ictorine, who had never expected
aught of pleasure in the affair.

One morning Dorsain entered the cottage, and found Victorine working as
usual, whilst Caliste was seated near her, her employment cast from her,
and her whole appearance expressing the utmost dejection. At sight of
her uncle she roused herself, and for a short time her excessive mirth,
and even the great wit with which she spoke, astonished him. The quiet
man was somewhat startled by her manner, and he looked at her earnestly,
half alarmed by her wild and extravagant merriment. He soon remarked
that the smile seemed only to be on her lip, for every now and then her
countenance changed, and expressed the deep dejection he had noticed on
his entrance. He saw too that Victorine laughed not with her, and did
all that was in her power to check her exuberant gaiety. The steady look
that Dorsain gave her at once put to flight all assumed merriment; she
suddenly ceased speaking, sighed deeply, then throwing her working
materials farther from her, with a hasty movement, she left the
apartment.

Victorine's employment, too, fell from her hand; with the tear in her
eyes she looked after her sister, then, echoing her sigh, she set herself
with a sad heart to finish the work which must be done, and which
necessarily detained her from comforting Caliste.

"Your sister, Victorine, seems far from well," said Dorsain; "know you
what ails her?"

"Dear uncle," she replied, "Caliste will not now acknowledge even to me
what vexes her; but it is easy to see she feels most bitterly the losing
the Rosiere's crown."

D'Elsac for some minutes seemed lost in thought. "Poor girl!" he
murmured, "poor girl! I should not have thought it would have so
disappointed her."

"You forget, then, how she is situated," replied Victorine. "From
infancy has Caliste been taught to aspire to the rose, every year has she
ardently expected it; now this time her name is on the list, and her own
sister, younger by three years, steps forward and takes it from her. Our
parents, too, rejoice with the child that rejoices; they love one
daughter equally with the other; they are content that the Rosiere is in
their family, and they, perhaps, have not given it a thought that the
greater the triumph is to Lisette, the greater is the defeat to poor
Caliste. Then, alas! my sister has none to look to for comfort, and she
is overwhelmed with despair; she has been tried for worldly virtue and
goo