neur the
bishop of the diocese and all the constituted authorities; statues, or
rather _a_ statue, which the whole population of the town has flocked
to the Ursuline convent to behold, where Mesdames the nuns, not a little
puffed up with this magnificent addition to their bijou of a chapel,
have kept their house and their oratory open to all comers for this
whole day. Is not that likely to popularize our candidacy?

This evening, to crown the ceremony of inaugurating our Saint-Ursula,
we give in our chateau of Arcis a banquet to fifty guests, among whom we
have had the malice to invite (with the chief inhabitants of the place)
all the ministerial functionaries and, above all, the ministerial
candidate. But, in view of our own declared candidacy, we feel pretty
well assured that the latter will not respond to the invitation. So much
the better! more room for others; and the missing guests, whose names
will be made known on the morrow, will be convicted of a _servilism_
which will, we think, injure their influence with the population.

Yesterday we paid a visit at the chateau de Cinq-Cygne, where d'Arthez
presented us, in the first place, to the Princesse de Cadignan, who is
wonderfully well preserved. Both she and the old Marquise de Cinq-Cygne
received Dorlange--I should say, Sallenauve--in the warmest manner.
It was from them that we learned the history of Monsieur Maxime de
Trailles' mission and its present results. It seems that on his arrival
the ministerial agent received some attentions at Cinq-Cygne,--mere
floating sticks, to discover the set of his current. He evidently
flattered himself that he should find support at Cinq-Cygne for his
electioneering intrigue; which is so far from being the case that Duc
Georges de Maufrigneuse, to whom, as a Jockey Club comrade, he told all
his projects, gave us the information about them which I have now given
to you, and which, if you will be so kind, I should like you to make
over to Monsieur de l'Estorade.

May 12th.

The dinner has taken place, madame; it was magnificently served, and
Arcis will talk about it for some time to come. Sallenauve has in
that great organist (who, by the bye, showed his talent on the organ
admirably during the ceremony of inauguration) a sort of steward and
factotum who leaves all the Vatels of the world far behind him; he
would never have fallen on his sword for lack of a fish! Colored lamps,
garlands, draperies, decorated the dining-roo