ts. Their intrigue was conducted with an art which revealed
their good taste, and the elegance of the prevailing morality;
the connection was openly avowed, and thereby stripped of all base
hypocrisy; but it was at the same time so reserved in appearance that
even the severest critics saw no cause for censure in it.

During the time which the Duchess yearly spent on her estate, Monsieur
de Boulingrin used to stay in an old pigeon-house, separated from his
friend's chateau by a sunken road, which skirted a marsh, where by night
the frogs among the reeds tuned their diligent voices.

Now, one evening when the last rays of the setting sun were dying the
stagnant water with the hue of blood, the Secretary of State for the
Treasury saw at the cross-roads three young fairies who were dancing in
a circle and singing:

"Trois filles dedans un pre
Mon coeur vole
Mon coeur vole
Mon coeur vole a votre gre."

They enclosed him within their circle, and their light and airy forms
sped swiftly about him. Their faces, in the twilight, were dim and
transparent; their tresses shone like the will-o'-the-wisp. They
repeated:

"Trois filles dedans un pre!" until, dazed and ready to fall, he begged
for mercy.

Then said the most beautiful, opening the circle:

"Sisters, give leave to Monsieur de Boulingrin to pass, that he may go
to the castle, and kiss his ladylove."

He went on without having recognized the fairies, the mistresses of
men's destinies, and a little farther on he met three old beggar women,
who were walking bowed low over their sticks; their faces were like
three apples roasted in the cinders. From their rags protruded bones
which had more dirt than flesh upon them. Their naked feet ended in
fleshless toes of immoderate length, like the bones of an ox-tail.

As soon as they saw him approaching they smiled upon him and threw him
kisses; they stopped him on his way, calling him their darling, their
love, their pet, and covered him with caresses which he was powerless
to evade, for the moment he made a movement to escape, they dug into his
flesh the sharp claws at the tips of their fingers.

"Isn't he handsome? Isn't he lovely?" they sighed.

For some time they raved on, begging him to love them. Then, seeing they
could not rouse his senses, which were frozen with horror, they covered
him with abuse, hammered him with their staves, threw him on the ground
and trod him underfoot. Then,