rd spoken at the morning's meal, save by Valmont, his
wife, and Lisette. Caliste refused to eat, but, urged by Victorine, she
drank some coffee, though she would not, or could not, taste any food.
D'Elsac regarded her with grief, for he feared he knew not what by her
manner.

The repast being over, and their parents gone, Lisette, annoyed at the
silence on the affairs of the day, introduced it herself, by demanding of
Victorine, "If she still refused to accompany her to the chapel."

"My parents, and Madame La Baronne, have accepted my apologies, Lisette,"
she said, "I wish that you too were content; I shall watch you to the
chapel doors, and even hope to be present at your fete this evening."

"I wish you would dispense with my company also!" exclaimed Caliste with
a bitter tone; "for, to confess the truth, my head throbs fearfully, so
that I can scarce endure the pain it gives me."

"What!" exclaimed Lisette, "do you too refuse to accompany me, Caliste;
alas! how unfortunate am I, possessing as I do three sisters, and yet
there is not one amongst them who rejoices in my triumph."

"Because you are so often cross and ill-tempered," replied Mimi; "and if
people will be cross, and will be ill-tempered, they cannot expect that
others will love them."

Lisette deigned not to notice these words of her young sister; but,
turning to Caliste, she inquired, "If she really was so very unamiable as
to determine to stay from her fete."

"If you felt the intolerable anguish in your head that I do in mine,"
replied Caliste, "you would think _me_ very unamiable to press you to
go."

"But I cannot, nor will not dispense with your company, Caliste," was her
answer; "unless Victorine will go in your stead. You can wear the same
dress; for how odd it would look if I had no sister with me!"

"Indeed," replied Caliste, with an air of nonchalance, "_I_ will not ask
Victorine to go in my stead, neither will I promise to go myself. Cannot
you take Mimi in my place?"

"Mimi," repeated Lisette; "why, she is at least a head shorter than
Felicie Durand; for, if she goes instead of you, Caliste, she must walk
with Felicie." "No," Caliste, "I will not have Mimi," she added, "and I
will appeal to my father to command you to go."

"In your selfish triumph, Lisette," exclaimed Caliste, with bitterness,
"you seem wholly to forget the feelings of your relatives! I tell you
again that my head is in that state, it will half kill me to go