xamined one of my hairs through a microscope; if I had not been
disturbed I should have finished by this time."

"Continue your examination."

"It would take some time to do it thoroughly. If it is really the
pelagre, as I have reason to believe, tomorrow you will see me without
hair and beard. I would not hesitate, in spite of the astonishment that
my appearance would cause."

"What good will that do?"

"I cannot tell people that I had my hair and beard cut because I have a
parasitic disease. Every one knows it is contagious."

"When the hair is cut, what will become of the disease?"

"With energetic treatment it will rapidly disappear. Before long you may
embrace me if--you do not find me too ugly."

"O dearest!"

"And now for you; you have come from Madame Dammauville?"

He did not need to persist; Phillis accepted his story so readily that
he felt reassured on her side; she would not alarm herself about it. As
for others, the embarrassment of confessing a contagious malady would be
a sufficient explanation, if he were ever obliged to furnish one.

"What did she say to you?" he asked.

"Good and kind words to begin with, which show what an excellent woman
she is. After having presented myself twice at her house yesterday, you
understand that I was not quite easy on asking her to receive me again
to-day. As I tried to excuse myself, she said she was glad to see my
devotion to my brother, that I need never excuse myself for asking
her assistance, and that she would help me all she could. With this
encouragement I explained what we want her to do, but she did not appear
disposed to do it. Without giving her Monsieur Nougarede's reasons, I
said we were obliged to conform to the counsels of those who directed
the affair, and I begged her to help us. Finally she was won over,
but reluctantly, and said she would do as we wished. But she could
not assure me that her servants had not talked about it, nor could she
promise to leave her bed to go to court, for she had not left her room
for a year."

"Does she expect to be able to rise soon?"

"I repeat her words, to which I paid great attention in order not to
forget them: 'I am promised that I shall be better next year, but who
can tell? I will urge my doctor to give me an answer, and when you come
again I will tell you what he says.' Profiting by the door that she
opened to me, I kept the conversation on this doctor. It seems to me,
but I am not certain, that