It　is　evident　to　my　mind　that　no　such　perpetual　worship　will　give　you
  the　infinite　delights　which　you　are　dreaming　of　in　marriage；in　some
  marriage　where　obedience　will　be　your　pride；　where　noble　little
  sacrifices　can　be　made　and　hidden；　where　the　heart　is　full　of
  anxieties　without　a　cause；　and　successes　are　awaited　with　eager　hope；
  where　each　new　chance　for　magnanimity　is　hailed　with　joy；　where　souls
  are　comprehended　to　their　inmost　recesses；　and　where　the　woman
  protects　with　her　love　the　man　who　protects　her。〃
  〃You　are　a　sorcerer！〃　exclaimed　Modeste。
  〃Neither　will　you　find　that　sweet　equality　of　feeling；　that　continual
  sharing　of　each　other's　life；　that　certainty　of　pleasing　which　makes
  marriage　tolerable；　if　you　take　Canalis；a　man　who　thinks　of　himself
  only；　whose　'I'　is　the　one　string　to　his　lute；　whose　mind　is　so　fixed
  on　himself　that　he　has　hitherto　taken　no　notice　of　your　father　or　the
  duke；a　man　of　second…rate　ambitions；　to　whom　your　dignity　and　your
  devotion　will　matter　nothing；　who　will　make　you　a　mere　appendage　to
  his　household；　and　who　already　insults　you　by　his　indifference　to　your
  behavior；　yes；　if　you　permitted　yourself　to　go　so　far　as　to　box　your
  mother's　ears　Canalis　would　shut　his　eyes　to　it；　and　deny　your　crime
  even　to　himself；　because　he　thirsts　for　your　money。　And　so；
  mademoiselle；　when　I　spoke　of　the　man　who　truly　loves　you　I　was　not
  thinking　of　the　great　poet　who　is　nothing　but　a　little　comedian；　nor
  of　the　duke；　who　might　be　a　good　marriage　for　you；　but　never　a
  husband〃
  〃Butscha；　my　heart　is　a　blank　page　on　which　you　are　yourself　writing
  all　that　you　read　there；〃　cried　Modeste；　interrupting　him。　〃You　are
  carried　away　by　your　provincial　hatred　for　everything　that　obliges　you
  to　look　higher　than　your　own　head。　You　can't　forgive　a　poet　for　being
  a　statesman；　for　possessing　the　gift　of　speech；　for　having　a　noble
  future　before　him；and　you　calumniate　his　intentions。〃
  〃His！mademoiselle；　he　will　turn　his　back　upon　you　with　the　baseness
  of　an　Althor。〃
  〃Make　him　play　that　pretty　little　comedy；　and〃
  〃That　I　will！　he　shall　play　it　through　and　through　within　three　days；
  on　Wednesday；recollect；　Wednesday！　Until　then；　mademoiselle；　amuse
  yourself　by　listening　to　the　little　tunes　of　the　lyre；　so　that　the
  discords　and　the　false　notes　may　come　out　all　the　more　distinctly。〃
  Modeste　ran　gaily　back　to　the　salon；　where　La　Briere；　who　was　sitting
  by　the　window；　where　he　had　doubtless　been　watching　his　idol；　rose　to
  his　feet　as　if　a　groom　of　the　chambers　had　suddenly　announced；　〃The
  Queen。〃　It　was　a　movement　of　spontaneous　respect；　full　of　that　living
  eloquence　that　lies　in　gesture　even　more　than　in　speech。　Spoken　love
  cannot　compare　with　acts　of　love；　and　every　young　girl　of　twenty　has
  the　wisdom　of　fifty　in　applying　the　axiom。　In　it　lies　the　great　secret
  of　attraction。　Instead　of　looking　Modeste　in　the　face；　as　Canalis　who
  paid　her　public　homage　would　have　done；　the　neglected　lover　followed
  her　with　a　furtive　look　between　his　eyelids；　humble　after　the　manner
  of　Butscha；　and　almost　timid。　The　young　heiress　observed　it；　as　she
  took　her　place　by　Canalis；　to　whose　game　she　proceeded　to　pay
  attention。　During　a　conversation　which　ensued；　La　Briere　heard　Modeste
  say　to　her　father　that　she　should　ride　out　for　the　first　time　on　the
  following　Wednesday；　and　she　also　reminded　him　that　she　had　no　whip　in
  keeping　with　her　new　equipments。　The　young　man　flung　a　lightning
  glance　at　the　dwarf；　and　a　few　minutes　later　the　two　were　pacing　the
  terrace。
  〃It　is　nine　o'clock；〃　cried　Ernest。　〃I　shall　start　for　Paris　at　full
  gallop；　I　can　get　there　to…morrow　morning　by　ten。　My　dear　Butscha；
  from　you　she　will　accept　anything；　for　she　is　attached　to　you；　let　me
  give　her　a　riding…whip　in　your　name。　If　you　will　do　me　this　immense
  kindness；　you　shall　have　not　only　my　friendship　but　my　devotion。〃
  〃Ah；　you　are　very　happy；〃　said　Butscha；　ruefully；　〃you　have　money；
  you！〃
  〃Tell　Canalis　not　to　expect　me；　and　that　he　must　find　some　pretext　to
  account　for　my　absence。〃
  An　hour　later　Ernest　had　ridden　out　of　Havre。　He　reached　Paris　in
  twelve　hours；　where　his　first　act　was　to　secure　a　place　in　the　mail…
  coach　for　Havre　on　the　following　evening。　Then　he　went　to　three　of　the
  chief　jewellers　in　Paris　and　compared　all　the　whip…handles　that　they
  could　offer；　he　was　in　search　of　some　artistic　treasure　that　was
  regally　superb。　He　found　one　at　last；　made　by　Stidmann　for　a　Russian；
  who　was　unable　to　pay　for　it　when　finished；a　fox…head　in　gold；　with
  a　ruby　of　exorbitant　value；　all　his　savings　went　into　the　purchase；
  the　cost　of　which　was　seven　thousand　francs。　Ernest　gave　a　drawing　of
  the　arms　of　La　Bastie；　and　allowed　the　shop…people　twenty　hours　to
  engrave　them。　The　handle；　a　masterpiece　of　delicate　workmanship；　was
  fitted　to　an　india…rubber　whip　and　put　into　a　morocco　case　lined　with
  velvet；　on　which　two　M。's　interlaced　were　stamped　in　gold。
  La　Briere　got　back　to　Havre　by　the　mail…coach　Wednesday　morning　in
  time　to　breakfast　with　Canalis。　The　poet　had　concealed　his　secretary's
  absence　by　declaring　that　he　was　busy　with　some　work　sent　from　Paris。
  Butscha；　who　met　La　Briere　at　the　coach…door；　took　the　box　containing
  the　precious　work　of　art　to　Francoise　Cochet；　with　instructions　to
  place　it　on　Modeste's　dressing…table。
  〃Of　course　you　will　accompany　Mademoiselle　Modeste　on　her　ride
  to…day？〃　said　Butscha；　who　went　to　Canalis's　house　to　let　La　Briere
  know　by　a　wink　that　the　whip　had　gone　to　its　destination。
  〃I？〃　answered　Ernest；　〃no；　I　am　going　to　bed。〃
  〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　Canalis；　looking　at　him。　〃I　don't　know　what　to　make
  of　you。〃
  Breakfast　was　then　served；　and　the　poet　naturally　invited　their
  visitor　to　stay　and　take　it。　Butscha　complied；　having　seen　in　the
  expression　of　the　valet's　face　the　success　of　a　trick　in　which　we
  shall　see　the　first　fruits　of　his　promise　to　Modeste。
  〃Monsieur　is　very　right　to　detain　the　clerk　of　Monsieur　Latournelle；〃
  whispered　Germain　in　his　master's　ear。
  Canalis　and　Germain　went　into　the　salon　on　a　sign　that　passed　between
  them。
  〃I　went　out　this　morning　to　see　the　men　fish；　monsieur；〃　said　the
  valet；〃an　excursion　proposed　to　me　by　the　captain　of　a　smack；　whose
  acquaintance　I　have　made。〃
  Germain　did　not　acknowledge　that　he　had　the　bad　taste　to　play
  billiards　in　a　cafe；a　fact　of　which　Butscha　had　taken　advantage　to
  surround　him　with　friends　of　his　own　and　manage　him　as　he　pleased。
  〃Well？〃　said　Canalis；　〃to　the　point；quick！〃
  〃Monsieur　le　baron；　I　heard　a　conversation　about　Monsieur　Mignon；
  which　I　encouraged　as　far　as　I　could；　for　no　one；　of　course；　knew　that
  I　belong　to　you。　Ah！　monsieur；　judging　by　the　talk　of　the　quays；　you
  are　running　your　head　into　a　noose。　The　fortune　of　Mademoiselle　de　La
  Bastie　is；　like　her　name；　modest。　The　vessel　on　which　the　father
  returned　does　not　belong　to　him；　but　to　rich　China　merchants　to　whom
  he　renders　an　account。　They　even　say　things　that　are　not　at　all
  flattering　to　Monsieur　Mignon's　honor。　Having　heard　that　you　and
  Monsieur　le　duc　were　rivals　for　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie's　hand；　I
  have　taken　the　liberty　to　warn　you；　of　the　two；　wouldn't　it　be　better
  that　his　lordship　should　gobble　her？　As　I　came　home　I　walked　round　the
  quays；　and　into　that　theatre…hall　where　the　merchants　meet；　I　slipped
  boldly　in　and　out　among　them。　Seeing　a　well…dressed　stranger；　those
  worthy　fellows　began　to　talk　to　me　of　Havre；　and　I　got　them；　little　by
  little；　to　speak　of　Colonel　Mignon。　What　they　said　only　confirms　the
  stories　the　fishermen　told　me；　and　I　feel　that　I　should　fail　in　my
  duty　if　I　keep　silence。　That　is　why　I　did　not　get　home　in　time　to
  dress　monsieur　this　morning。〃
  〃What　am　I　to　do？〃　cried　Canalis；　who　remembered　his　proposals　to
  Modeste　the　night　before；　and　did　not　see　how　he　could　get　out　of
  them。
  〃Monsieur　knows　my　attachment　to　him；〃　said　Germain；　perceiving　that
  the　poet　was　quite　thrown　off　his　balance；　〃he　will　not　be　surprised
  if　I　give　him　a　word　of　advice。　There　is　that　clerk；　try　to　get　the
  truth　out　of　him。　Perhaps　he'll　unbutton　after　a　bottle　or　two　of
  champagne；　or　at　any　rate　a　third。　It　would　be　strange　indeed　if
  monsieur；　who　will　one　day　be　ambassador；　as　Philoxene　has　heard
  Madame　la　duchesse　say　time　and　time　again；　couldn't　turn　a　little
  notary's　clerk　inside　out。〃
  CHAPTER　XXIII
  BUTSCHA　DISTINGUISHES　HIMSELF
  At　this　instant　Butscha；　the　hidden　prompter　of　the　fishing　part；　was
  requesting　the　secretary　to　say　nothing　about　his　trip　to　Paris；　and
  not　to　interfere　in　any　way　with　what　he；　Butscha；　might　do。　The　dwarf
  had　already　made　use　of　an　unfavorable　feeling　lately　roused　against
  Monsieur　Mignon　in　Havre　in　consequence　of　his　reserve　and　his
  determination　to　keep　silence　as　to　the　amount　of　his　fortune。　The
  persons　who　were　most　bitter　against　him　even　declared　calumniously
  that　he