he asked me as he came in after
five minutes' absence.

"She is charming, uncle, and as gracious as possible!"

"Did you expect to find her a monkey, then?" he exclaimed.

"Certainly not!" I replied. "But my aunt might have been beauty itself,
and still have lacked the character and the intellectual qualities which
I observe in her."

"Oh, you can't at all judge of her yet!" continued he, in a careless
tone. "You'll see what I mean later on. She's a real woman!"

My aunt did not come down again until luncheon-time. Her appearance
created quite an atmosphere of cheerful society in the dining-room,
usually occupied only by my uncle and his nephew. My uncle was no doubt
conscious of the same impression, for leaning towards me, he said to me
in his inimitably cool manner, and in a low voice,

"Don't you see how everything brightens up already?"

My aunt sat down, and as she took off her gloves, cast her eyes over the
table, the sideboards, the servants in waiting, and the general
arrangements of the dining-room.

"Francois," she said to my uncle's old man-servant, "please send the
gardener to me at four o'clock."

"Yes, Madame la Comtesse."

"And then send the steward, whom I do not see here."

"Oh, _I_ am the steward!" replied my uncle.

"That's capital! My compliments to you," she continued; "I might have
known it."

"All the same, I fancy I perform my duties very well: is not this new
furniture to your taste?"

"Not only so, but I find it very handsome, and I appreciate your
antiquarian passion for rare and choice objects; only there is a want of
life about it. What are those great vases, may I ask, whose enormous
mouths stand empty to receive the dust?"

"Those Mandarins!" said my uncle; "they come from the palace of the
Emperor of China."

"Oh, the men, the men!" exclaimed my aunt with a laugh: "if they were in
Paradise they would forget to contemplate the Eternal! Now, captain, my
lord and spouse, pray tell me of what use to you are beds full of
flowers, if you never rejoice your eyes with the sight of them?"

The luncheon went off charmingly and merrily. As she chatted with us, my
aunt signalled to Francis and gave him her instructions for those
innumerable comforts which a woman only can think of. My uncle, as if by
enchantment, found everything ready to hand; before he had time to ask
for anything to drink, he found his glass filled. We had not been
accustomed to this kind of service. When we