and　cajoling　him；　and　brought　him　to　the　kiosk。
  〃Do　you　suppose；　my　dear　little　papa；　that　our　/Review/　is　ever　read
  abroad？〃
  〃It　is　but　just　started〃
  〃Well；　I　will　wager　that　it　is。〃
  〃It　is　hardly　possible。〃
  〃Just　go　and　find　out；　and　note　the　names　of　any　subscribers　out　of
  France。〃
  Two　hours　later　Monsieur　de　Watteville　said　to　his　daughter：
  〃I　was　right；　there　is　not　one　foreign　subscriber　as　yet。　They　hope　to
  get　some　at　Neufchatel；　at　Berne；　and　at　Geneva。　One　copy；　is　in　fact；
  sent　to　Italy；　but　it　is　not　paid　forto　a　Milanese　lady　at　her
  country　house　at　Belgirate；　on　Lago　Maggiore。
  〃What　is　her　name？〃
  〃The　Duchesse　d'Argaiolo。〃
  〃Do　you　know　her；　papa？〃
  〃I　have　heard　about　her。　She　was　by　birth　a　Princess　Soderini；　a
  Florentine；　a　very　great　lady；　and　quite　as　rich　as　her　husband；　who
  has　one　of　the　largest　fortunes　in　Lombardy。　Their　villa　on　the　Lago
  Maggiore　is　one　of　the　sights　of　Italy。〃
  Two　days　after；　Mariette　placed　the　following　letter　in　Mademoiselle
  de　Watteville's　hand：
  Albert　Savaron　to　Leopold　Hannequin。
  〃Yes；　'tis　so；　my　dear　friend；　I　am　at　Besancon；　while　you　thought
  I　was　traveling。　I　would　not　tell　you　anything　till　success　should
  begin；　and　now　it　is　dawning。　Yes；　my　dear　Leopold；　after　so　many
  abortive　undertakings；　over　which　I　have　shed　the　best　of　my
  blood；　have　wasted　so　many　efforts；　spent　so　much　courage；　I　have
  made　up　my　mind　to　do　as　you　have　doneto　start　on　a　beaten　path；
  on　the　highroad；　as　the　longest　but　the　safest。　I　can　see　you　jump
  with　surprise　in　your　lawyer's　chair！
  〃But　do　not　suppose　that　anything　is　changed　in　my　personal　life；
  of　which　you　alone　in　the　world　know　the　secret；　and　that　under
  the　reservations　/she/　insists　on。　I　did　not　tell　you；　my　friend；
  but　I　was　horribly　weary　of　Paris。　The　outcome　of　the　first
  enterprise；　on　which　I　had　founded　all　my　hopes；　and　which　came　to
  a　bad　end　in　consequence　of　the　utter　rascality　of　my　two
  partners；　who　combined　to　cheat　and　fleece　meme；　though
  everything　was　done　by　my　energymade　me　give　up　the　pursuit　of　a
  fortune　after　the　loss　of　three　years　of　my　life。　One　of　these
  years　was　spent　in　the　law　courts；　and　perhaps　I　should　have　come
  worse　out　of　the　scrape　if　I　had　not　been　made　to　study　law　when　I
  was　twenty。
  〃I　made　up　my　mind　to　go　into　politics　solely；　to　the　end　that　I
  may　some　day　find　my　name　on　a　list　for　promotion　to　the　Senate
  under　the　title　of　Comte　Albert　Savaron　de　Savarus；　and　so　revive
  in　France　a　good　name　now　extinct　in　Belgiumthough　indeed　I　am
  neither　legitimate　nor　legitimized。〃
  〃Ah！　I　knew　it！　He　is　of　noble　birth！〃　exclaimed　Rosalie；　dropping　the
  letter。
  〃You　know　how　conscientiously　I　studied；　how　faithful　and　useful　I
  was　as　an　obscure　journalist；　and　how　excellent　a　secretary　to　the
  statesman　who；　on　his　part；　was　true　to　me　in　1829。　Flung　to　the
  depths　once　more　by　the　revolution　of　July　just　when　my　name　was
  becoming　known；　at　the　very　moment　when；　as　Master　of　Appeals；　I
  was　about　to　find　my　place　as　a　necessary　wheel　in　the　political
  machine；　I　committed　the　blunder　of　remaining　faithful　to　the
  fallen；　and　fighting　for　them；　without　them。　Oh！　why　was　I　but
  three…and…thirty；　and　why　did　I　not　apply　to　you　to　make　me
  eligible？　I　concealed　from　you　all　my　devotedness　and　my　dangers。
  What　would　you　have？　I　was　full　of　faith。　We　should　not　have
  agreed。
  〃Ten　months　ago；　when　you　saw　me　so　gay　and　contented；　writing　my
  political　articles；　I　was　in　despair；　I　foresaw　my　fate；　at　the
  age　of　thirty…seven；　with　two　thousand　francs　for　my　whole
  fortune；　without　the　smallest　fame；　just　having　failed　in　a　noble
  undertaking；　the　founding；　namely；　of　a　daily　paper　answering　only
  to　a　need　of　the　future　instead　of　appealing　to　the　passions　of
  the　moment。　I　did　not　know　which　way　to　turn；　and　I　felt　my　own
  value！　I　wandered　about；　gloomy　and　hurt；　through　the　lonely
  places　of　ParisParis　which　had　slipped　through　my　fingers
  thinking　of　my　crushed　ambitions；　but　never　giving　them　up。　Oh；
  what　frantic　letters　I　wrote　at　that　time　to　/her/；　my　second
  conscience；　my　other　self！　Sometimes　I　would　say　to　myself；　'Why
  did　I　sketch　so　vast　a　programme　of　life？　Why　demand　everything？
  Why　not　wait　for　happiness　while　devoting　myself　to　some
  mechanical　employment。'
  〃I　then　looked　about　me　for　some　modest　appointment　by　which　I
  might　live。　I　was　about　to　get　the　editorship　of　a　paper　under　a
  manager　who　did　not　know　much　about　it；　a　man　of　wealth　and
  ambition；　when　I　took　fright。　'Would　/she/　ever　accept　as　her
  husband　a　man　who　had　stooped　so　low？'　I　wondered。
  〃This　reflection　made　me　two…and…twenty　again。　But；　oh；　my　dear
  Leopold；　how　the　soul　is　worn　by　these　perplexities！　What　must　not
  the　caged　eagles　suffer；　and　imprisoned　lions！They　suffer　what
  Napoleon　suffered；　not　at　Saint　Helena；　but　on　the　Quay　of　the
  Tuileries；　on　the　10th　of　August；　when　he　saw　Louis　XVI。　defending
  himself　so　badly　while　he　could　have　quelled　the　insurrection；　as
  he　actually　did；　on　the　same　spot；　a　little　later；　in　Vendemiaire。
  Well；　my　life　has　been　a　torment　of　that　kind；　extending　over　four
  years。　How　many　a　speech　to　the　Chamber　have　I　not　delivered　in
  the　deserted　alleys　of　the　Bois　de　Boulogne！　These　wasted
  harangues　have　at　any　rate　sharpened　my　tongue　and　accustomed　my
  mind　to　formulate　its　ideas　in　words。　And　while　I　was　undergoing
  this　secret　torture；　you　were　getting　married；　you　had　paid　for
  your　business；　you　were　made　law…clerk　to　the　Maire　of　your
  district；　after　gaining　a　cross　for　a　wound　at　Saint…Merri。
  〃Now；　listen。　When　I　was　a　small　boy　and　tortured　cock…chafers；
  the　poor　insects　had　one　form　of　struggle　which　used　almost　to　put
  me　in　a　fever。　It　was　when　I　saw　them　making　repeated　efforts　to
  fly　but　without　getting　away；　though　they　could　spread　their
  wings。　We　used　to　say；　'They　are　marking　time。'　Now　was　this
  sympathy？　Was　it　a　vision　of　my　own　future？Oh！　to　spread　my
  wings　and　yet　be　unable　to　fly！　That　has　been　my　predicament　since
  that　fine　undertaking　by　which　I　was　disgusted；　but　which　has　now
  made　four　families　rich。
  〃At　last；　seven　months　ago；　I　determined　to　make　myself　a　name　at
  the　Paris　Bar；　seeing　how　many　vacancies　had　been　left　by　the
  promotion　of　several　lawyers　to　eminent　positions。　But　when　I
  remembered　the　rivalry　I　had　seen　among　men　of　the　press；　and　how
  difficult　it　is　to　achieve　anything　of　any　kind　in　Paris；　the
  arena　where　so　many　champions　meet；　I　came　to　a　determination
  painful　to　myself；　but　certain　in　its　results；　and　perhaps　quicker
  than　any　other。　In　the　course　of　our　conversations　you　had　given
  me　a　picture　of　the　society　of　Besancon；　of　the　impossibility　for
  a　stranger　to　get　on　there；　to　produce　the　smallest　effect；　to　get
  into　society；　or　to　succeed　in　any　way　whatever。　It　was　there　that
  I　determined　to　set　up　my　flag；　thinking；　and　rightly；　that　I
  should　meet　with　no　opposition；　but　find　myself　alone　to　canvass
  for　the　election。　The　people　of　the　Comte　will　not　meet　the
  outsider？　The　outsider　will　meet　them！　They　refuse　to　admit　him　to
  their　drawing…rooms；　he　will　never　go　there！　He　never　shows
  himself　anywhere；　not　even　in　the　streets！　But　there　is　one　class
  that　elects　the　deputiesthe　commercial　class。　I　am　going
  especially　to　study　commercial　questions；　with　which　I　am　already
  familiar；　I　will　gain　their　lawsuits；　I　will　effect　compromises；　I
  will　be　the　greatest　pleader　in　Besancon。　By　and　by　I　will　start　a
  /Review/；　in　which　I　will　defend　the　interests　of　the　country；
  will　create　them；　or　preserve　them；　or　resuscitate　them。　When　I
  shall　have　won　a　sufficient　number　of　votes；　my　name　will　come　out
  of　the　urn。　For　a　long　time　the　unknown　barrister　will　be　treated
  with　contempt；　but　some　circumstance　will　arise　to　bring　him　to
  the　frontsome　unpaid　defence；　or　a　case　which　no　other　pleader
  will　undertake。
  〃Well；　my　dear　Leopold；　I　packed　up　my　books　in　eleven　cases；　I
  bought　such　law…books　as　might　prove　useful；　and　I　sent　everything
  off；　furniture　and　all；　by　carrier　to　Besancon。　I　collected　my
  diplomas；　and　I　went　to　bid　you　good…bye。　The　mail　coach　dropped
  me　at　Besancon；　where；　in　three　days'　time；　I　chose　a　little　set
  of　rooms　looking　out　over　some　gardens。　I　sumptuously　arranged　the
  mysterious　private　room　where　I　spend　my　nights　and　days；　and
  where　the　portrait　of　my　divinity　reignsof　her　to　whom　my　life
  is　dedicate；　who　fills　it　wholly；　who　is　the　mainspring　of　my
  efforts；　the　secret　of　my　courage；　the　cause　of　my　talents。　Then；
  as　soon　as　the　furniture　and　books　had　come；　I　engaged　an
  intelligent　man…servant；　and　there　I　sat　for　five　months　like　a
  hibernating　marmot。
  〃My　name　had；　however；　been　entered　on　the　list　of　lawyers　in　the
  town。　At　last　I　was　called　one　day　to　defend　an　unhappy　wretch　at
  the　Assizes；　no　doubt　in　order　to　hear　me　speak　for　once！　One　of
  the　most　influential　merchants　of　Besancon　was　on　the　jury；　he　had
  a　difficult　task