exquisitely white by candlelight--in short, she stood
out against this background of old faces, shy and ill-dressed girls,
like a queen in the midst of her court. Visions of Paris faded from his
brain; Lousteau was accepting the provincial surroundings; and while he
had too much imagination to remain unimpressed by the royal splendor
of this chateau, the beautiful carvings, and the antique beauty of the
rooms, he had also too much experience to overlook the value of the
personality which completed this gem of the Renaissance. So by the time
the visitors from Sancerre had taken their leave one by one--for
they had an hour's drive before them--when no one remained in the
drawing-room but Monsieur de Clagny, Monsieur Lebas, Gatien, and
Monsieur Gravier, who were all to sleep at Anzy--the journalist had
already changed his mind about Dinah. His opinion had gone through the
evolution that Madame de la Baudraye had so audaciously prophesied at
their first meeting.

"Ah, what things they will say about us on the drive home!" cried the
mistress of the house, as she returned to the drawing-room after seeing
the President and the Presidente to their carriage with Madame and
Mademoiselle Popinot-Chandier.

The rest of the evening had its pleasant side. In the intimacy of a
small party each one brought to the conversation his contribution
of epigrams on the figure the visitors from Sancerre had cut during
Lousteau's comments on the paper wrapped round the proofs.

"My dear fellow," said Bianchon to Lousteau as they went to bed--they
had an enormous room with two beds in it--"you will be the happy man of
this woman's choice--_nee_ Piedefer!"

"Do you think so?"

"It is quite natural. You are supposed here to have had many mistresses
in Paris; and to a woman there is something indescribably inviting in a
man whom other women favor--something attractive and fascinating; is it
that she prides herself on being longer remembered than all the rest?
that she appeals to his experience, as a sick man will pay more to
a famous physician? or that she is flattered by the revival of a
world-worn heart?"

"Vanity and the senses count for so much in love affairs," said
Lousteau, "that there may be some truth in all those hypotheses.
However, if I remain, it will be in consequence of the certificate
of innocence, without ignorance, that you have given Dinah. She is
handsome, is she not?"

"Love will make her beautiful," said the doctor. "A