, seemed to agree perfectly; and at a certain
moment she saw her husband and M. de Thaller strike each other's
hand, as people do who exchange a pledge.

Eleven o'clock struck.

M. Favoral was insisting to make his guests accept a cup of tea or
a glass of punch; but M. de Thaller declared that he had some work
to do, and that, his carriage having come, he must go.

And go he did, taking with him the baroness, followed by M. Saint
Pavin and M. Jottras. And when, the door having closed upon them,
M. Favoral found himself alone with his wife,

"Well," he exclaimed, swelling with gratified vanity, "what do you
think of our friends?"

"They surprised me," she answered.

He fairly jumped at that word.

"I should like to know why?"

Then, timidly, and with infinite precautions, she commenced
explaining that M. de Thaller's face inspired her with no confidence;
that M. Jottras had seemed to her a very impudent personage; that M.
Saint Pavin appeared low and vulgar; and that, finally, the young
baroness had given her of herself the most singular idea.

M. Favoral refused to hear more.

"It's because you have never seen people of the best society," he
exclaimed.

"Excuse me. Formerly, during my mother's life--"

"Eh! Your mother never received but shop-keepers."

The poor woman dropped her head.

"I beg of you, Vincent," she insisted, "before doing any thing with
these new friends, think well, consult--"

He burst out laughing.

"Are you not afraid that they will cheat me?" he said,--"people ten
times as rich as we are. Here, don't let us speak of it any more,
and let us go to bed. You'll see what this dinner will bring us, and
whether I ever have reason to regret the money we have spent."

VIII

When, on the morning after this dinner, which was to form an era in
her life, Mme. Favoral woke up, her husband was already up, pencil
in hand, and busy figuring.

The charm had vanished with the fumes of the champagne; and the
clouds of the worst days were gathering upon his brow.

Noticing that his wife was looking at him,

"It's expensive work," he said in a bluff tone, "to set a business
going; and it wouldn't do to commence over again every day."

To hear him speak, one would have thought that Mme. Favoral alone,
by dint of hard begging, had persuaded him into that expense which
he now seemed to regret so much. She quietly called his attention
to the fact, reminding him that, far from urging,