supped。　These　two　salons　communicated　by　means　of　certain　mixed
  individuals　with　the　house　of　Cormon；　and　vice…versa；　but　the　Cormon
  establishment　sat　severely　in　judgment　on　the　two　other　camps。　The
  luxury　of　their　dinners　was　criticised；　the　ices　at　their　balls　were
  pondered；　the　behavior　of　the　women；　the　dresses；　and　〃novelties〃
  there　produced　were　discussed　and　disapproved。
  Mademoiselle　Cormon；　a　species　of　firm；　as　one　might　say；　under　whose
  name　was　comprised　an　imposing　coterie；　was　naturally　the　aim　and
  object　of　two　ambitious　men　as　deep　and　wily　as　the　Chevalier　de
  Valois　and　du　Bousquier。　To　the　one　as　well　as　to　the　other；　she　meant
  election　as　deputy；　resulting；　for　the　noble；　in　the　peerage；　for　the
  purveyor；　in　a　receiver…generalship。　A　leading　salon　is　a　difficult
  thing　to　create；　whether　in　Paris　or　the　provinces；　and　here　was　one
  already　created。　To　marry　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　to　reign　in　Alencon。
  Athanase　Granson；　the　only　one　of　the　three　suitors　for　the　hand　of
  the　old　maid　who　no　longer　calculated　profits；　now　loved　her　person　as
  well　as　her　fortune。
  To　employ　the　jargon　of　the　day；　is　there　not　a　singular　drama　in　the
  situation　of　these　four　personages？　Surely　there　is　something　odd　and
  fantastic　in　three　rivalries　silently　encompassing　a　woman　who　never
  guessed　their　existence；　in　spite　of　an　eager　and　legitimate　desire　to
  be　married。　And　yet；　though　all　these　circumstances　make　the
  spinsterhood　of　this　old　maid　an　extraordinary　thing；　it　is　not
  difficult　to　explain　how　and　why；　in　spite　of　her　fortune　and　her
  three　lovers；　she　was　still　unmarried。　In　the　first　place；
  Mademoiselle　Cormon；　following　the　custom　and　rule　of　her　house；　had
  always　desired　to　marry　a　nobleman；　but　from　1788　to　1798　public
  circumstances　were　very　unfavorable　to　such　pretensions。　Though　she
  wanted　to　be　a　woman　of　condition；　as　the　saying　is；　she　was　horribly
  afraid　of　the　Revolutionary　tribunal。　The　two　sentiments；　equal　in
  force；　kept　her　stationary　by　a　law　as　true　in　ethics　as　it　is　in
  statics。　This　state　of　uncertain　expectation　is　pleasing　to　unmarried
  women　as　long　as　they　feel　themselves　young；　and　in　a　position　to
  choose　a　husband。　France　knows　that　the　political　system　of　Napoleon
  resulted　in　making　many　widows。　Under　that　regime　heiresses　were
  entirely　out　of　proportion　in　numbers　to　the　bachelors　who　wanted　to
  marry。　When　the　Consulate　restored　internal　order；　external
  difficulties　made　the　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　as　difficult　to
  arrange　as　it　had　been　in　the　past。　If；　on　the　one　hand；　Rose…Marie…
  Victoire　refused　to　marry　an　old　man；　on　the　other；　the　fear　of
  ridicule　forbade　her　to　marry　a　very　young　one。
  In　the　provinces；　families　marry　their　sons　early　to　escape　the
  conscription。　In　addition　to　all　this；　she　was　obstinately　determined
  not　to　marry　a　soldier：　she　did　not　intend　to　take　a　man　and　then　give
  him　up　to　the　Emperor；　she　wanted　him　for　herself　alone。　With　these
  views；　she　found　it　therefore　impossible；　from　1804　to　1815；　to　enter
  the　lists　with　young　girls　who　were　rivalling　each　other　for　suitable
  matches。
  Besides　her　predilection　for　the　nobility；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had
  another　and　very　excusable　mania：　that　of　being　loved　for　herself。　You
  could　hardly　believe　the　lengths　to　which　this　desire　led　her。　She
  employed　her　mind　on　setting　traps　for　her　possible　lovers；　in　order
  to　test　their　real　sentiments。　Her　nets　were　so　well　laid　that　the
  luckless　suitors　were　all　caught；　and　succumbed　to　the　test　she
  applied　to　them　without　their　knowledge。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　did　not
  study　them；　she　watched　them。　A　single　word　said　heedlessly；　a　joke
  （that　she　often　was　unable　to　understand）；　sufficed　to　make　her　reject
  an　aspirant　as　unworthy：　this　one　had　neither　heart　nor　delicacy；　that
  one　told　lies；　and　was　not　religious；　a　third　only　wanted　to　coin
  money　under　the　cloak　of　marriage；　another　was　not　of　a　nature　to　make
  a　woman　happy；　here　she　suspected　hereditary　gout；　there　certain
  immoral　antecedents　alarmed　her。　Like　the　Church；　she　required　a　noble
  priest　at　her　altar；　she　even　wanted　to　be　married　for　imaginary
  ugliness　and　pretended　defects；　just　as　other　women　wish　to　be　loved
  for　the　good　qualities　they　have　not；　and　for　imaginary　beauties。
  Mademoiselle　Cormon's　ambition　took　its　rise　in　the　most　delicate　and
  sensitive　feminine　feeling；　she　longed　to　reward　a　lover　by　revealing
  to　him　a　thousand　virtues　after　marriage；　as　other　women　then　betray
  the　imperfections　they　have　hitherto　concealed。　But　she　was　ill
  understood。　The　noble　woman　met　with　none　but　common　souls　in　whom　the
  reckoning　of　actual　interests　was　paramount；　and　who　knew　nothing　of
  the　nobler　calculations　of　sentiment。
  The　farther　she　advanced　towards　that　fatal　epoch　so　adroitly　called
  the　〃second　youth；〃　the　more　her　distrust　increased。　She　affected　to
  present　herself　in　the　most　unfavorable　light；　and　played　her　part　so
  well　that　the　last　wooers　hesitated　to　link　their　fate　to　that　of　a
  person　whose　virtuous　blind…man's…buff　required　an　amount　of
  penetration　that　men　who　want　the　virtuous　ready…made　would　not　bestow
  upon　it。　The　constant　fear　of　being　married　for　her　money　rendered　her
  suspicious　and　uneasy　beyond　all　reason。　She　turned　to　the　rich　men；
  but　the　rich　are　in　search　of　great　marriages；　she　feared　the　poor
  men；　in　whom　she　denied　the　disinterestedness　she　sought　so　eagerly。
  After　each　disappointment　in　marriage；　the　poor　lady；　led　to　despise
  mankind；　began　to　see　them　all　in　a　false　light。　Her　character
  acquired；　necessarily；　a　secret　misanthropy；　which　threw　a　tinge　of
  bitterness　into　her　conversation；　and　some　severity　into　her　eyes。
  Celibacy　gave　to　her　manners　and　habits　a　certain　increasing　rigidity；
  for　she　endeavored　to　sanctify　herself　in　despair　of　fate。　Noble
  vengeance！　she　was　cutting　for　God　the　rough　diamond　rejected　by　man。
  Before　long　public　opinion　was　against　her；　for　society　accepts　the
  verdict　an　independent　woman　renders　on　herself　by　not　marrying；
  either　through　losing　suitors　or　rejecting　them。　Everybody　supposed
  that　these　rejections　were　founded　on　secret　reasons；　always　ill
  interpreted。　One　said　she　was　deformed；　another　suggested　some　hidden
  fault；　but　the　poor　girl　was　really　as　pure　as　a　saint；　as　healthy　as
  an　infant；　and　full　of　loving　kindness；　Nature　had　intended　her　for
  all　the　pleasures；　all　the　joys；　and　all　the　fatigues　of　motherhood。
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　did　not　possess　in　her　person　an　obliging
  auxiliary　to　her　desires。　She　had　no　other　beauty　than　that　very
  improperly　called　la　beaute　du　diable；　which　consists　of　a　buxom
  freshness　of　youth　that　the　devil；　theologically　speaking；　could　never
  have；though　perhaps　the　expression　may　be　explained　by　the　constant
  desire　that　must　surely　possess　him　to　cool　and　refresh　himself。　The
  feet　of　the　heiress　were　broad　and　flat。　Her　leg；　which　she　often
  exposed　to　sight　by　her　manner　（be　it　said　without　malice）　of　lifting
  her　gown　when　it　rained；　could　never　have　been　taken　for　the　leg　of　a
  woman。　It　was　sinewy；　with　a　thick　projecting　calf　like　a　sailor's。　A
  stout　waist；　the　plumpness　of　a　wet…nurse；　strong　dimpled　arms；　red
  hands；　were　all　in　keeping　with　the　swelling　outlines　and　the　fat
  whiteness　of　Norman　beauty。　Projecting　eyes；　undecided　in　color；　gave
  to　her　face；　the　rounded　outline　of　which　had　no　dignity；　an　air　of
  surprise　and　sheepish　simplicity；　which　was　suitable　perhaps　for　an
  old　maid。　If　Rose　had　not　been；　as　she　was；　really　innocent；　she　would
  have　seemed　so。　An　aquiline　nose　contrasted　curiously　with　the
  narrowness　of　her　forehead；　for　it　is　rare　that　that　form　of　nose　does
  not　carry　with　it　a　fine　brow。　In　spite　of　her　thick　red　lips；　a　sign
  of　great　kindliness；　the　forehead　revealed　too　great　a　lack　of　ideas
  to　allow　of　the　heart　being　guided　by　intellect；　she　was　evidently
  benevolent　without　grace。　How　severely　we　reproach　Virtue　for　its
  defects；　and　how　full　of　indulgence　we　all　are　for　the　pleasanter
  qualities　of　Vice！
  Chestnut　hair　of　extraordinary　length　gave　to　Rose　Cormon's　face　a
  beauty　which　results　from　vigor　and　abundance；the　physical　qualities
  most　apparent　in　her　person。　In　the　days　of　her　chief　pretensions；
  Rose　affected　to　hold　her　head　at　the　three…quarter　angle；　in　order　to
  exhibit　a　very　pretty　ear；　which　detached　itself　from　the　blue…veined
  whiteness　of　her　throat　and　temples；　set　off；　as　it　was；　by　her　wealth
  of　hair。　Seen　thus　in　a　ball…dress；　she　might　have　seemed　handsome。
  Her　protuberant　outlines　and　her　vigorous　health　did；　in　fact；　draw
  from　the　officers　of　the　Empire　the　approving　exclamation；
  〃What　a　fine　slip　of　a　girl！〃
  But；　as　years　rolled　on；　this　plumpness；　encouraged　by　a　tranquil；
  wholesome　life；　had　insensibly　so　ill　spread　itself　over　the　whole　of
  Mademoiselle　Cormon's　body　that　her　primitive　proportions　were
  destroyed。　At　the　present　moment；　no　corset　could　r