ers with marriageable daughters, and the desolation of husbands
with attractive wives.

He was immediately followed by M. de Kercadiou, in completest contrast.
On legs of the shortest, the Lord of Gavrillac carried a body that at
forty-five was beginning to incline to corpulence and an enormous head
containing an indifferent allotment of intelligence. His countenance
was pink and blotchy, liberally branded by the smallpox which had almost
extinguished him in youth. In dress he was careless to the point
of untidiness, and to this and to the fact that he had never
married--disregarding the first duty of a gentleman to provide himself
with an heir--he owed the character of misogynist attributed to him by
the countryside.

After M. de Kercadiou came M. de Vilmorin, very pale and self-contained,
with tight lips and an overcast brow.

To meet them, there stepped from the carriage a very elegant young
gentleman, the Chevalier de Chabrillane, M. de La Tour d'Azyr's
cousin, who whilst awaiting his return had watched with considerable
interest--his own presence unsuspected--the perambulations of Andre-Louis
and mademoiselle.

Perceiving Aline, M. de La Tour d'Azyr detached himself from the others,
and lengthening his stride came straight across the terrace to her.

To Andre-Louis the Marquis inclined his head with that mixture of
courtliness and condescension which he used. Socially, the young lawyer
stood in a curious position. By virtue of the theory of his birth, he
ranked neither as noble nor as simple, but stood somewhere between the
two classes, and whilst claimed by neither he was used familiarly
by both. Coldly now he returned M. de La Tour d'Azyr's greeting, and
discreetly removed himself to go and join his friend.

The Marquis took the hand that mademoiselle extended to him, and bowing
over it, bore it to his lips.

"Mademoiselle," he said, looking into the blue depths of her eyes, that
met his gaze smiling and untroubled, "monsieur your uncle does me the
honour to permit that I pay my homage to you. Will you, mademoiselle,
do me the honour to receive me when I come to-morrow? I shall have
something of great importance for your ear."

"Of importance, M. le Marquis? You almost frighten me." But there was
no fear on the serene little face in its furred hood. It was not
for nothing that she had graduated in the Versailles school of
artificialities.

"That," said he, "is very far from my design."

"But of impor