and the Pole's silky chestnut hair.

"If it were twelve hundred," said she, "I would beg you to send it to
me."

"It is antique, mademoiselle," the dealer remarked, thinking, like all
his fraternity, that, having uttered this _ne plus ultra_ of
bric-a-brac, there was no more to be said.

"Excuse me, monsieur," she replied very quietly, "it was made this
year; I came expressly to beg you, if my price is accepted, to send
the artist to see us, as it might be possible to procure him some
important commissions."

"And if he is to have the twelve hundred francs, what am I to
get? I am the dealer," said the man, with candid good-humor.

"To be sure!" replied the girl, with a slight curl of disdain.

"Oh! mademoiselle, take it; I will make terms with the dealer,"
cried the Livonian, beside himself.

Fascinated by Hortense's wonderful beauty and the love of art she
displayed, he added:

"I am the sculptor of the group, and for ten days I have come here
three times a day to see if anybody would recognize its merit and
bargain for it. You are my first admirer--take it!"

"Come, then, monsieur, with the dealer, an hour hence.--Here is my