looked at Rodin with a sort of curiosity
mingled with interest. As a woman--as a woman, intensely ambitious,
seeking to connect herself with every powerful influence--the princess
loved this strange species of contrast. She found it curious and
interesting to see this man, almost in rags, mean in appearance, and
ignobly ugly, and but lately the most humble of subordinates look down
from the height of his superior intelligence upon the nobleman by
birth, distinguished for the elegance of his manners, and just before so
considerable a personage in the Society. From that moment, as the more
important personage of the two, Rodin completely took the place of
Father d'Aigrigny in the princess's mind. The first pang of humiliation
over, the reverend father, though his pride bled inwardly, applied all
his knowledge of the world to behave with redoubled courtesy towards
Rodin, who had become his superior by this abrupt change of fortune. But
the ex-socius, incapable of appreciating, or rather of acknowledging,
such delicate shades of manner, established himself at once, firmly,
imperiously, brutally, in his new position, not from any reaction of
offended pride, but from a consciousness of what he was really worth.
A long acquaintance with Father d'Aigrigny had revealed to him the
inferiority of the latter.

"You threw away your pen," said Father d'Aigrigny to Rodin with extreme
deference, "while I was dictating a note for Rome. Will you do me the
favor to tell me how I have acted wrong?"

"Directly," replied Rodin, in his sharp, cutting voice. "For a long time
this affair appeared to me above your strength; but I abstained from
interfering. And yet what mistakes! what poverty of invention; what
coarseness in the means employed to bring it to bear!"

"I can hardly understand your reproaches," answered Father d'Aigrigny,
mildly, though a secret bitterness made its way through his apparent
submission. "Was not the success certain, had it not been for this
codicil? Did you not yourself assist in the measures that you now
blame?"

"You commanded, then, and it was my duty to obey. Besides, you were just
on the point of succeeding--not because of the means you had taken--but
in spite of those means, with all their awkward and revolting
brutality."

"Sir--you are severe," said Father d'Aigrigny.

"I am just. One has to be prodigiously clever, truly, to shut up any one
in a room, and then lock the door! And yet, what else have you