nd I wished to prepare Mademoiselle
Capello for his advent. By my advice and Gaston Cheverny's, she had
not mentioned to Madame Riano her acting in Jacques Haret's company in
the garden. There was no telling to what heights Madame Riano's wrath
might rise; she would be capable of wringing Jacques Haret's neck if
she had a good mind to, and as the thing was not suspected by any
except a few persons who had seen the last performance, it was
undoubtedly best to keep it quiet.

Francezka blushed a little at the mention of Jacques Haret's name. She
was fully sensible of her folly and danger in acting in his company,
but the follies of a young girl of fourteen are easily excused.
Scarcely had I spoken of Jacques Haret, when the door opened and the
gentleman himself appeared. He had come to pay his respects to Madame
Riano, to tell her the latest news of Paris, and, incidentally, to get
his supper. I understood why old Peter had put the extra place at the
table.

Jacques was better dressed than usual, and, as always, handsome and at
his ease. Madame Riano, who had ever a sneaking tolerance for the
fellow, received him civilly, as did the others present. Jacques Haret
speedily made it known that he had a whole budget of Paris news, but
would by no means tell one single item, until Madame Riano, driven
thereto by a raging curiosity, invited him to join us at supper.
Madame Riano could not forbear asking him. Jacques accepted with the
finest air in the world, seated himself with us and unfolded his
napkin. Old Peter's face shone with joy, and his usually melancholy
eyes were full of delight.

Once certain of a good supper, with excellent wine, Jacques Haret
opened his bundle of news. He told us everything that had happened at
Versailles. Old Cardinal Fleury's fall from power was much to Jacques
Haret's relief, and the cardinal's successor, Jacques thought, would
make no trouble about his coming to Paris, and if he were clapped in
prison, there would be at least a _lettre de cachet_ and the Bastille,
as became a gentleman and a remote connection of the Kirkpatricks, and
not the common prison of Paris; at which Madame Riano desired Peter to
see that Monsieur Haret's glass was kept filled. The king was getting
tired of being virtuous, Jacques told us, and now the cardinal was out
of the way, we might look for some gay doings. Mademoiselle Lecouvreur
was winning all hearts as ever at the Comedie Francaise, but her
health was visi