ass upon your time, if
it is disagreeable; perhaps the servant will accommodate me with a chair
elsewhere?"

I requested that he would be seated, as there was no fire in any other
room, and he took a chair. He was a Frenchman, speaking good English,
but he soon discovered that I was his countrywoman, and the conversation
was carried on in French. He informed me that he was the Comte de
Chavannes. But I must describe him. He was rather small in stature,
but elegantly made; his features were, if anything, effeminate, but very
handsome; they would have been handsome in a woman. The effeminacy,
was, however, relieved by a pair of moustaches, soft, silky, and
curling. His manners were peculiarly fascinating, and his conversation
lively and full of point. I was much pleased with him during the half
hour that we were together, during which we had kept up the conversation
with much spirit. The arrival of Monsieur Gironac put an end to our
_tete-a-tete_, and having arranged his business with him, which was
relative to some flute-music which the Comte wished to be published,
after a few minutes more conversation, he took his leave.

"Now there's a man that I would select for your husband, Valerie," said
Monsieur Gironac, after the Comte had left. "Is he not a very agreeable
fellow?"

"Yes he is," I replied, "he is very entertaining and very well-bred.
Who is he?"

"His history is told in few words," replied Monsieur Gironac. "His
father emigrated with the Bourbons; but, unlike most of those who
emigrated, he neither turned music-teacher, dancing-master,
hair-dresser, nor teacher of the French language. He had a little
money, and he embarked in commerce. He went as super-cargo, and then as
travelling partner in a house to America, the Havannah, and the West
Indies; and, after having crossed the Atlantic about twenty times in the
course of the late war, he amassed a fortune of about 40,000 pounds. At
the restoration, he went to Paris, resumed his title, which he had laid
aside during his commercial course, was well received by Louis XVIII,
and made a Colonel of the Legion of Honour. He returned to this country
to settle his affairs, previous to going down to Brittany, and died
suddenly, leaving the young man you have just seen, who is his only son
and heir, alone on the wide world, and with a good fortune as soon as he
came of age. At the time of his father's death, he was still at school.
Now he is twenty-four