e-Cristo had
gone, Esperance felt like a child deprived of its mother.

A bell rang, announcing a visitor.

He passed his hand over his brow. Then addressing the dear portraits
once more, "Beloved mother!" he murmured, "give me your enthusiasm and
your delicacy, and, my father, give me strength and courage. God grant
that I may be worthy of you both!"

He went to the window, and gazed up at the blue sky with an expression
that was almost mystical. Then he closed the room, and returned to his
chamber.

Coucon appeared bearing two cards on a silver tray.

Esperance looked at the cards, and uttered an exclamation of joy.

"Lay two more covers," he said, "I will come down at once."

CHAPTER XLVI.

FORWARD!

Esperance hurried down, and in the dining-room, a marvel of marqueterie
and mosaic, was a young man.

"My dear Goutran," he said, as the stranger advanced to meet him, "I
cannot tell you how obliged I am for this visit."

This Goutran, Goutran Sabrau, was a tall young fellow of about
twenty-five, with blonde hair and a frank face. He was a painter, and
had already attained some celebrity.

"Upon my word, this is a welcome worth having," said Goutran. "But what
is going on here, you do not look like yourself. Your eyes are much
brighter than usual. Have you not some secret to confide to me?"

The two young men took their seats at a table, laid with great elegance.

"No. I have no secrets," answered Esperance, "and I am unaware of any
change."

"And yet the very tones of your voice are altered."

Esperance interrupted his friend with some impatience.

"Never mind that! I assure you that so far from having anything pleasant
to communicate, I am out of spirits. My father has gone away."

Goutran looked at him with some surprise.

The intimacy between these young men had begun by Esperance wishing to
buy a picture of Goutran's, which had obtained a great success at the
Salon. The picture was of a gipsy girl playing a violin and dancing.
Bertuccio went to the painter's studio, and offered an enormous sum for
the picture, which was refused by Goutran. Accustomed to the
gratification of all his caprices, he went himself to the studio. But
the young man replied:

"You offer me, sir, twenty thousand francs for a canvas for which a
picture dealer would not give me fifty louis, and yet I refuse. At the
same time I am immensely flattered, and feel that I owe you an
explanation. The picture is dear to