ads in uniform, as if they were troops. What
ideas!"

"And behold the product!" said the chevalier, motioning to Athanase. "In
my day, young men were not so shy of looking at a pretty woman. As for
him, he drops his eyes whenever he sees you. That young man frightens me
because I am really interested in him. Tell him not to intrigue with
the Bonapartists, as he is now doing about that theatre. When all these
petty folks cease to ask for it insurrectionally,--which to my mind is
the synonym of constitutionally,--the government will build it. Besides
which, tell his mother to keep an eye on him."

"Oh, I'm sure she will prevent him from seeing those half-pay,
questionable people. I'll talk to her," said Mademoiselle Cormon, "for
he might lose his place in the mayor's office; and then what would he
and his mother have to live on? It makes me shudder."

As Monsieur de Talleyrand said of his wife, so the chevalier said to
himself, looking at Mademoiselle Cormon:--

"Find me another as stupid! Good powers! isn't virtue which drives out
intellect vice? But what an adorable wife for a man of my age! What
principles! what ignorance!"

Remember that this monologue, addressed to the Princess Goritza, was
mentally uttered while he took a pinch of snuff.

Madame Granson had divined that the chevalier was talking about
Athanase. Eager to know the result of the conversation, she followed
Mademoiselle Cormon, who was now approaching the young man with
much dignity. But at this moment Jacquelin appeared to announce that
mademoiselle was served. The old maid gave a glance of appeal to the
chevalier; but the gallant recorder of mortgages, who was beginning to
see in the manners of that gentleman the barrier which the provincial
nobles were setting up about this time between themselves and the
bourgeoisie, made the most of his chance to cut out Monsieur de Valois.
He was close to Mademoiselle Cormon, and promptly offered his arm, which
she found herself compelled to accept. The chevalier then darted, out of
policy, upon Madame Granson.

"Mademoiselle Cormon, my dear lady," he said to her, walking slowly
after all the other guests, "feels the liveliest interest in your
dear Athanase; but I fear it will vanish through his own fault. He is
irreligious and liberal; he is agitating this matter of the theatre;
he frequents the Bonapartists; he takes the side of that rector. Such
conduct may make him lose his place in the mayor's office.