xplanation. He wondered at it
a little, however, and he wondered still more when, on entering
the drawing-room, he saw Lomaque walk straight up to his sister,
and--apparently not noticing that Danville was sitting at the
harpsichord and singing at the time--address her confusedly and
earnestly with a set speech of thanks for his hot cup of coffee. Rose
looked perplexed, and half inclined to laugh, as she listened to
him. Madame Danville, who sat by her side, frowned, and tapped the
land-steward contemptuously on the arm with her fan.

"Be so good as to keep silent until my son has done singing," she said.
Lomaque made a low bow, and retiring to a table in a corner, took up a
newspaper lying on it. If Madame Danville had seen the expression that
came over his face when he turned away from her, proud as she was, her
aristocratic composure might possibly have been a little ruffled.

Danville had finished his song, had quitted the harpsichord, and was
talking in whispers to his bride; Madame Danville was adding a word to
the conversation every now and then; Trudaine was seated apart at the
far end of the room, thoughtfully reading a letter which he had taken
from his pocket, when an exclamation from Lomaque, who was still engaged
with the newspaper, caused all the other occupants of the apartment to
suspend their employments and look up.

"What is it?" asked Danville, impatiently.

"Shall I be interrupting if I explain?" inquired Lomaque, getting very
weak in the eyes again, as he deferentially addressed himself to Madame
Danville.

"You have already interrupted us," said the old lady, sharply; "so you
may now just as well explain."

"It is a passage from the _Scientific Intelligence_ which has given me
great delight, and which will be joyful news for every one here." Saying
this, Lomaque looked significantly at Trudaine, and then read from the
newspaper these lines:

"ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, PARIS.--The vacant sub-professorship of chemistry
has been offered, we are rejoiced to hear, to a gentleman whose modesty
has hitherto prevented his scientific merits from becoming sufficiently
prominent in the world. To the members of the academy he has
been long since known as the originator of some of the most
remarkable improvements in chemistry which have been made of late
years--improvements, the credit of which he has, with rare, and we were
almost about to add, culpable moderation, allowed others to profit by
with imp