envelope? No doubt an invitation to dinner."

Alain took up the letter thus singled forth from a miscellany of
epistles, some in female handwritings, unsealed but ingeniously twisted
into Gordian knots--some also in female handwritings, carefully sealed--
others in ill-looking envelopes, addressed in bold, legible, clerk-like
caligraphy. Taken altogether, these epistles had a character in common;
they betokened the correspondence of a _viveur_, regarded from the female
side as young, handsome, well-born--on the male side, as a _viveur_ who
had forgotten to pay his hosier and tailor.

Louvier wrote a small, not very intelligible, but very masculine hand, as
most men who think cautiously and act promptly do write. The letter ran
thus:

"_Cher petit Marquis_" (at that commencement Alain haughtily raised his
head and bit his lips).

"_CHER PETIT MARQUIS_,--It is an age since I have seen you. No
doubt my humble soirees are too dull for a _beau seigueur_ so
courted. I forgive you. Would I were a beau seigneur at your age!
Alas! I am only a commonplace man of business, growing old, too.
Aloft from the world in which I dwell, you can scarcely be aware
that I have embarked a great part of my capital in building
speculations. There is a Rue de Louvier that runs its drains right
through my purse. I am obliged to call in the moneys due to me. My
agent informs me that I am just 7000 louis short of the total I
need--all other debts being paid in--and that there is a trifle more
than 7000 louis owned to me as interest on my hypotheque on
Rochebriant: kindly pay into his hands before the end of this week