tuously an ouvrier's mistress. Then, though before I was only a
Republican, I felt there was something wrong in society which needed
a greater change than that of a merely political government; and then,
too, when I was all troubled and sore, I chanced to read one of Madame
de Grantmesnil's books. A glorious genius that woman's!"

"She has genius, certainly," said Graham, with a keen pang at his
heart,--Madame de Grantmesnil, the dearest friend of Isaura! "But," he
added, "though I believe that eloquent author has indirectly assailed
certain social institutions, including that of marriage, I am perfectly
persuaded that she never designed to effect such complete overthrow
of the system which all civilized communities have hitherto held in
reverence as your doctrines would attempt; and, after all, she but
expresses her ideas through the medium of fabulous incidents and
characters. And men of your sense should not look for a creed in the
fictions of poets and romance-writers."

"Ah," said Monnier, "I dare say neither Madame de Grantmesnil nor even
Rousseau ever even guessed the ideas they awoke in their readers; but
one idea leads on to another. And genuine poetry and romance touch
the heart so much more than dry treatises. In a word, Madame de
Grantmesnil's book set me thinking; and then I read other books, and
talked with clever men, and educated myself. And so I became the man I
am." Here, with a self-satisfied air, Monnier bowed to the Englishman,
and joined a group at the other end of the room.

The next evening, just before dusk, Graham Vane was seated musingly in
his own apartment in the Faubourg Montmartre, when there came a slight
knock at his door. He was so wrapped in thought that he did not hear
the sound, though twice repeated. The door opened gently, and M. Lebeau
appeared on the threshold. The room was lighted only by the gas-lamp
from the street without.

Lebeau advanced through the gloom, and quietly seated himself in the
corner of the fireplace opposite to Graham before he spoke. "A thousand
pardons for disturbing your slumbers, Monsieur Lamb."

Startled then by the voice so near him, Graham raised his head, looked
round, and beheld very indistinctly the person seated so near him.

"Monsieur Lebeau?"

"At your service. I promise to give an answer to your question; accept
my apologies that it has been deferred so long. I shall not this evening
go to our cafe. I took the liberty of calling--"

"Mon