yself what the object was, and then, suddenly, I
perceived Madame Bouvet coming towards me in evident agitation. She sank
into the chair beside me.

"If I had four hundred livres," she said, "if I had four hundred livres!"

"And what then?" I asked.

"Monsieur," she said, "a terrible thing has happened. Auguste de
Saint-Gre--"

"Auguste de Saint-Gre!" I exclaimed.

"He is the son of that Monsieur de Saint-Gre of whom we spoke," she
answered, "a wild lad, a spendthrift, a gambler, if you like. And yet he
is a Saint-Gre, Monsieur, and I cannot refuse him. It is the miniature
of Mademoiselle Helene de Saint-Gre, the daughter of the Marquis, sent to
Mamselle 'Toinette, his sister, from France. How he has obtained it I
know not."

"Ah!" I exclaimed sharply, the explanation of the scene of which I had
been a witness coming to me swiftly. The rascal had wrenched it from her
in the gallery and fled.

"Monsieur," continued Madame, too excited to notice my interruption, "if
I had four hundred livres I would buy it of him, and Monsieur de
Saint-Gre pere would willingly pay it back in the morning."

I reflected. I had a letter in my pocket to Monsieur de Saint-Gre, the
sum was not large, and the act of Monsieur Auguste de Saint-Gre in every
light was detestable. A rising anger decided me, and I took a wallet
from my pocket.

"I will buy the miniature, Madame," I said.

She looked at me in astonishment.

"God bless you, Monsieur," she cried; "if you could see Mamselle
'Toinette you would pay twice the sum. The whole town loves her.
Monsieur Auguste, Monsieur Auguste!" she shouted, "here is a gentleman
who will buy your miniature."

The six young men stopped talking and stared at me With one accord.
Madame arose, and I followed her down the room towards them, and, had it
not been for my indignation, I should have felt sufficiently ridiculous.
Young Monsieur de Saint-Gre came forward with the good-natured, easy
insolence to which he had been born, and looked me over.

"Monsieur is an American," he said.

"I understand that you have offered this miniature for four hundred
livres," I said.

"It is the Jew's price," he answered; "mais pardieu, what will you?" he
added with a shrug, "I must have the money. Regardez, Monsieur, you have
a bargain. Here is Mademoiselle Helene de Saint-Gre, daughter of my lord
the Marquis of whom I have the honor to be a cousin," and he made a bow.
"It is by the famous court painter, Josep