the　most　influential　merchants　of　Besancon　was　on　the　jury；　he　had
  a　difficult　task　to　fulfil；　I　did　my　utmost　for　the　man；　and　my
  success　was　absolute　and　complete。　My　client　was　innocent；　I　very
  dramatically　secured　the　arrest　of　the　real　criminals；　who　had
  come　forward　as　witnesses。　In　short；　the　Court　and　the　public　were
  united　in　their　admiration。　I　managed　to　save　the　examining
  magistrate's　pride　by　pointing　out　the　impossibility　of　detecting
  a　plot　so　skilfully　planned。
  〃Then　I　had　to　fight　a　case　for　my　merchant；　and　won　his　suit。　The
  Cathedral　Chapter　next　chose　me　to　defend　a　tremendous　action
  against　the　town；　which　had　been　going　on　for　four　years；　I　won
  that。　Thus；　after　three　trials；　I　had　become　the　most　famous
  advocate　of　Franche…Comte。
  〃But　I　bury　my　life　in　the　deepest　mystery；　and　so　hide　my　aims。　I
  have　adopted　habits　which　prevent　my　accepting　any　invitations。　I
  am　only　to　be　consulted　between　six　and　eight　in　the　morning；　I　go
  to　bed　after　my　dinner；　and　work　at　night。　The　Vicar…General；　a
  man　of　parts；　and　very　influential；　who　placed　the　Chapter's　case
  in　my　hands　after　they　had　lost　it　in　the　lower　Court；　of　course
  professed　their　gratitude。　'Monsieur；'　said　I；　'I　will　win　your
  suit；　but　I　want　no　fee；　I　want　more'　（start　of　alarm　on　the
  Abbe's　part）。　'You　must　know　that　I　am　a　great　loser　by　putting
  myself　forward　in　antagonism　to　the　town。　I　came　here　only　to
  leave　the　place　as　deputy。　I　mean　to　engage　only　in　commercial
  cases；　because　commercial　men　return　the　members；　they　will
  distrust　me　if　I　defend　〃the　priests〃for　to　them　you　are　simply
  priests。　If　I　undertake　your　defence；　it　is　because　I　was；　in
  1828；　private　secretary　to　such　a　Minister'　（again　a　start　of
  surprise　on　the　part　of　my　Abbe）；　'and　Master　of　Appeals；　under
  the　name　of　Albert　de　Savarus'　（another　start）。　'I　have　remained
  faithful　to　monarchical　opinions；　but；　as　you　have　not　the
  majority　of　votes　in　Besancon；　I　must　gain　votes　among　the
  citizens。　So　the　fee　I　ask　of　you　is　the　votes　you　may　be　able
  secretly　to　secure　for　me　at　the　opportune　moment。　Let　us　each
  keep　our　own　counsel；　and　I　will　defend；　for　nothing；　every　case
  to　which　a　priest　of　this　diocese　may　be　a　party。　Not　a　word　about
  my　previous　life；　and　we　will　be　true　to　each　other。'
  〃When　he　came　to　thank　me　afterwards；　he　gave　me　a　note　for　five
  hundred　francs；　and　said　in　my　ear；　'The　votes　are　a　bargain　all
  the　same。'I　have　in　the　course　of　five　interviews　made　a　friend；
  I　think；　of　this　Vicar…General。
  〃Now　I　am　overwhelmed　with　business；　and　I　undertake　no　cases　but
  those　brought　to　me　by　merchants；　saying　that　commercial　questions
  are　my　specialty。　This　line　of　conduct　attaches　business　men　to
  me；　and　allows　me　to　make　friends　with　influential　persons。　So　all
  goes　well。　Within　a　few　months　I　shall　have　found　a　house　to
  purchase　in　Besancon；　so　as　to　secure　a　qualification。　I　count　on
  your　lending　me　the　necessary　capital　for　this　investment。　If　I
  should　die；　if　I　should　fail；　the　loss　would　be　too　small　to　be
  any　consideration　between　you　and　me。　You　will　get　the　interest
  out　of　the　rental；　and　I　shall　take　good　care　to　look　out　for
  something　cheap；　so　that　you　may　lose　nothing　by　this　mortgage；
  which　is　indispensable。
  〃Oh！　my　dear　Leopold；　no　gambler　with　the　last　remains　of　his
  fortune　in　his　pocket；　bent　on　staking　it　at　the　Cercle　des
  Etrangers　for　the　last　time　one　night；　when　he　must　come　away　rich
  or　ruined；　ever　felt　such　a　perpetual　ringing　in　his　ears；　such　a
  nervous　moisture　on　his　palms；　such　a　fevered　tumult　in　his　brain；
  such　inward　qualms　in　his　body　as　I　go　through　every　day　now　that
  I　am　playing　my　last　card　in　the　game　of　ambition。　Alas！　my　dear
  and　only　friend；　for　nearly　ten　years　now　I　have　been　struggling。
  This　battle　with　men　and　things；　in　which　I　have　unceasingly
  poured　out　my　strength　and　energy；　and　so　constantly　worn　the
  springs　of　desire；　has；　so　to　speak；　undermined　my　vitality。　With
  all　the　appearance　of　a　strong　man　of　good　health；　I　feel　myself　a
  wreck。　Every　day　carries　with　it　a　shred　of　my　inmost　life。　At
  every　fresh　effort　I　feel　that　I　should　never　be　able　to　begin
  again。　I　have　no　power；　no　vigor　left　but　for　happiness；　and　if　it
  should　never　come　to　crown　my　head　with　roses；　the　/me/　that　is
  really　me　would　cease　to　exist；　I　should　be　a　ruined　thing。　I
  should　wish　for　nothing　more　in　the　world。　I　should　want　to　cease
  from　living。　You　know　that　power　and　fame；　the　vast　moral　empire
  that　I　crave；　is　but　secondary；　it　is　to　me　only　a　means　to
  happiness；　the　pedestal　for　my　idol。
  〃To　reach　the　goal　and　die；　like　the　runner　of　antiquity！　To　see
  fortune　and　death　stand　on　the　threshold　hand　in　hand！　To　win　the
  beloved　woman　just　when　love　is　extinct！　To　lose　the　faculty　of
  enjoyment　after　earning　the　right　to　be　happy！Of　how　many　men
  has　this　been　the　fate！
  〃But　there　surely　is　a　moment　when　Tantalus　rebels；　crosses　his
  arms；　and　defies　hell；　throwing　up　his　part　of　the　eternal　dupe。
  That　is　what　I　shall　come　to　if　anything　should　thwart　my　plan；
  if；　after　stooping　to　the　dust　of　provincial　life；　prowling　like　a
  starving　tiger　round　these　tradesmen；　these　electors；　to　secure
  their　votes；　if；　after　wrangling　in　these　squalid　cases；　and
  giving　them　my　timethe　time　I　might　have　spent　on　Lago　Maggiore；
  seeing　the　waters　she　sees；　basking　in　her　gaze；　hearing　her　voice
  if；　after　all；　I　failed　to　scale　the　tribune　and　conquer　the
  glory　that　should　surround　the　name　that　is　to　succeed　to　that　of
  Argaiolo！　Nay；　more　than　this；　Leopold；　there　are　days　when　I　feel
  a　heady　languor；　deep　disgust　surges　up　from　the　depths　of　my
  soul；　especially　when；　abandoned　to　long　day…dreams；　I　have　lost
  myself　in　anticipation　of　the　joys　of　blissful　love！　May　it　not　be
  that　our　desire　has　only　a　certain　modicum　of　power；　and　that　it
  perishes；　perhaps；　of　a　too　lavish　effusion　of　its　essence？　For；
  after　all；　at　this　present；　my　life　is　fair；　illuminated　by　faith；
  work；　and　love。
  〃Farewell；　my　friend；　I　send　love　to　your　children；　and　beg　you　to
  remember　me　to　your　excellent　wife。Yours；
  〃ALBERT。〃
  Rosalie　read　this　letter　twice　through；　and　its　general　purport　was
  stamped　on　her　heart。　She　suddenly　saw　the　whole　of　Albert's　previous
  existence；　for　her　quick　intelligence　threw　light　on　all　the　details；
  and　enabled　her　to　take　it　all　in。　By　adding　this　information　to　the
  little　novel　published　in　the　/Review/；　she　now　fully　understood
  Albert。　Of　course；　she　exaggerated　the　greatness；　remarkable　as　it
  was；　of　this　lofty　soul　and　potent　will；　and　her　love　for　Albert
  thenceforth　became　a　passion；　its　violence　enhanced　by　all　the
  strength　of　her　youth；　the　weariness　of　her　solitude；　and　the　unspent
  energy　of　her　character。　Love　is　in　a　young　girl　the　effect　of　a
  natural　law；　but　when　her　craving　for　affection　is　centered　in　an
  exceptional　man；　it　is　mingled　with　the　enthusiasm　which　overflows　in
  a　youthful　heart。　Thus　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　had　in　a　few　days
  reached　a　morbid　and　very　dangerous　stage　of　enamored　infatuation。　The
  Baroness　was　much　pleased　with　her　daughter；　who；　being　under　the
  spell　of　her　absorbing　thoughts；　never　resisted　her　will；　seemed　to　be
  devoted　to　feminine　occupations；　and　realized　her　mother's　ideal　of　a
  docile　daughter。
  The　lawyer　was　now　engaged　in　Court　two　or　three　times　a　week。　Though
  he　was　overwhelmed　with　business；　he　found　time　to　attend　the　trials；
  call　on　the　litigious　merchants；　and　conduct　the　/Review/；　keeping　up
  his　personal　mystery；　from　the　conviction　that　the　more　covert　and
  hidden　was　his　influence；　the　more　real　it　would　be。　But　he　neglected
  no　means　of　success；　reading　up　the　list　of　electors　of　Besancon；　and
  finding　out　their　interests；　their　characters；　their　various
  friendships　and　antipathies。　Did　ever　a　Cardinal　hoping　to　be　made
  Pope　give　himself　more　trouble？
  One　evening　Mariette；　on　coming　to　dress　Rosalie　for　an　evening　party；
  handed　to　her；　not　without　many　groans　over　this　treachery；　a　letter
  of　which　the　address　made　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　shiver　and　redden
  and　turn　pale　again　as　she　read　the　address：
  To　Madame　la　Duchesse　d'Argaiolo
  （nee　Princesse　Soderini）
  At　Belgirate；
  Lago　Maggiore；　Italy。
  In　her　eyes　this　direction　blazed　as　the　words　/Mene/；　/Tekel/；
  /Upharsin/；　did　in　the　eyes　of　Belshazzar。　After　concealing　the
  letter；　Rosalie　went　downstairs　to　accompany　her　mother　to　Madame　de
  Chavoncourt's；　and　as　long　as　the　endless　evening　lasted；　she　was
  tormented　by　remorse　and　scruples。　She　had　already　felt　shame　at
  having　violated　the　secrecy　of　Albert's　letter　to　Leopold；　she　had
  several　times　asked　herself　whether；　if　he　knew　of　her　crime；　infamous
  inasmuch　as　it　necessarily　goes　unpunished；　the　high…minded　Albert
  could　esteem　her。　Her　conscience　answered　an　uncompromising　〃No。〃
  She　had　expiated　her　sin　by　self…imposed　penances；　she　fasted；　she
  mortified　herself　by　remaining　on　her　knees；　her　arms　outstretched　for
  hours；　and　rep