opinion had gone through the
evolution that Madame de la Baudraye had so audaciously prophesied at
their first meeting.

"Ah, what things they will say about us on the drive home!" cried the
mistress of the house, as she returned to the drawing-room after seeing
the President and the Presidente to their carriage with Madame and
Mademoiselle Popinot-Chandier.

The rest of the evening had its pleasant side. In the intimacy of a
small party each one brought to the conversation his contribution
of epigrams on the figure the visitors from Sancerre had cut during
Lousteau's comments on the paper wrapped round the proofs.

"My dear fellow," said Bianchon to Lousteau as they went to bed--they
had an enormous room with two beds in it--"you will be the happy man of
this woman's choice--_nee_ Piedefer!"

"Do you think so?"

"It is quite natural. You are supposed here to have had many mistresses
in Paris; and to a woman there is something indescribably inviting in a
man whom other women favor--something attractive and fascinating; is it
that she prides herself on being longer remembered than all the rest?
that she appeals to his experience, as a sick man will pay more to
a famous physician? or that she is flattered by the revival of a
world-worn heart?"

"Vanity and the senses count for so much in love affairs," said
Lousteau, "that there may be some truth in all those hypotheses.
However, if I remain, it will be in consequence of the certificate
of innocence, without ignorance, that you have given Dinah. She is
handsome, is she not?"

"Love will make her beautiful," said the doctor. "And, after all, she
will be a rich widow some day or other! And a child would secure her the
life-interest in the Master of La Baudraye's fortune--"

"Why, it is quite an act of virtue to make love to her," said Lousteau,
rolling himself up in the bed-clothes, "and to-morrow, with your
help--yes, to-morrow, I--well, good-night."

On the following day, Madame de la Baudraye, to whom her husband had six
months since given a pair of horses, which he also used in the fields,
and an old carriage that rattled on the road, decided that she would
take Bianchon so far on his way as Cosne, where he would get into the
Lyons diligence as it passed through. She also took her mother and
Lousteau, but she intended to drop her mother at La Baudraye, to go on
to Cosne with the two Parisians, and return alone with Etienne. She
was elegantly dressed, as the