complain to his mamma. Now if you
had said that you meant to make Fleury intervene in the matter, I could
understand that--though the affair is rather personal to you, and it
might be difficult to make it seem--"

"Ah ca!" said Thuillier, "do you suppose I am going to commit myself
with a Cerizet or any other newspaper bully? I pique myself, my
dear fellow, on possessing civic courage, which does not give in to
prejudices, and which, instead of taking justice into its own hands, has
recourse to the means of defence that are provided by law. Besides, with
the legal authority the Court of Cassation now has over duelling, I have
no desire to put myself in the way of being expatriated, or spending two
or three years in prison."

"Well," said la Peyrade, "we'll talk it over later; here's your sister,
and she would think everything lost if this little matter reached her
ears."

When Brigitte appeared Colleville shouted "Full!" and proceeded to sing
the chorus of "La Parisienne."

"Heavens! Colleville, how vulgar you are!" cried the tardy one,
hastening to cast a stone in the other's garden to avoid the throwing
of one into hers. "Well, are you all ready?" she added, arranging her
mantle before a mirror. "What o'clock is it? it won't do to get there
before the time, like provincials."

"Ten minutes to two," said Colleville; "I go by the Tuileries."

"Well, then we are just right," said Brigitte; "it will take about that
time to get to the rue Caumartin. Josephine," she cried, going to the
door of the salon, "we'll dine at six, therefore be sure you put the
turkey to roast at the right time, and mind you don't burn it, as you
did the other day. Bless me! who's that?" and with a hasty motion she
shut the door, which she had been holding open. "What a nuisance! I hope
Henri will have the sense to tell him we are out."

Not at all; Henri came in to say that an old gentleman, with a very
genteel air, had asked to be received on urgent business.

"Why didn't you say we were all out?"

"That's what I should have done if mademoiselle had not opened the
door of the salon so that the gentleman could see the whole family
assembled."

"Oh, yes!" said Brigitte, "you are never in the wrong, are you?"

"What am I to say to him?" asked the man.

"Say," replied Thuillier, "that I am very sorry not to be able to
receive him, but I am expected at a notary's office about a marriage
contract; but that if he could return two hours h