which　ironical　smiles　would　soon　have　cured　her　in　the　capital。
  But　after　she　had　acquired　this　stock　of　absurdities；　and；　deceived　by
  her　worshipers；　imagined　them　to　be　added　graces；　a　moment　of　terrible
  awakening　came　upon　her　like　the　fall　of　an　avalanche　from　a　mountain。
  In　one　day　she　was　crushed　by　a　frightful　comparison。
  In　1829；　after　the　departure　of　Monsieur　de　Chargeboeuf；　she　was
  excited　by　the　anticipation　of　a　little　pleasure；　she　was　expecting
  the　Baronne　de　Fontaine。　Anna's　husband；　who　was　now　Director…General
  under　the　Minister　of　Finance；　took　advantage　of　leave　of　absence　on
  the　occasion　of　his　father's　death　to　take　his　wife　to　Italy。　Anna
  wished　to　spend　the　day　at　Sancerre　with　her　school…friend。　This
  meeting　was　strangely　disastrous。　Anna；　who　at　school　had　been　far
  less　handsome　than　Dinah；　now；　as　Baronne　de　Fontaine；　was　a　thousand
  times　handsomer　than　the　Baronne　de　la　Baudraye；　in　spite　of　her
  fatigue　and　her　traveling　dress。　Anna　stepped　out　of　an　elegant
  traveling　chaise　loaded　with　Paris　milliners'　boxes；　and　she　had　with
  her　a　lady's　maid；　whose　airs　quite　frightened　Dinah。　All　the
  difference　between　a　woman　of　Paris　and　a　provincial　was　at　once
  evident　to　Dinah's　intelligent　eye；　she　saw　herself　as　her　friend　saw
  herand　Anna　found　her　altered　beyond　recognition。　Anna　spent　six
  thousand　francs　a　year　on　herself　alone；　as　much　as　kept　the　whole
  household　at　La　Baudraye。
  In　twenty…four　hours　the　friends　had　exchanged　many　confidences；　and
  the　Parisian；　seeing　herself　so　far　superior　to　the　phoenix　of
  Mademoiselle　Chamarolles'　school；　showed　her　provincial　friend　such
  kindness；　such　attentions；　while　giving　her　certain　explanations；　as
  were　so　many　stabs　to　Dinah；　though　she　perfectly　understood　that
  Anna's　advantages　all　lay　on　the　surface；　while　her　own　were　for　ever
  buried。
  When　Anna　had　left；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　by　this　time　two…and…
  twenty；　fell　into　the　depths　of　despair。
  〃What　is　it　that　ails　you？〃　asked　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　seeing　her　so
  dejected。
  〃Anna；〃　said　she；　〃has　learned　to　live；　while　I　have　been　learning　to
  endure。〃
  A　tragi…comedy　was；　in　fact；　being　enacted　in　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's
  house；　in　harmony　with　her　struggles　over　money　matters　and　her
  successive　transformationsa　drama　to　which　no　one　but　Monsieur　de
  Clagny　and　the　Abbe　Duret　ever　knew　the　clue；　when　Dinah　in　sheer
  idleness；　or　perhaps　sheer　vanity；　revealed　the　secret　of　her
  anonymous　fame。
  Though　a　mixture　of　verse　and　prose　is　a　monstrous　anomaly　in　French
  literature；　there　must　be　exceptions　to　the　rule。　This　tale　will　be
  one　of　the　two　instances　in　these　Studies　of　violation　of　the　laws　of
  narrative；　for　to　give　a　just　idea　of　the　unconfessed　struggle　which
  may　excuse；　though　it　cannot　absolve　Dinah；　it　is　necessary　to　give　an
  analysis　of　a　poem　which　was　the　outcome　of　her　deep　despair。
  Her　patience　and　her　resignation　alike　broken　by　the　departure　of　the
  Vicomte　de　Chargeboeuf；　Dinah　took　the　worthy　Abbe's　advice　to　exhale
  her　evil　thoughts　in　versea　proceeding　which　perhaps　accounts　for
  some　poets。
  〃You　will　find　such　relief　as　those　who　write　epitaphs　or　elegies　over
  those　whom　they　have　lost。　Pain　is　soothed　in　the　heart　as　lines　surge
  up　in　the　brain。〃
  This　strange　production　caused　a　great　ferment　in　the　departments　of
  the　Allier；　the　Nievre；　and　the　Cher；　proud　to　possess　a　poet　capable
  of　rivalry　with　the　glories　of　Paris。　/Paquita　la　Sevillane/；　by　/Jan
  Diaz/；　was　published　in　the　/Echo　du　Morvan/；　a　review　which　for
  eighteen　months　maintained　its　existence　in　spite　of　provincial
  indifference。　Some　knowing　persons　at　Nevers　declared　that　Jan　Diaz
  was　making　fun　of　the　new　school；　just　then　bringing　out　its　eccentric
  verse；　full　of　vitality　and　imagery；　and　of　brilliant　effects　produced
  by　defying　the　Muse　under　pretext　of　adapting　German；　English；　and
  Romanesque　mannerisms。
  The　poem　began　with　this　ballad：
  Ah！　if　you　knew　the　fragrant　plain；
  The　air；　the　sky；　of　golden　Spain；
  Its　fervid　noons；　its　balmy　spring；
  Sad　daughters　of　the　northern　gloom；
  Of　love；　of　heav'n；　of　native　home；
  You　never　would　presume　to　sing！
  For　men　are　there　of　other　mould
  Than　those　who　live　in　this　dull　cold。
  And　there　to　music　low　and　sweet
  Sevillian　maids；　from　eve　till　dawn；
  Dance　lightly　on　the　moonlit　lawn
  In　satin　shoes；　on　dainty　feet。
  Ah；　you　would　be　the　first　to　blush
  Over　your　dancers'　romp　and　rush；
  And　your　too　hideous　carnival；
  That　turns　your　cheeks　all　chill　and　blue；
  And　skips　the　mud　in　hob…nail'd　shoe
  A　truly　dismal　festival。
  To　pale…faced　girls；　and　in　a　squalid　room；
  Paquita　sang；　the　murky　town　beneath
  Was　Rouen　whence　the　slender　spires　rise
  To　chew　the　storm　with　teeth。
  Rouen　so　hideous；　noisy；　full　of　rage
  And　here　followed　a　magnificent　description　of　Rouenwhere　Dinah　had
  never　beenwritten　with　the　affected　brutality　which；　a　little　later；
  inspired　so　many　imitations　of　Juvenal；　a　contrast　drawn　between　the
  life　of　a　manufacturing　town　and　the　careless　life　of　Spain；　between
  the　love　of　Heaven　and　of　human　beauty；　and　the　worship　of　machinery；
  in　short；　between　poetry　and　sordid　money…making。
  Then　Jan　Diaz　accounted　for　Paquita's　horror　of　Normandy　by　saying：
  Seville；　you　see；　had　been　her　native　home；
  Seville；　where　skies　are　blue　and　evening　sweet。
  She；　at　thirteen；　the　sovereign　of　the　town；
  Had　lovers　at　her　feet。
  For　her　three　Toreadors　had　gone　to　death
  Or　victory；　the　prize　to　be　a　kiss
  One　kiss　from　those　red　lips　of　sweetest　breath
  A　longed…for　touch　of　bliss！
  The　features　of　the　Spanish　girl's　portrait　have　served　so　often　as
  those　of　the　courtesan　in　so　many　self…styled　/poems/；　that　it　would
  be　tiresome　to　quote　here　the　hundred　lines　of　description。　To　judge
  of　the　lengths　to　which　audacity　had　carried　Dinah；　it　will　be　enough
  to　give　the　conclusion。　According　to　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's　ardent
  pen；　Paquita　was　so　entirely　created　for　love　that　she　can　hardly　have
  met　with　a　knight　worthy　of　her；　for
  。　。　。　。　In　her　passionate　fire
  Every　man　would　have　swooned　from　the　heat；
  When　she　at　love's　feast；　in　her　fervid　desire；
  As　yet　had　but　taken　her　seat。
  〃And　yet　she　could　quit　the　joys　of　Seville；　its　woods　and　fields　of
  orange…trees；　for　a　Norman　soldier　who　won　her　love　and　carried　her
  away　to　his　hearth　and　home。　She　did　not　weep　for　her　Andalusia；　the
  Soldier　was　her　whole　joy。　。　。　。　But　the　day　came　when　he　was
  compelled　to　start　for　Russia　in　the　footsteps　of　the　great　Emperor。〃
  Nothing　could　be　more　dainty　than　the　description　of　the　parting
  between　the　Spanish　girl　and　the　Normandy　Captain　of　Artillery；　who；
  in　the　delirium　of　passion　expressed　with　feeling　worthy　of　Byron；
  exacted　from　Paquita　a　vow　of　absolute　fidelity；　in　the　Cathedral　at
  Rouen　in　front　of　the　alter　of　the　Blessed　Virgin；　who
  Though　a　Maid　is　a　woman；　and　never　forgives
  When　lovers　are　false　to　their　vows。
  A　large　part　of　the　poem　was　devoted　to　describing　Paquita's
  sufferings　when　alone　in　Rouen　waiting　till　the　campaign　was　over；　she
  stood　writhing　at　the　window　bars　as　she　watched　happy　couples　go　by；
  she　suppressed　her　passion　in　her　heart　with　a　determination　that
  consumed　her；　she　lived　on　narcotics；　and　exhausted　herself　in　dreams。
  Almost　she　died；　but　still　her　heart　was　true；
  And　when　at　last　her　soldier　came　again；
  He　found　her　beauty　ever　fresh　and　new
  He　had　not　loved　in　vain！
  〃But　he；　pale　and　frozen　by　the　cold　of　Russia；　chilled　to　the　very
  marrow；　met　his　yearning　fair　one　with　a　melancholy　smile。〃
  The　whole　poem　was　written　up　to　this　situation；　which　was　worked　out
  with　such　vigor　and　boldness　as　too　entirely　justified　the　Abbe　Duret。
  Paquita；　on　reaching　the　limits　set　to　real　love；　did　not；　like　Julie
  and　Heloise；　throw　herself　into　the　ideal；　no；　she　rushed　into　the
  paths　of　vice；　which　is；　no　doubt；　shockingly　natural；　but　she　did　it
  without　any　touch　of　magnificence；　for　lack　of　means；　as　it　would　be
  difficult　to　find　in　Rouen　men　impassioned　enough　to　place　Paquita　in
  a　suitable　setting　of　luxury　and　splendor。　This　horrible　realism；
  emphasized　by　gloomy　poetic　feeling；　had　inspired　some　passages　such
  as　modern　poetry　is　too　free　with；　rather　too　like　the　flayed
  anatomical　figures　known　to　artists　as　/ecorches/。　Then；　by　a　highly
  philosophical　revulsion；　after　describing　the　house　of　ill…fame　where
  the　Andalusian　ended　her　days；　the　writer　came　back　to　the　ballad　at
  the　opening：
  Paquita　now　is　faded；　shrunk；　and　old；
  But　she　it　was　who　sang：
  〃If　you　but　knew　the　fragrant　plain；
  The　air；　the　sky；　of　golden　Spain；〃　etc。
  The　gloomy　vigor　of　this　poem；　running　to　about　six　hundred　lines；　and
  serving　as　a　powerful　foil；　to　use　a　painter's　word；　to　the　two
  /seguidillas/　at　the　beginning　and　end；　the　masculine　utterance　of
  inexpressible　grief；　alarmed　the　woman　who　found　herself　admired　by
  three　departments；　under　the　black　cloak　of　the　anonymous。　While　she
  fully　enjoyed　the　intoxicating　delights　of　success；　Dinah　dreaded　the
  malignity　of　provincial　society；　where　more　than　one　w