In this way, Monsieur le Prefet," said Ratoneau. He pulled himself
together, keeping his bullying instincts in check. After all, he knew he
would be a fool to quarrel with the Prefect or to rouse his active
opposition. "No offence?" he said gruffly. "You know me--you know my
rough tongue."

The Prefect bowed courteously, and handed him his snuff-box.

"You saw last night at Lancilly," said Ratoneau, much more quietly,
"that I had a long talk with Madame la Comtesse."

"A charming woman," said Monsieur de Mauves. "Certainly--you told me the
subject of your talk, if you remember. Did you arrive then at any
conclusion? What was our hostess's advice on that interesting subject?
Did she suggest--the name of any lady, for instance?"

He noticed with a touch of amusement that the General looked slightly
confused.

"_I_ made a suggestion; and Madame de Sainfoy accepted it very kindly.
In fact, Monsieur le Prefet, I asked her for her daughter, Mademoiselle
Helene."

Monsieur de Mauves knew that he ought to have been prepared for this
answer; yet, somehow, he was not. Fixing his eyes on the yellow marble
mosaic under his feet, he realised once more the frightful contrast that
had struck him a few hours before in the lighted salon at Lancilly. "La
belle Helene," as everybody called her; the pale, beautiful girl with
the sad eyes and enchanting smile, walking through the long room with
her boy cousin, himself in his slender _elance_ beauty a perfect match
for her, so that the eighteenth century might have painted them as two
young deities from the Court of Olympus, come down to earth to show
mortals a vision of the ideal! And General Ratoneau, the ponderous bully
in uniform, the incarnation of the Empire's worst side!

"Sacrilege!"

Last night, the Prefect had thought the same. But he had then added
"Impossible!" and now it seemed that the girl's mother did not agree
with him. Could ambition carry a woman through such a slough as this?
did she really mean to gain imperial favour by such a sacrifice?

For a moment or two the Prefect was lost in a dream; then he suddenly
recovered himself.

"Pardon--and you say that Madame de Sainfoy accepted--"

"She thanked me for the honour," said the General, a little stiffly.
"She expressed herself favourably. She only asked me to have patience
till she could consult her husband. Between ourselves, madame knows that
I could be of use to her at Court."

"Could you?"

"Certainly,