ed, Madame de la Baudraye and her mother left
the men to wander about the gardens. Monsieur Gravier then remarked to
Monsieur de Clagny:

"Did you observe that Madame de la Baudraye, after going out in a muslin
gown came home in a velvet?"

"As she got into the carriage at Cosne, the muslin dress caught on a
brass nail and was torn all the way down," replied Lousteau.

"Oh!" exclaimed Gatien, stricken to the heart by hearing two such
different explanations.

The journalist, who understood, took Gatien by the arm and pressed it
as a hint to him to be silent. A few minutes later Etienne left Dinah's
three adorers and took possession of little La Baudraye. Then Gatien
was cross-questioned as to the events of the day. Monsieur Gravier and
Monsieur de Clagny were dismayed to hear that on the return from Cosne
Lousteau had been alone with Dinah, and even more so on hearing the
two versions explaining the lady's change of dress. And the three
discomfited gentlemen were in a very awkward position for the rest of
the evening.

Next day each, on various business, was obliged to leave Anzy; Dinah
remained with her mother, Lousteau, and her husband. The annoyance
vented by the three victims gave rise to an organized rebellion in
Sancerre. The surrender of the Muse of Le Berry, of the Nivernais,
and of Morvan was the cause of a perfect hue and cry of slander, evil
report, and various guesses in which the story of the muslin gown held a
prominent place. No dress Dinah had ever worn had been so much commented
on, or was half as interesting to the girls, who could not conceive what
the connection might be, that made the married women laugh, between love
and a muslin gown.

The Presidente Boirouge, furious at her son's discomfiture, forgot
the praise she had lavished on the poem of _Paquita_, and fulminated
terrific condemnation on the woman who could publish such a disgraceful
work.

"The wretched woman commits every crime she writes about," said she.
"Perhaps she will come to the same end as her heroine!"

Dinah's fate among the good folks of Sancerre was like that of Marechal
Soult in the opposition newspapers; as long as he is minister he lost
the battle of Toulouse; whenever he is out of the Government he won it!
While she was virtuous, Dinah was a match for Camille de Maupin, a
rival of the most famous women; but as soon as she was happy, she was an
_unhappy creature_.

Monsieur de Clagny was her valiant champion; he w