I ask it of Madame by the sanctity of womanhood."

The two, as by a tacit consent, drew back from the door.

"Come in," said the man.

"Entrez, Madame," said the woman.

The door opened directly upon the kitchen of the house, which was

to all appearance the only sitting-room. The furniture was both

plain and scanty; but there were one or two landscapes on the wall

handsomely framed, as if they had already visited the committee-

rooms of an exhibition and been thence extruded. Leon walked up to

the pictures and represented the part of a connoisseur before each

in turn, with his usual dramatic insight and force. The master of

the house, as if irresistibly attracted, followed him from canvas

to canvas with the lamp. Elvira was led directly to the fire,

where she proceeded to warm herself, while Stubbs stood in the

middle of the floor and followed the proceedings of Leon with mild

astonishment in his eyes.

"You should see them by daylight," said the artist.

"I promise myself that pleasure," said Leon. "You possess, sir, if

you will permit me an observation, the art of composition to a T."

"You are very good," returned the other. "But should you not draw

nearer to the fire?"

"With all my heart," said Leon.

And the whole party was soon gathered at the table over a hasty and

not an elegant cold supper, washed down with the least of small

wines. Nobody liked the meal, but nobody complained; they put a

good face upon it, one and all, and made a great clattering of

knives and forks. To see Leon eating a single cold sausage was to

see a triumph; by the time he had done he had got through as much

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