ch was peculiar to him.

"I know Monsieur de Sommervieux very well," the Dove ran on. "He has
come to my evenings this fortnight past, and made them delightful. He
has told me all his woes, and commissioned me to plead for him. I know
since this morning that he adores Augustine, and he shall have her. Ah,
cousin, do not shake your head in refusal. He will be created Baron, I
can tell you, and has just been made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor,
by the Emperor himself, at the Salon. Roguin is now his lawyer, and
knows all his affairs. Well! Monsieur de Sommervieux has twelve thousand
francs a year in good landed estate. Do you know that the father-in-law
of such a man may get a rise in life--be mayor of his _arrondissement_,
for instance. Have we not seen Monsieur Dupont become a Count of the
Empire, and a senator, all because he went as mayor to congratulate the
Emperor on his entry into Vienna? Oh, this marriage must take place! For
my part, I adore the dear young man. His behavior to Augustine is only
met with in romances. Be easy, little one, you shall be happy, and every
girl will wish she were in your place. Madame la Duchesse de Carigliano,
who comes to my 'At Homes,' raves about Monsieur de Sommervieux. Some
spiteful people say she only comes to me to meet him; as if a duchesse
of yesterday was doing too much honor to a Chevrel, whose family have
been respected citizens these hundred years!

"Augustine," Madame Roguin went on, after a short pause, "I have seen
the portrait. Heavens! How lovely it is! Do you know that the Emperor
wanted to have it? He laughed, and said to the Deputy High Constable
that if there were many women like that in his court while all the kings
visited it, he should have no difficulty about preserving the peace of
Europe. Is not that a compliment?"

The tempests with which the day had begun were to resemble those of
nature, by ending in clear and serene weather. Madame Roguin displayed
so much address in her harangue, she was able to touch so many strings
in the dry hearts of Monsieur and Madame Guillaume, that at last she hit
on one which she could work upon. At this strange period commerce and
finance were more than ever possessed by the crazy mania for seeking
alliance with rank; and the generals of the Empire took full advantage
of this desire. Monsieur Guillaume, as a singular exception, opposed
this deplorable craving. His favorite axioms were that, to secure
happiness, a woman mus