tting
to the bottom of the other mystery it had opened, so I rose to take
leave, and as I did so Monsieur Dorlange said to me:--

"May I hope that you will not exact the injury I spoke of to my statue?"

"It is for my husband and not for me to reply to that question," I said;
"however, we can talk of it later, for Monsieur de l'Estorade hopes that
you will give us the honor of a visit."

Monsieur bowed in respectful acquiescence, and we came away,--I, in
great ill-humor; I was angry with Nais, and also with my husband, and
felt much inclined to make him a scene, which he would certainly not
have understood.

Now what do you think of all this? Is the man a clever swindler, who
invented that fable for some purpose, or is he really an artist, who
took me in all simplicity of soul for the living realization of his
idea? That is what I intend to find out in the course of a few days, for
now I am committed to your programme, and to-morrow Monsieur and Madame
de l'Estorade will have the honor of inviting Monsieur Dorlange to
dinner.

VII. THE COMTESSE DE L'ESTORADE TO MADAME OCTAVE DE CAMPS

Paris, March, 1839.

My dear friend,--Monsieur Dorlange dined with us yesterday. My intention
was to invite him alone to a formal family dinner, so as to have him
more completely under my eye, and put him to the question at my ease.
But Monsieur de l'Estorade, to whom I had not explained my charitable
motives, showed me that such an invitation might wound the sensibilities
of our guest; it might seem to him that the Comte de l'Estorade thought
the sculptor Dorlange unfitted for the society of his friends.

"We can't," said my husband gaily, "treat him like the sons of our
farmers who come here with the epaulet of a lieutenant on their
shoulder, and whom we invite with closed doors because we can't send
them to the servants' hall."

We therefore invited to meet him Monsieur Joseph Bridau, the painter,
the Chevalier d'Espard, Monsieur and Madame de la Bastie (formerly, you
remember, Mademoiselle Modeste Mignon) and the Marquis de Ronquerolles.
When my husband invited the latter, he asked him if he had any objection
to meeting the adversary of the Duc de Rhetore.

"So far from objecting," replied Monsieur de Ronquerolles, "I am glad of
the opportunity to meet a man of talent, who in the affair you speak of
behaved admirably." And he added, after my husband had told him of our
great obligation to Monsieur Dorlange, "Then he i