spare, with grave and solemn manners, though his face expressed all
gentle sentiments and an inward calm; while his mere presence carried
with it a sacred authority. He was very fond of the Voltairean
chevalier. Those two majestic relics of the nobility and clergy, though
of very different habits and morals, recognized each other by their
generous traits. Besides, the chevalier was as unctuous with the abbe as
he was paternal with the grisettes.

Some persons may fancy that Mademoiselle Cormon used every means to
attain her end; and that among the legitimate lures of womanhood she
devoted herself to dress, wore low-necked gowns, and employed the
negative coquetries of a magnificent display of arms. Not at all! She
was as heroic and immovable in her high-necked chemisette as a sentry in
his box. Her gowns, bonnets, and chiffons were all cut and made by the
dressmaker and the milliner of Alencon, two hump-backed sisters,
who were not without some taste. In spite of the entreaties of these
artists, Mademoiselle Cormon refused to employ the airy deceits of
elegance; she chose to be substantial in all things, flesh and feathers.
But perhaps the heavy fashion of her gowns was best suited to her cast
of countenance. Let those laugh who will at this poor girl; you would
have thought her sublime, O generous souls! who care but little what
form true feeling takes, but admire it where it _is_.

Here some light-minded person may exclaim against the truth of this
statement; they will say that there is not in all France a girl so
silly as to be ignorant of the art of angling for men; that Mademoiselle
Cormon is one of those monstrous exceptions which commonsense should
prevent a writer from using as a type; that the most virtuous and also
the silliest girl who desires to catch her fish knows well how to bait
the hook. But these criticisms fall before the fact that the noble
catholic, apostolic, and Roman religion is still erect in Brittany and
in the ancient duchy of Alencon. Faith and piety admit of no subtleties.
Mademoiselle Cormon trod the path of salvation, preferring the sorrows
of her virginity so cruelly prolonged to the evils of trickery and
the sin of a snare. In a woman armed with a scourge virtue could never
compromise; consequently both love and self-interest were forced to seek
her, and seek her resolutely. And here let us have the courage to make
a cruel observation, in days when religion is nothing more than a
useful