who has suddenly appeared from no one
knows where, who is making a costume of Catherine de Medici's maid of
honor; and it is to be a marvel of beauty."

Excessive suffering brings with it a sort of dull insensibility and
stupor; and Prosper thought that there was nothing left to be inflicted
upon him, and had reached that state of impassibility from which he
never expected to be aroused, when this last remark of M. de Lagors made
him cry out with pain:

"Madeleine! Oh, Madeleine!"

M. de Lagors, pretending not to have heard him, rose from his chair, and
said:

"I must leave you now, my dear Prosper; on Saturday I will see these
ladies at the ball, and will bring you news of them. Now, do have
courage, and remember that, whatever happens, you have a friend in me."

Raoul shook Prosper's hand, closed the door after him, and hurried
up the street, leaving Prosper standing immovable and overcome by
disappointment.

He was aroused from his gloomy revery by hearing the red-whiskered man
say, in a bantering tone:

"So these are your friends."

"Yes," said Prosper with bitterness. "You heard him offer me half his
fortune?"

M. Verduret shrugged his shoulders with an air of compassion.

"That was very stingy on his part," he said, "why did he not offer the
whole? Offers cost nothing; although I have no doubt that this sweet
youth would cheerfully give ten thousand francs to put the ocean between
you and him."

"Monsieur! what reason?"

"Who knows? Perhaps for the same reason that he had not set foot in his
uncle's house for a month."

"But that is the truth, monsieur, I am sure of it."

"Naturally," said M. Verduret with a provoking smile. "But," he
continued with a serious air, "we have devoted enough time to this
Adonis. Now, be good enough to change your dress, and we will go and
call on M. Fauvel."

This proposal seemed to stir up all of Prosper's anger.

"Never!" he exclaimed with excitement, "no, never will I voluntarily set
eyes on that wretch!"

This resistance did not surprise M. Verduret.

"I can understand your feelings toward him," said he, "but at the same
time I hope you will change your mind. For the same reason that I wished
to see M. de Lagors, do I wish to see M. Fauvel; it is necessary, you
understand. Are you so very weak that you cannot put a constraint upon
yourself for five minutes? I shall introduce myself as one of your
relatives, and you need not open your lips."

"If it is p