unhappy when, seeing yourself here, you know that your children are
ill lodged, ill clothed, and ill fed. I can imagine nothing more
terrible for a mother."

"Yes, indeed. I should be so glad to give the poor little fellows some
amusement, while their father keeps them at work from morning till
night at that wretched history of China."

"You give handsome balls; they would enjoy them, but they might
acquire a taste for dissipation. However, their father might send them
to you once or twice in the course of the winter."

"He brings them here on my birthday and on New Year's Day. On those
days M. d'Espard does me the favor of dining here with them."

"It is very singular behaviour," said the judge, with an air of
conviction. "Have you ever seen this Dame Jeanrenaud?"

"My brother-in-law one day, out of interest in his brother----"

"Ah! monsieur is M. d'Espard's brother?" said the lawyer, interrupting
her.

The Chevalier bowed, but did not speak.

"M. d'Espard, who has watched this affair, took me to the Oratoire,
where this woman goes to sermon, for she is a Protestant. I saw her;
she is not in the least attractive; she looks like a butcher's wife,
extremely fat, horribly marked with the smallpox; she has feet and
hands like a man's, she squints, in short, she is monstrous!"