are facetious, my friend," said Papiol.

But in the next moment the lady opposite had raised her eyes, showing
that strange double look which had been so characteristic of Madame
Arles, and poor Papiol was himself fearfully distraught.

"It's true! It's true, _mon ami_!" he whispered his friend. "It's
Julie!--_elle meme_,--Julie!"

Maverick, too, had met that glance, and he trembled like a leaf. He
gazed upon the stranger like one who sees a spectre. And she met his
glance, boldly at the first; then the light faded from her eyes, her
head drooped, and she fell in a swoon upon the shoulder of her
companion.

THE CHIMNEY-CORNER FOR 1866.

II.

THE TRANSITION.

"The fact is, my dear," said my wife, "that you have thrown a stone into
a congregation of blackbirds, in writing as you have of our family wars
and wants. The response comes from all parts of the country, and the
task of looking over and answering your letters becomes increasingly
formidable. Everybody has something to say,--something to propose."

"Give me a _resume_," said I.

"Well," said my wife, "here are three pages from an elderly gentleman,
to the effect that women are not what they used to be,--that daughters
are a great care and no help,--that girls have no health and no energy
in practical life,--that the expense of maintaining a household is so
great that young men are afraid to marry,--and that it costs more now
per annum to dress one young woman than it used to cost to carry a
whole family of sons through college. In short, the poor old gentleman
is in a desperate state of mind, and is firmly of opinion that society
is going to ruin by an express train."

"Poor old fellow!" said I, "the only comfort I can offer him is what I
take myself,--that this sad world will last out our time at least. Now
for the next."

"The next is more concise and spicy," said my wife. "I will read it.

"'_Christopher Crowfield, Esq._,

"'SIR,--If you want to know how American women are to be
brought back to family work, I can tell you a short method. Pay
them as good wages for it as they can make in any other way. I
get from seven to nine dollars a week in the shop where I work;
if I could make the same in any good family, I should have no
objection to doing it.

"'Your obedient servant,

"'LETITIA.'"

"My correspondent Letitia does not tell me," said I, "how much of this
seven or nine dollars she pays