-night?"
observed the countess.

"I have already said that I do not see the necessity of his being moved
at all, until he is perfectly restored," persisted the doctor.

"It is enough that I see it!" remarked the countess, frigidly. "I
believe my inquiries only extended to asking your medical opinion as to
the _danger_ not the _propriety_ of moving my son."

"Then I have nothing more to say," replied the physician, rising. "I
have already stated that his removal, if advisable in other respects,
would not be dangerous. Allow me to wish you good-evening."

Though Dr. Bayard's visit had highly irritated Madame de Gramont,
exultation prevailed over all other emotions.

Bertha had been present during the interview, and albeit she was filled
with grief at the prospect of Madeleine's sorrow and mortification, she
had not the moral courage to remonstrate.

The countess was up betimes on the morrow. It may be that her strength
had really returned; it may be that excitement supplied its place; but
there was no recurrence of the feebleness which she had not been able
wholly to conceal on the day previous. Before Bertha was dressed for
breakfast her aunt had sent to borrow her writing-desk (having no
correspondents, the countess did not travel with one of her own), and
Bertha experienced a heart-sickening foreboding at the request. When she
entered the drawing-room, Madame de Gramont was writing slowly and
elaborately, as though she were preparing some document which was to
pass into the hands of critical judges; but she never wrote in any other
manner. A hasty, impulsive, dashing off of words and ideas would have
lacked dignity. The whole character of the haughty lady might easily
have been read in the stiff but elegant hand, the formal and carefully
constructed phrases, the icy tenor of her simplest missive.

She folded the note, told Bertha where to find her seal with the de
Gramont arms, impressed it carefully upon the melted wax, desired Bertha
to ring the bell, and bade her send the note at once to Maurice. The
countess could not have stooped to name to the servant the residence of
the mantua-maker.

Though Madame de Gramont expected that her command would be instantly
obeyed, she was too little used to attend to household matters, or
bestow a thought upon the comfort of others, to give any orders
concerning her son's room, or even to reflect that additional care in
its preparation was needed for an invalid.

Count