outside　against　a　background　of　uniforms；　civil　and　military。　Then；
  proudly　and　impetuously；　he　followed　the　lady。
  〃From　that　great　day　of　the　trumpet　these　two　understood　one　another
  to　admiration。　Charles　Edward's　ideas　on　the　subject　of　love　are　as
  sound　as　possible。　According　to　him；　a　man　cannot　love　twice；　there　is
  but　one　love　in　his　lifetime；　but　that　love　is　a　deep　and　shoreless
  sea。　It　may　break　in　upon　him　at　any　time；　as　the　grace　of　God　found
  St。　Paul；　and　a　man　may　live　sixty　years　and　never　know　love。　Perhaps；
  to　quote　Heine's　superb　phrase；　it　is　'the　secret　malady　of　the　heart'
  a　sense　of　the　Infinite　that　there　is　within　us；　together　with　the
  revelation　of　the　ideal　Beauty　in　its　visible　form。　This　love；　in
  short；　comprehends　both　the　creature　and　creation。　But　so　long　as
  there　is　no　question　of　this　great　poetical　conception；　the　loves　that
  cannot　last　can　only　be　taken　lightly；　as　if　they　were　in　a　manner
  snatches　of　song　compared　with　Love　the　epic。
  〃To　Charles　Edward　the　adventure　brought　neither　the　thunderbolt
  signal　of　love's　coming；　nor　yet　that　gradual　revelation　of　an　inward
  fairness　which　draws　two　natures　by　degrees　more　and　more　strongly
  each　to　each。　For　there　are　but　two　ways　of　lovelove　at　first　sight；
  doubtless　akin　to　the　Highland　'second…sight；'　and　that　slow　fusion　of
  two　natures　which　realizes　Plato's　'man…woman。'　But　if　Charles　Edward
  did　not　love；　he　was　loved　to　distraction。　Claudine　found　love　made
  complete；　body　and　soul；　in　her；　in　short；　La　Palferine　awakened　the
  one　passion　of　her　life；　while　for　him　Claudine　was　only　a　most
  charming　mistress。　The　Devil　himself；　a　most　potent　magician
  certainly；　with　all　hell　at　his　back；　could　never　have　changed　the
  natures　of　these　two　unequal　fires。　I　dare　affirm　that　Claudine　not
  unfrequently　bored　Charles　Edward。
  〃　'Stale　fish　and　the　woman　you　do　not　love　are　only　fit　to　fling　out
  of　the　window　after　three　days；'　he　used　to　say。
  〃In　Bohemia　there　is　little　secrecy　observed　over　these　affairs。　La
  Palferine　used　to　talk　a　good　deal　of　Claudine；　but；　at　the　same　time；
  none　of　us　saw　her；　nor　so　much　as　knew　her　name。　For　us　Claudine　was
  almost　a　mythical　personage。　All　of　us　acted　in　the　same　way；
  reconciling　the　requirements　of　our　common　life　with　the　rules　of　good
  taste。　Claudine；　Hortense；　the　Baroness；　the　Bourgeoise；　the　Empress；
  the　Spaniard；　the　Lioness；these　were　cryptic　titles　which　permitted
  us　to　pour　out　our　joys；　our　cares；　vexations；　and　hopes；　and　to
  communicate　our　discoveries。　Further；　none　of　us　went。　It　has　been
  shown；　in　Bohemia；　that　chance　discovered　the　identity　of　the　fair
  unknown；　and　at　once；　as　by　tacit　convention；　not　one　of　us　spoke　of
  her　again。　This　fact　may　show　how　far　youth　possesses　a　sense　of　true
  delicacy。　How　admirably　certain　natures　of　a　finer　clay　know　the　limit
  line　where　jest　must　end；　and　all　that　host　of　things　French　covered
  by　the　slang　word　/blague/；　a　word　which　will　shortly　be　cast　out　of
  the　language　（let　us　hope）；　and　yet　it　is　the　only　one　which　conveys
  an　idea　of　the　spirit　of　Bohemia。
  〃So　we　often　used　to　joke　about　Claudine　and　the　Count'/Toujours
  Claudine？/'　sung　to　the　air　of　/Toujours　Gessle/。'What　are　you
  making　of　Claudine？''How　is　Claudine？'
  〃　'I　wish　you　all　such　a　mistress；　for　all　the　harm　I　wish　you；'　La
  Palferine　began　one　day。　'No　greyhound；　no　basset…dog；　no　poodle　can
  match　her　in　gentleness；　submissiveness；　and　complete　tenderness。
  There　are　times　when　I　reproach　myself；　when　I　take　myself　to　task　for
  my　hard　heart。　Claudine　obeys　with　saintly　sweetness。　She　comes　to　me；
  I　tell　her　to　go；　she　goes；　she　does　not　even　cry　till　she　is　out　in
  the　courtyard。　I　refuse　to　see　her　for　a　whole　week　at　a　time。　I　tell
  her　to　come　at　such　an　hour　on　Tuesday；　and　be　it　midnight　or　six
  o'clock　in　the　morning；　ten　o'clock；　five　o'clock；　breakfast　time；
  dinner　time；　bed　time；　any　particularly　inconvenient　hour　in　the　day
  she　will　come；　punctual　to　the　minute；　beautiful；　beautifully　dressed；
  and　enchanting。　And　she　is　a　married　woman；　with　all　the　complications
  and　duties　of　a　household。　The　fibs　that　she　must　invent；　the　reasons
  she　must　find　for　conforming　to　my　whims　would　tax　the　ingenuity　of
  some　of　us！　。　。　。　Claudine　never　wearies；　you　can　always　count　upon
  her。　It　is　not　love；　I　tell　her；　it　is　infatuation。　She　writes　to　me
  every　day；　I　do　not　read　her　letters；　she　found　that　out；　but　still
  she　writes。　See　here；　there　are　two　hundred　letters　in　this　casket。
  She　begs　me　to　wipe　my　razors　on　one　of　her　letters　every　day；　and　I
  punctually　do　so。　She　thinks；　and　rightly；　that　the　sight　of　her
  handwriting　will　put　me　in　mind　of　her。'
  〃La　Palferine　was　dressing　as　he　told　us　this。　I　took　up　the　letter
  which　he　was　about　to　put　to　this　use；　read　it；　and　kept　it；　as　he　did
  not　ask　to　have　it　back。　Here　it　is。　I　looked　for　it；　and　found　it　as
  I　promised。
  〃/Monday　（Midnight）。/
  〃　'Well；　my　dear；　are　you　satisfied　with　me？　I　did　not　even　ask
  for　your　hand；　yet　you　might　easily　have　given　it　to　me；　and　I
  longed　so　much　to　hold　it　to　my　heart；　to　my　lips。　No；　I　did　not
  ask；　I　am　so　afraid　of　displeasing　you。　Do　you　know　one　thing？
  Though　I　am　cruelly　sure　that　anything　I　do　is　a　matter　of　perfect
  indifference　to　you；　I　am　none　the　less　extremely　timid　in　my
  conduct：　the　woman　that　belongs　to　you；　whatever　her　title　to　call
  herself　yours；　must　not　incur　so　much　as　the　shadow　of　blame。　In
  so　far　as　love　comes　from　the　angels　in　heaven；　from　whom　are　no
  secrets　hid；　my　love　is　as　pure　as　the　purest；　wherever　I　am　I
  feel　that　I　am　in　your　presence；　and　I　try　to　do　you　honor。
  〃　'All　that　you　said　about　my　manner　of　dress　impressed　me　very
  much；　I　began　to　understand　how　far　above　others　are　those　that
  come　of　a　noble　race。　There　was　still　something　of　the　opera　girl
  in　my　gowns；　in　my　way　of　dressing　my　hair。　In　a　moment　I　saw　the
  distance　between　me　and　good　taste。　Next　time　you　will　receive　a
  duchess；　you　shall　not　know　me　again！　Ah！　how　good　you　have　been
  to　your　Claudine！　How　many　and　many　a　time　I　have　thanked　you　for
  telling　me　those　things！　What　interest　lay　in　those　few　words！　You
  have　taken　thought　for　that　thing　belonging　to　you　called
  Claudine？　/This/　imbecile　would　never　have　opened　my　eyes；　he
  thinks　that　everything　I　do　is　right；　and　besides；　he　is　much　too
  humdrum；　too　matter…of…fact　to　have　any　feeling　for　the　beautiful。
  〃　'Tuesday　is　very　slow　of　coming　for　my　impatient　mind！　On
  Tuesday　I　shall　be　with　you　for　several　hours。　Ah！　when　it　comes　I
  will　try　to　think　that　the　hours　are　months；　that　it　will　be　so
  always。　I　am　living　in　hope　of　that　morning　now；　as　I　shall　live
  upon　the　memory　of　it　afterwards。　Hope　is　memory　that　craves；　and
  recollection；　memory　sated。　What　a　beautiful　life　within　life
  thought　makes　for　us　in　this　way！
  〃　'Sometimes　I　dream　of　inventing　new　ways　of　tenderness　all　my
  own；　a　secret　which　no　other　woman　shall　guess。　A　cold　sweat
  breaks　out　over　me　at　the　thought　that　something　may　happen　to
  prevent　this　morning。　Oh；　I　would　break　with　/him/　for　good；　if
  need　was；　but　nothing　here　could　possibly　interfere；　it　would　be
  from　your　side。　Perhaps　you　may　decide　to　go　out；　perhaps　to　go　to
  see　some　other　woman。　Oh！　spare　me　this　Tuesday　for　pity's　sake。
  If　you　take　it　from　me；　Charles；　you　do　not　know　what　/he/　will
  suffer；　I　should　drive　him　wild。　But　even　if　you　do　not　want　me；
  or　you　are　going　out；　let　me　come；　all　the　same；　to　be　with　you
  while　you　dress；　only　to　see　you；　I　ask　no　more　than　that；　only　to
  show　you　that　I　love　you　without　a　thought　of　self。
  〃　'Since　you　gave　me　leave　to　love　you；　for　you　gave　me　leave；
  since　I　am　yours；　since　that　day　I　loved　and　love　you　with　the
  whole　strength　of　my　soul；　and　I　shall　love　you　for　ever；　for　once
  having　loved　/you/；　no　one　could；　no　one　ought　to　love　another。
  And；　you　see；　when　those　eyes　that　ask　nothing　but　to　see　you　are
  upon　you；　you　will　feel　that　in　your　Claudine　there　is　a　something
  divine；　called　into　existence　by　you。
  〃　'Alas！　with　you　I　can　never　play　the　coquette。　I　am　like　a
  mother　with　her　child；　I　endure　anything　from　you；　I；　that　was
  once　so　imperious　and　proud。　I　have　made　dukes　and　princes　fetch
  and　carry　for　me；　aides…de…camp；　worth　more　than　all　the　court　of
  Charles　X。　put　together；　have　done　my　errands；　yet　I　am　treating
  you　as　my　spoilt　child。　But　where　is　the　use　of　coquetry？　It　would
  be　pure　waste。　And　yet；　monsieur；　for　want　of　coquetry　I　shall
  never　inspire　love　in　you。　I　know　it；　I　feel　it；　yet　I　do　as
  before；　feeling　a　power　that　I　cannot　withstand；　thinking　that
  this　utter　self…surrender　will　win　me　the　sentiment　innate　in　all
  men　（so　/he/　tells　me）　for　the　thing　that　belongs　to　them。
  〃/Wednesday/。
  〃　'Ah！　how　darkly　sadness　entered　my　heart　yesterday　when　I　found
  that　I　must　give　up　the　joy　of　seeing　you。　One　single　thought　held
  me　back　from　the　arms　of　Death！It　was　thy　will！　To　stay　away　was
  to　do　thy　will；　to　obey　an　order　from　thee。　Oh！　Charles；　I　was　so
  pretty；　I　looked　a　lovelier　woman　for　you　t