me's own self!" I alone did not
share in the general enthusiasm. As for Monsieur de l'Estorade, after
working for an hour to find a place in his study where the bust could be
seen in its best light, he came in to say to me:--

"On my way to the Treasury to-day I shall go and see Monsieur Dorlange,
and if he is at liberty this evening I shall ask him to dine with us.
To-day is Armand's half-holiday, and I would like him to see the boy.
The assembled family can then thank him for his gift."

Monsieur Dorlange accepted the invitation. At dinner Monsieur de
l'Estorade inquired further about his candidacy, giving it however, no
approval. This led straight to politics. Armand, whose mind is naturally
grave and reflective and who reads the newspapers, mingled in the
conversation. Against the practice of youths of the present day, he
thinks like his father; that is, he is very conservative; though perhaps
less just and wise, as might well be expected in a lad of fifteen. He
was consequently led to contradict Monsieur Dorlange, whose inclination
as I told you, is somewhat jacobin. And I must say I thought the
arguments of my little man neither bad nor ill-expressed. Without
ceasing to be polite, Monsieur Dorlange had an air of disdaining a
discussion with the poor boy, so much so that I saw Armand on the point
of losing patience and replying sharply. However, as he has been well
brought up, I had only to make him a sign and he controlled himself; but
seeing him turn scarlet and shut himself up in gloomy silence, I felt
that his pride had received a blow, and I thought it little generous in
Monsieur Dorlange to crush a young lad in that way.

I know very well that children in these days make the mistake of wishing
to be personages before their time, and that it often does them good
to suppress such conceit. But really, Armand has an intellectual
development and a power of reasoning beyond his age. Do you want a proof
of it? Until last year, I had never consented to part with him, and it
was only as a day scholar that he followed his course of study at the
College Henri IV. Well, he himself, for the sake of his studies, which
were hindered by going and coming to and fro, asked to be placed in
the regular manner in the school; and he employed more entreaties and
arguments with me to put him under that discipline than an ordinary boy
would have used to escape it. Therefore this manly air and manner, which
in most schoolboys would,