of very
problematical virtue. The name of this young lady as it appears on her
passport is Mademoiselle Chocardelle; but the journalist in speaking of
her calls her Antonia, or, when he wants to treat her with more respect,
Mademoiselle Antonia.

Now, what can bring Mademoiselle Chocardelle to Arcis? A pleasure trip,
you will say, offered to her by the journalist, who combines with
that object our daily defamation and his consequent earnings from
the secret-service fund of the government. Not at all; Mademoiselle
Chocardelle has come to Arcis on business of her own,--namely, to
enforce a claim.

It seems that Charles Keller before his departure for Africa, where
he met a glorious death, drew a note of hand, payable to Mademoiselle
Antonia on order, for ten thousand francs, "value received in
furniture," a charming ambiguity, the furniture having been received by,
and not from, Mademoiselle Chocardelle, who estimated at ten thousand
francs the sacrifice she made in accepting it.

A few days after Charles Keller's death, the note being almost due,
Mademoiselle Antonia went to the counting-room of the Keller Brothers
to inquire about its payment. The cashier, who is crabbed, like all
cashiers, replied that he did not see how Mademoiselle Antonia had the
face to present such a note; at any rate, the heads of the house were
at Gondreville, where the whole family had met after receiving the fatal
news, and he should pay no such note without referring the matter to
them.

"Very good, then I'll refer it to them myself," replied Mademoiselle
Antonia. Thereupon she was meditating a departure alone to Arcis, when
the government felt the need of insulting us with more wit and point
than provincial journalism can muster, and so confided that employment
to a middle-aged journalist to whom Mademoiselle Antonia had, during the
absence of Charles Keller, shown some kindness. "I am going to Arcis,"
seems to have been said at the same instant by writer and lady. The most
commonplace lives encounter similar coincidences.

Now, madame, admire the manner in which things link together. Setting
forth on a purely selfish financial enterprise, behold Mademoiselle
Chocardelle suddenly brought to the point of wielding an immense
electoral influence! And observe also that her influence is of a nature
to compensate for all the witty pin-pricks of her gallant companion.

Mademoiselle's affair, it appears, hung fire. Twice she went to
Gondrev