The Parisians, Book 4.

ompson and Smith, less likely to be supposed an assumed name, yet common enough not to be able easily to trace it to any special family. He appears, as

cter with the skill of a man who, like the illustrious Charles Fox, has, though in private representations, practised the stage- play in which Demosthenes said the triple art of oratory consisted; who has

ich he disguises his birth and disgraces his culture, that it is only here and there that I can venture to indicate the general tone of it; but in order to supply my deficiencies therein, the reader has only to call to mind the forms of phraseology which polite novelists in vogue, especially young-lady novelists, ascribe to well-born gentlemen, and mo

xceedingly well, despite his spectacles; but he gave, with something of a Frenchman's lofty fanfaronnade, larger odds to his adversary than his play justified. In dominos, where such odds could not well be given, he insisted on playing such small stakes as two or three francs might cover. In short, M. Lebeau puzzled Graham. All about M. Lebeau, his manner, his talk, was irreproachable, and baffled suspicion; except in this,-Graham gradually discovered that the cafe had a quasi-political character. Listening to talkers round him, he overheard much that might well have shocked the notions of a moderate Liberal; much that held in disdain the objects to which, in 1869, an English Radical directed his aspirations. Vote by ballot, universal

Dupont a la Cloture d

. 3,

d not all agree, still they discussed it, without prejudice and with admirable sang froid. Yet many of them looked like wives and mothers. Now and then a young journeyman brought with him a young lady of more doubtful aspect, but such a couple kept aloof from the others. Now and then, too, a man evidently of higher station than that of ouvrier, and who was received by the philosophers with courtesy and respect, joined one of the tables and ordered a bowl of punch for general participation. In such occasional visitors, Graham, still listening, detected a writer of the press; now and then, a small artist or actor or medical student. Among the habitues there was one man, an ouvrier, in whom Graham could not help feeling an interest. He was called Monnier, sometimes more familiarly Armand, his baptismal appellati

w s

has quee

believe, by many

from their French fellow-workmen, but I don't think that even the gobemouch

o which most of those ouvriers b

what asso

nterna

ve heard

full on Graham's face as he said sl

that first occurred to him, and said, "I know s

leaders who knew how to use it. Pardon me, how came y

hbourhood on business, and walked

cial questions which are agitated below the

I trouble my hea

nos before M. G

ges one of those agita

It is for y

further conversation on politi

room to his cabinet, and in which Graham had generally to wait some minutes before he was introduced, was generally well filled, and not only by persons who, by their dress and outward appearance, might be fairly supposed sufficiently illiterate to require his aid as polite letter- writers,-not only by servant-maids and grisettes, by sailors, zouaves, and journeymen workmen,-but not unfrequently by clients evidently belonging to

d,-the International Association?" And so pondering, the clerk one day singled him from the crowd and admitted him into M. Lebeau's cab

good to let me in while you have so many swells and nobs waiting for you in the other room. But, I say, old f

ight, however, in your surmise that I have other clients than those who, like yourself, think I could correct their verbs or their spelling. I have seen a great deal of the world,-I know something of it, and something of the law; so that m

look, "you do know the world, that is cle

a li

ch law, and I meant to ask you either to recommend to me a sharp la

lic

the service of one of t

but if you are busy now

at once, dear Monsieur, what

n Louise Duval, daughter of a drawing-master named A

m he accosts seriously. The change in the face he regarded was slight, but it was unmistakable. It was the sudden meeting of the eyebrows, accompanied with the

ct is this add

buried, if dead; and if other means fail, I am instructed to advertise to the effect that if Louise Duval, or, in case of her death, any children of hers living in the year 1849, will communicate with some person whom I

the house where this lady w

iend, and learned nothing. But I must not keep you now. I think I shall

e waste of time and money. Allow me to think over the matter. I shall see you

hole thing is out of my way o