of　genius。　After　having　brought　tears　to　the　eyes　of　every　one　who　cared　for　her；　raking　up　painful　recollections　or　enervating　anxieties；　she　reached　the　lowest　depths　of　her　fatigue；　and　as　there　was　always　some　fun　in　her；　even　in　her　/ennui/　in　a　kind　of　caged　wild…beast's　howl；　which　she　called　〃the　cry　of　the　jackal　in　the　desert；〃　and　which　used　to　make　the　good　Crenmitz　turn　pale。
  Poor　Felicia！　That　life　of　hers　was　indeed　a　frightful　desert　when　art　did　not　beguile　it　with　its　illusions；　a　desert　mournful　and　flat；　where　everything　was　lost；　reduced　to　one　level；　beneath　the　same　monotonous　immensity；　the　naive　love　of　a　child　of　twenty；　a　passionate　duke's　caprice；　in　which　all　was　overwhelmed　by　an　arid　sand　driven　by　blasting　fates。　Paul　was　conscious　of　that　void；　desired　to　escape　it；　but　something　held　him　back；　like　a　weight　which　unrolls　a　chain；　and　in　spite　of　the　calumnies　he　heard；　and　notwithstanding　the　odd　whims　of　the　strange　creature；　he　dallied　deliciously　after　her；　at　the　price　of　bearing　away　with　him　from　this　long　lover's　contemplation　only　the　despair　of　a　believer　reduced　to　the　adoring　of　images　alone。
  The　refuge　lay　down　there；　in　that　remote　quarter　of　the　town　where　the　wind　blew　so　hard；　yet　without　preventing　the　flame　from　mounting　white　and　straightit　was　the　family　circle　presided　over　by　Bonne　Maman。　Oh！　she　at　least　was　not　bored；　she　never　uttered　the　cry　of　the　〃jackal　in　the　desert。〃　Her　life　was　far　too　full；　the　father　to　encourage；　to　sustain；　the　children　to　teach；　all　the　material　cares　of　a　home　where　the　mother's　hand　is　wanting；　those　preoccupations　that　awake　with　the　dawn　and　are　put　to　sleep　by　the　evening；　unless　indeed　it　bring　them　back　in　dream；　one　of　those　devotions；　tireless　but　without　apparent　effort；　very　pleasant　for　poor　human　egotism；　because　they　dispense　from　all　gratitude　and　hardly　make　themselves　felt；　so　light　is　their　hand。　She　was　not　the　courageous　daughter　who　works　to　support　her　parents；　gives　private　lessons　from　morning　to　night；　forgets　in　the　excitement　of　a　profession　all　the　troubles　of　the　household。　No；　she　had　understood　her　task　in　a　different　sense；　a　sedentary　bee　restricting　her　cares　to　the　hive；　without　once　humming　out　of　doors　in　the　open　air　among　the　flowers。　A　thousand　functions：　tailoress；　milliner；　mender　of　clothes；　bookkeeper　also　for　M。　Joyeuse；　who；　incapable　of　all　responsibility；　left　to　her　the　free　disposal　of　their　means；　to　be　pianoforte…teacher；　governess。
  As　it　happens　in　families　that　have　been　in　a　good　position；　Aline；　as　the　eldest　daughter；　had　been　educated　at　one　of　the　best　boarding…　schools　in　Paris。　Elise　had　been　with　her　there　for　two　years；　but　the　last　two；　born　too　late；　and　sent　to　small　day…schools　in　the　locality；　had　all　their　studies　yet　to　complete；　and　this　was　no　easy　matter；　the　youngest　laughing　upon　every　occasion　from　sheer　good　health；　warbling　like　a　lark　intoxicated　with　the　delight　of　green　corn；　and　flying　away　far　out　of　sight　of　desk　and　exercises；　while　Mlle。　Henriette；　ever　haunted　by　her　ideas　of　grandeur；　her　love　of　luxurious　things；　took　to　work　hardly　less　unwillingly。　This　young　person　of　fifteen；　to　whom　her　father　had　transmitted　something　of　his　imaginative　faculties；　was　already　arranging　her　life　in　advance　and　declared　formally　that　she　should　marry　one　of　the　nobility；　and　would　never　have　more　than　three　children：　〃A　boy　to　inherit　the　name　and　two　little　girlsso　as　to　be　able　to　dress　them　alike。〃
  〃Yes；　that's　right；〃　Bonne　Maman　would　say；　〃you　shall　dress　them　alike。　In　the　meantime；　let　us　attend　to　our　participles　a　little。〃
  But　the　one　who　caused　the　most　concern　was　Elise；　with　her　examination　taken　thrice　without　success；　always　failing　in　history　and　preparing　herself　anew；　seized　by　a　deep　fear　and　a　mistrust　of　herself　which　made　her　carry　about　with　her　everywhere　and　open　every　moment　that　unfortunate　history　of　France；　in　the　omnibus；　in　the　street；　even　at　the　luncheon…table；　she　was　already　a　grown　girl　and　very　pretty；　and　she　no　longer　possessed　that　little　mechanical　memory　of　childhood　wherein　dates　and　events　lodge　themselves　for　the　whole　of　one's　life。　Beset　by　other　preoccupations；　the　lesson　was　forgotten　in　an　instant；　despite　the　apparent　application　of　the　pupil；　with　her　long　lashes　fringing　her　eyes；　her　curls　sweeping　over　the　pages；　and　her　rosy　mouth　animated　by　a　little　quiver　of　attention；　repeating　ten　times　in　succession：　〃Louis；　surnamed　le　Hutin；　1314…1316；　Philip　V；　surnamed　the　Long；　1316…1322。　Ah；　Bonne　Maman；　it's　no　good；　I　shall　never　know　them。〃　Whereupon　Bonne　Maman　would　come　to　her　assistance；　help　her　to　concentrate　her　attention；　to　store　up　a　few　of　those　dates　of　the　Middle　Ages；　barbarous　and　sharp　as　the　helmets　of　the　warriors　of　the　period。　And　in　the　intervals　of　these　occupations；　of　this　general　and　constant　superintendence；　she　yet　found　time　to　do　some　pretty　needlework；　to　extract　from　her　work…basket　some　delicate　crochet　lace　or　a　piece　of　tapestry　on　which　she　was　engaged　and　to　which　she　clung　as　closely　as　the　young　Elise　to　her　history　of　France。　Even　when　she　talked；　her　fingers　never　remained　unoccupied　for　a　moment。
  〃Do　you　never　take　any　rest？〃　said　de　Gery　to　her；　as　she　counted　under　her　breath　the　stitches　of　her　tapestry；　〃three；　four；　five；〃　to　secure　the　right　variation　in　the　shading　of　the　colours。
  〃But　this　is　a　rest　from　work；〃　she　answered。　〃You　men　cannot　understand　how　good　needlework　is　for　a　woman's　mind。　It　gives　order　to　the　thoughts；　fixes　by　a　stitch　the　moment　that　passes　what　would　otherwise　pass　with　it。　And　how　many　griefs　are　calmed；　anxieties　forgotten；　thanks　to　this　wholly　physical　act　of　attention；　to　this　repetition　of　an　even　movement；　in　which　one　findsof　necessity　and　very　quicklythe　equilibrium　of　one's　whole　being。　It　does　not　hinder　me　from　following　the　conversation　around　me；　from　listening　to　you　still　better　than　I　should　if　I　were　doing　something。　Three；　four；　five。〃
  Oh；　yes；　she　listened。　That　was　apparent　in　the　animation　of　her　face；　in　the　way　in　which　she　would　suddenly　straighten　herself　as　she　sat；　needle　in　air；　the　thread　taut　over　her　raised　little　finger。　Then　she　would　quickly　resume　her　work；　sometimes　after　putting　in　a　thoughtful　word；　which　agreed　generally　with　the　opinions　of　friend　Paul。
  An　affinity　of　nature；　responsibilities　and　duties　similar　in　character；　drew　these　two　young　people　together；　interested　each　of　them　in　the　other's　occupations。　She　knew　the　names　of　his　two　brothers　Pierre　and　Louis；　his　plans　for　their　future　when　they　should　have　left　school。　Pierre　wanted　to　be　a　sailor。　〃Oh；　no；　not　a　sailor；〃　Bonne　Maman　would　say；　〃it　will　be　much　better　for　him　to　come　to　Paris　with　you。〃　And　when　he　admitted　that　he　was　afraid　of　Paris　for　them；　she　laughed　at　his　fears；　called　him　provincial；　full　of　affection　for　the　city　in　which　she　had　been　born；　in　which　she　had　grown　to　chaste　young　womanhood；　and　that　gave　her　in　return　those　vivacities；　those　natural　refinements；　that　jesting　good…humour　which　incline　one　to　believe　that　Paris；　with　its　rain；　its　fogs；　its　sky　which　is　no　sky；　is　the　veritable　fatherland　of　woman；　whose　nerves　it　heals　gently　and　whose　qualities　of　intelligence　and　patience　it　develops。
  Each　day　Paul　de　Gery　came　to　appreciate　Mlle。　Aline　betterhe　was　the　only　person　in　the　house　who　so　called　herand；　strange　circumstance；　it　was　Felicia　who　completed　the　cementing　of　their　intimacy。　What　relations　could　there　exist　between　the　artist's　daughter；　moving　in　the　highest　spheres；　and　this　little　middle…class　girl　buried　in　the　depths　of　a　suburb？　Relations　of　childhood　and　of　friendship；　common　recollections；　the　great　court…yard　of　the　Institution　Belin；　where　they　had　played　together　for　three　years。　Paris　is　full　of　these　juxtapositions。　A　name　uttered　by　chance　in　the　course　of　a　conversation　brought　out　suddenly　the　bewildered　question：
  〃You　know　her　then？〃
  〃Do　I　know　Felicia？　Why；　our　desks　were　next　each　other　in　the　first　form。　We　had　the　same　garden。　Such　a　nice　girl；　and　so　handsome　and　clever！〃
  And；　observing　the　pleasure　with　which　she　was　listened　to；　Aline　used　to　recall　the　times　which　already　formed　a　past　for　her；　seductive　and　melancholy　like　all　pasts。　She　was　very　much　alone　in　life；　the　little　Felicia。　On　Thursdays；　when　the　visitors'　names　were　called　out　in　the　parlour；　there　was　no　one　for　her；　except　from　time　to　time　a　good　but　rather　absurd　lady；　formerly　a　dancer；　it　was　said；　whom　Felicia　called　the　Fairy。　In　the　same　way　she　used　to　have　pet　names　for　all　the　people　she　cared　for　and　whom　she　transformed　in　her　imaginations。　In　the　holidays　they　used　to　see　each　other。　Mme。　Joyeuse；　while　she　refused　to　allow　Aline　to　visit　the　studio　of　M。　Ruys；　used　to　invite　Felicia　over　for　whole　days；　very　short　days　they　seemed；　minglings　of　study；　music；　dual　dreams；　young　intimate　conversations。　〃Oh；　when　she　used　to　talk　to　me　of　her　art；　with　that　enthusiasm　which　she　put　into　everything；　how　delighted　I　was　to　listen　to　her！　How　many　things　I　have　understood　through　her；　of　which　I　should　never　have　had　any　idea。　Even　now　when　we　go　to　the　Louvre　wi