Sophy of Kravonia

he veil lifts then (so far as it ever lifts from before the face of the Paris period), and shows us the establishment in the Rue de Grenelle. A quee

acy, and Lady Meg as a girl had often visited in the Rue de Grenelle. Changed as her views were, and separated as she was from most of her father's coterie in Paris, friendship and intercourse between her and the Savres family had never dropped. The present head of that family was Casimir de Savres, a young man of twenty-eight, an officer of cavalry. Being a bachelor, he preferred to dwell in a small apartment on the other side of the river, and the fam

ried to an English wife. Her mother being early left a widow, Sophy had been brought up entirely in England-hence her indifferent acquaintance with French. If this excuse served a purpose at first, at any rate it soon became unnecessary. Sophy's marked talent for languages (she subsequently mastered Kravonian, a very difficult dialect, in the space of a few months) made French a second native tongue to her wi

the Emperor of the French at close quarters instead of contenting herself with a literal fulfilment of her promise by pointing him out as he drove in the streets. But Lady Meg was rabid against the Empire; her "Lord help him!"-the habitual expression of contempt on her lips-was never lacking for the Emperor. Her political as

isappointed schemes. Still the intrigues, the gossip, and the Royalist atmosphere were to Sophy in some sort an introduction to political interests, and no doubt had an influence on her mind. So far as she ev

"something bright"-had followed Lady Meg to Paris, scenting fresh prey. But a more ingenious and powerful scoundrel came on the scene; in association with Mantis-probably very close and not creditable association-is Pharos, alias Jean Coulin. In after-days, under the Republic, this personage got himself into trouble, and was tried at Lille for obtaining no less a s

him. Phew! I'd like to give them both a dusting! What do you think? Pharos, as he calls himself, tells Lady Meg he can make the dead speak to her; and she says that isn't it possible that, since they've died themselves and know all about it, they may be able to tell her how not to! Seeing how this suits his book, it isn't Pharos who's going to say 'no,' though he tells her to make a will in case anything happens before he's ready to 'establish communication'-and perhaps they won't tell, after all, but he thinks they will! Now I come into the game! Me being very sympat

ke three thousand pounds from Lady Meg and given her not a jot of supernatural information in return. This failure of Sophy's was the first rift between Lady Meg and her. Pharos could have used

ld like to come to breakfast," he writes in one of his early letters. "O Lady of the Red Star, if it were to restore you to your kingdom in the star whose sign you bear, I would raise the devil himself, all laws of Church and State notwithstanding! I came on Tuesday evening-you were surrounded by most unimpeachable dowagers. Excellent principles and irreproachable French! But, mon Dieu, for conversation! I came on Thursday afternoon. Pharos and Mantis held sway, and I dared not look round for fear of my ancestors being there to see me in the Emperor's uniform! Tell me when there will be no ancestors living or dead, nor dowagers nor devils, that I may come and see you. If dear Lady Meg (Laidee Maig!)[1] should be pursuing one or the other in other places, yet forbid me not to come.

sim

rded incident: "Yes, the Emperor did ask who it was the other day

hat this direct infor

not a remarkable woman in herself, but important in this history as the effective link between these days and Sophy's life in Kravonia. She was small and thin, with auburn hair and very bright, hazel eyes, with light-colored lashes. An agreeable talker, an accomplished singer, and a kind-hearted woman, she was an acquaintanc

and the rogue Pharos himself, with his oily glibness, his cheap mystery, and his professional jargon. Two or three dowagers and Casimir de Savres-who had to unbuckle his sword and put it outside the door for reasons insufficiently explained-completed the party. In the middle sat Sophy, smiling patiently, but with her white brow wrinkled just a little be

akes his passes and goes throu

sleepy," said Sophy. "Only jus

mile. Down go the lights to a dull gloom-at the prophet's request. More gestu

y Meg. Had Pharos been veritably her idol, she

on't be passive," he protests, al

piece; it gave forth infinite sparkles through the dark of the room

k breaths came from eager Lady

pered the wizard. "T

g peal of laughter from the medium-hearty

l-oh, such a fool!" she cried-an

of the dowagers swelled the chorus. Casimir sprang up and turned up the gas, laughing still. The wizard

rd help you?" she snarled, wi

ence was threatened, his pat

ccount for it. It happens, so far as I know, only in one case

Meg, by no means pacified-in fa

y nonsensical: "When the person whom it is sought to subject to this particular i

dozen? Casimir laughed in hearty contempt, Sophy laughed in mischievous mockery. But two of the dowagers crossed themselves, Lady

n jail awaited the ingenious Monsieur P