advice concerning what dress she should wear in a little play
of Scribe's, which was to be given at the house of Madame d'Avrigny--the
house in all Paris most addicted to private theatricals. This
reproduction of a forgotten play, with its characters attired in the
costume of the period in which the play was placed, had had great
success, a success due largely to the excellence of the costumes. In the
comic parts the dressing had been purposely exaggerated, but Madame de
Nailles, who played the part of a great coquette, would not have been
dressed in character had she not tried to make herself as bewitching as
possible.

Marien had shown her pictures of the beauties of 1840, painted by
Dubufe, and she had decided on a white gauze embroidered with gold, in
which, on that memorable evening, she had captured more than one heart,
and which had had its influence on the life and destiny of Marien. This
might have been seen in the vague glance of indignation with which he
now regarded it.

"Never," he thought, "was it half so pretty when worn by Madame de
Nailles as by her stepdaughter."

Jacqueline meantime went on talking.

"You must know--I was rather perplexed what to do--almost all mamma's
gowns made me look horribly too old. Modeste tried them on me one after
another. We burst out laughing, they seemed so absurd. And then we were
afraid mamma might chance to want the one I took. This old thing it was
not likely she would ask for. She had worn it only once, and then put
it away. The gauze is a little yellow from lying by, don't you think so?
But we asked my father, who said it was all right, that I should look
less dark in it, and that the dress was of no particular date, which was
always an advantage. These Grecian dresses are always in the fashion.
Ah! four years ago mamma was much more slender than she is now. But we
have taken it in--oh! we took it in a great deal under the arms, but we
had to let it down. Would you believe it?--I am taller than mamma--but
you can hardly see the seam, it is concealed by the gold embroidery."

"No matter for that. We shall only take a three-quarters' length," said
Marien.

"Oh, what a pity! No one will see I have a long skirt on. But I shall
be 'decolletee', at any rate. I shall wear a comb. No one would know the
picture for me--nobody!--You yourself hardly knew me--did you?"

"Not at first sight. You are much altered."

"Mamma will be amazed," said Jacqueline, clasping her ha