time,
that in resigning your own happiness you may destroy Isaura's. She will
wed another, but she will not be happy. What a chimera or dread your
egotism as man conjures up! Oh! forsooth, the qualities that charm and
delight a world are to unfit a woman to be helpmate to a man. Fie on
you!--fie!"

Whatever answer Graham might have made to these impassioned reproaches
was here checked.

Two men on horseback stopped the carriage. One was Enguerrand de
Vandemar, the other was the Algerine Colonel whom we met at the supper
given at the Maison Doree by Frederic Lemercier.

"Pardon, Madame Morley," said Enguerrand; "but there are symptoms of a
mob-epidemic a little further up the fever began at Belleville, and is
threatening the health of the Champs Elysees. Don't be alarmed--it may
be nothing, though it may be much. In Paris, one can never calculate
an hour beforehand the exact progress of a politico-epidemic fever. At
present I say, 'Bah! a pack of ragged boys, gamins de Paris;' but my
friend the Colonel, twisting his moustache en souriant amerement, says,
'It is the indignation of Paris at the apathy of the Government under
insult to the honour of France;' and Heaven only knows how rapidly
French gamins grow into giants when Colonels talk about the indignation
of Paris and the honour of France!"

"But what has happened?" asked Mrs. Morley, turning to the Colonel.

"Madame," replied the warrior, "it is rumoured that the King of Prussia
has turned his back upon the ambassador of France; and that the pekin
who is for peace at any price--M. Ollivier--will say tomorrow in the
Chamber, that France submits to a slap in the face."

"Please, Monsieur de Vandemar, to tell my coachman to drive home," said
Mrs. Morley.

The carriage turned and went homeward. The Colonel lifted his hat, and
rode back to see what the gamins were about. Enguerrand, who had no
interest in the gamins, and who looked on the Colonel as a bore, rode by
the side of the carriage.

"Is there anything serious in this?" asked Mrs. Morley.

"At this moment, nothing. What it may be this hour to-morrow I cannot
say. Ah! Monsieur Vane, bon jour I did not recognise you at first. Once,
in a visit at the chateau of one of your distinguished countrymen, I saw
two game-cocks turned out facing each other: they needed no pretext for
quarrelling--neither do France and Prussia--no matter which game-cock
gave the last offence, the two game-cocks must have it out. A