resigned; far from that. He only laid siege from
a distance now, spending whole evenings in looking at her from afar,
absorbed in mute ecstasy. And at all times, incessantly and everywhere,
she met him, as if he had been her shadow, or as if he had been
condemned to breathe the air which had been displaced by her petticoats.
One would have thought him endowed with the gift of multiplying himself;
for he was inevitably seen wherever she was,--leaning against the
door-frame, or resting his elbow on the mantlepiece, his eyes fixed upon
her. And, when she did not see him, she felt his looks still weighing
her down. M. de Brevan, having been made aware of his importunate
attentions, seemed to check his indignation only with great difficulty.
Once or twice he spoke of calling out this wretched fellow (so he called
Sir Thorn); and, in order to quiet him, Henrietta had to repeat to him
over and over again, that, after such an encounter, he would no longer
be able to appear at the palace, and would thus deprive her of the only
friend to whom she could look for assistance.

He yielded; but he said after careful consideration,--

"This abominable persecution cannot go on, madam: this man compromises
you too dreadfully. You ought to lay your complaint before Count
Ville-Handry."

She decided to do so, not without great reluctance; but the count
stopped her at the first word she uttered.

"I think, my daughter, your vanity blinds you. Before M. Elgin, who
is one of the most eminent financiers in all Europe, should think of
a little insignificant person like you, he would look a long time
elsewhere."

"Permit me, father"--

"Stop! If you should, however, not deceive yourself, it would be the
greatest good luck for you, and an honor of which you ought to be very
proud indeed. Do you think it would be easy to find a husband for you,
after all the unpleasant talk to which you have given occasion?"

"I do not wish to marry, father."

"Of course not. However, as such a marriage would meet all my wishes, as
it would serve to tighten the bonds which unite us with this honorable
family (if M. Thomas Elgin should really have such intentions as
you mention), I should know, I think, how to force you to marry him.
However, I shall speak to him, and see."

He spoke to him indeed, and soon; for the very next morning the countess
and Mrs. Brian purposely went out, so as to leave Henrietta and Sir
Thorn alone. The honorable gentleman look