n the worst possible terms with that young lady, who
had lived, nearly from the period of her first appearance upon the
boards, under the protection of the accomplished libertine, Count
J----, over whom she was said to exercise extraordinary influence. When
she formed this connexion, Madame Sendel, who--in spite of her suspicion
of paint and artificial floriculture--had very strict notions of
propriety, wrote her a letter of furious reproach, renounced her as her
daughter, and prohibited Emilie from holding any communication with her.
Emile, against whose virtue none had ever found aught to say,
sorrowfully obeyed; and, after two or three ineffectual attempts on the
part of Ameline to soften her mother's wrath, all communication ceased
between them. Their next meeting was that at which Van Haubitz and
myself were present. Its singularity, Madame Sendel's fainting fit, and
the resemblance between the sisters, brought on inquiries and an
explanation; and the Dutchman found, to his inexpressible disgust and
consternation, that he had encumbered himself with a wife he cared
nothing for, and a mother-in-law he detested, whose joint income was
largely stated at one hundred and fifty pounds sterling per annum. In
his first paroxysm of rage he taunted them with the mistake they had
made when they thought to secure the love-sick millionaire, proclaimed
himself in debt, disinherited, and a beggar; and, finally, by the
violence of his reproaches and maledictions, drove them trembling and
weeping from the room.

Van Haubitz had sent for me to implore my advice in his present
difficult position; but was so bewildered by passion and overwhelmed by
this sudden awakening from his dream of success and prosperity, that he
was hardly in a condition to listen to reason. His regrets were so
disgustingly selfish, his invectives against the innocent cause of his
disappointment so violent and unmerited, that I should have left him to
his fate and his own devices, had I not thought that my so doing would
make matters worse for the poor girl who had thus heedlessly linked
herself to a fortune-hunter. So I remained; after a while he became
calmer, and we talked over various plans for the future. By my
suggestion, Madame Sendel and her daughter were invited to the
conference. The old lady was sulky and frightened, and would hardly open
her lips; Emilie, on the other hand, made a more favourable impression
on me than she had ever previously done. I