ulously. "And how does such a mixed
gathering answer?"

The abbe did not reply at once; he scratched his nose thoughtfully.

"Until they get to know one another, it is perhaps somewhat stiff. But
with intellectual people this stiffness must soon disappear, and each
one will do something to keep the ball rolling. You have an excellent
delivery; I noticed it the night of your lecture. You could easily
find a subject on which to lecture which would interest your listeners
by its novelty, surprise them by its profundity, and amuse them by its
variety; their intellect and their imagination would be equally
engaged."

It was Ivan's turn to laugh, which he did loudly. "My excellent sir,
such a subject is unknown to me. I confess my ignorance; neither in
print nor in manuscript have I met with it."

The clergyman joined in the laugh.

At this moment a servant brought Ivan a despatch, which claimed
instant attention, so that the receipt might be given to the messenger
who waited for it. Ivan begged his guest to excuse him if he opened
this urgent document. The abbe, with a wave of his hand, requested him
not to mind his presence.

As Ivan read the letter a remarkable change passed over his face; he
grew suddenly pale, his eyebrows contracted, then a sudden rush of
color came into his cheeks. He held the letter before him, read it
several times, while his eyes had a wild stare, as if he had seen a
ghost. Then all at once he fell to laughing. He thrust the letter into
his pocket, and returned to the subject he had been discussing.

"Yes, yes," he said, "I shall go to Countess Theudelinde's _soiree_,
and I shall give a lecture before her guests such as they have never
heard the equal; that I promise you. Science and poetry, imagination
and learning mixed together, with dates and genealogy, so that the
_savants_ present will not know what to think; I shall give a lecture
which will make every geologist a prince, and every princess a
geologist. Do you follow me?"

"Perfectly," returned the other; not, indeed, that he saw what Ivan
meant, but that he wished to encourage him. "That will be the very
thing--first-rate!"

"What do you say to illustrations by means of an electric-magnetic
machine, eh?"

"A capital idea, and amusing. My dear friend, you will have a
_succes_."

"May I ask you to convey to the countess my acceptance of her
invitation? I shall require a large apparatus."

"I can assure you in advance that the