it. I did not make men and women. We must take human nature
as we find it, and thank God for it on the whole. Have you nothing else
to confide to me?"

"No, doctor."

"Are you sure?"

"No, dear friend. But this is very near my heart," faltered Josephine.

The doctor sighed; then said gently, "They shall be happy: as happy as
you wish them."

Meantime, in another room, a reconciliation scene was taking place, and
the mutual concessions of two impetuous but generous spirits.

The baroness noticed the change in Josephine's appearance.

She asked Rose what could be the matter.

"Some passing ailment," was the reply.

"Passing? She has been so, on and off, a long time. She makes me very
anxious."

Rose made light of it to her mother, but in her own heart she grew more
and more anxious day by day. She held secret conferences with Jacintha;
that sagacious personage had a plan to wake Josephine from her deathly
languor, and even soothe her nerves, and check those pitiable fits
of nervous irritation to which she had become subject. Unfortunately,
Jacintha's plan was so difficult and so dangerous, that at first even
the courageous Rose recoiled from it; but there are dangers that seem to
diminish when you look them long in the face.

The whole party was seated in the tapestried room: Jacintha was there,
sewing a pair of sheets, at a respectful distance from the gentlefolks,
absorbed in her work; but with both ears on full cock.

The doctor, holding his glasses to his eye, had just begun to read out
the Moniteur.

The baroness sat close to him, Edouard opposite; and the young ladies
each in her corner of a large luxurious sofa, at some little distance.

"'The Austrians left seventy cannon, eight thousand men, and three
colors upon the field. Army of the North: General Menard defeated the
enemy after a severe engagement, taking thirteen field-pieces and a
quantity of ammunition.'"

The baroness made a narrow-minded renmark. "That is always the way with
these journals," said she. "Austrians! Prussians! when it's Egypt one
wants to hear about."--"No, not a word about Egypt," said the doctor;
"but there is a whole column about the Rhine, where Colonel Dujardin
is--and Dard. If I was dictator, the first nuisance I would put down
is small type." He then spelled out a sanguinary engagement: "eight
thousand of the enemy killed. We have some losses to lament. Colonel
Dujardin"--

"Only wounded, I hope," said the