s a weakness for
champagne and burgundy?'--'I fear so,' said the marchioness.--'Then,
monseigneur, we are saved. I invite the marquis to supper, with a dozen
of mauvais sujets and charming women. You send Dubois.'--'What! Dubois?'
asked the regent.

"'Certainly; one of us must remain sober. As Dubois cannot drink, he
must undertake to make the marquis drink; and when everybody is under
the table, he can take him away from us and do what he likes with him.
The rest depends on the coachman.'--'Did I not tell you, marchioness,'
said the regent, 'that Richelieu would give us good advice? Stop, duke,'
continued he; 'you must leave off wandering round certain palaces; leave
the old lady to die quietly at St. Cyr, the lame man to rhyme at Sceaux,
and join yourself with us. I will give you, in my cabinet, the place of
that old fool D'Axelles; and affairs will not perhaps be injured by
it.'--'I dare say,' answered I. 'The thing is impossible; I have other
plans.'--'Obstinate fellow!' murmured the regent."

"And Monsieur de Parabere?" asked the Chevalier d'Harmental, curious to
know the end of the story.--"Oh! everything passed as we arranged it. He
went to sleep at my house, and awoke at his wife's. He made a great
noise, but there was no longer any possibility of crying scandal. His
carriage had stopped at his wife's hotel, and all the servants saw him
enter. He was reconciled in spite of himself. If he dares again to
complain of his beautiful wife, we will prove to him, as clearly as
possible, that he adores her without knowing it; and that she is the
most innocent of women--also without his knowing it."

"Chevalier!" at this moment a sweet and flute-like voice whispered in
D'Harmental's ear, while a little hand rested on his arm.

"You see that I am wanted."

"I will let you go on one condition."

"What is it?"

"That you will tell my story to this charming bat, charging her to tell
it to all the night-birds of her acquaintance."

"I fear," said D'Harmental, "I shall not have time."

"Oh! so much the better for you," replied the duke, freeing the
chevalier, whom till then he had held by the coat; "for then you must
have something better to say."

And he turned on his heel, to take the arm of a domino, who, in passing,
complimented him on his adventure. D'Harmental threw a rapid glance on
the mask who accosted him, in order to make sure that it was the one
with whom he had a rendezvous, and was satisfied on seeing