she　suffered；　at　the　cost　of　her　heart　and　her　sweet　illusions；
  the　disenchantment　which　falls　on　us　so　slowly　and　yet　so
  quicklyfor　we　try　to　postpone　as　long　as　possible　our　belief　in
  evil；　and　it　seems　to　come　too　soonthat　day　was　a　whole　age　of
  reflection；　and　it　was　also　a　day　of　religious　thought　and
  resignation。　She　refused　the　alms　of　the　man　who　had　betrayed
  her；　renounced　the　world；　and　made　a　glory　of　her　shame。　She　gave
  herself　up　entirely　to　her　motherly　love；　seeking　in　it　all　her
  joys　in　exchange　for　the　social　pleasures　to　which　she　bid
  farewell。　She　lived　by　work；　saving　up　a　treasure　for　her　son。
  And；　in　after　years；　a　day；　an　hour　repaid　her　amply　for　the　long
  and　weary　sacrifices　of　her　indigence。
  At　the　last　exhibition　her　son　had　received　the　Cross　of　the
  Legion　of　Honor。　The　newspapers；　unanimous　in　hailing　an　unknown
  genius；　still　rang　with　sincere　praises。　Artists　themselves
  acknowledged　Schinner　as　a　master；　and　dealers　covered　his
  canvases　with　gold　pieces。　At　five…and…twenty　Hippolyte　Schinner；
  to　whom　his　mother　had　transmitted　her　woman's　soul；　understood
  more　clearly　than　ever　his　position　in　the　world。　Anxious　to
  restore　to　his　mother　the　pleasures　of　which　society　had　so　long
  robbed　her；　he　lived　for　her；　hoping　by　the　aid　of　fame　and
  fortune　to　see　her　one　day　happy；　rich；　respected；　and　surrounded
  by　men　of　mark。　Schinner　had　therefore　chosen　his　friends　among
  the　most　honorable　and　distinguished　men。　Fastidious　in　the
  selection　of　his　intimates；　he　desired　to　raise　still　further　a
  position　which　his　talent　had　placed　high。　The　work　to　which　he
  had　devoted　himself　from　boyhood；　by　compelling　him　to　dwell　in
  solitudethe　mother　of　great　thoughtshad　left　him　the
  beautiful　beliefs　which　grace　the　early　days　of　life。　His
  adolescent　soul　was　not　closed　to　any　of　the　thousand　bashful
  emotions　by　which　a　young　man　is　a　being　apart；　whose　heart
  abounds　in　joys；　in　poetry；　in　virginal　hopes；　puerile　in　the
  eyes　of　men　of　the　world；　but　deep　because　they　are　single…
  hearted。
  He　was　endowed　with　the　gentle　and　polite　manners　which　speak　to
  the　soul；　and　fascinate　even　those　who　do　not　understand　them。　He
  was　well　made。　His　voice；　coming　from　his　heart；　stirred　that　of
  others　to　noble　sentiments；　and　bore　witness　to　his　true　modesty
  by　a　certain　ingenuousness　of　tone。　Those　who　saw　him　felt　drawn
  to　him　by　that　attraction　of　the　moral　nature　which　men　of
  science　are　happily　unable　to　analyze；　they　would　detect　in　it
  some　phenomenon　of　galvanism；　or　the　current　of　I　know　not　what
  fluid；　and　express　our　sentiments　in　a　formula　of　ratios　of
  oxygen　and　electricity。
  These　details　will　perhaps　explain　to　strong…minded　persons　and
  to　men　of　fashion　why；　in　the　absence　of　the　porter　whom　he　had
  sent　to　the　end　of　the　Rue　de　la　Madeleine　to　call　him　a　coach；
  Hippolyte　Schinner　did　not　ask　the　man's　wife　any　questions
  concerning　the　two　women　whose　kindness　of　heart　had　shown　itself
  in　his　behalf。　But　though　he　replied　Yes　or　No　to　the　inquiries；
  natural　under　the　circumstances；　which　the　good　woman　made　as　to
  his　accident；　and　the　friendly　intervention　of　the　tenants
  occupying　the　fourth　floor；　he　could　not　hinder　her　from
  following　the　instinct　of　her　kind；　she　mentioned　the　two
  strangers；　speaking　of　them　as　prompted　by　the　interests　of　her
  policy　and　the　subterranean　opinions　of　the　porter's　lodge。
  〃Ah；〃　said　she；　〃they　were；　no　doubt；　Mademoiselle　Leseigneur　and
  her　mother；　who　have　lived　here　these　four　years。　We　do　not　know
  exactly　what　these　ladies　do；　in　the　morning；　only　till　the　hour
  of　noon；　an　old　woman　who　is　half　deaf；　and　who　never　speaks　any
  more　than　a　wall；　comes　in　to　help　them；　in　the　evening；　two　or
  three　old　gentlemen；　with　loops　of　ribbon；　like　you；　monsieur；
  come　to　see　them；　and　often　stay　very　late。　One　of　them　comes　in
  a　carriage　with　servants；　and　is　said　to　have　sixty　thousand
  francs　a　year。　However；　they　are　very　quiet　tenants；　as　you　are；
  monsieur；　and　economical！　they　live　on　nothing；　and　as　soon　as　a
  letter　is　brought　they　pay　for　it。　It　is　a　queer　thing；　monsieur；
  the　mother's　name　is　not　the　same　as　the　daughter's。　Ah；　but　when
  they　go　for　a　walk　in　the　Tuileries；　mademoiselle　is　very　smart；
  and　she　never　goes　out　but　she　is　followed　by　a　lot　of　young　men；
  but　she　shuts　the　door　in　their　face；　and　she　is　quite　right。　The
  proprietor　would　never　allow〃
  The　coach　having　come；　Hippolyte　heard　no　more；　and　went　home。
  His　mother；　to　whom　he　related　his　adventure；　dressed　his　wound
  afresh；　and　would　not　allow　him　to　go　to　the　studio　next　day。
  After　taking　advice；　various　treatments　were　prescribed；　and
  Hippolyte　remained　at　home　three　days。　During　this　retirement　his
  idle　fancy　recalled　vividly；　bit　by　bit；　the　details　of　the　scene
  that　had　ensued　on　his　fainting　fit。　The　young　girl's　profile　was
  clearly　projected　against　the　darkness　of　his　inward　vision；　he
  saw　once　more　the　mother's　faded　features；　or　he　felt　the　touch
  of　Adelaide's　hands。　He　remembered　some　gesture　which　at　first
  had　not　greatly　struck　him；　but　whose　exquisite　grace　was　thrown
  into　relief　by　memory；　then　an　attitude；　or　the　tones　of　a
  melodious　voice；　enhanced　by　the　distance　of　remembrance；
  suddenly　rose　before　him；　as　objects　plunging　to　the　bottom　of
  deep　waters　come　back　to　the　surface。
  So；　on　the　day　when　he　could　resume　work；　he　went　early　to　his
  studio；　but　the　visit　he　undoubtedly　had　a　right　to　pay　to　his
  neighbors　was　the　true　cause　of　his　haste；　he　had　already
  forgotten　the　pictures　he　had　begun。　At　the　moment　when　a　passion
  throws　off　its　swaddling　clothes；　inexplicable　pleasures　are
  felt；　known　to　those　who　have　loved。　So　some　readers　will
  understand　why　the　painter　mounted　the　stairs　to　the　fourth　floor
  but　slowly；　and　will　be　in　the　secret　of　the　throbs　that　followed
  each　other　so　rapidly　in　his　heart　at　the　moment　when　he　saw　the
  humble　brown　door　of　the　rooms　inhabited　by　Mademoiselle
  Leseigneur。　This　girl；　whose　name　was　not　the　same　as　her
  mother's；　had　aroused　the　young　painter's　deepest　sympathies；　he
  chose　to　fancy　some　similarity　between　himself　and　her　as　to
  their　position；　and　attributed　to　her　misfortunes　of　birth　akin
  to　his　own。　All　the　time　he　worked　Hippolyte　gave　himself　very
  willingly　to　thoughts　of　love；　and　made　a　great　deal　of　noise　to
  compel　the　two　ladies　to　think　of　him；　as　he　was　thinking　of
  them。　He　stayed　late　at　the　studio　and　dined　there；　then；　at
  about　seven　o'clock；　he　went　down　to　call　on　his　neighbors。
  No　painter　of　manners　has　ventured　to　initiate　usperhaps　out　of
  modestyinto　the　really　curious　privacy　of　certain　Parisian
  existences；　into　the　secret　of　the　dwellings　whence　emerge　such
  fresh　and　elegant　toilets；　such　brilliant　women；　who　rich　on　the
  surface；　allow　the　signs　of　very　doubtful　comfort　to　peep　out　in
  every　part　of　their　home。　If；　here；　the　picture　is　too　boldly
  drawn；　if　you　find　it　tedious　in　places；　do　not　blame　the
  description；　which　is；　indeed；　part　and　parcel　of　my　story；　for
  the　appearance　of　the　rooms　inhabited　by　his　two　neighbors　had　a
  great　influence　on　the　feelings　and　hopes　of　Hippolyte　Schinner。
  The　house　belonged　to　one　of　those　proprietors　in　whom　there　is　a
  foregone　and　profound　horror　of　repairs　and　decoration；　one　of
  the　men　who　regard　their　position　as　Paris　house…owners　as　a
  business。　In　the　vast　chain　of　moral　species；　these　people　hold　a
  middle　place　between　the　miser　and　the　usurer。　Optimists　in　their
  own　interests；　they　are　all　faithful　to　the　Austrian　status　quo。
  If　you　speak　of　moving　a　cupboard　or　a　door；　of　opening　the　most
  indispensable　air…hole；　their　eyes　flash；　their　bile　rises；　they
  rear　like　a　frightened　horse。　When　the　wind　blows　down　a　few
  chimney…pots　they　are　quite　ill；　and　deprive　themselves　of　an
  evening　at　the　Gymnase　or　the　Porte…Saint…Martin　Theatre；　〃on
  account　of　repairs。〃　Hippolyte；　who　had　seen　the　performance
  gratis　of　a　comical　scene　with　Monsieur　Molineux　as　concerning
  certain　decorative　repairs　in　his　studio；　was　not　surprised　to
  see　the　dark　greasy　paint；　the　oily　stains；　spots；　and　other
  disagreeable　accessories　that　varied　the　woodwork。　And　these
  stigmata　of　poverty　are　not　altogether　devoid　of　poetry　in　an
  artist's　eyes。
  Mademoiselle　Leseigneur　herself　opened　the　door。　On　recognizing
  the　young　artist　she　bowed；　and　at　the　same　time；　with　Parisian
  adroitness；　and　with　the　presence　of　mind　that　pride　can　lend；
  she　turned　round　to　shut　the　door　in　a　glass　partition　through
  which　Hippolyte　might　have　caught　sight　of　some　linen　hung　by
  lines　over　patent　ironing　stoves；　an　old　camp…bed；　some　wood…
  embers；　charcoal；　irons；　a　filter；　the　household　crockery；　and
  all　the　utensils　familiar　to　a　small　household。　Muslin　curtains；
  fairly　white；　carefully　screened　this　lumber…rooma　capharnaum；
  as　the　French　call　such　a　domestic　laboratory；which　was　lighted
  by　windows