consisted chiefly in
never being "done" at all, a method that gave her head a general air of
what is vulgarly called "a cross cat."

About half-past one o'clock la Peyrade, Thuillier, Colleville, Madame
Thuillier, and Celeste were assembled in the salon. Flavie joined them
soon after, fastening her bracelets as she came along to avoid a
rebuff, and having the satisfaction of knowing that she was ready before
Brigitte. As for the latter, already furious at finding herself late,
she had another cause for exasperation. The event of the day seemed
to require a corset, a refinement which she usually discarded. The
unfortunate maid, whose duty it was to lace her and to discover the
exact point to which she was willing to be drawn in, alone knew the
terrors and storms of a corset day.

"I'd rather," said the girl, "lace the obelisk; I know it would lend
itself to being laced better than she does; and, anyhow, it couldn't be
bad-tongued."

While the party in the salon were amusing themselves, under their
breaths, at the "flagrante delicto" of unpunctuality in which Queen
Elizabeth was caught, the porter entered, and gave to Thuillier a sealed
package, addressed to "Monsieur Thuillier, director of the 'Echo de la
Bievre.' _In haste_."

Thuillier opened the envelope, and found within a copy of a ministerial
journal which had hitherto shown itself discourteous to the new paper
by refusing the _exchange_ which all periodicals usually make very
willingly with one another.

Puzzled by the fact of this missive being sent to his own house and not
to the office of the "Echo," Thuillier hastily opened the sheet, and
read, with what emotion the reader may conceive, the following article,
commended to his notice by a circle in red ink:--

An obscure organ was about to expire in its native shade when an
ambitious person of recent date bethought himself of galvanizing
it. His object was to make it a foothold by which to climb from
municipal functions to the coveted position of deputy. Happily
this object, having come to the surface, will end in failure.
Electors will certainly not be inveigled by so wily a manner of
advancing self-interests; and when the proper time arrives, if
ridicule has not already done justice on this absurd candidacy, we
shall ourselves prove to the pretender that to aspire to the
distinguished honor of representing the nation something more is
required than the money to buy a paper and pa