to be aware of my existence.

Our trunks were taken in, and Madame Rancour having ascertained which
belonged to Cornelis, had them placed in a fine suite of three rooms, and
said, pointing out to him the apartment and the two servants,

"This apartment and the two servants are for you, and I, too, am your
most humble servant."

Clairmont told me that he had put my things in a room which communicated
with Cornelis's. I went to inspect it, and saw directly that I was being
treated as if I were a person of no consequence. The storm of anger was
gathering, but wonderful to relate, I subdued myself, and did not say a
word.

"Where is your room?" I said to Clairmont.

"Near the roof, and I am to share it with one of those two louts you
saw."

The worthy Clairmont, who knew my disposition, was surprised at the calm
with which I said,--

"Take your trunk there."

"Shall I open yours?"

"No. We will see what can be done to-morrow."

I still kept on my mask, and returned to the room of the young gentleman
who seemed to be considered as my master. I found him listening with a
foolish stare to Madame Rancour, who was telling him of the splendid
position his mother occupied, her great enterprise, her immense credit,
the splendid house she had built, her thirty-three servants, her two
secretaries, her six horses, her country house, etc., etc.

"How is my sister Sophie?" said the young gentleman.

"Her name is Sophie, is it? She is only known as Miss Cornelis. She is a
beauty, a perfect prodigy, she plays at sight on several instruments,
dances like Terpsichore, speaks English, French, and Italian equally
well--in a word, she is really wonderful. She has a governess and a maid.
Unfortunately, she is rather short for her age; she is eight."

She was ten, but as Madame Rancour was not speaking to me I refrained
from interrupting her.

My lord Cornelis, who felt very tired, asked at what hour they were to
sup.

"At ten o'clock and not before," said the duenna, "for Madame Cornelis is
always engaged till then. She is always with her lawyer, on account of an
important law-suit she has against Sir Frederick Fermer."

I could see that I should learn nothing worth learning by listening to
the woman's gossip, so I took my hat and cane and went for a walk in the
immense city, taking care not to lose my way.

It was seven o'clock when I went out, and a quarter of an hour after,
seeing a number of people in a coffeehouse, I