ng. "For my part, I've never
seen him."

"Take care, here he is," whispered Mme Chantereau.

Daguenet, who had caught sight of Mme Hugon and her sons, had eagerly
offered her his arm. He laughed and was effusively affectionate toward
her, as though she had had a hand in his sudden good fortune.

"Thank you," she said, sitting down near the fireplace. "You see, it's
my old corner."

"You know him?" queried Mme du Joncquoy, when Daguenet had gone.
"Certainly I do--a charming young man. Georges is very fond of him. Oh,
they're a most respected family."

And the good lady defended him against the mute hostility which was
apparent to her. His father, held in high esteem by Louis Philippe, had
been a PREFET up to the time of his death. The son had been a little
dissipated, perhaps; they said he was ruined, but in any case, one
of his uncles, who was a great landowner, was bound to leave him his
fortune. The ladies, however, shook their heads, while Mme Hugon,
herself somewhat embarrassed, kept harking back to the extreme
respectability of his family. She was very much fatigued and complained
of her feet. For some months she had been occupying her house in the Rue
Richelieu, having, as she said, a whole lot of things on hand. A look of
sorrow overshadowed her smiling, motherly face.

"Never mind," Mme Chantereau concluded. "Estelle could have aimed at
something much better."

There was a flourish. A quadrille was about to begin, and the crowd
flowed back to the sides of the drawing room in order to leave the floor
clear. Bright dresses flitted by and mingled together amid the dark
evening coats, while the intense light set jewels flashing and white
plumes quivering and lilacs and roses gleaming and flowering amid the
sea of many heads. It was already very warm, and a penetrating perfume
was exhaled from light tulles and crumpled silks and satins, from which
bare shoulders glimmered white, while the orchestra played its lively
airs. Through open doors ranges of seated ladies were visible in the
background of adjoining rooms; they flashed a discreet smile; their eyes
glowed, and they made pretty mouths as the breath of their fans caressed
their faces. And guests still kept arriving, and a footman announced
their names while gentlemen advanced slowly amid the surrounding groups,
striving to find places for ladies, who hung with difficulty on their
arms, and stretching forward in quest of some far-off vacant armchair.
The