she had just met
Miss Ville-Handry in the street.

When the last name had been signed, nobody was, therefore, surprised
at seeing Count Ville-Handry give his arm to his wife, and hand her
hurriedly to her carriage,--a magnificent state-carriage. He had
invited some twenty people, former friends of his, to a great wedding-
breakfast; but he seemed to have forgotten them. And once in his
carriage, alone with Mrs. Brian, M. Elgin, and the young countess, he
broke forth in incoherent imprecations and absurd threatenings.

When they reached the palace, he did not wait for the coachman to drive
as usually around the yard, but jumped out, and, rushing up to the
vestibule, cried out,--

"Ernest! send Ernest here!"

Ernest was his own valet, the clever artist to whom he was indebted for
the roses of his complexion. As soon as he appeared, he asked,--

"Where is the young lady?"

"Gone out."

"When?"

"Immediately after you, sir."

The young countess, Mrs. Brian, and M. Elgin, had, in the meantime, come
up, and gone into the room in the lower story, where this scene took
place.

"Do you hear that?" he asked them.

Then, turning again to the valet, he asked,--

"How did it happen?"

"Very naturally. The gates had not been closed behind your carriage,
sir, when the young lady rang the bell. They went up to see what she
wanted, and she ordered the landau to be brought round. She was told
very respectfully, that all three coachmen were out, and that there was
no one there to drive her. 'If that be so,' she answered, 'I want you to
run and get me a hired carriage.' And, when the servant to whom she gave
the order hesitated, she added, 'If you do not go instantly, I shall go
myself.'"

The count trembled with rage.

"And then?" he asked, seeing that the man was hesitating.

"Then the servant was frightened, and did what she wanted."

"He is dismissed, the fool!" exclaimed Count Ville-Handry.

"But allow me to _say_," commenced Ernest.

"No! Let his wages be paid. And you go on."

Without showing any embarrassment, the valet shrugged his shoulders, and
continued in a lazy tone,--

"Then the hack came into the court-yard; and we saw the young lady
come down in a splendid toilet, such as we have never seen her wear
before,--not pretty exactly, but so conspicuous, that it must have
attracted everybody's attention. She settled herself coolly on the
cushions, while we looked at her, utterly amazed; and, when she