nce,
"Who, may I inquire?"

"Who? Well there's Gardette the dentist, who's half crazed about her;
there's the old Marquis; there's planter Tillareau and Lebon, of
Lafourche; and young Moreau, the wine-merchant of the Rue Dauphin; and
who knows but half-a-dozen of those rich Yankee cotton-growers may want
her for a _housekeeper_! Ha! ha! ha!"

"I can name another," suggested a third speaker.

"Name!" demanded several; "yourself, perhaps, Le Ber; you want a
sempstress for your shirt-buttons."

"No, not myself," replied the speaker; "I don't buy _coturiers_ at that
price--_deux mille dollares_, at the least, my friends. _Pardieu_! no.
I find my sempstresses at a cheaper rate in the Faubourg Treme."

"Who, then? Name him!"

"Without hesitation I do,--the old wizen-face Gayarre."

"Gayarre the avocat?"

"Monsieur Dominique Gayarre!"

"Improbable," rejoined one. "Monsieur Gayarre is a man of steady
habits--a moralist--a miser."

"Ha! ha!" laughed Le Ber; "it's plain, Messieurs, you don't understand
the character of Monsieur Gayarre. Perhaps I know him better. Miser
though he be, in a general sense, there's one class with whom he's
generous enough. _Il a une douzaine des maitresses_! Besides, you must
remember that Monsieur Dominique is a bachelor. He wants a good
housekeeper--a _femme-de-chambre_. Come, friends, I have heard
something--_un petit chose_. I'll lay a wager the miser outbids _every_
one of you,--even rich generous Marigny here!"

Marigny stood biting his lips. His was but a feeling of annoyance or
chagrin--mine was utter agony. I had no longer a doubt as to who was
the subject of the conversation.

"It was at the suit of Gayarre the bankruptcy was declared, was it not?"
asked one.

"'Tis so said."

"Why, he was considered the great friend of the family--the associate of
old Besancon?"

"Yes, the _lawyer-friend_ of the family--Ha! ha!" significantly rejoined
another.

"Poor Eugenie! she'll be no longer the belle. She'll now be less
difficult to please in her choice of a husband."

"That's some consolation for you, Le Ber. Ha! ha!"

"Oh!" interposed another, "Le Ber had no chance lately. There's a young
Englishman the favourite now--the same who swam ashore with her at the
blowing-up of the Belle steamer. So I have heard, at least. Is it so,
Le Ber?"

"You had better inquire of Mademoiselle Besancon," replied the latter,
in a peevish tone, at which the others laughed, "