ll upon beautiful
flowers and beautiful china, upon beautiful tapestry and pictures; and
it fell upon Madame the Viscountess, sitting at her embroidery. Madame
the Viscountess was not young, but she was not the least beautiful
object in those stately rooms. She had married into a race of nobles who
(themselves famed for personal beauty) had been scrupulous in the choice
of lovely wives. The late Viscount (for Madame was a widow) had been one
of the handsomest of the gay courtiers of his day; and Madame had not
been unworthy of him. Even now, though the roses on her cheeks were more
entirely artificial than they had been in the days of her youth, she was
like some exquisite piece of porcelain. Standing by the embroidery frame
was Madame's only child, a boy who, in spite of his youth, was already
Monsieur the Viscount. He also was beautiful. His exquisitely-cut mouth
had a curl which was the inheritance of scornful generations, but which
was redeemed by his soft violet eyes and by natural amiability reflected
on his face. His hair was cut square across the forehead, and fell in
natural curls behind. His childish figure had already been trained in
the fencing school, and had gathered dignity from perpetually treading
upon shallow steps and in lofty rooms. From the rosettes on his little
shoes to his _chapeau a plumes_, he also was like some porcelain figure.
Surely, such beings could not exist except in such a chateau as this,
where the very air (unlike that breathed by common mortals) had in the
ante-rooms a faint aristocratic odor, and was for yards round Madame the
Viscountess dimly suggestive of frangipani! Monsieur the Viscount did
not stay long by the embroidery frame; he was entertaining to-day a
party of children from the estate, and had come for the key of an old
cabinet of which he wished to display the treasures. When tired of this,
they went out on to the terrace, and one of the children who had not
been there before exclaimed at the beauty of the view.

"It is true," said the little Viscount, carelessly, "and all, as far as
you can see, is the estate."

"I will throw a stone to the end of your property, Monsieur," said one
of the boys, laughing; and he picked one off the walk, and stepping
back, flung it with all his little strength. The stone fell before it
had passed the fountains, and the failure was received with shouts of
laughter.

"Let us see who can beat that," they cried; and there was a general
se