without thanking him by
a happy look for this attention, to which the chevalier replied by
motioning toward Athanase with a meaning eye.

"Mademoiselle," he began, "you have so much sense and judgment in social
proprieties, and also, you are connected with that young man by certain
ties--"

"Distant ones," she said, interrupting him.

"Ought you not," he continued, "to use the influence you have over his
mother and over himself by saving him from perdition? He is not very
religious, as you know; indeed he approves of the rector; but that is
not all; there is something far more serious; isn't he throwing himself
headlong into an opposition without considering what influence his
present conduct may exert upon his future? He is working for the
construction of a theatre. In this affair he is simply the dupe of that
disguised republican du Bousquier--"

"Good gracious! Monsieur de Valois," she replied; "his mother is always
telling me he has so much mind, and yet he can't say two words; he
stands planted before me as mum as a post--"

"Which doesn't think at all!" cried the recorder of mortgages. "I caught
your words on the fly. I present my compliments to Monsieur de Valois,"
he added, bowing to that gentleman with much emphasis.

The chevalier returned the salutation stiffly, and drew Mademoiselle
Cormon toward some flower-pots at a little distance, in order to show
the interrupter that he did not choose to be spied upon.

"How is it possible," he continued, lowering his voice, and leaning
towards Mademoiselle Cormon's ear, "that a young man brought up in those
detestable lyceums should have ideas? Only sound morals and noble habits
will ever produce great ideas and a true love. It is easy to see by a
mere look at him that the poor lad is likely to be imbecile, and come,
perhaps, to some sad end. See how pale and haggard he is!"

"His mother declares he works too hard," replied the old maid,
innocently. "He sits up late, and for what? reading books and writing!
What business ought to require a young man to write at night?"

"It exhausts him," replied the chevalier, trying to bring the old maid's
thoughts back to the ground where he hoped to inspire her with horror
for her youthful lover. "The morals of those Imperial lyceums are really
shocking."

"Oh, yes!" said the ingenuous creature. "They march the pupils about
with drums at their head. The masters have no more religion than pagans.
And they put the poor l