rd　amid　her　unique　preoccupation。
  Ruys　was　proud　of　this　talent　growing　up　at　his　side。　Growing　every　day　feebler；　already　at　that　stage　in　which　the　artist　regrets　himself；　he　found　in　following　Felicia's　progress　a　certain　consolation　for　his　own　ended　career。　He　saw　the　boasting…tool；　which　trembled　in　his　hand；　taken　up　again　under　his　eye　with　a　virile　firmness　and　assurance；　tempered　by　all　those　delicacies　of　her　being　which　a　woman　can　apply　to　the　realization　of　an　art。　A　strange　sensation；　this　double　paternity；　this　survival　of　genius　as　it　abandons　the　man　whose　day　is　over　to　pass　into　him　who　is　at　his　dawn；　like　those　beautiful；　familiar　birds　which；　on　the　eve　of　a　death；　will　desert　the　menaced　roof　to　fly　away　to　a　less　mournful　lodging。
  During　the　last　period　of　her　father's　life；　Feliciaa　great　artist　and　still　a　mere　childused　to　execute　half　of　his　works；　and　nothing　was　more　touching　than　this　collaboration　of　father　and　daughter；　in　the　same　studio；　around　the　same　group。　The　operation　did　not　always　proceed　peaceably；　although　her　father's　pupil；　Felicia　already　felt　her　own　personality　rebel　against　any　despotic　direction。　She　had　those　audacities　of　the　beginner；　those　intuitions　of　the　future　which　are　the　heritage　of　young　talents；　and；　in　opposition　to　the　romantic　traditions　of　Sebastien　Ruys；　a　tendency　to　modern　realism；　a　need　to　plant　that　glorious　old　flag　upon　some　new　monument。
  These　things　were　the　occasion　of　terrible　arguments；　of　discussions　from　which　the　father　came　out　beaten；　conquered　by　his　daughter's　logic；　astonished　at　the　progress　made　by　the　young；　while　the　old；　who　have　opened　the　way　for　them；　remain　motionless　at　the　point　from　which　they　started。　When　she　was　working　for　him；　Felicia　would　yield　more　easily；　but；　where　her　own　sculpture　was　concerned　she　was　found　to　be　intractable。　Thus　the　/Joueur　de　Boules/；　her　first　exhibited　work；　which　obtained　so　great　a　success　at　the　Salon　of　1862；　was　the　subject　of　violent　scenes　between　the　two　artists；　of　contradictions　so　strong；　that　Jenkins　had　to　intervene　and　help　to　secure　the　safety　of　the　plaster…cast　which　Ruys　had　threatened　to　destroy。
  Apart　from　such　little　dramas；　which　in　no　way　affected　the　tenderness　of　their　hearts；　these　two　beings　adored　each　other　with　the　presentiment　and；　gradually；　the　cruel　certitude　of　an　approaching　separation；　when　suddenly　there　occurred　in　Felicia's　life　a　horrible　event。　One　day；　Jenkins　had　taken　her　to　dine　at　his　house；　as　often　happened。　Mme。　Jenkins　was　away　on　a　couple　of　days'　visit；　as　also　her　son；　but　the　doctor's　age；　his　semi…paternal　intimacy；　allowed　him　to　have　with　him；　even　in　his　wife's　absence；　this　young　girl　whose　fifteen　years；　the　fifteen　years　of　an　Eastern　Jewess　glorious　in　her　precocious　beauty；　left　her　still　near　childhood。
  The　dinner　was　very　gay；　and　Jenkins　pleasant　and　cordial　as　usual。　Afterwards　they　went　into　the　doctor's　study；　and　suddenly；　on　the　couch；　in　the　middle　of　an　intimate　and　quite　friendly　conversation　about　her　father；　his　health；　their　work　together；　Felicia　felt　as　it　were　the　chill　of　a　gulf　between　herself　and　this　man；　then　the　brutal　grasp　of　a　faun。　She　beheld　an　unknown　Jenkins；　wild…looking；　stammering　with　a　besotted　laugh　and　outraging　hands。　In　the　surprise；　the　unexpectedness　of　this　bestial　attack；　any　other　than　Feliciaa　child　of　her　own　age；　really　innocent；　would　have　been　lost。　As　for　her；　poor　little　thing！　what　saved　her　was　her　knowledge。　She　had　heard　so　many　stories　of　this　kind　of　thing　at　her　father's　table！　and　then　art；　and　the　life　of　the　studio　She　was　not　an　/ingenue/。　In　a　moment　she　understood　the　object　of　this　grasp；　struggled；　sprang　up；　then；　not　being　strong　enough；　cried　out。　He　was　afraid；　released　his　hold；　and　suddenly　she　found　herself　standing　up；　free；　with　the　man　on　his　knees　weeping　and　begging　forgiveness。　He　had　yielded　to　a　fit　of　madness。　She　was　so　beautiful；　he　loved　her　so　much。　For　months　he　had　been　struggling。　But　now　it　was　over；　never　again；　oh；　never　again！　Not　even　would　he　so　much　as　touch　the　hem　of　her　dress。　She　made　no　reply；　trembled；　put　her　hair　and　her　clothes　straight　again　with　the　fingers　of　a　woman　demented。　To　go　homeshe　wished　to　go　home　instantly；　quite　alone。　He　sent　a　servant　with　her；　and；　quite　low；　as　she　was　getting　into　the　carriage；　whispered：
  〃Above　all；　not　a　word。　It　would　kill　your　father。〃
  He　knew　her　so　well；　he　was　so　sure　of　his　power　over　her　through　that　suggestion；　the　blackguard！　that　he　returned　on　the　morrow　looking　bright　as　ever　and　with　loyal　face　as　though　nothing　had　happened。　In　fact；　she　never　spoke　of　the　matter　to　her　father；　nor　to　any　one。　But；　dating　from　that　day；　a　change　came　over　her；　a　sudden　development；　as　it　were；　of　her　haughty　ways。　She　was　subject　to　caprices；　wearinesses；　a　curl　of　disgust　in　her　smile；　and　sometimes　quick　fits　of　anger　against　her　father；　a　glance　of　contempt　which　reproached　him　for　not　having　known　how　to　watch　over　her。
  〃What　is　the　matter　with　her？〃　Ruys；　her　father；　used　to　say；　and　Jenkins；　with　the　authority　of　a　doctor；　would　put　it　down　to　her　age　and　some　physical　disturbance。　He　avoided　speaking　to　the　girl　herself；　counting　on　time　to　efface　the　sinister　impression；　and　not　despairing　of　attaining　his　end；　for　he　desired　it　still；　more　than　ever；　prey　to　the　exasperated　love　of　a　man　of　forty…seven　to　one　of　those　incurable　passions　of　maturity；　and　that　was　this　hypocrite's　punishment。　This　unusual　condition　of　his　daughter　was　a　real　grief　to　the　sculptor；　but　this　grief　was　of　short　duration。　Without　warning；　Ruys　flickered　out　of　life；　fell　to　pieces　in　a　moment；　as　was　the　way　with　all　the　Irishman's　patients。　His　last　words　were：
  〃Jenkins；　I　beg　you　to　look　after　my　daughter。〃
  They　were　so　ironically　mournful　that　Jenkins　could　not　prevent　himself　from　turning　pale。
  Felicia　was　even　more　stupefied　than　grief…stricken。　To　the　amazement　caused　by　death；　which　she　had　never　seen　and　which　now　came　before　her　wearing　features　so　dear；　there　was　joined　the　sense　of　a　vast　solitude　surrounded　by　darkness　and　perils。
  A　few　of　the　sculptor's　friends　gathered　together　as　a　family　council　to　consider　the　future　of　this　unfortunate　child　without　relatives　or　fortune。　Fifty　francs　had　been　discovered　in　the　box　where　Sebastien　used　to　put　his　money；　on　a　piece　of　the　studio　furniture　well　known　to　its　needy　frequenters　and　visited　by　them　without　scruple。　There　was　no　other　inheritance；　at　least　in　cash；　only　a　quantity　of　artistic　and　curious　furniture　of　the　most　sumptuous　description；　a　few　valuable　pictures；　and　a　certain　amount　of　money　owing　but　scarcely　sufficing　to　cover　numberless　debts。　It　was　proposed　to　organize　a　sale。　Felicia；　when　she　was　consulted；　replied　that　she　would　not　care　if　everything　were　sold；　but；　for　God's　sake；　let　them　leave　her　in　peace。
  The　sale　did　not　take　place；　however；　thanks　to　the　godmother；　the　excellent　Crenmitz；　who　suddenly　made　her　appearance；　calm　and　gentle　as　usual。
  〃Don't　listen　to　them；　my　child。　Sell　nothing。　Your　old　Constance　has　an　income　of　fifteen　thousand　francs；　which　was　destined　to　come　to　you　later　on。　You　will　take　advantage　of　it　at　once；　that　is　all。　We　will　live　here　together。　You　will　see；　I　shall　not　be　in　the　way。　You　will　work　at　your　sculpture；　I　shall　manage　the　house。　Does　that　suit　you？〃
  It　was　said　so　tenderly；　with　that　childishness　of　accent　which　foreigners　have　when　expressing　themselves　in　French；　that　the　girl　was　deeply　moved。　Her　heart　that　had　seemed　turned　to　stone　opened；　a　burning　flood　came　pouring　from　her　eyes；　and　she　rushed；　flung　herself　into　the　arms　of　the　dancer。　〃Ah；　godmother；　how　good　you　are　to　me！　Yes；　yes；　don't　leave　me　any　more。　Stay　with　me　always。　Life　frightens　and　disgusts　me。　I　see　so　much　hypocrisy　in　it；　so　much　falsehood。〃　And　the　old　woman　arranged　for　herself　a　silken　and　embroidered　nest　in　this　house　so　like　a　traveller's　camp　laden　with　treasures　from　every　land；　and　the　suggested　dual　life　began　for　these　two　different　natures。
  It　was　no　small　sacrifice　that　Constance　had　made　for　the　dear　demon　in　quitting　her　Fontainebleau　retreat　for　Paris；　which　inspired　her　with　terror。　Ever　since　the　day　when　this　dancer；　with　her　extravagant　caprices；　who　made　princely　fortunes　flow　and　disappear　through　her　five　open　fingers；　had　descended　from　her　triumphant　position；　a　little　of　its　dazzling　glitter　still　in　her　eyes；　and　had　attempted　to　resume　an　ordinary　existence；　to　manage　her　little　income　and　her　modest　household；　she　had　been　the　object　of　a　thousand　impudent　exploitations；　of　frauds　that　were　easy　in　view　of　the　ignorance　of　this　poor　butterfly　that　was　frightened　by　reality　and　came　into　collision　with　all　its　unknown　difficulties。　Living　in　Felicia's　house；　the　responsibility　became　still　more　serious　by　reason　of　the　wastefulness　introduced　long　ago　by　the　father　and　continued　by　the　daughter；　two　artists　knowing　nothing　of　economy。　She　had；　moreover；　other　difficulties　to　conquer。　She　found　the　studio　insupportable　with　its　permanent　atmosphere　of　tobacco　smoke；　an　impenetrable　cloud　for　her；　in　which　the　discussions　on　art；　t