ith him to humble the proud fair one.
To this end, Claude assumed to be the prince of Como, and Pauline
married him, but was indignant when she discovered how she had been
duped. Claude left her to join the French army, and, under the name of
Morier, rose in two years and a half to the rank of colonel. He then
returned to Lyons, and found his father-in-law on the eve of bankruptcy,
and Pauline about to be sold to Beauseant to pay the creditors. Claude
paid the money required, and claimed Pauline as his loving and truthful
wife.--Lord L. B. Lytton, _Lady of Lyons_ (1838).

=Melo= (_Juan de_), born at Castile in the fifteenth century. A dispute
having arisen at Esalo'na upon the question whether Achill[^e]s or Hector
were the braver warrior, the Marquis de Ville'na called out, "Let us see
if the advocates of Achill[^e]s can fight as well as prate." At the word,
there appeared in the assembly a gigantic fire-breathing monster, which
repeated the same challenge. Every one shrank back except Juan de Melo,
who drew his sword and placed himself before King Juan II. to protect
him, "tide life, tide death." The king appointed him alcayd[^e] of Alcala
la Real, in Grana'da, for his loyalty.--_Chronica de Don Alvaro de
Luna._

=Melrose= (_Violet_), an heiress, who marries Charles Middlewick. This was
against the consent of his father, because Violet had the bad taste to
snub the retired tradesman, and considered vulgarity as the
"unpardonable sin."

_Mary Melrose_, Violet's cousin, but without a penny. She marries Talbot
Champneys; but his father, Sir Geoffrey, wanted him to marry Violet, the
heiress.--H. J. Byron, _Our Boys_ (a comedy, 1875).

=Melusi'na=, the most famous of the _f['e]es_ of France. Having enclosed
her father in a mountain for offending her mother, she was condemned to
become a serpent every Saturday. When she married the count of Lusignan,
she made her husband vow never to visit her on that day, but the
jealousy of the count made him break his vow. Melusina was, in
consequence, obliged to leave her mortal husband, and roam about the
world as a ghost till the day of doom. Some say the count immured her in
the dungeon wall of his castle.--_Jean d'Arras_ (fourteenth century).

[Asterism] The cry of despair given by the _f['e]e_ when she discovered
the indiscreet visit of her husband, is the origin of the phrase, _Un
cri de M['e]lusine_ ("A shriek of despair").

=Melvil= (_Sir John_), a young baronet, e