which the director rang. He would inquire if Madame was at home.

"Give yourselves the pain to rest yourselves, gentlemen," said the porter, showing them into a small waiting-room.

"Give me your card, Goldwin," said the Directeur. "Take this with you to inquire, Trichat, and say that Monsieur is with me."

In a short time Trichat returned, and piloted the companions through two or three consecutive apartments into a good-sized drawing-room sown broadcast with articles of bric-a-brac, and involved in a convenient gloom by the halfclosed position of the exterior venetian shutters, as well as by the internal drapery that veiled the windows themselves.

So

Sitting in the midst of a low ottoman in the centre of this apartment, apparently engaged in doing nothing, was a lady of portly size, of commanding aspect, and, at the first glance, of extreme personal beauty. That effect was, however, in some mysterious manner, dependent on several extrinsic circumstances. The shade of the room entered into the combination. did her manner of turning her back to the light. So did the expression which, apparently at will, she threw into a pair of large dark eyes set beneath an extremely broad and well-defined pair of black eyebrows. So did, finally, the distance at which you were perImitted to view her. Madame de Faubourg allowed that she was approaching her thirtieth year; her detractors asserted that she would never see five-and-fifty again. Taking an average is sometimes a rough way of approximating to the truth.

M. le Directeur Gérant approached, not too nearly, to Madame de Faubourg with an air of profound, almost passionate admi

ration, that suddenly seemed to transform the whole room. Monsieur Goldwin, in a more clumsy and ill-adjusted manner, followed suit, and paid the expected homage to the genius of the place. Madame cast down her eyes, and received the compliments de rigeur, with a deprecatory, if somewhat practised and bashful mien.

"You pay the penalty, my dear Madame de Faubourg, borne by conquerors. It is only from your own lips that your own arguments are absolutely irresistible. Instead of attempting to reproduce them, I have brought this cher Goldwin to hear from yourself. He is but another victim at the altar."

"It is Monsieur Goldwin who is wont to make the victims," said Madame de Faubourg, with a conquering glance. Madame spoke in the most Parisian French-the very cockney of the tongue. She spoke very slowly, and each word, especially if it contained the letters r or s, rattled and sibillated from her lips like a serpent making a dart. It may be proper to observe that the individual is as yet undiscovered who knew Monsieur de Faubourg, late or living; knew, definitely, whether Madame were wife or widow; to what province or department of France the noble house of Faubourg belonged, or where was situated the terre from which they derived the sacred

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who

de." In the suppressed state of titles in Republican France, the maintenance or the assumption of the "de" was the only half unavowed claim made by the wearer of that ancient distinction to the status of nobility. Otherwise her friends would have spoken of Madame la Marquise de Faubourg. They might, at the same time, have omitted to mention that the title had been conferred by a French monarch generally supposed to be

in Heaven, but actually resident in England, a monarch whose reign as that of Louis XVII. had been cruelly truncated by deluded historians.

M. Goldwin needed no inducement but the pleasure of waiting on Madame. He was her most obedient slave, and he should like to hear her views on the subject.

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"All now depends," said she, on the command of a little money. M. le Directeur can give you a clearer idea of the state of parties than I can. The Orleans people fell so shamefully, so altogether without excuse, that their friends were dispirited-disgusted even ; besides they were the last, and therefore naturally are the last to return to power."

"For which reason," added the Directeur, 66 we decline to be Orleanists."

It

"For the Bonapartists," resumed the female Metternich, "there is no doubt that the party is strong in the country districts. Very strong-unexpectedly strong. has taken the priests by surprise. They only directed their teaching on the subject with the view of keeping the machinations of Guizot in check. They thought their proffered idol was an impossibility. They have been cruelly taken by surprise by finding the wires of their mannikin pulled by more adroit fingers than their own. They could not turn round enough quickly. It to them was impossible. It was the belief of the country people that this one was the real Napoleon. Hence the success.”

"You will teach us to cry, 'Long live the Empire!' Madame, if you continue."

"No," said Madame, "I do not think it can come to that. It must not come to that. He has not head of his own. It is Fleury who is the real Bonaparte. The other is a phantom. Of course the

"After all," said the Directeur Gérant, "the Legitimists are the only people who have prejudices. I like dealing with people who have prejudices; it is something on which you can rely. I should think a man who has prejudices must feel so eminently respectable and self-contented."

"They do not care for people, but for ideas," said Madame. "With them it is not Madame, nor Monsieur le Duc de Bourdeaux— it is the representative of St. Louis, whoever he may be. They care not who he may be. The whole clergy are with them in heart. Then it is only necessary to produce the prince, to say Here is your king' to convince them of that, and they are with you to a man." Yes; that is so easy," said the Directeur, "so certain, only you have to convince them."

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"Does the testimony of such a man as M. le Duc de Beaupreau go for nothing" said Madame, "nor that of the Marquis de la Fère, Legitimist of the Legitimists ? And if you want more, produce the prince! Let him once walk across the stage, and no one-no one of the Faubourg-can fail to recognise him. Let his two eldest daughters appear. As to personal beauty, poor little things, they have not much claim-no port, no size, no busts. But they are the very portraits of two of the best known of the house of the Queen Marie Antoinette and of Madame Elizabeth. The Queen was not handsome, to my taste, nor Madame either. Yet there was a sort of a -in fine, it was the fashion to make a fury about them. It will be the same with these two girls. Men have so little taste now-adays."

"The men are so few who pos

sess the advantage of having their taste cultivated by being permitted to adore Madame de Faubourg."

“Bagatelle !" said the lady. "Can you not suffer a woman to be as God made her, without making a marvel of her? But I say, produce these three, as a welldesigned tableau-in the chamber, in the church-what know I?and the coup is done.'

"And there would be better coups to follow," said Monsieur Goldwin, with a slight movement, as if he was washing his hands.

"Then, Madame, you propose?" inquired the Directeur Gérant.

"A million, a paltry million," said the lady, "that will do it. The Legitimists require no payment, God be thanked, but they require to be enlightened. Those who enlighten them require money, at least to have their expenses paid. Then the parochial clergy, the Paris curés, who must bring up the masses at the proper moment. Those who have to take charge of the carrying off of the armourers' shops, all these are -be it ever so little-necessary. All things counted, a million will do. With that we move-without it, no," said the lady. "See there my last word!”

"Would not it be better to wait a little, and see how the final struggle goes? said the stout

man.

"Are you so entirely of sense devoid?" cried the lady, so without the least suspicion of a glance of eye? Do you not see that it is a question of hours; that once this man and Marrast close, one must succumb; and then is the hour struck too late! No; if nothing is now done I shall open communications with Armand, or with Henri V., without fault."

"Our friend Goldwin is not indisposed to find a million, Madame," said the Directeur Gérant. "If

you say find it, of course it is found. But he is naturally so disinterested that he would like to be assured how the interests of his friends should be watched over."

"How would he himself propose? asked the lady. "Without doubt, it is for him only to indicate."

"It is not that I want anything for myself," said Goldwin. "Of course, the pleasure of serving you, and of doing-doing good, would be enough to command my best efforts. But one must consider the risk of it "-and Goldwin looked as if he did. 66 Rothschild, or Laffitte, or me, or anyone, has not the money-that is, has it not disengaged at short notice or without loss. We must associate-we must divide the venture-we must take care of our public. For that reason I must be in a position to protect mine."

"What position would suit that object best?" asked Madame de Faubourg, with the air of one who bestows crowns at will.

"I have been thinking-the Bank of France."

"Governor of the Bank of France?" said the lady. "Mon

sieur, this I may say, that it would give his Most Christian Majesty the most heartfelt pleasure for you to kiss hands in that capacity on the day of his arrival at the Tuilleries; and as speech is not golden -if silence sometimes is-see here! Here is a signature in blank, which you can fill up with a stipulation to this effect, to be exchanged with you for the million louis d'or when wanted-you understand!"

M. Goldwin proposed to confer on the subject with one or two of his friends, and then would have the honour to see madame again.

"What think you of that fat— Linnel?" said Madame as the contractor departed. "Is he only one

great milch cow or one great bull frog?"

A little of both, perhaps," said the other. "But I will go after him and try to convert him entirely into the former. Adieu!"

"And that little Fanchette," asked the lady, with an arch glance," is she always charming?" "I am thinking that it would be extremely good for Fanchette to have a little change of air," replied the other. "A sea voyage, for instance. It did occur to me that an acquaintance of mine might not have been indisposed to escort her to England. It might have been a good arrangement-pleasant for all parties. Three people delighted by one act-only think!"

"I almost to your views subscribe, Linnel," said the lady. "After all, can there be anything so disgusting to a man of taste as to live always with one little woman; especially if she have no figure-no bust-no airs of the great world! Adieu, Linnel. You need not to imprison my handfie done! now go!"

"But the taste of rouge is still more disgusting," said the Directeur Gérant to himself, as he sauntered down the stairs. "The old harridan! What self-denial man who would succeed has continually to undergo! I must peep in on Zephyrine, or I shall lose my appetite for the day."

CHAPTER LIII.

a

MR. GOLDWIN OBTAINS A LESSON IN FINANCE.

A QUIET chat at the residence of the Directeur Gérant had been arranged to take place at the close of the day succeeding the interview in the Rue Quelquechose. Mr. Goldwin, or Monsieur Goldwin, as he preferred to be called, looked in at the opera, and thence made his way to his friend's abode. Fan

The

chette was at the tea-table. host came in from his dressingroom, where he was in the habit of pursuing any studies which he brought from the bureaux of the Bank, or from any other scene of outdoor occupation, to complete in more uninterrupted tranquillity.

"Have you made the tea?" he inquired.

"Yes, Linnel; it only waits for you, to be poured out."

"You look fatigued, ma mie. You must not lose those roses. Oblige me by going to bed to take care of them."

Against a tyranny none the less inexorable for its mildness of expression, experience had taught poor Fanchette that it was useless to struggle. With a farewell peep into the silver vessel containing the fragrant herb, she departed. The Directeur Gérant opened the door for her, printed a careless kiss on her forehead." Sleep well, my child;" and he then carefully reclosed the door, and let fall the portière so as to deaden every

sound.

"Women and kittens," he remarked, "of both of which amusing creatures I am extremely fond, must not be allowed to divert one's thoughts from serious business. Have you made up your mind on this matter, Goldwin ?"

"It is a large sum," quoth Mr. Goldwin.

"It is a large sum, but the game is worth the candle."

"We may as well come to the point at once," said the stout man. "Between four eyes we need no beating about the bush. There is only way of managing it; that is, by the Piræus rails."

"How by them?"

"I have an offer here," said Mr. Goldwin, producing a letter to which he referred by the aid of a binocle of tortoiseshell and gold, which he set astride on his nose,

"from the Central Alleghany Railway Company, to purchase the exact quantity. Their Paris agent is one Smart-T. B. Smart. Tirhakah is the first name. These Yankees never tell you the second. I believe they are christened under an initial. Well, this Tirhakah B. Smart wants the rails in a hurry-section all right; and as the Central Alleghany is not quite A 1, he can be screwed up to ten pounds a ton."

"Decent margin," quoth the other. "On credit, I suppose?"

"Well," said Goldwin," that of course. But he offers twelve months' acceptances, interest at eight per cent., and collateral security of an equal amount in land bonds."

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Well," replied the Gérant, "then you I would sell him the Plumport cargoes. How about cover to the Bank?

"The Bank is covered by the Company," said Goldwin, " and by the Government. Besides which, it may so happen-I don't say it is so, but such things do occur when you have to do with foreign drawers-that the stamps are not quite right, or that there is some little unexpected circumstance that may render it the duty of the directors to hesitate as to retiring the acceptances at maturity."

"That's all very well," said the other, "if a London banker comes over to collect them. But I suspect they will be presented through Rothschild; in that case they must be met prompt.'

Why, in that case, I suppose they must-more's the pity. But you see, we've three months to turn round in."

"Aye, and to turn a noose round our necks in," said the other. "No, that won't do."

"Then there's an end of Mother Faubourg's million."

"Goldwin, for so clever a fellow, it sometimes strikes me as odd

that you do not see so clearly as might be."

"How then?" said Goldwin, rather grumpily ; "correct me if I

am wrong.

"You have-we have-someone has to pay a million francs, say in three months."

"One million and sixty-two thousand five hundred," said Goldwin.

"Very well, call it a million, round numbers are best to deal with," said the manager. "Now,

per contra, you have these rails, which are worth the money, or thereabouts."

"Nearly worth it-to buy-not to sell," quoth Goldwin.

"Good; but then you have an offer of a million and a quarter francs for the same goods."

Yes," said the other, "if we like the security."

"Good, and a collateral security of the same amount."