"I can connect no idea of woman's frailty with that refined and
intellectual face," said Traverse coldly.

"Ah, bah! you are young! you know not the world! you, my innocent, my
pious young friend!" said the old doctor, as they crossed the hall to
go into the next wing of the building, in which were situated the men's
wards.

Traverse found nothing that particularly interested him in this
department, and when they had concluded their round of visits and were
seated together in the old doctor's study, Traverse asked him for the
story of his beautiful patient.

The doctor shrugged his shoulders.

"It is a story miserable, as I told you before. A gentleman,
illustrious, from Virginia, an officer high in the army, and
distinguished in the war, he brought this woman to me nearly three
years ago. He informed me that--oh, bien! I had better tell you the
story in my own manner. This young lady, Mademoiselle Mont de St.
Pierre, is of a family noble and distinguished--a relative of this
officer, illustrious and brave. At fifteen Mademoiselle met a man,
handsome and without honor. Ah, bah! you understand! at sixteen the
child became a fallen angel! She lost her reason through sorrow and
shame. This relative--this gentleman, illustrious and noble, tender and
compassionate--took her to the seclusion of his country house, where
she lived in elegance, luxury and honor. But as the years passed her
malady increased; her presence became dangerous; in a word, the
gentleman, distinguished and noble, saw the advertisement of my 'Calm
Retreat,' my institution incomparable, and he wrote to me. In a word,
he liked my terms and brought to me his young relative, so lovely and
so unfortunate. Ah! he is a good man, this officer, so gallant, so
chivalrous; but she is ungrateful!"

"Ungrateful!"

"Ah, bah! yes; it is the way of lunatics! They ever imagine their best
friends to be their worst enemies. The poor, crazed creature fancies
that she is the sister-in-law of this officer illustrious! She thinks
that she is the widow of his elder brother, whom she imagines he
murdered, and that she is the mother of children, whom she says he has
abducted or destroyed, so that he may enjoy the estate that is her
widow's dower and their orphans' patrimony. That is the reason why she
insists on being called madame instead of mademoiselle, and we indulge
her when we think of it!"

"But all this is very singular!"

"Ah, bah! who can account for a lunatic