ame Tiphaine's salon. That lady's speech about an
inn was immensely admired. It was a whole month before she returned
Mademoiselle Sylvie's visit. Insolence of this kind is very much noticed
in the provinces.

During the evening which Sylvie had spent at Madame Tiphaine's a
disagreeable scene occurred between herself and old Madame Julliard
while playing boston, apropos of a trick which Sylvie declared the old
lady had made her lose on purpose; for the old maid, who liked to trip
others, could never endure the same game on herself. The next time she
was invited out the mistress took care to make up the card-tables before
she arrived; so that Sylvie was reduced to wandering from table to
table as an onlooker, the players glancing at her with scornful eyes. At
Madame Julliard senior's house, they played whist, a game Sylvie did not
know.

The old maid at last understood that she was under a ban; but she had
no conception of the reason of it. She fancied herself an object of
jealousy to all these persons. After a time she and her brother received
no invitations, but they still persisted in paying evening visits.
Satirical persons made fun of them,--not spitefully, but amusingly;
inveigling them to talk absurdly about the eggs in their cornice, and
their wonderful cellar of wine, the like of which was not in Provins.

Before long the Rogron house was completely finished, and the brother
and sister then resolved to give several sumptuous dinners, as much to
return the civilities they had received as to exhibit their luxury. The
invited guests accepted from curiosity only. The first dinner was given
to the leading personages of the town; to Monsieur and Madame Tiphaine,
with whom, however the Rogrons had never dined; to Monsieur and Madame
Julliard, senior and junior; to Monsieur Lesourd, Monsieur le cure,
and Monsieur and Madame Galardon. It was one of those interminable
provincial dinners, where you sit at table from five to nine o'clock.
Madame Tiphaine had introduced into Provins the Parisian custom of
taking leave as soon as coffee had been served. On this occasion she had
company at home and was anxious to get away. The Rogrons accompanied her
husband and herself to the street door, and when they returned to the
salon, disconcerted at not being able to keep their chief guests, the
rest of the party were preparing to imitate Madame Tiphaine's fashion
with cruel provincial promptness.

"They won't see our salon lighte