ne, seemed on a lower plane. Mathias
showed his superior knowledge of life by the reserved manner with which
he accosted Paul. Without compromising his white hairs, he showed that
he respected the young man's nobility, while at the same time he claimed
the honor due to old age, and made it felt that social rights are
natural. Solonet's bow and greeting, on the contrary, expressed a sense
of perfect equality, which would naturally affront the pretensions of
a man of society and make the notary ridiculous in the eyes of a
real noble. Solonet made a motion, somewhat too familiar, to Madame
Evangelista, inviting her to a private conference in the recess of
a window. For some minutes they talked to each other in a low voice,
giving way now and then to laughter,--no doubt to lessen in the minds of
others the importance of the conversation, in which Solonet was really
communicating to his sovereign lady the plan of battle.

"But," he said, as he ended, "will you have the courage to sell your
house?"

"Undoubtedly," she replied.

Madame Evangelista did not choose to tell her notary the motive of this
heroism, which struck him greatly. Solonet's zeal might have cooled had
he known that his client was really intending to leave Bordeaux. She had
not as yet said anything about that intention to Paul, in order not to
alarm him with the preliminary steps and circumlocutions which must be
taken before he entered on the political life she planned for him.

After dinner the two plenipotentiaries left the loving pair with
the mother, and betook themselves to an adjoining salon where their
conference was arranged to take place. A dual scene then followed on
this domestic stage: in the chimney-corner of the great salon a scene of
love, in which to all appearances life was smiles and joy; in the other
room, a scene of gravity and gloom, where selfish interests, baldly
proclaimed, openly took the part they play in life under flowery
disguises.

"My dear master," said Solonet, "the document can remain under your lock
and key; I know very well what I owe to my old preceptor." Mathias bowed
gravely. "But," continued Solonet, unfolding the rough copy of a deed he
had made his clerk draw up, "as we are the oppressed party, I mean the
daughter, I have written the contract--which will save you trouble. We
marry with our rights under the rule of community of interests; with
general donation of our property to each other in case of death without