unity. No man in any profession is more thoroughly entitled to
have a position of trust and distinction conferred on him by the State
than the gentleman to whom we refer--M. Louis Trudaine."

Before Lomaque could look up from the paper to observe the impression
which his news produced, Rose had gained her brother's side and was
kissing him in a flutter of delight.

"Dear Louis," she cried, clapping her hands, "let me be the first to
congratulate you! How proud and glad I am! You accept the professorship,
of course?"

Trudaine, who had hastily and confusedly put his letter back in his
pocket the moment Lomaque began to read, seemed at a loss for an answer.
He patted his sister's hand rather absently, and said:

"I have not made up my mind; don't ask me why, Rose--at least not now,
not just now." An expression of perplexity and distress came over his
face, as he gently motioned her to resume her chair.

"Pray, is a sub-professor of chemistry supposed to hold the rank of a
gentleman?" asked Madame Danville, without the slightest appearance of
any special interest in Lomaque's news.

"Of course not," replied her son, with a sarcastic laugh; "he is
expected to work and make himself useful. What gentleman does that?"

"Charles!" exclaimed the old lady, reddening with anger.

"Bah!" cried Danville, turning his back on her, "enough of chemistry.
Lomaque, now you have begun reading the newspaper, try if you can't find
something interesting to read about. What are the last accounts from
Paris? Any more symptoms of a general revolt?"

Lomaque turned to another part of the paper. "Bad, very bad prospects
for the restoration of tranquillity," he said. "Necker, the people's
Minister, is dismissed. Placards against popular gatherings are posted
all over Paris. The Swiss Guards have been ordered to the Champs
Elysees, with four pieces of artillery. No more is yet known, but the
worst is dreaded. The breach between the aristocracy and the people is
widening fatally almost hour by hour."

Here he stopped and laid down the newspaper. Trudaine took it from him,
and shook his head forebodingly as he looked over the paragraph which
had just been read.

"Bah!" cried Madame Danville. "The People, indeed! Let those four pieces
of artillery be properly loaded, let the Swiss Guards do their duty, and
we shall hear no more of the People!"

"I advise you not to be sure of that," said her son, carelessly; "there
are rather too many