for that--our
_affinite_, that our whole market of mat-_rim_-ony was not juz' in one
square of Royal; but presently, it break out like an epidemique, ammongs'
our chil'ren, to marry juz' accrozz and accrozz the street; a Beloiseau
to a Castanado, a Castanado to a Dubroca, and so forth--even fifth!" The
speaker smiled benignly. "Hah! many year' they work' my geniuz hard to
make iron candlestick'--orig-in-al diz-ign--for wedding-present'. The
moze of them, they marrie' without any romanze, egcep' what cann' be
av-oid', inside the heart, when both partie' are young, and in love
together, and not rich neither deztitute. But year biffo' laz' we have
the romanze of that daughter of Mme. Alexandre and son of De l'Isle and
son of Dubroca."

"Is that Melanie, whom you all mention so often but whom I've never seen?"

"Yes. Reason you don't see her---- But I'll tell you that. Mr.
Chezter, that would make a beautyful story to go with those other' in
that book of Mlle. Aline--but of co'se by changing those name', and by
preten'ing that happen' at Hong Kong, or Chicago, or Bogota. Presently
'tis too short, but you can easy mazk and coztume that in a splendid
rhetorique till it's plenty long enough."

"H'mm!" said Chester, wondering at the artisan's artlessness off his
beaten track. "Go on."

"Well, she's not beautyful, Melanie; same time she's not bad-looking and
she's kindess of the kind, and whoever she love'--her mother, for
example--and Mlle. Aline--tha'z pretty touching, to see with what an
inten-_city_ she love'.

"Now, what I tell you, tha'z a very sicret bitwin you and me. Biccause
even those Dubroca', _pere_ and _mere_, and those De l'Isle', _pere_ and
_mere_, they do' know _all_ that; and me I know that only from Castanado,
who know' it only from his wife; biccause she, she know' it only from
Mlle. Aline, and none of them know that I know egcep' those Castanado'.

"Well! sinze chilehood those three--Melanie, De l'Isle, Dubroca,--they
are playmate' together, and Dubroca he's always call' Melanie his
swit-heart. But De l'Isle, no. Always biffo', those De l'Isle they are
of the, eh, the _beau monde_ and though li'l' by li'l' losing their
fortune, keeping their frien', some of them rich, yet still ad the same
time nize people. And that young De l'Isle he's a good-looking,
well-behave', ambitiouz, and got--what you call--dash!

"That was the condition when they are all graduate' from school and go
each into