it received a generous addition of air and light on that side
of the mansion which formerly had been shut in.

The Duke lived there in considerable state. His electors, faithful in all
things, had made of their deputy a senator who sat in the Luxembourg, in
virtue of the Republican Constitution, as he would have sat as a peer of
France had the legitimate monarchy followed its course. He was a great
lord in the true meaning of the word: gracious to the humble, affable
among his equals, inclined, among the throng of new families, to take the
part of the disinherited against that of the usurpers.

In Mademoiselle de Prerolles he had found a companion animated with the
same sentiments, and the charitable organization, meeting again at the
Duchess's residence, on the day following the revival of 'Adrienne
Lecouvreuer', to appoint officers for the Industrial Orphan Asylum, could
not have chosen a president more worthy or more devoted.

Besides such austere patronesses as Madame Desvanneaux and her daughter,
the organization included several persons belonging to the world of
fashion, such as Madame de Lisieux and Madame de Nointel, whose influence
was the more effective because their circle of acquaintance was more
extensive. The gay world often fraternizes willingly with those who are
interested in philanthropic works.

The founders of the Industrial Orphan Asylum intended that the
institution should harbor, bring up, and instruct as great a number as
possible of the children of infirm or deceased laborers.

The secretary, M. Andre Desvanneaux, churchwarden of Ste.-Clotilde, as
was his father before him, and in addition a Roman count, had just
finished his address, concluding by making the following double
statement: First, the necessity for combining all available-funds for the
purchase of the land required, and for the building of the asylum itself;
second, to determine whether the institution could be maintained by the
annual resources of the organization.

"I should like to observe," said the Duchesse de Montgeron, "that the
first of these two questions is the only order of the day. Not counting
the purchase of the land, the architect's plan calls for an estimate of
five hundred thousand francs in round numbers."

"And we have on hand--" said the Comtesse de Lisieux.

"One hundred and sixty-odd thousand francs from the first subscriptions,"
said M. Desvanneaux. "It has been decided that the work shall not begin
un