t, he thinks, to go, without passing through the uproar of the
world, piously and modestly to the niches for which they are intended."

"_Ah ca_!" exclaimed Emile Blondet, "and it is this fervent Catholic who
fights a duel!"

"Better or worse than that. This Catholic lives with a woman whom he
brought back from Italy,--a species of Goddess of Liberty, who serves
him as model and housekeeper."

"What a tongue that Bixiou has; he keeps a regular intelligence office,"
said some of the little group as it broke up at the offer of tea from
Madame de Montcornet.

You see from this, my dear Monsieur Gaston, that the political
aspirations of Monsieur Dorlange are not regarded seriously by his
friends. I do not doubt that you will write to him soon to thank him
for the warmth with which he defended you from calumny. That courageous
devotion has given me a true sympathy for him, and I shall hope that
you will use the influence of early friendship to turn his mind from the
deplorable path he seems about to enter. I make no judgment on the other
peculiarities attributed to him by Monsieur Bixiou, who has a cutting
and a flippant tongue; I am more inclined to think, with Joseph Bridau,
that such mistakes are venial. But a fault to be forever regretted,
according to my ideas, will be that of abandoning his present career
to fling himself into the maelstrom of politics. You are yourself
interested in turning him from this idea, if you strongly desire to
entrust that work to his hands. Preach to him as strongly as you can the
wisdom of abiding by his art.

On the subject of the explanation I advised you to have with him, I must
tell you that your task is greatly simplified. You need not enter
into any of the details which would be to you so painful. Madame de
l'Estorade, to whom I spoke of the role of mediator which I wanted her
to play, accepted the part very willingly. She feels confident of being
able, after half an hour's conversation, to remove the painful feeling
from your friend's mind, and drive away the clouds between you.

While writing this long letter, I have sent for news of his condition.
He is going on favorably, and the physicians say that, barring all
unforeseen accidents, his friends need have no anxiety as to his state.
It seems he is an object of general interest, for, to use the expression
of my valet, people are "making cue" to leave their names at his door.
It must be added that the Duke de Rhetore is not li