they　are　too　delicate　for　eyes　that　see　only　the　outside　of　nature。
  Her　gaiety　is　betrayed　to　me　by　the　tones　of　her　voice；　by　certain
  accents　which　I　alone　can　catch　and　understand。　Modeste　then；　instead
  of　sitting　still　and　thoughtful；　gives　vent　to　a　wild；　inward　activity
  by　impulsive　movements；in　short；　she　is　happy。　There　is　a　grace；　a
  charm　in　the　very　ideas　she　utters。　Ah；　my　friends；　I　know　happiness
  as　well　as　I　know　sorrow；　I　know　its　signs。　By　the　kiss　my　Modeste
  gives　me　I　can　guess　what　is　passing　within　her。　I　know　whether　she
  has　received　what　she　was　looking　for；　or　whether　she　is　uneasy　or
  expectant。　There　are　many　gradations　in　a　kiss；　even　in　that　of　an
  innocent　young　girl；　and　Modeste　is　innocence　itself；　but　hers　is　the
  innocence　of　knowledge；　not　of　ignorance。　I　may　be　blind；　but　my
  tenderness　is　all…seeing；　and　I　charge　you　to　watch　over　my　daughter。〃
  Dumay；　now　actually　ferocious；　the　notary；　in　the　character　of　a　man
  bound　to　ferret　out　a　mystery；　Madame　Latournelle；　the　deceived
  chaperone；　and　Madame　Dumay；　alarmed　for　her　husband's　safety；　became
  at　once　a　set　of　spies；　and　Modeste　from　this　day　forth　was　never　left
  alone　for　an　instant。　Dumay　passed　nights　under　her　window　wrapped　in
  his　cloak　like　a　jealous　Spaniard；　but　with　all　his　military　sagacity
  he　was　unable　to　detect　the　least　suspicious　sign。　Unless　she　loved
  the　nightingales　in　the　villa　park；　or　some　fairy　prince；　Modeste
  could　have　seen　no　one；　and　had　neither　given　nor　received　a　signal。
  Madame　Dumay；　who　never　went　to　bed　till　she　knew　Modeste　was　asleep；
  watched　the　road　from　the　upper　windows　of　the　Chalet　with　a　vigilance
  equal　to　her　husband's。　Under　these　eight　Argus　eyes　the　blameless
  child；　whose　every　motion　was　studied　and　analyzed；　came　out　of　the
  ordeal　so　fully　acquitted　of　all　criminal　conversation　that　the　four
  friends　declared　to　each　other　privately　that　Madame　Mignon　was
  foolishly　over…anxious。　Madame　Latournelle；　who　always　took　Modeste　to
  church　and　brought　her　back　again；　was　commissioned　to　tell　the　mother
  that　she　was　mistaken　about　her　daughter。
  〃Modeste；〃　she　said；　〃is　a　young　girl　of　very　exalted　ideas；　she　works
  herself　into　enthusiasm　for　the　poetry　of　one　writer　or　the　prose　of
  another。　You　have　only　to　judge　by　the　impression　made　upon　her　by
  that　scaffold　symphony；　'The　Last　Hours　of　a　Convict'〃　（the　saying　was
  Butscha's；　who　supplied　wit　to　his　benefactress　with　a　lavish　hand）；
  〃she　seemed　to　me　all　but　crazy　with　admiration　for　that　Monsieur　Hugo。
  I'm　sure　I　don't　know　where　such　people〃　（Victor　Hugo；　Lamartine；
  Byron　being　SUCH　PEOPLE　to　the　Madame　Latournelles　of　the　bourgeoisie）
  〃get　their　ideas。　Modeste　kept　talking　to　me　of　Childe　Harold；　and　as
  I　did　not　wish　to　get　the　worst　of　the　argument　I　was　silly　enough　to
  try　to　read　the　thing。　Perhaps　it　was　the　fault　of　the　translator；　but
  it　actually　turned　my　stomach；　I　was　dazed；　I　couldn't　possibly　finish
  it。　Why；　the　man　talks　about　comparisons　that　howl；　rocks　that　faint；
  and　waves　of　war！　However；　he　is　only　a　travelling　Englishman；　and　we
  must　expect　absurdities；though　his　are　really　inexcusable。　He　takes
  you　to　Spain；　and　sets　you　in　the　clouds　above　the　Alps；　and　makes　the
  torrents　talk；　and　the　stars；　and　he　says　there　are　too　many　virgins！
  Did　you　ever　hear　the　like？　Then；　after　Napoleon's　campaigns；　the
  lines　are　full　of　sonorous　brass　and　flaming　cannon…balls；　rolling
  along　from　page　to　page。　Modeste　tells　me　that　all　that　bathos　is　put
  in　by　the　translator；　and　that　I　ought　to　read　the　book　in　English。
  But　I　certainly　sha'n't　learn　English　to　read　Lord　Byron　when　I　didn't
  learn　it　to　teach　Exupere。　I　much　prefer　the　novels　of　Ducray…Dumenil
  to　all　these　English　romances。　I'm　too　good　a　Norman　to　fall　in　love
  with　foreign　things；above　all　when　they　come　from　England。〃
  Madame　Mignon；　notwithstanding　her　melancholy；　could　not　help　smiling
  at　the　idea　of　Madame　Latournelle　reading　Childe　Harold。　The　stern
  scion　of　a　parliamentary　house　accepted　the　smile　as　an　approval　of
  her　doctrine。
  〃And；　therefore；　my　dear　Madame　Mignon；〃　she　went　on；　〃you　have　taken
  Modeste's　fancies；　which　are　nothing　but　the　results　of　her　reading；
  for　a　love…affair。　Remember；　she　is　just　twenty。　Girls　fall　in　love
  with　themselves　at　that　age；　they　dress　to　see　themselves　well…
  dressed。　I　remember　I　used　to　make　my　little　sister；　now　dead；　put　on
  a　man's　hat　and　pretend　we　were　monsieur　and　madame。　You　see；　you　had
  a　very　happy　youth　in　Frankfort；　but　let　us　be　just；Modeste　is
  living　here　without　the　slightest　amusement。　Although；　to　be　sure；　her
  every　wish　is　attended　to；　still　she　knows　she　is　shut　up　and　watched；
  and　the　life　she　leads　would　give　her　no　pleasure　at　all　if　it　were
  not　for　the　amusement　she　gets　out　of　her　books。　Come；　don't　worry
  yourself；　she　loves　nobody　but　you。　You　ought　to　be　very　glad　that　she
  goes　into　these　enthusiasms　for　the　corsairs　of　Byron　and　the　heroes
  of　Walter　Scott　and　your　own　Germans；　Egmont；　Goethe；　Werther；
  Schiller；　and　all　the　other　'ers。'〃
  〃Well；　madame；　what　do　you　say　to　that？〃　asked　Dumay；　respectfully；
  alarmed　at　Madame　Mignon's　silence。
  〃Modeste　is　not　only　inclined　to　love；　but　she　loves　some　man；〃
  answered　the　mother；　obstinately。
  〃Madame；　my　life　is　at　stake；　and　you　must　allow　menot　for　my　sake；
  but　for　my　wife；　my　colonel；　for　all　of　usto　probe　this　matter　to
  the　bottom；　and　find　out　whether　it　is　the　mother　or　the　watch…dog　who
  is　deceived。〃
  〃It　is　you　who　are　deceived；　Dumay。　Ah！　if　I　could　but　see　my
  daughter！〃　cried　the　poor　woman。
  〃But　whom　is　it　possible　for　her　to　love？〃　asked　the　notary。　〃I'll
  answer　for　my　Exupere。〃
  〃It　can't　be　Gobenheim；〃　said　Dumay；　〃for　since　the　colonel's
  departure　he　has　not　spent　nine　hours　a　week　in　this　house。　Besides；
  he　doesn't　even　notice　Modestethat　five…franc　piece　of　a　man！　His
  uncle　Gobenheim…Keller　is　all　the　time　writing　him；　'Get　rich　enough
  to　marry　a　Keller。'　With　that　idea　in　his　mind　you　may　be　sure　he
  doesn't　know　which　sex　Modeste　belongs　to。　No　other　men　ever　come
  here；for　of　course　I　don't　count　Butscha；　poor　little　fellow；　I　love
  him！　He　is　your　Dumay；　madame；〃　said　the　cashier　to　Madame
  Latournelle。　〃Butscha　knows　very　well　that　a　mere　glance　at　Modeste
  would　cost　him　a　Breton　ducking。　Not　a　soul　has　any　communication　with
  this　house。　Madame　Latournelle　who　takes　Modeste　to　church　ever　since
  youryour　misfortune；　madame；　has　carefully　watched　her　on　the　way
  and　all　through　the　service；　and　has　seen　nothing　suspicious。　In
  short；　if　I　must　confess　the　truth；　I　have　myself　raked　all　the　paths
  about　the　house　every　evening　for　the　last　month；　and　found　no　trace
  of　footsteps　in　the　morning。〃
  〃Rakes　are　neither　costly　nor　difficult　to　handle；〃　remarked　the
  daughter　of　Germany。
  〃But　the　dogs？〃　cried　Dumay。
  〃Lovers　have　philters　even　for　dogs；〃　answered　Madame　Mignon。
  〃If　you　are　right；　my　honor　is　lost！　I　may　as　well　blow　my　brains
  out；〃　exclaimed　Dumay。
  〃Why　so；　Dumay？〃　said　the　blind　woman。
  〃Ah；　madame；　I　could　never　meet　my　colonel's　eye　if　he　did　not　find
  his　daughternow　his　only　daughteras　pure　and　virtuous　as　she　was
  when　he　said　to　me　on　the　vessel；　'Let　no　fear　of　the　scaffold　hinder
  you；　Dumay；　if　the　honor　of　my　Modeste　is　at　stake。'〃
  〃Ah！　I　recognize　you　both；〃　said　Madame　Mignon　in　a　voice　of　strong
  emotion。
  〃I'll　wager　my　salvation　that　Modeste　is　as　pure　as　she　was　in　her
  cradle；〃　exclaimed　Madame　Dumay。
  〃Well；　I　shall　make　certain　of　it；〃　replied　her　husband；　〃if　Madame　la
  Comtesse　will　allow　me　to　employ　certain　means；　for　old　troopers
  understand　strategy。〃
  〃I　will　allow　you　to　do　anything　that　shall　enlighten　us；　provided　it
  does　no　injury　to　my　last　child。〃
  〃What　are　you　going　to　do；　Jean？〃　asked　Madame　Dumay；　〃how　can　you
  discover　a　young　girl's　secret　if　she　means　to　hide　it？〃
  〃Obey　me；　all！〃　cried　the　lieutenant；　〃I　shall　need　every　one　of　you。〃
  If　this　rapid　sketch　were　clearly　developed　it　would　give　a　whole
  picture　of　manners　and　customs　in　which　many　a　family　could　recognize
  the　events　of　their　own　history；　but　it　must　suffice　as　it　is　to
  explain　the　importance　of　the　few　details　heretofore　given　about
  persons　and　things　on　the　memorable　evening　when　the　old　soldier　had
  made　ready　his　plot　against　the　young　girl；　intending　to　wrench　from
  the　recesses　of　her　heart　the　secret　of　a　love　and　a　lover　seen　only
  by　a　blind　mother。
  CHAPTER　V
  THE　PROBLEM　STILL　UNSOLVED
  An　hour　went　by　in　solemn　stillness　broken　only　by　the　cabalistic
  phrases　of　the　whist…players：　〃Spades！〃　〃Trumped！〃　〃Cut！〃　〃How　are
  honors？〃　〃Two　to　four。〃　〃Whose　deal？〃phrases　which　represent　in
  these　days　the　higher　emotions　of　the　European　aristocracy。　Modeste
  continued　to　work；　without　seeming　to　be　surprised　at　her　mother's
  silence。　Madame　Mignon's　handkerchief　slipped