pt Europe
in a constant state of excitement by reason of his munificence and
power. Brought up under the direct personal supervision of the Emperor
of Russia, he had done a little of everything and succeeded in all he
had undertaken. He had distinguished himself as a diplomatist and as a
soldier, and had left traces of his indomitable will in many State
papers as on many an enemy's face during the period of the Crimean war.
In London, but perhaps more especially in "the shires," his face was
well known and liked. Duchesses' daughters had sighed for him, but in
vain; and the continuance of his celibacy appeared to be as certain as
the splendor of his fortune. The Abbe Gerard had known him for many
years, and proved no exception to the general rule, for although their
friendship had never ripened into great intimacy, there was perhaps no
man in the wide circle of his acquaintance in whose society the priest
took a more lively pleasure.

"Late as usual!" cried the Duke, as Gerard hurried into the room ten
minutes after the appointed hour. "Prince, if you were so unpunctual in
your diplomatic duties as the Abbe is in his social (and I _fear_ in his
spiritual!), where would the world be?"

The Abbe stopped short, pulled out his watch, and looked at it with a
comically contrite air.

"Only ten minutes late, and I am sure when you think of the amount of
business I have to transact you can afford to forgive me," he said as he
advanced and shook hands warmly with his friends.

"You have no idea," he continued, throwing himself lazily down upon a
lounge--"you have no idea of the amount of folly I am forced to listen
to in a day! Every woman whose bad temper has got her into trouble with
her husband, and every man whose stupidity has led him into quarrelling
with his wife--one and all they come to me, pour out their misfortunes
in my ears, and expect me to arrange their affairs."

The servant announcing dinner interrupted the poor Abbe's complaints.

"I tell you what I should do," said Pomerantseff when they were seated
at table. "I should say to every man and woman who came to me on such
errands, 'My dear friend, my business is with your spiritual welfare,
and with that alone. The doctor and solicitor must take care of your
worldly concerns. It is my duty to insure your eternal felicity when the
tedium of delirium tremens and the divorce court is all over, and that
is really all one man can do.'"

"By the way, talking of