ble little lies to conceal his happiness. Let
him alone to amuse himself with his first illusions."

"If it had been any other woman--" began the baroness.

"But, my dear Fanny, if the woman were a saint she would not accept your
son." The baroness again picked up the paper. "I will go and see her
myself," added the baron, "and tell you all about her."

This speech has no savor at the present moment. But after reading the
biography of Camille Maupin you can then imagine the old baron entering
the lists against that illustrious woman.

VI. BIOGRAPHY OF CAMILLE MAUPIN

The town of Guerande, which for two months past had seen Calyste, its
flower and pride, going, morning or evening, often morning and evening,
to Les Touches, concluded that Mademoiselle Felicite des Touches was
passionately in love with the beautiful youth, and that she practised
upon him all kinds of sorceries. More than one young girl and wife asked
herself by what right an old woman exercised so absolute an empire over
that angel. When Calyste passed along the Grand Rue to the Croisic gate
many a regretful eye was fastened on him.

It now became necessary to explain the rumors which hovered about the
person whom Calyste was on his way to see. These rumors, swelled by
Breton gossip, envenomed by public ignorance, had reached the rector.
The receiver of taxes, the _juge de paix_, the head of the Saint-Nazaire
custom-house and other lettered persons had not reassured the abbe by
relating to him the strange and fantastic life of the female writer who
concealed herself under the masculine name of Camille Maupin. She did
not as yet eat little children, nor kill her slaves like Cleopatra, nor
throw men into the river as the heroine of the Tour de Nesle was falsely
accused of doing; but to the Abbe Grimont this monstrous creature, a
cross between a siren and an atheist, was an immoral combination of
woman and philosopher who violated every social law invented to restrain
or utilize the infirmities of womankind.

Just as Clara Gazul is the female pseudonym of a distinguished male
writer, George Sand the masculine pseudonym of a woman of genius, so
Camille Maupin was the mask behind which was long hidden a charming
young woman, very well-born, a Breton, named Felicite des Touches, the
person who was now causing such lively anxiety to the Baronne du Guenic
and the excellent rector of Guerande. The Breton des Touches family has
no connection with the fa