lifted and streaming eyes as the little black speck disappeared,
and the smiling serenity of the Duchess, as she presided in the
drawing-room, maintaining her supremacy over the other ladies, whose
dress and whose reading were guided by her taste, or joining in the
discussions between Laniboire and the young critic, and in the disputes
waged over the candidates for Loisillon's seat by Desminieres and
Danjou. Indeed, if the Prince d'Athis, the faithless Sammy, whose name
was in every one's thoughts, though on no one's lips, could have seen
her, he would have been mortified to find how small was the gap left in
a woman's life by his-absence, and how busy was the turmoil throughout
the royal castle of Mousseaux, where in all the long front there were
but three windows shut up, those belonging to what were called 'the
Prince's rooms.'

'She takes it well,' said Danjou the first evening. And neither little
Countess Foder, from whose massy lace protruded a very sharp inquisitive
little nose, nor sentimental Madame Desminieres, who had looked forward
to lamentations and confidences, could get over such amazing courage.
In truth they were as much amazed at her as if going to a long-expected
play they had found the house 'closed for the day'; while the men took
Ariadne's equanimity as an encouragement to would-be successors. The
real change in the Duchess's life lay in the attitude observed towards
her by all or nearly all the men; they were less reserved, more
sedulous, more eager to please her, and fluttered round her chair with
an obvious desire, not merely to merit her patronage, but to attract her
regard.

Never indeed had Maria Antonia been more beautiful. When she entered the
dining-room the tempered brilliancy of her complexion and her shoulders
in their light summer robe made a bright place at the table, even when
the Marquise de Roca Nera had come over from her neighbouring country
seat on the other side of the Loire. The Marquise was younger, but no
one would have thought so to look at them. Laniboire, the philosopher,
was strongly attracted to the Duchess. He was a widower, well on in
years, with heavy features and apoplectic complexion, but he did
his best to captivate his hostess by the display of a manly and
sportsmanlike activity which led him into occasional mishaps. One
day, in a boat, as he tried to make a great display of biceps over his
rowing, he fell into the river; another time, as he was prancing on
ho