he says it does, in our
middle-class society, I can assure him that everywhere else he would see
a consoling spectacle. Among the people, the mass of the people through
town and country, girls do not deny themselves that pleasure."

"It is depravity!" said Madame Cremeur.

And she praised the innocence of young girls in terms full of modesty
and grace. It was charming to hear her.

Professor Haddock's views on the same subject were, on the contrary,
painful to listen to.

"Respectable young girls," said he, "are guarded and watched over.
Besides, men do not, as a rule, pursue them much, either through
probity, or from a fear of grave responsibilities, or because the
seduction of a young girl would not be to their credit. Even then we do
not know what really takes place, for the reason that what is hidden is
not seen. This is a condition necessary to the existence of all society.
The scruples of respectable young girls could be more easily overcome
than those of married women if the same pressure were brought to bear on
them, and for this there are two reasons: they have more illusions, and
their curiosity has not been satisfied. Women, for the most part, have
been so disappointed by their husbands that they have not courage
enough to begin again with somebody else. I myself have been met by this
obstacle several times in my attempts at seduction."

At the moment when Professor Haddock ended his unpleasant remarks,
Mademoiselle Eveline Clarence entered the drawing-room and listlessly
handed about tea with that expression of boredom which gave an oriental
charm to her beauty.

"For my part," said Hippolyte Ceres, looking at her, "I declare myself
the young ladies' champion."

"He must be a fool," thought the girl.

Hippolyte Ceres, who had never set foot outside of his political world
of electors and elected, thought Madame Clarence's drawing-room most
select, its mistress exquisite, and her daughter amazingly beautiful.
His visits became frequent and he paid court to both of them. Madame
Clarence, who now liked attention, thought him agreeable. Eveline showed
no friendliness towards him, and treated him with a hauteur and disdain
that he took for aristocratic behaviour and fashionable manners, and
he thought all the more of her on that account. This busy man taxed his
ingenuity to please them, and he sometimes succeeded. He got them
cards for fashionable functions and boxes at the Opera. He furnished
Mademoise