arism, by the by, from an
English play. I do not love the English enough to copy them. A propos,
what has become of ce beau Grarm Varn? I have not seen him of late."

"Neither have I."

"Nor the belle Italienne?"

"Nor her," said Alain, slightly blushing.

At this moment Enguerrand lounged into the room. Alain stopped Lemercier
to introduce him to his kinsman. "Enguerrand, I present to you M.
Lemercier, my earliest and one of my dearest friends."

The young noble held out his hand with the bright and joyous grace
which accompanied all his movements, and expressed in cordial words
his delight to make M. Lemercier's acquaintance. Bold and assured as
Frederic was in his own circles, he was more discomposed than set at
ease by the gracious accost of a lion, whom he felt at once to be of a
breed superior to his own. He muttered some confused phrases, in which
ravi and flatte were alone audible, and evanished.

"I know M. Lemercier by sight very well," said Enguerrand, seating
himself. "One sees him very often in the Bois; and I have met him in
the Coulisses and the Bal Mabille. I think, too, that he plays at the
Bourse, and is lie with M. Duplessis, who bids fair to rival Louvier one
of these days. Is Duplessis also one of your dearest friends?"

"No, indeed. I once met him, and was not prepossessed in his favour."

"Nevertheless, he is a man much to be admired and respected."

"Why so?"

"Because he understands so well the art of making what we all
covet,--money. I will introduce you to him."

"I have been already introduced."

"Then I will re-introduce you. He is much courted in a society which I
have recently been permitted by my father to frequent,--the society, of
the Imperial Court."

"You frequent that society, and the Count permits it?"

"Yes; better the Imperialists than the Republicans; and my father begins
to own that truth, though he is too old or too indolent to act on it."

"And Raoul?"

"Oh, Raoul, the melancholy and philosophical Raoul, has no ambition
of any kind, so long as--thanks somewhat to me--his purse is always
replenished for the wants of his stately existence, among the foremost
of which wants are the means to supply the wants of others. That is the
true reason why he consents to our glove-shop. Raoul belongs, with some
other young men of the Faubourg, to a society enrolled under the name
of Saint Francois de Sales, for the relief of the poor. He visits their
houses, and is at ho