ns；　not　to　speak　of　two　tragedies。　The　favorite　studies　of　Dorlange　led　him　to　steal　logs　of　wood；　out　of　which；　with　his　knife；　he　carved　madonnas；　grotesque　figures；　fencing…masters；　saints；　grenadiers　of　the　Old　Guard；　and；　but　this　was　secretly；　Napoleons。
  In　1827；　their　school…days　ended；　the　two　friends　left　college　together　and　were　sent　to　Paris。　A　place　had　been　chosen　for　Dorlange　in　the　atelier　of　the　sculptor　Bosio；　and　from　that　moment　a　rather　fantastic　course　was　pursued　by　an　unseen　protection　that　hovered　over　him。　When　he　reached　the　house　in　Paris　to　which　the　head…master　of　the　school　had　sent　him；　he　found　a　dainty　little　apartment　prepared　for　his　reception。　Under　the　glass　shade　of　the　clock　was　a　large　envelope　addressed　to　him；　so　placed　as　to　strike　his　eye　the　moment　that　he　entered　the　room。　In　that　envelope　was　a　note；　written　in　pencil；　containing　these　words：
  The　day　after　your　arrival　in　Paris　go　at　eight　in　the　morning　　　punctually　to　the　garden　of　the　Luxembourg；　Allee　de　　　l'Observatoire；　fourth　bench　to　the　right；　starting　from　the　gate。　　　This　order　is　strict。　Do　not　fail　to　obey　it。
  Punctual　to　the　minute；　Dorlange　was　not　long　at　the　place　of　rendezvous　before　he　was　met　by　a　very　small　man；　whose　enormous　head；　bearing　an　immense　shock　of　hair；　together　with　a　pointed　nose；　chin；　and　crooked　legs　made　him　seem　like　a　being　escaped　from　one　of　Hoffman's　tales。　Without　saying　a　word；　for　to　his　other　physical　advantages　this　weird　messenger　added　that　of　being　deaf　and　dumb；　he　placed　in　the　young　man's　hand　a　letter　and　a　purse。　The　letter　said　that　the　family　of　Dorlange　were　glad　to　see　that　he　wished　to　devote　himself　to　art。　They　urged　him　to　work　bravely　and　to　profit　by　the　instructions　of　the　great　master　under　whose　direction　he　was　placed。　They　hoped　he　would　live　virtuously；　and；　in　any　case；　an　eye　would　be　kept　upon　his　conduct。　There　was　no　desire；　the　letter　went　on　to　say；　that　he　should　be　deprived　of　the　respectable　amusements　of　his　age。　For　his　needs　and　for　his　pleasures；　he　might　count　upon　the　sum　of　six　hundred　and　fifty　francs　every　three　months；　which　would　be　given　to　him　in　the　same　place　by　the　same　man；　but　he　was　expressly　forbidden　to　follow　the　messenger　after　he　had　fulfilled　his　commission；　if　this　injunction　were　directly　or　indirectly　disobeyed；　the　punishment　would　be　severe；　it　would　be　nothing　less　than　the　withdrawal　of　the　stipend　and；　possibly；　total　abandonment。
  Do　you　remember；　my　dear　Madame　de　Camps；　that　in　1831　you　and　I　went　together　to　the　Beaux…Arts　to　see　the　exhibition　of　works　which　were　competing　for　the　Grand　Prix　in　sculpture？　The　subject　given　out　for　competition　was　Niobe　weeping　for　her　children。　Do　you　also　remember　my　indignation　at　one　of　the　competing　works　around　which　the　crowd　was　so　compact　that　we　could　scarcely　approach　it？　The　insolent　youth　had　dared　to　turn　that　sacred　subject　into　jest！　His　Niobe　was　infinitely　touching　in　her　beauty　and　grief；　but　to　represent　her　children；　as　he　did；　by　monkeys　squirming　on　the　ground　in　the　most　varied　and　grotesque　attitudes；　what　a　deplorable　abuse　of　talent！
  You　tried　in　vain　to　make　me　see　that　the　monkeys　were　enchantingly　graceful　and　clever；　and　that　a　mother's　blind　idolatry　could　not　be　more　ingeniously　ridiculed；　I　held　to　the　opinion　that　the　conception　was　monstrous；　and　the　indignation　of　the　old　academicians　who　demanded　the　expulsion　of　this　intolerable　work；　seemed　to　me　most　justifiable。　But　the　Academy；　instigated　by　the　public　and　by　the　newspapers；　which　talked　of　opening　a　subscription　to　send　the　young　sculptor　to　Rome；　were　not　of　my　opinion　and　that　of　their　older　members。　The　extreme　beauty　of　the　Niobe　atoned　for　all　the　rest　and　the　defamer　of　mothers　saw　his　work　crowned；　in　spite　of　an　admonition　given　to　him　by　the　venerable　secretary　on　the　day　of　the　distribution　of　the　prizes。　But；　poor　fellow！　I　excuse　him；　for　I　now　learn　that　he　never　knew　his　mother。　It　was　Dorlange；　the　poor　abandoned　child　at　Tours；　the　friend　of　Marie…Gaston。
  From　1827　to　1831　the　two　friends　were　inseparable。　Dorlange；　regularly　supplied　with　means；　was　a　sort　of　Marquis　d'Aligre；　Gaston；　on　the　contrary；　was　reduced　to　his　own　resources　for　a　living；　and　would　have　lived　a　life　of　extreme　poverty　had　it　not　been　for　his　friend。　But　where　friends　love　each　otherand　the　situation　is　more　rare　than　people　imagineall　on　one　side　and　nothing　on　the　other　is　a　determining　cause　for　association。　So；　without　any　reckoning　between　them；　our　two　pigeons　held　in　common　their　purse；　their　earnings；　their　pains；　pleasures；　hopes；　in　fact；　they　held　all　things　in　common；　and　lived　but　one　life　between　the　two。　This　state　of　things　lasted　till　Dorlange　had　won　the　Grand　Prix；　and　started　for　Rome。　Henceforth　community　of　interests　was　no　longer　possible。　But　Dorlange；　still　receiving　an　ample　income　through　his　mysterious　dwarf；　bethought　himself　of　making　over　to　Gaston　the　fifteen　hundred　francs　paid　to　him　by　the　government　for　the　〃prix　de　Rome。〃　But　a　good　heart　in　receiving　is　more　rare　than　the　good　heart　that　gives。　His　mind　being　ulcerated　by　constant　misfortune　Marie…Gaston　refused；　peremptorily；　what　pride　insisted　on　calling　/alms/。　Work；　he　said；　had　been　provided　for　him　by　Daniel　d'Arthez；　one　of　our　greatest　writers；　and　the　payment　for　that；　added　to　his　own　small　means；　sufficed　him。　This　proud　rejection；　not　properly　understood　by　Dorlange；　produced　a　slight　coolness　between　the　two　friends；　nevertheless；　until　the　year　1833；　their　intimacy　was　maintained　by　a　constant　exchange　of　letters。　But　here；　on　Marie…Gaston's　side；　perfect　confidence　ceased；　after　a　time；　to　exist。　He　was　hiding　something；　his　proud　determination　to　depend　wholly　on　himself　was　a　sad　mistake。　Each　day　brought　him　nearer　to　penury。　At　last；　staking　all　upon　one　throw；　he　imprudently　involved　himself　in　journalism。　Assuming　all　the　risks　of　an　enterprise　which　amounted　to　thirty　thousand　francs；　a　stroke　of　ill…fortune　left　him　nothing　to　look　forward　to　but　a　debtor's　prison；　which　yawned　before　him。
  It　was　at　this　moment　that　his　meeting　with　Louise　de　Chaulieu　took　place。　During　the　nine　months　that　preceded　their　marriage；　Marie…　Gaston's　letters　to　his　friend　became　fewer　and　far…between。　Dorlange　ought　surely　to　have　been　the　first　to　know　of　this　change　in　the　life　of　his　friend；　but　not　one　word　of　it　was　confided　to　him。　This　was　exacted　by　the　high　and　mighty　lady　of　Gaston's　love；　Louise　de　Chaulieu；　Baronne　de　Macumer。
  When　the　time　for　the　marriage　came；　Madame　de　Macumer　pushed　this　mania　for　secrecy　to　extremes。　I；　her　nearest　and　dearest　friend；　was　scarcely　informed　of　the　event；　and　no　one　was　admitted　to　the　ceremony　except　the　witnesses　required　by　law。　Dorlange　was　still　absent。　The　correspondence　between　them　ceased；　and　if　Marie…Gaston　had　entered　the　convent　of　La　Trappe；　he　could　not　have　been　more　completely　lost　to　his　friend。
  When　Dorlange　returned　from　Rome　in　1836；　the　sequestration　of　Marie…　Gaston's　person　and　affection　was　more　than　ever　close　and　inexorable。　Dorlange　had　too　much　self…respect　to　endeavor　to　pass　the　barriers　thus　opposed　to　him；　and　the　old　friends　not　only　never　saw　each　other；　but　no　communication　passed　between　them。
  But　when　the　news　of　Madame　Marie…Gaston's　death　reached　him　Dorlange　forgot　all　and　hastened　to　Ville　d'Avray　to　comfort　his　friend。　Useless　eagerness！　Two　hours　after　that　sad　funeral　was　over；　Marie…　Gaston；　without　a　thought　for　his　friends　or　for　a　sister…in…law　and　two　nephews　who　were　dependent　on　him；　flung　himself　into　a　post…　chaise　and　started　for　Italy。　Dorlange　felt　that　this　egotism　of　sorrow　filled　the　measure　of　the　wrong　already　done　to　him；　and　he　endeavored　to　efface　from　his　heart　even　the　recollection　of　a　friendship　which　sympathy　under　misfortune　could　not　recall。
  My　husband　and　I　loved　Louise　de　Chaulieu　too　tenderly　not　to　continue　our　affection　for　the　man　who　had　been　so　much　to　her。　Before　leaving　France；　Marie…Gaston　had　requested　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　to　take　charge　of　his　affairs；　and　later　he　sent　him　a　power…of…attorney　to　enable　him　to　do　so　properly。
  Some　weeks　ago　his　grief；　still　living　and　active；　suggested　to　him　a　singular　idea。　In　the　midst　of　the　beautiful　park　at　Ville　d'Avray　is　a　little　lake；　with　an　island　upon　it　which　Louise　dearly　loved。　To　that　island；　a　shady　calm　retreat；　Marie…Gaston　wished　to　remove　the　body　of　his　wife；　after　building　a　mausoleum　of　Carrara　marble　to　receive　it。　He　wrote　to　us　to　communicate　this　idea；　and；　remembering　Dorlange　in　this　connection；　he　requested　my　husband　to　see　him　and　ask　him　to　undertake　the　work。　At　first　Dorlange　feigned　not　to　remember　even　the　name　of　Marie…Gaston；　and　he　made　some　civil　pretext　to　decline　the　commission。　But　see　and　admire　the　consistency　of　such　determinations　when　people　love　each　other！　That　very　evening；　being　at　the　opera；　he　heard　the　Duc　de　Rhetore　speak　insultingly　of　his　former　friend；　and　he　vehemently　resented　the　duke's　words。　A　duel　followed　in　which　he　was　wounded；　the　news　of　this　affair　has　probably　already　reached　you。　So　here　is　a　man　facing　death　at　night　for　a　friend　whose