s. She did not put any restraint upon
herself any longer, but talked "from the bottom of her heart" with
her "dear little pussy-cat," as if she had been her own daughter.
The strange doctrines at which she had formerly only hinted, she now
proclaimed without reserve, boasting of an open kind of cynicism, which
betrayed a terrible moral perversity. It looked as if the horrible
Megsera had been deputed by Henrietta's enemies for the special purpose
of demoralizing and depraving her, if possible, and to drive her into
the brilliant and easy life of sin in which so many unhappy women
perish.

Fortunately, in this case, the messenger was ill-chosen. The eloquence
of Mrs. Chevassat, which very likely would have inflamed the imagination
of some poor but ambitious girl, caused nothing but disgust in
Henrietta's heart. She had gotten into the habit of thinking of other
things while the old woman was holding forth; and her noble soul floated
off to regions where these vulgarities could reach her no more.

Her life was, nevertheless, a very sad one. She never went out, spending
her days in her chamber, reading, or working at a great embroidery, a
masterpiece of patience and taste, which she had undertaken with a faint
hope that it might become useful in case of distress. But a new source
of trouble roused her soon after from this dull monotony. Her money
grew less and less; and at last the day came when she changed the last
gold-piece of her nine hundred francs. It became urgent to resort once
more to the pawnbroker; for these were the first days of April, and the
honeyed words of Mrs. Chevassat had given her to understand that she had
better get ready to pay on the 8th her rent, which amounted to a hundred
francs.

She intrusted therefore to the concierge the remaining ring to be
pawned. Calculating from the sum she had received for the first ring,
she hoped to obtain for this one, at the very least, five or six hundred
francs.

The concierge brought her one hundred and ninety francs.

At first, she was convinced the man had robbed her; and she gave him
to understand that she thought so. But he showed her the receipt in a
perfect rage.

"Look there," he said, "and remember to whom you are talking!"

On the receipt she read in fact these words: "Advanced, two hundred
francs." Convinced of the injustice of her accusations, Henrietta had to
make her apologies, and hardly succeeded by means of a ten-franc-piece
in soothing t