de　ballet；　she　continued　the　Guimard　dynasty。　She　owed　her　ascendency；
  moreover；　to　various　well…known　protectors；　to　the　Duc　de　Rhetore　（the
  Due　de　Chaulieu's　eldest　son）；　to　the　influence　of　a　famous
  Superintendent　of　Fine　Arts；　and　sundry　diplomatists　and　rich
  foreigners。　During　her　apogee　she　had　a　neat　little　house　in　the　Rue
  Chauchat；　and　lived　as　Opera　nymphs　used　to　live　in　the　old　days。　Du
  Bruel　was　smitten　with　her　about　the　time　when　the　Duke's　fancy　came
  to　an　end　in　1823。　Being　a　mere　subordinate　in　the　Civil　Service；　du
  Bruel　tolerated　the　Superintendent　of　Fine　Arts；　believing　that　he
  himself　was　really　preferred。　After　six　years　this　connection　was
  almost　a　marriage。　Tullia　has　always　been　very　careful　to　say　nothing
  of　her　family；　we　have　a　vague　idea　that　she　comes　from　Nanterre。　One
  of　her　uncles；　formerly　a　simple　bricklayer　or　carpenter；　is　now；　it
  is　said；　a　very　rich　contractor；　thanks　to　her　influence　and　generous
  loans。　This　fact　leaked　out　through　du　Bruel。　He　happened　to　say　that
  Tullia　would　inherit　a　fine　fortune　sooner　or　later。　The　contractor
  was　a　bachelor；　he　had　a　weakness　for　the　niece　to　whom　he　is
  indebted。
  〃　'He　is　not　clever　enough　to　be　ungrateful；'　said　she。
  〃In　1829　Tullia　retired　from　the　stage　of　her　own　accord。　At　the　age
  of　thirty　she　saw　that　she　was　growing　somewhat　stouter；　and　she　had
  tried　pantomime　without　success。　Her　whole　art　consisted　in　the　trick
  of　raising　her　skirts；　after　Noblet's　manner；　in　a　pirouette　which
  inflated　them　balloon…fashion　and　exhibited　the　smallest　possible
  quantity　of　clothing　to　the　pit。　The　aged　Vestris　had　told　her　at　the
  very　beginning　that　this　/temps/；　well　executed　by　a　fine　woman；　is
  worth　all　the　art　imaginable。　It　is　the　chest…note　C　of　dancing。　For
  which　reason；　he　said；　the　very　greatest　dancersCamargo；　Guimard；
  and　Taglioni；　all　of　them　thin；　brown；　and　plaincould　only　redeem
  their　physical　defects　by　their　genius。　Tullia；　still　in　the　height　of
  her　glory；　retired　before　younger　and　cleverer　dancers；　she　did
  wisely。　She　was　an　aristocrat；　she　had　scarcely　stooped　below　the
  noblesse　in　her　/liaisons/；　she　declined　to　dip　her　ankles　in　the
  troubled　waters　of　July。　Insolent　and　beautiful　as　she　was；　Claudine
  possessed　handsome　souvenirs；　but　very　little　ready　money；　still；　her
  jewels　were　magnificent；　and　she　had　as　fine　furniture　as　any　one　in
  Paris。
  〃On　quitting　the　stage　when　she；　forgotten　to…day；　was　yet　in　the
  height　of　her　fame；　one　thought　possessed　hershe　meant　du　Bruel　to
  marry　her；　and　at　the　time　of　this　story；　you　must　understand　that　the
  marriage　had　taken　place；　but　was　kept　a　secret。　How　do　women　of　her
  class　contrive　to　make　a　man　marry　them　after　seven　or　eight　years　of
  intimacy？　What　springs　do　they　touch？　What　machinery　do　they　set　in
  motion？　But；　however　comical　such　domestic　dramas　may　be；　we　are　not
  now　concerned　with　them。　Du　Bruel　was　secretly　married；　the　thing　was
  done。
  〃Cursy　before　his　marriage　was　supposed　to　be　a　jolly　companion；　now
  and　again　he　stayed　out　all　night；　and　to　some　extent　led　the　life　of
  a　Bohemian；　he　would　unbend　at　a　supper…party。　He　went　out　to　all
  appearance　to　a　rehearsal　at　the　Opera…Comique；　and　found　himself　in
  some　unaccountable　way　at　Dieppe；　or　Baden；　or　Saint…Germain；　he　gave
  dinners；　led　the　Titanic　thriftless　life　of　artists；　journalists；　and
  writers；　levied　his　tribute　on　all　the　greenrooms　of　Paris；　and；　in
  short；　was　one　of　us。　Finot；　Lousteau；　du　Tillet；　Desroches；　Bixiou；
  Blondet；　Couture；　and　des　Lupeaulx　tolerated　him　in　spite　of　his
  pedantic　manner　and　ponderous　official　attitude。　But　once　married；
  Tullia　made　a　slave　of　du　Bruel。　There　was　no　help　for　it。　He　was　in
  love　with　Tullia；　poor　devil。
  〃　'Tullia'　（so　he　said）　'had　left　the　stage　to　be　his　alone；　to　be　a
  good　and　charming　wife。'　And　somehow　Tullia　managed　to　induce　the　most
  Puritanical　members　of　du　Bruel's　family　to　accept　her。　From　the　very
  first；　before　any　one　suspected　her　motives；　she　assiduously　visited
  old　Mme。　de　Bonfalot；　who　bored　her　horribly；　she　made　handsome
  presents　to　mean　old　Mme。　de　Chisse；　du　Bruel's　great…aunt；　she　spent
  a　summer　with　the　latter　lady；　and　never　missed　a　single　mass。　She
  even　went　to　confession；　received　absolution；　and　took　the　sacrament；
  but　this；　you　must　remember；　was　in　the　country；　and　under　the　aunt's
  eyes。
  〃　'I　shall　have　real　aunts　now；　do　you　understand？'　she　said　to　us
  when　she　came　back　in　the　winter。
  〃She　was　so　delighted　with　her　respectability；　so　glad　to　renounce　her
  independence；　that　she　found　means　to　compass　her　end。　She　flattered
  the　old　people。　She　went　on　foot　every　day　to　sit　for　a　couple　of
  hours　with　Mme。　du　Bruel　the　elder　while　that　lady　was　illa
  Maintenon's　stratagem　which　amazed　du　Bruel。　And　he　admired　his　wife
  without　criticism；　he　was　so　fast　in　the　toils　already　that　he　did　not
  feel　his　bonds。
  〃Claudine　succeeded　in　making　him　understand　that　only　under　the
  elastic　system　of　a　bourgeois　government；　only　at　the　bourgeois　court
  of　the　Citizen…King；　could　a　Tullia；　now　metamorphosed　into　a　Mme。　du
  Bruel；　be　accepted　in　the　society　which　her　good　sense　prevented　her
  from　attempting　to　enter。　Mme。　de　Bonfalot；　Mme。　de　Chisse；　and　Mme。
  du　Bruel　received　her；　she　was　satisfied。　She　took　up　the　position　of
  a　well…conducted；　simple；　and　virtuous　woman；　and　never　acted　out　of
  character。　In　three　years'　time　she　was　introduced　to　the　friends　of
  these　ladies。
  〃　'And　still　I　cannot　persuade　myself　that　young　Mme。　du　Bruel　used　to
  display　her　ankles；　and　the　rest；　to　all　Paris；　with　the　light　of　a
  hundred　gas…jets　pouring　upon　her；'　Mme。　Anselme　Popinot　remarked
  naively。
  〃From　this　point　of　view；　July　1830　inaugurated　an　era　not　unlike　the
  time　of　the　Empire；　when　a　waiting　woman　was　received　at　Court　in　the
  person　of　Mme。　Garat；　a　chief…justice's　'lady。'　Tullia　had　completely
  broken；　as　you　may　guess；　with　all　her　old　associates；　of　her　former
  acquaintances；　she　only　recognized　those　who　could　not　compromise　her。
  At　the　time　of　her　marriage　she　had　taken　a　very　charming　little　hotel
  between　a　court　and　a　garden；　lavishing　money　on　it　with　wild
  extravagance　and　putting　the　best　part　of　her　furniture　and　du　Bruel's
  into　it。　Everything　that　she　thought　common　or　ordinary　was　sold。　To
  find　anything　comparable　to　her　sparkling　splendor；　you　could　only
  look　back　to　the　days　when　Sophie　Arnould；　a　Guimard；　or　a　Duthe；　in
  all　her　glory；　squandered　the　fortunes　of　princes。
  〃How　far　did　this　sumptuous　existence　affect　du　Bruel？　It　is　a
  delicate　question　to　ask；　and　a　still　more　delicate　one　to　answer。　A
  single　incident　will　suffice　to　give　you　an　idea　of　Tullia's
  crotchets。　Her　bed…spread　of　Brussels　lace　was　worth　ten　thousand
  francs。　A　famous　actress　had　another　like　it。　As　soon　as　Claudine
  heard　this；　she　allowed　her　cat；　a　splendid　Angora；　to　sleep　on　the
  bed。　That　trait　gives　you　the　woman。　Du　Bruel　dared　not　say　a　word；　he
  was　ordered　to　spread　abroad　that　challenge　in　luxury；　so　that　it
  might　reach　the　other。　Tullia　was　very　fond　of　this　gift　from　the　Duc
  de　Rhetore；　but　one　day；　five　years　after　her　marriage；　she　played
  with　her　cat　to　such　purpose　that　the　coverletfurbelows；　flounces；
  and　allwas　torn　to　shreds；　and　replaced　by　a　sensible　quilt；　a　quilt
  that　was　a　quilt；　and　not　a　symptom　of　the　peculiar　form　of　insanity
  which　drives　these　women　to　make　up　by　an　insensate　luxury　for　the
  childish　days　when　they　lived　on　raw　apples；　to　quote　the　expression
  of　a　journalist。　The　day　when　the　bed…spread　was　torn　to　tatters
  marked　a　new　epoch　in　her　married　life。
  〃Cursy　was　remarkable　for　his　ferocious　industry。　Nobody　suspects　the
  source　to　which　Paris　owes　the　patch…and…powder　eighteenth　century
  vaudevilles　that　flooded　the　stage。　Those　thousand…and…one
  vaudevilles；　which　raised　such　an　outcry　among　the　/feuilletonistes/；
  were　written　at　Mme。　du　Bruel's　express　desire。　She　insisted　that　her
  husband　should　purchase　the　hotel　on　which　she　had　spent　so　much；
  where　she　had　housed　five　hundred　thousand　francs'　worth　of　furniture。
  Wherefore　Tullia　never　enters　into　explanations；　she　understands　the
  sovereign　woman's　reason　to　admiration。
  〃　'People　made　a　good　deal　of　fun　of　Cursy；'　said　she；　'but；　as　a
  matter　of　fact；　he　found　this　house　in　the　eighteenth　century　rouge…
  box；　powder；　puffs；　and　spangles。　He　would　never　have　thought　of　it
  but　for　me；'　she　added；　burying　herself　in　the　cushions　in　her
  fireside　corner。
  〃She　delivered　herself　thus　on　her　return　from　a　first　night。　Du
  Bruel's　piece　had　succeeded；　and　she　foresaw　an　avalanche　of
  criticisms。　Tullia　had　her　At　Homes。　Every　Monday　she　gave　a　tea…
  party；　her　society　was　as　select　as　might　be；　and　she　neglected
  nothing　that　could　make　her　house　pleasant。　There　was　a　bouillotte　in
  one　room；　conversation　in　another；　and　sometimes　a　concert　（always
  short）　in　the　large　drawing…room。　None　but　the　most　eminent　artists
  performed　in　the　house。　Tullia　had　so　much　good　sense；　that　she
  attained　to　the　most　exquisite　tact；　and　herein；　in　all　probability；
  lay　the　secret　of　her　ascendency　over　du　Bruel；　at　any　rate；　he　loved
  her　with　the　love　which　use　and　wont　at　length