on. And then every
one among her friends whom I have met at her house or elsewhere, every
one who has shown me the minimum of politeness, every duke of them and
his wife. And then all my friends, without exception: Miss Kitty Upjohn,
Miss Dora Finch, General Packard, C. P Hatch, and all the rest.
And every one shall know what it is about, that is, to celebrate my
engagement to the Countess de Cintre. What do you think of the idea?"

"I think it is odious!" said Mrs. Tristram. And then in a moment: "I
think it is delicious!"

The very next evening Newman repaired to Madame de Bellegarde's salon.
where he found her surrounded by her children, and invited her to honor
his poor dwelling by her presence on a certain evening a fortnight
distant.

The marquise stared a moment. "My dear sir," she cried, "what do you
want to do to me?"

"To make you acquainted with a few people, and then to place you in a
very easy chair and ask you to listen to Madame Frezzolini's singing."

"You mean to give a concert?"

"Something of that sort."

"And to have a crowd of people?"

"All my friends, and I hope some of yours and your daughter's. I want to
celebrate my engagement."

It seemed to Newman that Madame de Bellegarde turned pale. She opened
her fan, a fine old painted fan of the last century, and looked at
the picture, which represented a fete champetre--a lady with a guitar,
singing, and a group of dancers round a garlanded Hermes.

"We go out so little," murmured the marquis, "since my poor father's
death."

"But MY dear father is still alive, my friend," said his wife. "I am
only waiting for my invitation to accept it," and she glanced with
amiable confidence at Newman. "It will be magnificent; I am very sure of
that."

I am sorry to say, to the discredit of Newman's gallantry, that this
lady's invitation was not then and there bestowed; he was giving all his
attention to the old marquise. She looked up at last, smiling. "I can't
think of letting you offer me a fete," she said, "until I have offered
you one. We want to present you to our friends; we will invite them all.
We have it very much at heart. We must do things in order. Come to me
about the 25th; I will let you know the exact day immediately. We shall
not have any one so fine as Madame Frezzolini, but we shall have some
very good people. After that you may talk of your own fete." The old
lady spoke with a certain quick eagerness, smiling more agreeably as she