are different; the profile is--ha!--Mr. Lamb, Mr. Lamb--but why call
himself by that name?--why disguised?--what can he have to do with poor
Louise? Bah--these are not questions I can think of now. This war--this
war--can it yet be prevented? How it will prostrate all the plans my
ambition so carefully schemed! Oh!--at least if I were but in the
Chamber. Perhaps I yet may be before the war is ended--the Clavignys
have great interest in their department."




CHAPTER V.

Graham had left a note with Rochebriant's concierge requesting an
interview on the Marquis's return to Paris, and on the evening after the
day just commemorated he received a line, saying that Alain had come
back, and would be at home at nine o'clock. Graham found himself in the
Breton's apartment punctually at the hour indicated.

Alain was in high spirits: he burst at once into enthusiastic
exclamations on the virtual announcement of war.

"Congratulate me, mon cher!" he cried--"the news was a joyous surprise
to me. Only so recently as yesterday morning I was under the gloomy
apprehension that the Imperial Cabinet would continue to back Ollivier's
craven declaration 'that France had not been affronted!' The Duchesse de
Tarascon, at whose campagne I was a guest, is (as you doubtless know)
very much in the confidence of the Tuileries. On the first signs of war,
I wrote to her, saying that whatever the objections of my pride to enter
the army as a private in time of peace, such objections ceased on the