?" M. de Guersaint
suddenly inquired.

"A great deal better," replied Pierre; "she had an attack of extreme
discouragement, but all her courage and faith returned to her at last."

A pause followed; and then the girl's father resumed with his tranquil
optimism: "Oh! I am not anxious. Things will go on all right, you'll see.
For my own part, I am delighted. I had asked the Virgin to grant me her
protection in my affairs--you know, my great invention of navigable
balloons. Well, suppose I told you that she has already shown me her
favour? Yes, indeed yesterday evening while I was talking with Abbe des
Hermoises, he told me that at Toulouse he would no doubt be able to find
a person to finance me--one of his friends, in fact, who is extremely
wealthy and takes great interest in mechanics! And in this I at once saw
the hand of God!" M. de Guersaint began laughing with his childish laugh,
and then he added: "That Abbe des Hermoises is a charming man. I shall
see this afternoon if there is any means of my accompanying him on an
excursion to the Cirque de Gavarnie at small cost."

Pierre, who wished to pay everything, the hotel bill and all the rest, at
once encouraged him in this idea. "Of course," said he, "you ought not to
miss this opportunity to visit the mountains, since you have so great a
wish to do so. Your daughter will be very happy to know that you are
pleased."

Their talk, however, was now interrupted by a servant girl bringing the
two cups of chocolate with a couple of rolls on a metal tray covered with
a napkin. She left the door open as she entered the room, so that a
glimpse was obtained of some portion of the passage. "Ah! they are
already doing my neighbour's room!" exclaimed M. de Guersaint. "He is a
married man, isn't he? His wife is with him?"

The servant looked astonished. "Oh, no," she replied, "he is quite
alone!"

"Quite alone? Why, I heard people talking in his room this morning."

"You must be mistaken, monsieur," said the servant; "he has just gone out
after giving orders that his room was to be tidied up at once." And then,
while taking the cups of chocolate off the tray and placing them on the
table, she continued: "Oh! he is a very respectable gentleman. Last year
he was able to have one of the pavilions which Monsieur Majeste lets out
to visitors, in the lane by the side of the hotel; but this year he
applied too late and had to content himself with that room, which greatly
worried hi