am of something far beyond that
pale-faced, excitable little Helvetian (by-the-by she has infinitely
more of the nervous, mobile Parisienne in her than of the the robust
'jungfrau'). Your Mdlle. Henri is in person "chetive", in mind "sans
caractere", compared with the queen of my visions. You, indeed, may put
up with that "minois chiffone"; but when I marry I must have straighter
and more harmonious features, to say nothing of a nobler and better
developed shape than that perverse, ill-thriven child can boast."

"Bribe a seraph to fetch you a coal of fire from heaven, if you will,"
said I, "and with it kindle life in the tallest, fattest, most boneless,
fullest-blooded of Ruben's painted women--leave me only my Alpine peri,
and I'll not envy you."

With a simultaneous movement, each turned his back on the other. Neither
said "God bless you;" yet on the morrow the sea was to roll between us.

CHAPTER XXV.

IN two months more Frances had fulfilled the time of mourning for her
aunt. One January morning--the first of the new year holidays--I went in
a fiacre, accompanied only by M. Vandenhuten, to the Rue Notre Dame aux
Neiges, and having alighted alone and walked upstairs, I found Frances
apparently waiting for me, dressed in a style scarcely appropriate to
that cold, bright, frosty day. Never till now had I seen her attired in
any other than black or sad-coloured stuff; and there she stood by the
window, clad all in white, and white of a most diaphanous texture; her
array was very simple, to be sure, but it looked imposing and festal
because it was so clear, full, and floating; a veil shadowed her head,
and hung below her knee; a little wreath of pink flowers fastened it
to her thickly tressed Grecian plait, and thence it fell softly on each
side of her face. Singular to state, she was, or had been crying; when
I asked her if she were ready, she said "Yes, monsieur," with something
very like a checked sob; and when I took a shawl, which lay on the
table, and folded it round her, not only did tear after tear course
unbidden down her cheek, but she shook to my ministration like a reed.
I said I was sorry to see her in such low spirits, and requested to
be allowed an insight into the origin thereof. She only said, "It was
impossible to help it," and then voluntarily, though hurriedly, putting
her hand into mine, accompanied me out of the room, and ran downstairs
with a quick, uncertain step, like one who was eager t