t was at last dropped
as hopeless. The Court, however, had fixed on a night to visit the
"Francais" and "Bajazet" was their choice. There was now no alternative
left her but to accept her part or see it filled by another. The latter
was her immediate resolve; and Mademoiselle Leonie, her rival, was at
length installed in all the honors of the "first character." It was
evident now to all Margot's friends that her career was over. An act of
abdication like this was always irrevocable; and the Parisian public was
never known to forgive what they regarded as an open act of insult to
their authority in taste. Well knowing that all attempts at dissuasion
would be hopeless, we made no appeal against her determination, but in
calm submission waited for the course of events,--waited, in fact, to
witness the last crash of ruin to that fame in whose edifice we once had
gloried.

Mademoiselle Mars advised Margot to travel. Italy had been always the
land of her predilection. She had even acted there with immense success
in Alfieri's tragedies, for her knowledge of the language equalled that
of her own country. It would be a good opportunity to revisit it; "And
perhaps, who knew," said she, "but that the echo of her fame coming over
the Alps might again rouse the enthusiasm of Paris in her favor?" I
warmly supported this plan, and Margot consented to it. A _dame de
compagnie_, an old friend of Mademoiselle de Mars, was chosen to be her
travelling companion, and I was to be of the party as secretary.

We hurried on all the arrangements as rapidly as possible. We desired
that she should leave Paris before the night of the command, and thus
remove her from all the enthusiasm of praise the press had prepared to
shower down on her rival, with the customary expressions of contemptuous
contrast for the fallen idol. We well knew the excess of adulation that
was in readiness to burst forth, and dreaded less the effect it might
produce on Margot's mind regarding her rival than that it should inspire
her with a curiosity to witness her performance; for such was exactly
the wayward character of her mode of thinking and acting.

To our joy, we discovered that Margot's impatience equalled, if not
exceeded, our own. She entered with an almost childish delight into
all the preparations for the journey. We hung over the map for hours
together, tracing our route, and revelling in anticipated pleasure
at the thought of all those glorious old cities o