e　company　placed　themselves　as　they　pleased。　The　dinner；　on　the　whole；　was　dull；　Bixiou；　at　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve's　request；　had　warned　the　party　to　risk　nothing　that　might　offend　the　chaste　ears　of　the　pious　Italian。　Forced　to　mind　their　morals；　as　a　celebrated　critic　once　observed；　these　men　of　wit　and　audacity　lost　their　spirit；　and；　taking　refuge　in　the　menu；　which　was　excellent；　they　either　talked　together　in　a　low　voice；　or　let　the　conversation　drag　itself　along　in　bourgeois　commonplaces。　They　ate　and　they　drank；　but　they　did　not　dine。　Bixiou；　incapable　of　bearing　this　state　of　things　during　a　whole　dinner；　determined　to　create　a　reaction。　The　appearance　of　this　Swedish　magnate；　evidently　on　intimate　terms　with　the　Saint…Esteve；　puzzled　him。　He　noticed　a　certain　insufficiency　in　Vautrin；　and　thought　to　himself　that　if　he　were　really　a　great　nobleman；　he　would　be　more　equal　to　the　occasion；　and　give　a　tone　to　the　feast。　He　determined；　therefore；　to　test　him；　and　thus　provide　amusement；　at　any　rate；　for　himself。　So；　at　the　end　of　the　second　course；　he　suddenly　said　from　his　end　of　the　table；
  〃Monsieur　le　comte；　you　are　too　young；　of　course；　to　have　known　Gustavus　III。；　whom　Scribe　and　Auber　have　set　in　opera；　while　the　rest　of　us　glorify　him　in　a　/galop/。〃
  〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　replied　Vautrin；　jumping　at　the　chance　thus　given　him；　〃I　am　nearly　sixty　years　of　age；　which　makes　me　thirteen　in　1792；　when　our　beloved　sovereign　was　killed　by　the　assassin　Ankarstroem；　so　that　I　can　well　remember　that　period。〃
  Thus；　by　means　of　a　little　volume　entitled　〃Characters　and　Anecdotes　of　the　Court　of　Sweden；〃　printed　in　1808；　and　bought　on　the　quays　in　the　interests　of　his　Swedish　incarnation；　the　chief　of　the　detective　police　evaded　the　trap。　He　did　better。　The　faucet　being　open；　he　poured　forth　such　an　abundance　of　erudition　and　detailed　circumstances；　he　related　so　many　curious　and　secret　anecdotes；　especially　relating　to　the　/coup　d'etat/　by　which；　in　1772；　Gustavus　III。　had　freed　his　crown；in　short；　he　was　so　precise　and　so　interesting　that　as　they　left　the　table　Emile　Blondet　said　to　Bixiou；
  〃I　thought；　as　you　did；　that　a　foreign　count　in　the　hands　of　a　marriage　agent　was　a　very　suspicious　character；　but　he　knows　the　court　of　Sweden　in　a　way　that　it　was　quite　impossible　to　get　out　of　books。　He　is　evidently　a　man　well　born；　one　might　make　some　interesting　articles　out　of　the　stories　he　has　just　told。〃
  〃Yes；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃and　I　mean　to　cultivate　his　acquaintance；　I　could　make　a　good　deal　out　of　him　in　the　Charivari。〃
  〃You　have　better　find　out　first；〃　said　Desroches；　〃whether　he　has　enough　French　humor　to　like　being　caricatured。〃
  Presently　the　first　notes　of　the　piano　gave　notice　that　the　Signora　Luigia　was　about　to　mount　the　breach。　She　first　sang　the　romance　in　〃Saul〃　with　a　depth　of　expression　which　moved　the　whole　company；　even　though　that　areopagus　of　judges　were　digesting　a　good　dinner；　as　to　which　they　had　not　restrained　themselves。　Emile　Blondet；　who　was　more　of　a　political　thinker　than　a　man　of　imagination；　was　completely　carried　away　by　his　enthusiasm。　As　the　song　ended；　Felicien　Vernou　and　Lousteau　went　up　to　Sir　Francis　Drake　and　reproached　him　for　wishing　to　take　such　a　treasure　from　France；　at　the　same　time　flattering　him　for　his　cleverness　as　an　impresario。
  La　Luigia　then　sang　an　air　from　the　〃Nina〃　of　Paesiello；　and　in　that　the　part　being　very　dramaticshe　showed　a　talent　for　comedy　second　only　to　her　vocal　gift。　It　was　received　with　truly　genuine　applause；　but　what　assured　and　completed　her　success　with　these　trained　judges　was　her　modesty　and　the　sort　of　ignorance　in　which　she　still　remained　of　her　amazing　talent；in　the　midst；　too；　of　praises　which　might　have　turned　her　head。　Accustomed　to　frenzied　self…love　and　the　insolent　pretensions　of　the　veriest　sparrow　of　the　opera；　these　journalists　were　amazed　and　touched　by　the　humility；　the　simplicity　of　this　empress；　who　seemed　quite　astonished　at　the　effect　she　produced。
  The　success　of　the　trial　passed　all　expectation。　There　was　but　one　voice　as　to　the　desirability　of　immediately　engaging　her；　and　Sir　Francis　Drake；　Vautrin；　and　Desroches　presently　passed　into　an　adjoining　room　to　draw　up　the　terms　of　the　contract。　As　soon　as　that　was　done；　Vautrin　returned　to　the　salon　for　/la　diva/；　requesting　her　to　hear　the　contract　read　and　to　affix　her　signature。　Her　departure　for　London　without　further　delay　was　fixed　for　the　following　day　in　company　with　Sir　Francis　Drake。
  A　few　days　later　the　packet…boat　from　Boulogne　conveyed　to　England　another　personage　of　this　history。　Jacques　Bricheteau；　having　obtained　Sallenauve's　present　address　from　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　and　considering　the　danger　which　threatened　the　new　deputy　extremely　urgent；　decided　not　to　write；　but　to　go　himself　to　England　and　confer　with　him　in　person。　When　he　reached　London；　he　was　surprised　to　learn　that　Hanwell　was　the　most　celebrated　insane　asylum　in　Great　Britain。　Had　he　reflected　on　the　mental　condition　of　Marie…Gaston；　he　might　have　guessed　the　truth。　As　it　was；　he　felt　completely　bewildered；　but　not　committing　the　blunder　of　losing　his　time　in　useless　conjectures；　he　went　on　without　a　moment's　delay　to　Hanwell；　which　establishment　is　only　about　nine　miles　from　London；　pleasantly　situated　at　the　foot　of　a　hill　on　the　borders　of　Middlesex　and　Surrey。
  After　a　long　detention　in　the　waiting…room；　he　was　at　last　enabled　to　see　his　friend　at　a　moment　when　Marie…Gaston's　insanity；　which　for　several　days　had　been　in　the　stages　of　mania；　was　yielding　to　the　care　of　the　doctor；　and　showed　some　symptoms　of　a　probable　recovery。　As　soon　as　Sallenauve　was　alone　with　the　organist；　he　inquired　the　reason　that　led　him　to　follow　him；　and　he　heard；　with　some　emotion；　the　news　of　the　intrigues　which　Maxime　de　Trailles　had　apparently　organized　against　him。　Returning　to　his　original　suspicions；　he　said　to　Jacques　Bricheteau；
  〃Are　you　really　sure　that　that　person　who　declared　himself　my　father　was　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　and　that　I　am　truly　his　son？〃
  〃Mother　Marie…des…Anges　and　Achille　Pigoult；　by　whom　I　was　warned　of　this　plot；　have　no　more　doubt　than　I　have　of　the　existence　of　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　this　gossip　with　which　they　threaten　you　has；　in　my　judgment；　but　one　dangerous　aspect。　I　mean　that　by　your　absence　you　are　giving　a　free　field　to　your　adversaries。〃
  〃But；〃　replied　the　deputy；　〃the　Chamber　will　not　condemn　me　without　a　hearing。　I　wrote　to　the　president　and　asked　for　leave　of　absence；　and　I　took　the　precaution　to　request　de　l'Estorade；　who　knows　the　reason　of　my　absence；　to　be　kind　enough　to　guarantee　me；　should　my　absence　be　called　in　question。〃
  〃I　think　you　also　wrote　to　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　didn't　you？〃
  〃I　wrote　only　to　her；〃　replied　Sallenauve。　〃I　wanted　to　tell　her　about　the　great　misfortune　of　our　mutual　friend；　and；　at　the　same　time；　I　asked　her　to　explain　to　her　husband　the　kind　service　I　requested　him　to　do　for　me。〃
  〃If　that　is　so；〃　said　Bricheteau；　〃you　need　not　count　for　one　moment　on　the　l'Estorades。　A　knowledge　of　this　trick　which　is　being　organized　against　you　has　reached　their　ears　and　affected　their　minds；　I　am　very　sure。〃
  He　then　related　the　reception　he　had　met　with　from　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　and　the　uncivil　remarks　she　had　made　about　Sallenauve；　from　which　he　concluded　that　in　the　struggle　about　to　take　place　no　assistance　could　be　relied　on　from　that　direction。
  〃I　have　every　reason　to　be　surprised；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃after　the　warm　assurances　Madame　de　l'Estorade　has　given　me　of　an　unfailing　good…will。　However；〃　he　added；　philosophically；　〃everything　is　possible　in　this　world；　and　calumny　has　often　undermined　friendship。〃
  〃You　understand；　therefore；〃　said　Bricheteau；　〃that　it　is　all…　important　to　start　for　Paris；　without　a　moment's　delay。　Your　stay　here；　all　things　considered；　is　only　relatively　necessary。〃
  〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃the　doctor　considers　that　my　presence　here　may　be　of　the　utmost　utility。　He　has　not　yet　let　me　see　the　patient；　because　he　expects　to　produce　some　great　result　when　I　do　see　him。〃
  〃That　is　problematical；〃　returned　Jacques　Bricheteau；　〃whereas　by　staying　here　you　are　compromising　your　political　future　and　your　reputation　in　the　most　positive　manner。　Such　a　sacrifice　no　friendship　has　the　right　to　demand　of　you。〃
  〃Let　us　talk　of　it　with　the　doctor；〃　said　Sallenauve；　unable　to　deny　the　truth　of　what　Bricheteau　said。
  On　being　questioned；　the　doctor　replied　that　he　had　just　seen　symptoms　in　the　patient　which　threatened　another　paroxysm。
  〃But；〃　cried　Sallenauve；　eagerly；　〃you　are　not　losing　hope　of　a　cure；　are　you；　doctor？〃
  〃Far　from　that。　I　have　perfect　faith　in　the　ultimate　termination　of　the　case；　but　I　see　more　delay　in　reaching　it　than　at　first　I　expected；〃　replied　the　doctor。
  〃I　have　recently　been　elected　to　our　Chamber　of　deputies；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃and　I　ought　to　be　in　my　seat　at　the　opening　of　the　session；　in　fact；　my　interests　are　seriously　concerned；　and　my　friend　Monsieur　Bricheteau　has　come　over　to　fetch　me。　If　therefore　I　can　be　sure　that　my　presence　here　is　not　essential〃
  〃By　all　means　go；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃It　may　be　a　long　time　before　I　could　allow　you　to　see　the　pa