han I am, and from this evening I shall
call myself your pupil. Come, let us have some supper, that you may give
me my first lesson."

After a delicate supper, seasoned by pleasant and witty talk, Madame
Valville granted me all I could desire. I went downstairs for a moment to
send away my coachman and to instruct him what he was to say to Zaira,
whom I had forewarned that I was going to Cronstadt, and might not return
till the next day. My coachman was a Ukrainian on whose fidelity I could
rely, but I knew that it would be necessary for me to be off with the old
love before I was on with the new.

Madame Valville was like most young Frenchwomen of her class; she had
charms which she wished to turn to account, and a passable education; her
ambition was to be kept by one man, and the title of mistress was more
pleasing in her ears than that of wife.

In the intervals of four amorous combats she told me enough of her life
for me to divine what it had been. Clerval, the actor, had been gathering
together a company of actors at Paris, and making her acquaintance by
chance and finding her to be intelligent, he assured her that she was a
born actress, though she had never suspected it. The idea had dazzled
her, and she had signed the agreement. She started from Paris with six
other actors and actresses, of whom she was the only one that had never
played.

"I thought," she said, "it was like what is done at Paris, where a girl
goes into the chorus or the ballet without having learnt to sing or
dance. What else could I think, after an actor like Clerval had assured
me I had a talent for acting and had offered me a good engagement? All he
required of me was that I should learn by heart and repeat certain
passages which I rehearsed in his presence. He said I made a capital
soubrette, and he certainly could not have been trying to deceive me, but
the fact is he was deceived himself. A fortnight after my arrival I made
my first appearance, and my reception was not a flattering one."

"Perhaps you were nervous?"

"Nervous? not in the least. Clerval said that if I could have put on the
appearance of nervousness the empress, who is kindness itself, would
certainly have encouraged me."

I left her the next morning after I had seen her copy out the petition.
She wrote a very good hand.

"I shall present it to-day," said she.

I wished her good luck, and arranged to sup with her again on the day I
meant to part with Zaira.