opened at the time of the
cholera in every quarter of Paris, one had been established on the
ground-floor of a large house in the Rue du Mont-Blanc. The vacant
apartments had been generously placed by their proprietor at the
disposal of the authorities; and to this place were carried a number
of persons, who, being suddenly attacked with the contagion, were
considered in too dangerous a state to be removed to the principal
hospitals.

Two days had elapsed since Rodin's visit to Marshal Simon's daughters.
Shortly after he had been expelled, the Princess de Saint-Dizier had
entered to see them, under the cloak of being a house-to-house visitor
to collect funds for the cholera sufferers.

Choosing the moment when Dagobert, deceived by her lady-like demeanor,
had withdrawn, she counselled the twins that it was their duty to go
and see their governess, whom she stated to be in the hospital we now
describe.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning. The persons who had watched
during the night by the sick people, in the hospital established in
the Rue du Mont-Blanc, were about to be relieved by other voluntary
assistants.

"Well, gentlemen," said one of those newly arrived, "how are we getting
on? Has there been any decrease last night in the number of the sick?"

"Unfortunately, no; but the doctors think the contagion has reached its
height."

"Then there is some hope of seeing it decrease."

"And have any of the gentlemen, whose places we come to take, been
attacked by the disease?"

"We came eleven strong last night; we are only nine now."

"That is bad. Were these two persons taken off rapidly?"

"One of the victims, a young man of twenty-five years of age, a cavalry
officer on furlough, was struck as it were by lightning. In less than a
quarter of an hour he was dead. Though such facts are frequent, we were
speechless with horror."

"Poor young man!"

"He had a word of cordial encouragement and hope for every one. He had
so far succeeded in raising the spirits of the patients, that some of
them who were less affected by the cholera than by the fear of it, were
able to quit the hospital nearly well."

"What a pity! So good a young man! Well, he died gloriously; it requires
as much courage as on the field of battle."

"He had only one rival in zeal and courage, and that is a Young priest,
with an angelic countenance, whom they call the Abbe Gabriel. He is
indefatigable; he hardly takes an hour's rest, but