e hotels, but he had
advanced no farther. He said to himself that it was absurd; then, taking
her again in his car he set off at fifty miles an hour quite prepared to
upset her in a ditch or to smash himself and her against a tree.

One day, having come to take her on some excursion, he found her more
charming than ever, and more provoking. He darted upon her as a storm
falls upon the reeds that border a lake. She bent with adorable weakness
beneath the breath of the storm, and twenty times was almost carried
away by its strength, but twenty times she arose, supple and, bowing to
the wind. After all these shocks one would have said that a light breeze
had barely touched her charming stem; she smiled as if ready to be
plucked by a bold hand. Then her unhappy aggressor, desperate, enraged,
and three parts mad, fled so as not to kill her, mistook the door, went
into the bedroom of Madame Clarence, whom he found putting on her hat in
front of a wardrobe, seized her, flung her on the bed, and possessed her
before she knew what had happened.

The same day Eveline, who had been making inquiries, learned that
Viscount Clena had nothing but debts, lived on money given him by an
elderly lady, and promoted the sale of the latest models of a motor-car
manufacturer. They separated with common accord and Eveline began again
disdainfully to serve tea to her mother's guests.

III. HIPPOLYTE CERES

In Madame Clarence's drawing-room the conversation turned upon love, and
many charming things were said about it.

"Love is a sacrifice," sighed Madame Cremeur.

"I agree with you," replied M. Boutourle with animation.

But Professor Haddock soon displayed his fastidious insolence.

"It seems to me," said he, "that the Penguin ladies have made a great
fuss since, through St. Mael's agency, they became viviparous. But there
is nothing to be particularly proud of in that, for it is a state they
share in common with cows and pigs, and even with orange and lemon
trees, for the seeds of these plants germinate in the pericarp."

"The self-importance which the Penguin ladies give themselves does not
go so far back as that," answered M. Boutourle. "It dates from the day
when the holy apostle gave them clothes. But this self-importance was
long kept in restraint, and displayed itself fully only with increased
luxury of dress and in a small section of society. For go only two
leagues from Alca into the country at harvest time, and you wi