is
life. His sister married a French nobleman. Yet at this moment, in
spite of his wealth, his charming American wife, and many beautiful
entertainments, he has not one warm French friend, or the _entree_ on a
footing of intimacy to a single Gallic house.

There is no analogy between the English aristocracy and the French
nobility, except that they are both antiquated institutions; the English
is the more harmful on account of its legislative power, the French is
the more pretentious. The House of Lords is the most open club in
London, the payment of an entrance-fee in the shape of a check to a party
fund being an all-sufficient sesame. In France, one must be born in the
magic circle. The spirit of the Emigration of 1793 is not yet extinct.
The nobles live in their own world (how expressive the word is, seeming
to exclude all the rest of mankind), pining after an impossible
_restauration_, alien to the present day, holding aloof from politics for
fear of coming in touch with the masses, with whom they pride themselves
on having nothing in common.

What leads many people astray on this subject is that there has formed
around this ancient society a circle composed of rich "outsiders," who
have married into good families; and of eccentric members of the latter,
who from a love of excitement or for interested motives have broken away
from their traditions. Newly arrived Americans are apt to mistake this
"world" for the real thing. Into this circle it is not difficult for
foreigners who are rich and anxious to see something of life to gain
admission. To be received by the ladies of this outer circle, seems to
our compatriots to be an achievement, until they learn the real standing
of their new acquaintances.

No gayer houses, however, exist than those of the new set. At their city
or country houses, they entertain continually, and they are the people
one meets toward five o'clock, on the grounds of the Polo Club, in the
Bois, at _fetes_ given by the Island Club of Puteaux, attending the race
meetings, or dining at American houses. As far as amusement and fun go,
one might seek much further and fare worse.

It is very, very rare that foreigners get beyond this circle.
Occasionally there is a marriage between an American girl and some
Frenchman of high rank. In these cases the girl is, as it were,
swallowed up. Her family see little of her, she rarely appears in
general society, and, little by little, she is lo