eral months having elapsed, Madame de Clinville thought no longer of
the Tuileries adventure, when one morning, while at breakfast with
Emmelina and Gustavus, her only son--a pupil at the Imperial Academy,
seventeen years of age--the porter of the lodge entered the apartment,
holding in one hand a ripe pineapple, and in the other a note, directed
to Mademoiselle de Clinville, the contents as follows:

[Illustration: _The happiness of sharing with others that which we
possess enhances the value of its enjoyment.--Page 244._]

'Having been presented with two pineapples, permit me to offer
you one of them, and to recall to mind your own impressive
sentiment--_The happiness of sharing with others that which we
possess enhances the value of its enjoyment._

'THE LITTLE GREEN HAT.'

In vain did Madame de Clinville and her children question the porter to
know who brought this note. He answered:

'It was a messenger, who, upon leaving the parcel, went away without
saying a word.'

Emmelina at once decided upon sharing the pineapple with her mother and
brother, which they regarded but as a return for the bunch of cherries;
but were still the more perplexed from a desire to know the two
strangers. In a short time the porter again entered Madame de
Clinville's house with a rich china vase, in which was an orange tree of
an uncommon size in full bloom, with a second letter, which was, as
usual, directed to Emmelina, and contained these words:

'I received yesterday for my birthday fete, _Ste Clotilde_, two
orange trees like the one sent you; condescend to accept of
one. _The happiness of sharing with others that which we
possess enhances the value of its enjoyment._'

The porter informed them it was conveyed by the same person, to whom he
had put several useless questions.

'What!' said Emmelina, 'am I never to know who this charming Clotilde
is, with the green hat?'

'Let me try,' said Gustavus; 'I will undertake to find her out. Describe
her as exactly as you can.'

'She is about my size,' answered his sister, 'but a much better figure
than I am. Her grace displays a prepossessing _je ne sais quoi_; her
regular and noble features are enlivened by an air of sweetness and
gaiety that attracts and at the same time interests you; fine auburn
hair flows in ringlets on her lovely neck; and the whiteness of her skin
adds still greater beauty to her fine large