shown in the light of a boy's thoughtless escapade.
But Chesnel slept neither soundly nor for long. Before dawn he was

awakened by his keeper" target="_blank" title="n.主妇，女管家">housekeeper. The most bewitching person in this
history, the most adorable youth on the face of the globe, Mme. la

Duchesse de Maufrigneuse herself, in man's attire, had driven alone
from Paris in a caleche, and was waiting to see him.

"I have come to save him or to die with him," said she, addressing the
notary, who thought that he was dreaming. "I have brought a hundred

thousand francs, given me by His Majesty out of his private purse, to
buy Victurnien's innocence, if his adversary can be bribed. If we fail

utterly, I have brought poison to snatch him away before anything
takes place, before even the indictment is drawn up. But we shall not

fail. I have sent word to the public prosecutor; he is on the road
behind me; he could not travel in my caleche, because he wished to

take the instructions of the Keeper of the Seals."
Chesnel rose to the occasion and played up to the Duchess; he wrapped

himself in his dressing-gown, fell at her feet, and kissed them, not
without asking her pardon for forgetting himself in his joy.

"We are saved!" cried he; and gave orders to Brigitte to see that Mme.
la Duchesse had all that she needed after traveling post all night. He

appealed to the fair Diane's spirit, by making her see that it was
absolutely necessary that she should visit the examining magistrate

before daylight, lest any one should discover the secret, or so much
as imagine that the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse had come.

"And have I not a passport in due form?" quoth she, displaying a sheet
of paper, wherein she was described as M. le Vicomte Felix de

Vandeness, Master of Requests, and His Majesty's private secretary.
"And do I not play my man's part well?" she added, running her fingers

through her wig a la Titus, and twirling her riding switch.
"O! Mme. la Duchesse, you are an angel!" cried Chesnel, with tears in

his eyes. (She was destined always to be an angel, even in man's
attire.) "Button up your greatcoat, muffle yourself up to the eyes in

your traveling cloak, take my arm, and let us go as quickly as
possible to Camusot's house before anybody can meet us."

"Then am I going to see a man called Camusot?" she asked.
"With a nose to match his name,"[*] assented Chesnel.

[*] Camus, flat-nosed
The old notary felt his heart dead within him, but he thought it none

the less necessary to humor the Duchess, to laugh when she laughed,
and shed tears when she wept; groaning in spirit, all the same, over

the feminine frivolity which could find matter for a jest while
setting about a matter so serious. What would he not have done to save

the Count? While Chesnel dressed; Mme. de Maufrigneuse sipped the cup
of coffee and cream which Brigitte brought her, and agreed with

herself that provincial women cooks are superior to Parisian chefs,
who despise the little details which make all the difference to an

epicure. Thanks to Chesnel's taste for delicate fare, Brigitte was
found prepared to set an excellent meal before the Duchess.

Chesnel and his charmingcompanion set out for M. and Mme. Camusot's
house.

"Ah! so there is a Mme. Camusot?" said the Duchess. "Then the affair
may be managed."

"And so much the more readily, because the lady is visibly tired
enough of living among us provincials; she comes from Paris," said

Chesnel.
"Then we must have no secrets from her?"

"You will judge how much to tell or to conceal," Chesnel replied
humbly. "I am sure that she will be greatly flattered to be the

Duchesse de Maufrigneuse's hostess; you will be obliged to stay in her
house until nightfall, I expect, unless you find it inconvenient to

remain."
"Is this Mme. Camusot a good-looking woman?" asked the Duchess, with a

coxcomb's air.
"She is a bit of a queen in her own house."

"Then she is sure to meddle in court-house affairs," returned the
Duchess. "Nowhere but in France, my dear M. Chesnel, do you see women

so much wedded to their husbands that they are wedded to their
husband's professions, work, or business as well. In Italy, England,

and Germany, women make it a point of honor to leave men to fight
their own battles; they shut their eyes to their husbands' work as

perseveringly as our French citizens' wives do all that in them lies
to understand the position of their joint-stock partnership; is not

that what you call it in your legal language? Frenchwomen are so
incredibly jealous in the conduct of their married life, that they

insist on knowing everything; and that is how, in the least
difficulty, you feel the wife's hand in the business; the Frenchwoman

advises, guides, and warns her husband. And, truth to tell, the man is
none the worse off. In England, if a married man is put in prison for

debt for twenty-four hours, his wife will be jealous and make a scene
when he comes back."

"Here we are, without meeting a soul on the way," said Chesnel. "You
are the more sure of complete ascendency here, Mme. la Duchesse, since

Mme. Camusot's father is one Thirion, usher of the royal cabinet."
"And the King never thought of that!" exclaimed the Duchess. "He

thinks of nothing! Thirion introduced us, the Prince de Cadignan, M.
de Vandeness, and me! We shall have it all our own way in this house.

Settle everything with M. Camusot while I talk to his wife."
The maid, who was washing and dressing the children, showed the

visitors into the little fireless dining-room.
"Take that card to your mistress," said the Duchess, lowering her

voice for the woman's ear; "nobody else is to see it. If you are
discreet, child, you shall not lose by it."

At the sound of a woman's voice, and the sight of the handsome young
man's face, the maid looked thunderstruck.

"Wake M. Camusot," said Chesnel, "and tell him, that I am waiting to
see him on important business," and she departedupstairs forthwith.

A few minutes later Mme. Camusot, in her dressing-gown, sprang
downstairs and brought the handsome stranger into her room. She had

pushed Camusot out of bed and into his study with all his clothes,
bidding him dress himself at once and wait there. The transformation

scene had been brought about by a bit of pasteboard with the words
MADAME LA DUCHESSE DE MAUFRIGNEUSE engraved upon it. A daughter of the

usher of the royal cabinet took in the whole situation at once.
"Well!" exclaimed the maid-servant, left with Chesnel in the dining-

room, "Would not any one think that a thunderbolt had dropped in among
us? The master is dressing in his study; you can go upstairs."

"Not a word of all this, mind," said Chesnel.
Now that he was conscious of the support of a great lady who had the

King's consent (by word of mouth) to the measures about to be taken
for rescuing the Comte d'Esgrignon, he spoke with an air of authority,

which served his cause much better with Camusot than the humility with
which he would otherwise have approached him.

"Sir," said he, "the words let fall last evening may have surprised
you, but they are serious. The house of d'Esgrignon counts upon you

for the proper conduct of investigations from which it must issue
without a spot."

"I shall pass over anything in your remarks, sir, which must be
offensive to me personally, and obnoxious to justice; for your

position with regard to the d'Esgrignons excuses you up to a certain
point, but----"

"Pardon me, sir, if I interrupt you," said Chesnel. "I have just
spoken aloud the things which your superiors are thinking and dare not

avow; though what those things are any intelligent man can guess, and
you are an intelligent man.--Grant that the young man had acted

imprudently, can you suppose that the sight of a d'Esgrignon dragged
into an Assize Court can be gratifying to the King, the Court, or the

Ministry? Is it to the interest of the kingdom, or of the country,
that historic houses should fall? Is not the existence of a great