arrived, and was exhibited in the absence of the lady herself, to
every one of the lodgers, in proof of the aristocratic character of
the customer of the Tête Noire, I began to doubt my own perspicacity,
and to imagine that I had now a far more interesting object of study
than M. Jerome and his diamond ring. Madame de Mourairef was an
exceedingly affable person; and the English family aforesaid, whom I
have reason to believe were Cockney tradesfolks, pronounced her to be
very high-bred--without a fault, indeed, if it had not been for that
horrid habit of smoking, which, as they judiciously observed, however,
was a peculiar characteristic of the Russians. I am afraid, they would
have set her down as a vulgar wretch, had they not been forewarned
that she was aristocratic. The French lady seemed to look upon the
foreign one as an intruder, and scarcely deigned to turn her eyes in
that direction. Probably this was because she was so charming, and
monopolised so much of the attention of us gentlemen.

'They no sooner looked than they loved,' says Rosalind. This was not,
perhaps, quite the case with M. Jerome and the Russian princess, who
took care to let it be known that she was a widow; but in a very few
days what is called 'a secret sympathy' evidently sprang into
existence. The former, of course, made the first advances. His
diplomatic and seductive arts were not, however, put to a great test,
for in three days the lady manifestly felt uneasy until he presented
himself at dinner; and in a week, I met them walking arm in arm on the
bridge. It was easy to see that he was on his good behaviour; and from
some fragments of conversations I overheard between them when they met
in the passage opposite my door, I learned that he was 'doing the
melancholy dodge,' as in the vernacular we would express it; and had
many harrowing revelations to make as to the manner in which his heart
had been trifled with by unfeeling beauties.