Strong as Death

was to dine in honor of the return of Antoinette de Guilleroy, he found in

of some importance, and who now could not console him

sses, and duchesses of European aristocracy, and the sworn protector of artists of all sorts. He was endowed with an alert mind and quick perceptions, with great facility of speech that enabled him to say agreeably the most ordinary things, with a su

the five Academies, with all the savants, writers, and learned specialists, to whom he listened with clever discernment. He knew how to forget at once explanations that were too technical or were useless to him, remembered the others very well, and lent to the information thus gleaned an easy, clear, and good-natured rendering that made them as readily compreh

shionable persons, and enjoyed presenting them, protecting them, launching them. He seemed to devote himself to a mysterious function of fusing the fashionable and the artistic worlds, pluming himself on his intimate

amusing, and said of him: "He is the encycl

ushing us and in hastening that moment for which M. de Bismarck had been waiting eighteen years; while Olivier Bertin proved by irrefutable argument that these fears were chimerical, it being impossible for Ger

ish to speak. Furthermore, he had seen a Minister that morning and had

he knowledge of even the best informed. Behind all these rumors was the influ

s warmly, excusing himself in unctu

ked the painter, "what do you

ortrait a la Saint-Simon. The man Bismarck was one that no one wished to understand, because one always lends to others his own ways of thinking, and credits them with a readiness to do that which he would do were he placed in their situation. M. de Bismarck was not a false and lying diplomatist, but frank and brutal, always loudly proclaiming the truth and announcing his intentions. "I want peace!" said he. That was true; he wante

at he adores peace if you will concede to me that he always wishes to make war in order to obtain it

d: "Madame la Duch

red a tall, large woman, who en

o meet her, and kiss

you do,

ain distinguished familiarity, for the Du

ue de Varenne all the celebrities of the world, who met and complimented one another there. No Highness passed through Paris without dining at her table; no man could attract public attention that she did not immedia

d herself when the s

and Madame la Bar

bald and fat, the Baroness was

distinguished; by dint of visiting only the most princely houses, of professing their royalist sentiments, pious and correct to a supreme degree; by respecting all that should be respected, by condemning all that should be condemned, by never being mistaken on a po

relatives of the

chess in astonishme

pleaded the Count. "There is a su

red society, she was presented to the Duchesse de Mortemain

petite," one still heard in her voice the tenderness of that sudden and persistent a

the Duchess been to see the expositi

hat is

sionists in a state of intoxica

h disdain: "I do not like th

able to give a good reason for it, that artists and learned men were merely intelligent mercenaries charged by God to amuse society or to render service to it, she had no

rrassed her; she dared to say anything and patronized the whole world, including dethroned princes, with her

ntinued, "that they say the assassin

t was awake

about it,"

appeared, notwithstanding his eye-glass, never to see anyone; and when he sat down his whole frame seemed to accommodate itself to the shape of the chair. His figure seemed to shrink into folds, as if his spinal column were made of rubber; his legs, crossed one over the

the door of the large drawing-room opened wide once more, and two blond women in white lace, a creamy Mechlin, resembling each other like two sisters of different ages,

young girl beside her mother, who at a little distance seemed almost as fresh and even more beautiful-for, like a flower in full b

! How charming and amusing they are, standing beside each other

resembled each other only in coloring, in the hair, and above all in the eyes, which were exactly alike, both showing tiny black points, like minute

Olivier Bertin, they were similar in all respects, a

d the painter. "I should not have recognized h

idea! I should like to hear

parent under an air of timid playfulness, replied: "It i

ther s

low you to do so," she said. "You will

te shook

uld embarrass

nd examined her with all th

n as your mother; you won't be so bad by-and-by, when you have acquired more polish.

that!" exclaime

y n

slender. I intend to

ffense, forgetting in her ange

t, I belong to the generation of fat women! To-day is the day of thin ones. They make me think of the l

les of the company, but a

she does very well; she has attai

om. After they were seated, Mu

exercises that require address and agility, incompatible with corpulency.

o the rescue of her husband, and resolutely declared herself in favor of slimness. The year before that, sh

id it," demanded M

hour after the repast a cup of tea may be taken, boiling hot. This method succeeded with everyone. She cited astonishing cas

! You like nothing any more-nothing-not even champagne.

y arrange the drapery, so it is all the same

n, which do

y cook calls a nice little corn-fed chick

ut the incredulous Countess look

tter to be thin; slende

mpany; and all agreed that a very fat p

ty. Musadieu pronounced the blonde Marquise de Lochrist incomparably charming, while Bertin esteemed as a beauty Madame Mand

e young girl, and said

cs, women, plays, and all the rest of it. Only an occasional change of names will be necessary-names of persons and titles of works. When you have heard us all express and defend our opini

m her mischievous eyes, wherein sparkled youthfu

a ball, without perceiving that they continually exchanged the s

m, is without value, foundation, or weight; how slight is the basis of their beliefs, how feeble an

clear judgment, ordinarily obscured by an easy-going nature, he showed how those persons whose sole occupation in life is to pay visits and dine in town find

effect and make the gesture of the enlightened beings that they are not. He proved that, the frail roots of their instincts having been nourished on conventionalities instead of realities, they love nothing s

for they are powerless to enjoy it; outside of the beauty of the world and the beauty of art, of which they chatter without having really discovered it, or even believing in it, for they are ignorant of

efore reason as snow before the fire, yet which cannot be disproved-the absurd and triumphant arguments of a country curate who would demonstrate the exist

t, first expressing a few general ideas to the hairdresser that came to shave him; then, when taking his morning stroll, inquiring of the grooms about the health of the horses; then trotting through the avenues of the Bois, caring only about saluting and being saluted; then breakfasting opposite his wife, who in her turn had been out in her coupe, speaking to her only to enumerate the names of the perso

its satire wounded no one present,

sed merriment of fat persons, reli

" she said at last; "you wi

ed, with som

ugh, but the real thing is never done. Go to the theaters of the common people-there you will see laughter. Go among the bourgeoisie, when they are amusing themselves; you will see them laugh to suffocation. Go to the soldi

interru

to me that you yourself, my dear fellow, do not wholl

in s

e it!" he

the

little, as a mongr

k is nothing but a po

e cut short the discussion by declaring that all art

friendly and critical, and, as the dinner was drawing toward its end, the Countess sudd

thing, nothing, not a drop! We shal

ke her swallow some mineral water

rs will turn her head. I beg of you, Guilleroy

u the system of a threshing-machine inve

olly, D

f wishing to

wife with an expressio

the habit of opposi

offered his to the Duchess, and they passed into the large drawing

ss. In the center of the principal one, the portrait of the Countess by Olivier Bertin seemed to inhabit, to animate the apartment. It had a look of being at home there, mingling with the air of the salon its youthful smile, the grace of it

y the State having the value of that of an official expert, he regarded it as

st beautiful modern portrait I kno

he possessed a masterpiece, approached to join him, and for a minute or two they lavished upon the portrait all the

to which he paid hardly more attention than to questions about his health when meeting some one in the street, nevertheless adjuste

and as the Count approached

s coming here for me, and t

understood and agreed, without either side ev

This young man, now nearly twenty-eight years of age, was one of the most popular leaders of the cotillion in Europe, for he was sometimes requested to go to Vienna or to London to crown in the waltz

ce social triumphs by political success. As soon as the Marquis should become a deputy, he would become also, by that at

sions of Paris. She knew about his always successful speculations, his subtle scent as a financier, his share in the most fruitful schemes of the past ten years, and she had cherished the idea of marrying her nephew to the daughter of the N

d, when that event should come, to be so situated

of the Marquis of Farandal, whose ancestors had been the faithful and chos

t was very precious; and, for fear some other young girl might appear who would please t

though she had not been informed of the sudden return of the young girl, she had made an appointment with her ne

of their mutual desires in veiled terms; and when

s telling to the Baroness de Corbelle about the presentation of a negro ambassa

t were already there the time to see him and to observe his entrance. Then by an imperceptible movement of cheek and eyebrow, he allowed to drop the bit of glass at the end of a black silk hair, and advanced quic

ead, and that he cared only for such occupations as developed strength and physical activity. He had some education, however, for he had learned, and was learning every day, by much mental effort, a great deal that would be useful to

all, often hunted together, and met while riding in the avenues of the Bois. Between them, therefore, had been formed a sympathy of sim

tely had a suspicion of his aunt's designs, and after saluting her

o many cotillions that he knew young girls well, and could predict almost to a ce

, then seated himself near the Baroness de Corbell

s, the Comte de Guilleroy, walking across the drawing-room, lighted now by only two candles, detained for a long time the Countess, who was half asleep in an a

ever, with this evening, and murmuring, "