o," replied Maximilien, gravely.

"You will find me married on your return, I warn you," she said
coquettishly.

"I hope so."

"Impertinent wretch!" she exclaimed. "How cruel a revenge!"

A fortnight later Maximilien set out with his sister Clara for the warm
and poetic scenes of beautiful Italy, leaving Mademoiselle de Fontaine
a prey to the most vehement regret. The young Secretary to the Embassy
took up his brother's quarrel, and contrived to take signal vengeance on
Emilie's disdain by making known the occasion of the lovers' separation.
He repaid his fair partner with interest all the sarcasm with which
she had formerly attacked Maximilien, and often made more than one
Excellency smile by describing the fair foe of the counting-house, the
amazon who preached a crusade against bankers, the young girl whose
love had evaporated before a bale of muslin. The Comte de Fontaine was
obliged to use his influence to procure an appointment to Russia for
Auguste Longueville in order to protect his daughter from the ridicule
heaped upon her by this dangerous young persecutor.

Not long after, the Ministry being compelled to raise a levy of peers to
support the aristocratic party, trembling in the Upper Chamber under the
lash of an illustrious writer, gave Monsieur Guiraudin de Longueville a
peerage, with the title of Vicomte. Monsieur de Fontaine also obtained
a peerage, the reward due as much to his fidelity in evil days as to his
name, which claimed a place in the hereditary Chamber.

About this time Emilie, now of age, made, no doubt, some serious
reflections on life, for her tone and manners changed perceptibly.
Instead of amusing herself by saying spiteful things to her uncle, she
lavished on him the most affectionate attentions; she brought him his
stick with a persevering devotion that made the cynical smile, she
gave him her arm, rode in his carriage, and accompanied him in all his
drives; she even persuaded him that she liked the smell of tobacco, and
read him his favorite paper La Quotidienne in the midst of clouds of
smoke, which the malicious old sailor intentionally blew over her;
she learned piquet to be a match for the old count; and this fantastic
damsel even listened without impatience to his periodical narratives of
the battles of the Belle-Poule, the manoeuvres of the Ville de Paris, M.
de Suffren's first expedition, or the battle of Aboukir.

Though the old sailor had often said that he knew his longi