bitterly disappointed by his failure,
that he sold his property, and left the country. For the next three
years, he lived in Paris, more completely Maxime de Brevan than ever;
and then he met Sarah Brandon."

Papa Ravinet had been speaking now for nearly three hours, and he was
beginning to feel exhausted. He showed his weariness in his face;
and his voice very nearly gave out. Still it was in vain for Daniel,
Henrietta, and Mrs. Bertolle herself to unite in begging him to go and
lie down for a few moments.

"No," he replied, "I will go to the end. You do not know how important
it is that M. Champcey should be in a position to act to-morrow, or
rather to-day.

"It was at a fancy ball," he went on, "given by M. Planix, that Sarah
Brandon, at that time still known as Ernestine Bergot, and Justin
Chevassat, now Maxime de Brevan, met for the first time. He was
completely overpowered by her marvellous beauty, and she--she was
strangely impressed by the peculiar expression in Maxime's face. Perhaps
they divined each other's character, perhaps they had an intuitive
perception of who they were. At all events, they soon became acquainted,
drawn as they were to each other by an instinctive and irresistible
attraction. They danced several times together; they sat side by side;
they talked long and intimately; and, when the ball came to an end, they
were friends already.

"They met frequently; and, if it were not profanation, I would say they
loved each other. They seemed to be made on purpose to understand,
and, so to say, compliment, each other, equally corrupt as they were,
devoured by the same sinful desires, and alike free from all the
old-fashioned prejudices, as they called it, about justice, morals, and
honor. They could hardly help coming soon to some understanding by which
they agreed to associate their ambitions and their plans for the future.

"For in those early days, when their feelings were still undented, they
had no secrets for each other. Love had torn the mask from their faces;
and each one vied with the other in letting the foulness of their past
days be seen clearly. This, no doubt, secured, first the constancy of
their passion, and the continuation of their intimacy long after they
had ceased loving each other.

"For now they hate each other; but they are also afraid of each other.
Ten times they have tried to break off their intimacy; and as often they
have been compelled to renew it, bound as they fe