ions, the scene of the earliest events in his
career. Zephirine de Senonches had it in mind to succeed to Mme. de
Bargeton; she, too, would be a kind of queen in Angouleme; she would
have "a salon," and be a great lady, in short. There was a schism in
Angouleme, a strife dating from the late M. de Bargeton's duel with M.
de Chandour. Some maintained that Louise de Negrepelisse was blameless,
others believed in Stanislas de Chandour's scandals. Mme. de Senonches
declared for the Bargetons, and began by winning over that faction. Many
frequenters of the Hotel de Bargeton had been so accustomed for years to
their nightly game of cards in the house that they could not leave it,
and Mme. de Senonches turned this fact to account. She received every
evening, and certainly gained all the ground lost by Amelie de Chandour,
who set up for a rival.

Francis du Hautoy, living in the inmost circle of nobility in Angouleme,
went so far as to think of marrying Francoise to old M. de Severac,
Mme. du Brossard having totally failed to capture that gentleman for her
daughter; and when Mme. de Bargeton reappeared as the prefect's wife,
Zephirine's hopes for her dear goddaughter waxed high, indeed. The
Comtesse du Chatelet, so she argued, would be sure to use her influence
for her champion.

Boniface Cointet had Angouleme at his fingers' ends; he saw all the
difficulties at a glance, and resolved to sweep them out of the way by
a bold stroke that only a Tartuffe's brain could invent. The puny lawyer
was not a little amused to find his fellow-conspirator keeping his word
with him; not a word did Petit-Claud utter; he respected the musings of
his companion, and they walked the whole way from the paper-mill to the
Rue du Minage in silence.

"Monsieur and madame are at breakfast"--this announcement met the
ill-timed visitors on the steps.

"Take in our names, all the same," said the tall Cointet; and feeling
sure of his position, he followed immediately behind the servant and
introduced his companion to the elaborately-affected Zephirine, who was
breakfasting in company with M. Francis du Hautoy and Mlle. de la Haye.
M. de Senonches had gone, as usual, for a day's shooting over M. de
Pimentel's land.

"M. Petit-Claud is the young lawyer of whom I spoke to you, madame; he
will go through the trust accounts when your fair ward comes of age."

The ex-diplomatist made a quick scrutiny of Petit-Claud, who, for his
part, was looking furtively