ws which rule the stars govern this grain of dust. In the
original and native movement of its substance, my body is spiritual, but
it may affect, as you perceive, this material state, by changing the
rhythm of its elements."

Having thus spoken he sat down in a chair on Madame des Aubels' black
stockings.

A clock struck outside.

"Good heavens, seven o'clock!" exclaimed Gilberte. "What am I to say to
my husband? He thinks I am at that tea-party in the Rue de Rivoli. We
are dining with the La Verdelieres to-night. Go away immediately,
Monsieur Arcade. I must get ready to go. I have not a second to lose."

The Angel replied that he would have willingly obeyed Madame des Aubels
had he been in a state to show himself decently in public, but that he
could not dream of appearing out of doors without any clothes. "Were I
to walk naked in the street," he added, "I should offend a nation
attached to its ancient habits, habits which it has never examined. They
are the basis of all moral systems. Formerly," he added, "the angels, in
revolt like myself, manifested themselves to Christians under grotesque
and ridiculous appearances, black, horned, hairy, and cloven-footed.
Pure stupidity! They were the laughing-stock of people of taste. They
merely frightened old women and children and met with no success."

"It is true he cannot go out as he is," said Madame des Aubels with
justice.

Maurice tossed his pyjamas and his slippers to the celestial messenger.
Regarded as outdoor habiliments they were not adequate. Gilberte pressed
her lover to run at once in quest of other clothes. He proposed to go
and get some from the concierge. She was violently opposed to this. It
would, she said, be madly imprudent to drag the concierge into such an
affair.

"Do you want them to know that ..." she exclaimed.

She pointed to the Angel and was silent.

Young d'Esparvieu went out to seek a clothes-shop.

Meanwhile, Gilberte, who could not delay any longer for fear of causing
a horrible society scandal, turned on the light and dressed before the
Angel. She did it without any awkwardness, for she knew how to adapt
herself to circumstances; and she took it that in such an unheard-of
encounter in which heaven and earth were mingled in unutterable
confusion it was permissible to retrench in modesty.

Moreover, she knew that she possessed a good figure and had garments as
dainty as the fashion demanded. As the apparition's sense of delicacy