mitting them. It was
difficult, of course, to keep out merchants of the rue Saint-Denis,
originally from Provins, who had returned to the town to spend their
fortunes. Still, the object of all society is to amalgamate persons
of equal wealth, education, manners, customs, accomplishments, and
character. Now the Guepins, Guenees, and Julliards had a better position
among the bourgeoisie than the Rogrons, whose father had been held in
contempt on account of his private life, and his conduct in the matter
of the Auffray property,--the facts of which were known to the notary
Auffray, Madame Galardon's son-in-law.

In the social life of these people, to which Madame Tiphaine had given
a certain tone of elegance, all was homogeneous; the component parts
understood each other, knew each other's characters, and behaved and
conversed in a manner that was agreeable to all. The Rogrons flattered
themselves that being received by Monsieur Garceland, the mayor, they
would soon be on good terms with all the best families in the town.
Sylvie applied herself to learn boston. Rogron, incapable of playing a
game, twirled his thumbs and had nothing to say except to discourse on
his new house. Words seemed to choke him; he would get up, try to speak,
become frightened, and sit down again, with comical distortion of
the lips. Sylvie naively betrayed her natural self at cards. Sharp,
irritable, whining when she lost, insolent when she won, nagging and
quarrelsome, she annoyed her partners as much as her adversaries,
and became the scourge of society. And yet, possessed by a silly,
unconcealed ambition, Rogron and his sister were bent on playing a
part in the society of a little town already in possession of a close
corporation of twelve allied families. Allowing that the restoration of
their house had cost them thirty thousand francs, the brother and sister
possessed between them at least ten thousand francs a year. This they
considered wealth, and with it they endeavored to impress society, which
immediately took the measure of their vulgarity, crass ignorance, and
foolish envy. On the evening when they were presented to the beautiful
Madame Tiphaine, who had already eyed them at Madame Garceland's and at
Madame Julliard the elder's, the queen of the town remarked to Julliard
junior, who stayed a few moments after the rest of the company to talk
with her and her husband:--

"You all seem to be taken with those Rogrons."

"No, no," said Am