de Gramont and his son! Dear me,
Mademoiselle Melanie would do better if she made me her _confidante_ at
once."

Victorine, as she excused Mademoiselle Melanie to the Countess Orlowski,
could not help dropping a hint that Mademoiselle Melanie might not in
future be so wholly at the command of her customers,--she would receive
more visitors of her own,--there were noblemen from her own country who
were to have free access.

When Madame Orlowski departed and the forewoman returned to the
work-room, these inuendoes were repeated, and caused no little
excitement among the group of young women, who revered Madeleine almost
as though she were a patron saint, and they the most devout Catholics.
Ruth was highly indignant; but to have admonished the circulator of the
intelligence, by even the faintest reproach, would have been to make
matters worse, and to induce Mademoiselle Victorine to defend her rash
assertions by still rasher ones.

Madeleine was not destined to enjoy the uninterrupted solitude she so
much desired, for Robert had scarcely received his orders to admit no
one, when he returned to the boudoir with a card in his hand. He
presented it with hesitation in spite of the large bribe he had
received.

"His lordship insisted upon my taking his card to Mademoiselle," he said
apologetically.

"You should not have transgressed my orders," answered Madeleine, with
some show of impatience. "I have given you the names of the only persons
whom you were to admit to-day."

"I understand _that_, mademoiselle, but his lordship would not be
denied, and said that he called upon a matter of the greatest
importance, and that he knew Mademoiselle Melanie would see him."

Madeleine could not, after this, refuse to allow Lord Linden to enter;
he no doubt brought her some information concerning the vote which she
had charged him to obtain.

Lord Linden's countenance, which usually wore a moody, discontented
expression, was bright with expectation, as he entered Madeleine's
presence.

"You will pardon," he began, "my refusing to accept your servant's
denial; I based my hopes of forgiveness upon the good tidings which I
bring. My advocacy, or rather my sister's (but that is _entre nous_),
has not been used in vain with Mr. Rutledge; he had definitely made up
his mind to cast his vote differently, but his gallantry could not
withstand a fair lady's solicitation;--he is too thoroughly an American
for _that_, and you may depend u