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〃Heavens！ Colleville； how vulgar you are！〃 cried the tardy one；
hastening to cast a stone in the other's garden to avoid the throwing
of one into hers。 〃Well； are you all ready？〃 she added； arranging her
mantle before a mirror。 〃What o'clock is it？ it won't do to get there
before the time； like provincials。〃
〃Ten minutes to two；〃 said Colleville； 〃I go by the Tuileries。〃
〃Well； then we are just right；〃 said Brigitte； 〃it will take about
that time to get to the rue Caumartin。 Josephine；〃 she cried； going to
the door of the salon； 〃we'll dine at six； therefore be sure you put
the turkey to roast at the right time； and mind you don't burn it； as
you did the other day。 Bless me！ who's that？〃 and with a hasty motion
she shut the door； which she had been holding open。 〃What a nuisance！
I hope Henri will have the sense to tell him we are out。〃
Not at all； Henri came in to say that an old gentleman； with a very
genteel air； had asked to be received on urgent business。
〃Why didn't you say we were all out？〃
〃That's what I should have done if mademoiselle had not opened the
door of the salon so that the gentleman could see the whole family
assembled。〃
〃Oh； yes！〃 said Brigitte； 〃you are never in the wrong； are you？〃
〃What am I to say to him？〃 asked the man。
〃Say；〃 replied Thuillier； 〃that I am very sorry not to be able to
receive him； but I am expected at a notary's office about a marriage
contract； but that if he could return two hours hence〃
〃I have told him all that；〃 said Henri； 〃and he answered that that
contract was precisely what he had come about； and that his business
concerned you more than himself。〃
〃You had better go and see him； Thuillier； and get rid of him in
double…quick；〃 said Brigitte； 〃that's shorter than talking to Henri；
who is always an orator。〃
If la Peyrade had been consulted he might not have joined in that
advice； for he had had more than one specimen of the spokes some
occult influence was putting into the wheels of his marriage； and the
present visit seemed to him ominous。
〃Show him into my study；〃 said Thuillier； following his sister's
advice； and； opening the door which led from the salon to the study；
he went to receive his importunate visitor。
Brigitte immediately applied her eye to the keyhole。
〃Goodness！〃 she exclaimed； 〃there's my imbecile of a Thuillier
offering him a chair！ and away in a corner； too； where I can't hear a
word they say！〃
La Peyrade was walking about the room with an inward agitation covered
by an appearance of great indifference。 He even went up to the three
women； and made a few lover…like speeches to Celeste； who received
them with a smiling； happy air in keeping with the role she was
playing。 As for Colleville； he was killing the time by composing an
anagram on the six words of 〃le journal 'l'Echo de la Bievre；'〃 for
which he had found the following version； little reassuring （as far as
it went） for the prospects of that newspaper： 〃O d'Echo； jarni！ la
bevue reell〃but as the final 〃e〃 was lacking to complete the last
word； the work was not altogether as satisfactory as it should have
been。
〃He's taking snuff！〃 said Brigitte； her eye still glued to the
keyhole； 〃his gold snuff…box beats Minard'sthough； perhaps； it is
only silver…gilt；〃 she added； reflectively。 〃He's doing the talking；
and Thuillier is sitting there listening to him like a buzzard。 I
shall go in and tell them they can't keep ladies waiting that way。〃
But just as she put her hand on the lock she heard Thuillier's visitor
raise his voice； and that made her look through the keyhole again。
〃He is standing up； he's going；〃 she said with satisfaction。
But a moment later she saw she had made a mistake； the little old man
had only left his chair to walk up and down the room and continue the
conversation with greater freedom。
〃My gracious！ I shall certainly go in；〃 she said； 〃and tell Thuillier
we are going without him； and he can follow us。〃
So saying； the old maid gave two little sharp and very imperious raps
on the door； after which she resolutely entered the study。
La Peyrade； goaded by anxiety； had the bad taste to look through the
keyhole himself at what was happening。 Instantly he thought he
recognized the small old man he had seen under the name of 〃the
commander〃 on that memorable morning when he had waited for Madame de
Godollo。 Then he saw Thuillier addressing his sister with impatience
and with gestures of authority altogether out of his usual habits of
deference and submission。
〃It seems；〃 said Brigitte； re…entering the salon； 〃that Thuillier
finds some great interest in that creature's talk； for he ordered me
bluntly to leave them； though the little old fellow did say； rather
civilly； that they would soon be through。 But Jerome added： 'MIND； you
are to wait for me。' Really； since he has taken to making newspapers I
don't know him； he has set up an air as if he were leading the world
with his wand。〃
〃I am very much afraid he is being entangled by some adventurer；〃 said
la Peyrade。 〃I am pretty sure I saw that old man at Madame de
Godollo's the day I went to warn her off the premises； he must be of
the same stripe。〃
〃Why didn't you tell me？〃 cried Brigitte。 〃I'd have asked him for news
of the countess； and let him see we knew what we knew of his
Hungarian。〃
Just then the sound of moving chairs was heard； and Brigitte darted
back to the keyhole。
〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃he is really going； and Thuillier is bowing him out
respectfully！〃
As Thuillier did not immediately return； Colleville had time to go to
the window and exclaim at seeing the little old gentleman driving away
in an elegant coupe； of which the reader has already heard。
〃The deuce！〃 cried Colleville； 〃what an ornate livery！ If he is an
adventurer he is a number one。〃
At last Thuillier re…entered the room； his face full of care； his
manner extremely grave。
〃My dear la Peyrade；〃 he said； 〃you did not tell us that another
proposal of marriage had been seriously considered by you。〃
〃Yes； I did； I told you that a very rich heiress had been offered to
me； but that my inclinations were here； and that I had not given any
encouragement to the affair； consequently； of course； there was no
serious engagement。〃
〃Well； I think you do wrong to treat that proposal so lightly。〃
〃What！ do you mean to say； in presence of these ladies； that you blame
me for remaining faithful to my first desires and our old engagement？〃
〃My friend； the conversation that I have just had has been a most
instructive one to me； and when you know what I know； with other
details personal to yourself； which will be confided to you； I think
that you will enter into my ideas。 One thing is certain； we shall not
go to the notary to…day； and as for you； the best thing that you can
do is to go； without delay； to Monsieur du Portail。〃
〃That name again！ it pursues me like a remorse；〃 exclaimed la Peyrade。
〃Yes； go at once； he is awaiting you。 It is an indispensable
preliminary before we can go any farther。 When you have seen that
excellent man and heard what he has to say to youwell； THEN if you
persist in claiming Celeste's hand； we might perhaps carry out our
plans。 Until then we shall take no steps in the matter。〃
〃But； my poor Thuillier；〃 said Brigitte； 〃you have let yourself be
gammoned by a rascal； that man belongs to the Godollo set。〃
〃Madame de Godollo；〃 replied Thuillier； 〃is not at all what you
suppose her to be； and the best thing this house can do is never to
say one word about her； either good or evil。 As for la Peyrade； as
this is not the first time he has been requested to go and see
Monsieur du Portail； I am surprised that he hesitates to do so。〃
〃Ah ca！〃 said Brigitte； 〃that little old man has completely befooled
you。〃
〃I tell you that that little old man is all that he appears to be。 He
wears seven crosses； he drives in a splendid equipage； and he has told
me things that have overwhelmed me with astonishment。〃
〃Well； perhaps he's a fortune…teller like Madame Fontaine； who managed
once upon a time to upset me when Madame Minard and I； just to amuse
ourselves； went to consult her。〃
〃Well； if he is not a sorcerer he certainly has a very long arm；〃 said
Thuillier； 〃and I think a man would suffer for it if he didn't respect
his advice。 As for you； Brigitte； he saw you only for a minute； but he
told me your whole character； he said you were a masterful woman； born
to command。〃
〃The fact is；〃 said Brigitte； licking her chops at this compliment；
like a cat drinking cream； 〃he has a very well…bred air； that little
old fellow。 You take my advice； my dear；〃 she said； turning to la
Peyrade； 〃if such a very big…wig as that wants you to do so； go and
see this du Portail； whoever he is。 That； it seems to me； won't bind
you to anything。〃
〃You are right； Brigitte；〃 said Colleville； 〃as for me； I'd follow up
all the Portails； or PortERS； or PortENTS for the matter of that； if
they asked me to。〃
The scene was beginning to resemble that in the 〃Barber of Seville；〃
where everybody tells Basil to go to bed； for he certainly has a
fever。 La Peyrade； thus prodded； picked up his hat in som