Continued)

"Ladies who marry for love should remember that the union of angels with women has been forbidden since the flood. The wife is the sun of the social system. Unless she attracts, there is nothing to keep heavy bodies like husbands from flying into space. The wife who should properly discharge her duties, must never have a soul above trifles. Don't trust too much to good temper when you get into an argument. Sugar is the substance most universally diffused through all natural products. Let married people take a hint from this provision of nature."

"Many run after felicity like an absent man hunting for his hat, when it is on his head or in his hand. Though sometimes small evils, like invisible insects, inflict great pain, yet the chief secret of comfort lies in not suffering trifles to vex one, and in prudently cultivating an undergrowth of small pleasures, since very few great ones, alas! are let on long leases."

"Some men think that the gratification of curiosity is the end of knowledge, some the love of fame, some the pleasure of dispute, some the necessity of supporting themselves by their knowledge; but the real use of all knowledge is this: that we should dedicate that reason which was given us by God, to the use and advantage of man."--Bacon.

"He whose first emotion on the view of an excellent production is to undervalue it, will never have one of his own to show."

"Self-dependence which generates all that is grand in plan and power, is the great source of strength."

"Conviction, were it never so excellent, is worthless till it convert itself into conduct."

THE ACTRESS IN HIGH LIFE; AN EPISODE IN WINTER QUARTERS.

CHAPTER XVIII.-Continued.