ks sweet, and
she seems to know everything that is in the books. There is one
that just tells all about the artists; there are lots of hard words
in it, and one can only read a little of it at a time. Sometimes
she laughs at me, because I say I should like to be an artist, too.
I don't mean painting, but making some kind of thing beautifully.

"And often, when I read to her, I begin to wonder again how the
thoughts get into the book, and I can get them out again.

"I ought to leave off writing, Madame Chevillard says, so adieu,
Monsieur.--I am, your grateful friend,

"MADELEINE.

"_P.S._--Please throw away the slippers; do. I am making you a
surprise, and madame says it is going to be a much better piece of
work this time. I should so much like to tell you what it is, but
then, to be sure, it would not be a surprise.

"How nice you have Monsieur Felix staying with you; he is good.

"I am glad your cough is better, but do take care of yourself."

Ah, yes! we all wished he would take care of himself; but, alas! that
is just the thing he could not be induced to do. One would think that to
be in love with one woman, and just out of love with another, would be
fairly enough to occupy one man's mind; but it was not so with Claude.
He was working in his studio, in museums and libraries, all day long,
and of an evening he would study anatomy, as if he bad been qualifying
for a doctor. Pictures seemed constantly coming to him, like so many
mocking Will-o'-the-wisps, flitting before his eyes when they were open,
and twitting his worried brain when they were closed.

Madeleine's letters were always particularly quieting and soothing to
him, and he used to say that, when he wanted a rest, he liked to sit
down and write to her.

* * * * *

Not long after Claude's momentous visit to his uncle I had again to
leave Paris. It was a wrench to part with him just when he needed a
friend to help him through his joys and troubles, but duties of various
kinds called me back to Munich, so there was nothing for it but to say
good-bye. We felt it doubly, for we knew we were not to meet for some
time. Write we should, to be sure, we were always good correspondents;
and this time there was no need to assure one another that we should do
so often.

I started from the Gare du Nord.

"Good-bye then, old fellow! _Au revoir--adie