hus a real treat for Uncle Richard
to see the magistrate, with all his aplomb, writhe under Delphin's
adroit and sarcastic rejoinders. Aalbom, on the other hand, was not so
well bred, and often, therefore, broke through conventionalities, to the
great delight of both the _attache_ and the magistrate.

Uncle Richard had on this occasion led the conversation in a direction
which he knew would be at the same time entertaining and interesting.
The subject was the position of the country with regard to other
nations. Mr. Hiorth had been in Paris under Louis Philippe, and Delphin
had two years previously made a summer tour through Europe, while the
schoolmaster had been at the University of Copenhagen. Delphin's account
of his travels was most animated, and culminated in the greatest
admiration for Paris. The magistrate maintained that Paris was a
dangerous, restless, and vicious town. This was the result of his
observation in 1847, and it was generally allowed that since that time
it had become even worse. Aalbom vainly tried to get in something about
Thorwaldsen's museum.

The conversation began to get lively. The _attache_ distributed his aid
with the greatest impartiality, and winked knowingly at Delphin, when to
all appearances he had quite gone over to the magistrate's side. Each
point as it arose was discussed with the greatest eagerness, until they
arrived at woman's position in society. The magistrate was very strong
on the subject of French immorality, but he was unluckily obliged to
curtail his remarks on account of the ladies. Aalbom, who was able to
take up a firm position on the ground of his acquaintance with "The
Origin and History of the French Language," came to the assistance of
his friend with a string of the most frightful quotations from Rabelais
to Zola. Both then began to compare the women of their own country with
those of Northern Europe generally, and managed to make the comparison a
very favourable one, holding up their countrywomen as veritable
heroines; and as both Richard Garman and Delphin were far too gallant to
dispute their theory, so the other two had full enjoyment of their
triumph.

Jacob Worse now got up and joined the group. He had not been able to
help partly overhearing the conversation, and ruffled as he was by
Rachel's accusations, he could no longer keep silence. The Consul smiled
as he joined the others, and said in a low tone, "I will keep my eye
upon you, and if it gets too h