into that--What do you call that place, where able-bodied young
men, strong and fit for work, sit all day drawing mannikins! _Une vraie
fabrique de bonshommes! En voila un metier!_"

The same evening l'oncle Auguste was holding forth to some friends he
had invited to sit at his feet and at his whist-table--

"Now mark my words, messieurs; we are going to make an artist of that
nephew of mine, and one who will surprise the world. He has been
received first on a list of I don't know how many hundreds of students
at the Life Class of the Ecole des Beaux Arts. _Oui, messieurs_, art is
an heirloom in our family; we hand it down from generation to
generation."

But differences of opinion on the merits of the artistic career led to
no more than skirmishes; the real tug-of-war between the Duponts, father
and son on the one hand, and l'oncle Auguste on the other, came when
they exchanged their views on matrimonial alliances. The former to be
sure looked upon the tying of the nuptial knot from the ideal point of
view; the latter very strongly held the belief that a young man should
marry money, and should do so early in life.

"Suppose now," he would argue, "you mean to marry 100,000 francs, why
put it off till you are twenty-six or twenty-eight? Why lose the
interest of your money for so many years?"

"But perhaps, uncle, my lady-love is still in the nursery, and I must
wait awhile till I can declare my undying affection. Yes, I believe she
is only just beginning to play the piano, and I really cannot take her
till she has done practising her scales, you know. Besides, her father
has only lately started collecting the 100,000 francs, and I think he
has not got further than 3500."

"God forbid, unhappy boy, that you should be led away to paint one of
your classical haloes round the head of some such unfledged chicken,
blessed with a fond and shabby father. Remember, young man, you have two
things to look forward to that can set you up in this world--matrimony
and expectations; expectations and matrimony--and don't forget that in
my mind they are very closely connected."

"Don't be angry, my dear uncle, and don't worry till there is cause. As
for the 'dot,' I suppose I could do with 100,000 francs as well as any
other fellow who has got to take a _bel appartement orne de glaces_, and
to put himself into his furniture. But surely you, who know the value of
skins, you wouldn't want me to sell mine, with what is inside in the