the
truth; I cannot believe it--indeed, if it were true, I shall consider
that Madame d'Albret has treated me ill, for much as I am pleased to
have you here, she has not been candid with me in proposing that you
should remain the winter, upon the plea of her being obliged to go to
the south, when she is still at Paris. I cannot understand it, and
until confirmed, I will not believe it. Mrs Corbet is not an
acquaintance of hers, and may, therefore, be mistaken."

"She must be, madame," replied I; "still it is strange that I do not
hear from her. I am fearful something is wrong, and what it can be, I
cannot surmise."

"Let us talk no more about it, my dear Valerie. A few days will decide
the point."

A few days did decide the point, for I received an answer from Madame
Paon, in which she said:--

"My dear Mademoiselle Chatenoeuf,--You may imagine my surprise at
receiving your letter, and I fear you must prepare yourself for
unpleasant intelligence. Madame d'Albret is in Paris, and has never
been in the south of France that I have heard. When she first called, I
inquired after you. The reply was that you were on a visit to a lady in
England; that you had left her; that you had a _manie pour
l'Angleterre_; and so saying, she shrugged up her shoulders. I was
about to inquire more particularly, but she cut the conversation short
by asking to see a new pelisse, and I perceived at once that there was
something wrong, but what I could not comprehend. I did not see her
till four or five weeks afterwards, when she called, accompanied by a
Monsieur de G--, a person well known in Paris, where he bears a very
indifferent character, as a desperate gambler, and a man of very bad
disposition concealed under a very polished exterior; but his character
is better known in England, which country, I am told, he was obliged to
quit in consequence of some gaming transaction anything but honourable.
I again made inquiries after you, and this time the reply was given by
Monsieur de G--, who replied that you were an _ingrate_, and your name
must not be in future mentioned by anyone to Madame d'Albret.

"The handsome face of Monsieur de G--, was changed to that of a demon
when he made this remark, and fully proved to me the truth of the report
that he was a person of very bad disposition. Madame d'Albret made no
remark, except that she should be careful how she ever engaged a
_demoiselle de compagnie_ again. I was struck at this