che at the
Theatre Francais in the old stock plays. A visitor was so rare that the
servant was putting his coat on when he opened a glass door with small
panes, on each side of which the smoke of a lamp had traced patterns on
the walls.

"A hall so magnificent as to be worthy of Versailles ended in a
staircase such as will never again be built in France, taking up as much
space as the whole of a modern house. As we went up the marble steps, as
cold as tombstones, and wide enough for eight persons to walk abreast,
our tread echoed under sonorous vaulting. The banister charmed the eye
by its miraculous workmanship--goldsmith's work in iron--wrought by the
fancy of an artist of the time of Henri III. Chilled as by an icy mantle
that fell on our shoulders, we went through ante-rooms, drawing-rooms
opening one out of the other, with carpetless parquet floors, and
furnished with such splendid antiquities as from thence would find their
way to the curiosity dealers. At last we reached a large study in a
cross wing, with all the windows looking into an immense garden.

"'Monsieur le Cure of the White Friars, and his nephew, Monsieur de
l'Hostal,' said Labranche, to whose care the other theatrical servant
had consigned us in the first ante-chamber.

"Comte Octave, dressed in long trousers and a gray flannel morning coat,
rose from his seat by a huge writing-table, came to the fireplace,
and signed to me to sit down, while he went forward to take my uncle's
hands, which he pressed.

"'Though I am in the parish of Saint-Paul,' said he, 'I could scarcely
have failed to hear of the Cure of the White Friars, and I am happy to
make his acquaintance.'

"'Your Excellency is most kind,' replied my uncle. 'I have brought to
you my only remaining relation. While I believe that I am offering a
good gift to your Excellency, I hope at the same time to give my nephew
a second father.'

"'As to that, I can only reply, Monsieur l'Abbe, when we shall have
tried each other,' said Comte Octave. 'Your name?' he added to me.

"'Maurice.'

"'He has taken his doctor's degree in law,' my uncle observed.

"'Very good, very good!' said the Count, looking at me from head to
foot. 'Monsieur l'Abbe, I hope that for your nephew's sake in the first
instance, and then for mine, you will do me the honor of dining here
every Monday. That will be our family dinner, our family party.'

"My uncle and the Count then began to talk of religion from the
pol