de Serizy, who was said, in those chronicles that
are whispered behind the fans, to have deprived her of the heart of the
handsome Lucien de Rubempre.

"You will do us the pleasure, I hope, to remain at Rosembray," said the
severe duchess to the young officer.

While giving ear to every scandal, the devout lady shut her eyes to the
derelictions of her guests who had been carefully selected by the duke;
indeed, it is surprising how much these excellent women will tolerate
under pretence of bringing the lost sheep back to the fold by their
indulgence.

"We reckoned without our constitutional government," said the grand
equerry; "and Rosembray, Madame la duchesse, will lose a great honor."

"We shall be more at our ease," said a tall thin old man, about
seventy-five years of age, dressed in blue cloth, and wearing his
hunting-cap by permission of the ladies. This personage, who closely
resembled the Duc de Bourbon, was no less than the Prince de Cadignan,
Master of the Hunt, and one of the last of the great French lords.
Just as La Briere was endeavoring to slip behind the sofa and obtain a
moment's intercourse with Modeste, a man of thirty-eight, short, fat,
and very common in appearance, entered the room.

"My son, the Prince de Loudon," said the Duchesse de Verneuil to
Modeste, who could not restrain the expression of amazement that
overspread her young face on seeing the man who bore the historical name
that the hero of La Vendee had rendered famous by his bravery and the
martyrdom of his death.

"Gaspard," said the duchess, calling her son to her. The young
prince came at once, and his mother continued, motioning to Modeste,
"Mademoiselle de La Bastie, my friend."

The heir presumptive, whose marriage with Desplein's only daughter had
lately been arranged, bowed to the young girl without seeming struck,
as his father had been, with her beauty. Modeste was thus enabled to
compare the youth of to-day with the old age of a past epoch; for the
old Prince de Cadignan had already said a few words which made her feel
that he rendered as true a homage to womanhood as to royalty. The Duc de
Rhetore, the eldest son of the Duchesse de Chaulieu, chiefly remarkable
for manners that were equally impertinent and free and easy, bowed
to Modeste rather cavalierly. The reason of this contrast between the
fathers and the sons is to be found, probably, in the fact that young
men no longer feel themselves great beings, as their f