ter　of　an　hour　one　dozen　questions；　to　answer　which　would　have　required　an　exhaustive　exposition　on　the　nature　of　man；　the　nature　of　the　universe；　the　science　of　physics　and　of　metaphysics；　the　Macrocosm　and　the　Microcosmnot　to　speak　of　the　Ineffable　and　the　Unknowable。　　Then　she　drew　out　of　her　pocket　her　little　Saint…　George；　who　had　suffered　most　cruelly　during　our　flight。　　His　legs　and　arms　were　gone；　but　he　still　had　his　gold　helmet　with　the　green　dragon　on　it。　　Jeanne　solemnly　pledged　herself　to　make　a　restoration　of　him　in　honour　of　Madame　de　Gabry。
  Delightful　friends！　　I　left　them　at　last　overwhelmed　with　fatigue　and　joy。
  On　re…entering　my　lodgings　I　had　to　endure　the　very　sharpest　remonstrances　from　Therese；　who　said　she　had　given　up　trying　to　understand　my　new　way　of　living。　　In　her　opinion　Monsieur　had　really　lost　his　mind。
  〃Yes；　Therese；　I　am　a　mad　old　man　and　you　are　a　mad　old　woman。　　That　is　certain！　　May　the　good　God　bless　us　both；　Therese；　and　give　us　new　strength；　for　we　now　have　new　duties　to　perform。　　but　let　me　lie　down　upon　the　sofa；　for　I　really　cannot　keep　myself　on　my　feet　any　longer。〃
  January　15；　186…。
  〃Good…morning；　Monsieur；〃　said　Jeanne；　letting　herself　in；　while　Therese　remained　grumbling　in　the　corridor　because　she　had　not　been　able　to　get　to　the　door　in　time。
  〃Mademoiselle；　I　beg　you　will　be　kind　enough　to　address　me　very　solemnly　by　my　title；　and　to　say　to　me；　'Good…morning；　my　guardian。'〃
  〃Then　it　has　all　been　settled？　　Oh；　how　nice！〃　cried　the　child；　clapping　her　hands。
  〃It　has　all　been　arranged；　Mademoiselle；　in　the　Salle…commune　and　before　the　Justice　of　the　Peace；　and　from　to…day　you　are　under　my　authority。。。。　　What　are　you　laughing　about；　my　ward？　　I　see　it　in　your　eyes。　　You　have　some　crazy　idea　in　your　head　this　very　moment　some　more　nonsense；　eh？〃
  〃Oh；　no！　　Monsieur。。。。　I　mean；　my　guardian。　　I　was　looking　at　your　white　hair。　　It　curls　out　from　under　the　edge　of　your　hat　like　honeysuckle　on　a　balcony。　　It　is　very　handsome；　and　I　like　it　very　much！〃
  〃Be　good　enough　to　sit　down；　my　ward；　and；　if　you　can　possibly　help　it；　stop　saying　ridiculous　things；　because　I　have　some　very　serious　things　to　say　to　you。　　Listen。　　I　suppose　you　are　not　going　to　insist　upon　being　sent　back　to　the　establishment　of　Mademoiselle　Prefere？。。。　　No。　　Well；　then；　what　would　you　say　if　I　should　take　you　here　to　live　with　me；　and　to　finish　your　education；　and　keep　you　here　until。。。what　shall　I　say？for　ever；　as　the　song　has　it？〃
  〃Oh；　Monsieur！〃　she　cried；　flushing　crimson　with　pleasure。
  I　continued；
  〃Behind　there　we　have　a　nice　little　room；　which　my　housekeeper　has　cleaned　up　and　furnished　for　you。　　You　are　going　to　take　the　place　of　the　books　which　used　to　be　in　it；　you　will　succeed　them　as　the　day　succeeds　night。　　Go　with　Therese　and　look　at　it；　and　see　if　you　think　you　will　be　able　to　live　in　it。　　Madame　de　Gabry　and　I　have　made　up　our　minds　that　you　can　sleep　there　to…night。〃
  She　had　already　started　to　run；　I　called　her　back　for　a　moment。
  〃Jeanne；　listen　to　me　a　moment　longer！　　You　have　always　until　now　made　yourself　a　favourite　with　my　housekeeper；　who；　like　all　very　old　people；　is　apt　to　be　cross　at　times。　　Be　gentle　and　forebearing。　Make　every　allowance　for　her。　　I　have　thought　it　my　duty　to　make　every　allowance　for　her　myself；　and　to　put　up　with　all　her　fits　of　impatience。　　Now；　let　me　tell　you；　Jeanne：Respect　her！　　And　when　I　say　that；　I　do　not　forget　that　she　is　my　servant　and　yours；　neither　will　she　ever　allow　herself　to　forget　it　for　a　moment。　　But　what　I　want　you　to　respect　in　her　is　her　great　age　and　her　great　heart。　She　is　a　humble　woman　who　has　lived　a　very；　very　long　time　in　the　habit　of　doing　good；　and　she　has　become　hardened　and　stiffened　in　that　habit。　　Bear　patiently　with　the　harsh　ways　of　that　upright　soul。　　If　you　know　how　to　command；　she　will　know　how　to　obey。　　Go　now；　my　child；　arrange　your　room　in　whatever　way　may　seem　to　you　best　suited　for　your　studies　and　for　your　repose。〃
  Having　started　Jeanne；　with　this　viaticum；　upon　her　domestic　career；　I　began　to　read　a　Review；　which；　although　conducted　by　very　young　men；　is　excellent。　　The　tone　of　it　is　somewhat　unpolished；　but　the　spirit　is　zealous。　　The　article　I　read　was　certainly　far　superior；　in　point　of　precision　and　positiveness；　to　anything　of　the　sort　ever　written　when　I　was　a　young　man。　　The　author　of　the　article；　Monsieur　Paul　Meyer；　points　out　every　error　with　a　remarkably　lucid　power　of　incisive　criticism。
  We　used　not　in　my　time　to　criticise　with　such　strict　justice。　　Our　indulgence　was　vast。　　It　went　even　so　far　as　to　confuse　the　scholar　and　the　ignoramus　in　the　same　burst　of　praise。　　And　nevertheless　one　must　learn　how　to　find　fault；　and　it　is　even　an　imperative　duty　to　blame　when　the　blame　is　deserved。
  I　remember　little　Raymond　（that　was　the　name　we　gave　him）；　he　did　not　know　anything；　and　his　mind　was　not　a　mind　capable　of　absorbing　any　solid　learning；　but　he　was　very　fond　of　his　mother。　　We　took　very　good　care　never　to　utter　a　hint　of　the　ignorance　of　so　perfect　a　son；　and；　thanks；　to　our　forbearance；　little　Raymond　made　his　way　to　the　highest　positions。　　He　had　lost　his　mother　then；　but　honours　of　all　kinds　were　showered　upon　him。　　He　became　omnipotentto　the　grievous　injury　of　his　colleagues　and　of　science。。。。　　But　here　comes　my　young　fiend　of　the　Luxembourg。
  〃Good…evening；　Gelis。　　You　look　very　happy　to…day。　　What　good　fortune　has　come　to　you；　my　dear　lad？〃
  His　good　fortune　is　that　he　has　been　able　to　sustain　his　thesis　very　credibly；　and　that　he　has　taken　high　rank　in　his　class。　　He　tells　me　this　with　the　additional　information　that　my　own　words；　which　were　incidentally　referred　to　in　the　course　of　the　examination；　had　been　spoken　of　by　the　college　professors　in　terms　of　the　most　unqualified　praise。
  〃That　is　very　nice；〃　I　replied；　〃and　it　makes　me　very　happy；　Gelis；　to　find　my　old　reputation　thus　associated　with　your　own　youthful　honours。　　I　was　very　much　interested；　you　know；　in　that　thesis　of　yours；but　some　domestic　arrangements　have　been　keeping　me　so　busy　lately　that　I　quite　forgot　this　was　the　day　on　which　you　were　to　sustain　it。〃
  Mademoiselle　Jeanne　made　her　appearance　very　opportunely；　as　if　in　order　to　suggest　to　him　something　about　the　nature　of　those　very　domestic　arrangements。　　The　giddy　girl　burst　into　the　City　of　Books　like　a　fresh　breeze；　crying　at　the　top　of　her　voice　that　her　room　was　a　perfect　little　wonder。　　then　she　became　very　red　indeed　on　seeing　Monsieur　Gelis　there。　　But　none　of　us　can　escape　our　destiny。
  Monsieur　Gelis　asked　her　how　she　was　with　the　tone　of　a　young　fellow　who　resumes　upon　a　previous　acquaintance；　and　who　proposes　to　put　himself　forward　as　an　old　friend。　　Oh；　never　fear！she　had　not　forgotten　him　at　all；　that　was　very　evident　from　the　fact　that　then　and　there；　right　under　my　nose；　they　resumed　their　last　year's　conversation　on　the　subject　of　the　〃Venetian　blond〃！　　They　continued　the　discussion　after　quite　an　animated　fashion。　　I　began　to　ask　myself　what　right　I　had　to　be　in　the　room　at　all。　　The　only　thing　I　could　do　in　order　to　make　myself　heard　was　to　cough。　　As　for　getting　in　a　word；　they　never　even　gave　me　a　chance。　　Gelis　discoursed　enthusiastically；　not　only　about　the　Venetian　colourists；　but　also　upon　all　other　matters　relating　to　nature　or　to　mankind。　　And　Jeanne　kept　answering　him；　〃Yes；　Monsieur；　you　are　right。〃。。。。　　〃That　is　just　what　I　supposed；　Monsieur。〃。。。。　　〃Monsieur；　you　express　so　beautifully　just　what　I　feel。〃。。。　　〃I　am　going　to　think　a　great　deal　about　what　you　have　just　told　me；　Monsieur。〃
  When　I　speak；　Mademoiselle　never　answers　me　in　that　tone。　　It　is　only　with　the　very　tip　of　her　tongue　that　she　will　even　taste　any　intellectual　food　which　I　set　before　her。　　Usually　she　will　not　touch　it　at　all。　　But　Monsieur　Gelis　seems　to　be　in　her　opinion　the　supreme　authority　upon　all　subjects。　　It　was　always；　〃Oh；　yes！〃〃Oh；　of　course！〃to　all　his　empty　chatter。　　And；　then；　the　eyes　of　Jeanne！　I　had　never　seen　them　look　so　large　before；　I　had　never　before　observed　in　them　such　fixity　of　expression；　but　her　gaze　otherwise　remained　what　it　always　isartless；　frank；　and　brave。　　Gelis　evidently　pleased　her；　she　like　Gelis；　and　her　eyes　betrayed　the　fact。　　They　would　have　published　it　to　the　entire　universe！　　All　very　fine；　Master　Bonnard！you　have　been　so　deeply　interested　in　observing　your　ward；　that　you　have　been　forgetting　you　are　her　guardian！　　You　began　only　this　morning　to　exercise　that　function；　and　you　can　already　see　that　it　involves　some　very　delicate　and　difficult　duties。　　Bonnard；　you　must　really　try　to　devise　some　means　of　keeping　that　young　man　away　from　her；　you　really　ought。。。。　Eh！　how　am　I　to　know　what　I　am　to　do？。。。
  I　have　picked　up　a　book　at　random　from　the　nearest　shelf；　I　open　it；　and　I　enter　respectfully　into　the　middle　of　a　drama　of　Sophocles。　the　older　I　grow；　the　more　I　learn　to　love　the　two　civilisations　of　the　antique　world；　and　now　I　always　keep　the　poets　of　Italy　and　of　Greece　on　a　shelf　within　easy　reach　of　my　arm　in　the　City　of　Books。
  Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle　finally　condescend　to　take　some　notice　of　me；　now　that　I　seem　too　busy　to　take　any　notice　of　them。　　I　really　think　that　Mademois