mother included; for,
really, Leander was delightfully, irresistibly handsome as Lygdamon--a
perfect Apollo, in the eyes of those provincial dames. But by far the
most agitated of them all was the masked beauty; whose heaving bosom,
trembling hand--betrayed by the fan it held--and eager attitude--leaning
breathlessly forward and intently watching Leander's every
movement--would inevitably have borne witness to her great and absorbing
interest in him, if anybody had been observing her to mark her emotion;
but fortunately for her all eyes were turned upon the stage, so she had
time to recover her composure. Leander was surpassing himself in his
acting that night, yet even then he did not neglect to gaze searchingly
round the circle of his fair admirers, trying to select the titled
dames, and decide which one among them he should favour with his most
languishing glances. As he scrutinized one after another, his eyes
finally reached the masked lady, and at once his curiosity was on
the qui vive--here was assuredly something promising at last; he was
convinced that the richly dressed, graceful incognita was a victim
to his own irresistible charms, and he directed a long, eloquent,
passionate look full at her, to indicate that she was understood. To
his delight--his rapturous, ecstatic delight--she answered his
appealing glance by a very slight bend of the head, which was full of
significance, as if she would thank him for his penetration. Being thus
happily brought en rapport, frequent glances were exchanged throughout
the play, and even little signals also, between the hero on the stage
and the lady in her box.

Leander was an adept in that sort of thing, and could so modulate his
voice and use his really fine eyes in making an impassioned declaration
of love to the heroine of the play, that the fair object of his
admiration in the audience would believe that it was addressed
exclusively to herself. Inspired by this new flame, he acted with so
much spirit and animation that he was rewarded with round after round
of applause; which he had the art to make the masked lady understand he
valued less than the faintest mark of approbation and favour from her.

After "Lygdamon et Lydias" came the Rodomontades of Captain Fracasse,
which met with its accustomed success. Isabelle was rendered very uneasy
by the close proximity of the Duke of Vallombreuse, dreading some act
of insolence on his part; but her fears were needless, for h