Gustave hung his head in some shame, and in much bewildered doubt.

The practised observer of men's characters, and of shifting phases of
mind, glanced at the, poor poet's perturbed countenance with a half-smile
of disdain.

"It is for you to judge how far the very love to you so ingenuously
evinced by my ward--how far the reasons against marriage with one whose
antecedents expose her to reproach--should influence one of your advanced
opinions upon social ties. Such reasons do not appear to have with
artists the same weight they have with the bourgeoisie. I have but to
add that the husband of Julie will receive with her hand a dot of nearly
120,000 francs; and I have reason to believe that that fortune will be
increased--how much, I cannot guess-when the cessation of the siege will
allow communication with England. One word more. I should wish to rank
the husband of my ward in the number of my friends. If he did not oppose
the political opinions with which I identify my own career, I should be
pleased to make any rise in the world achieved by me assist to the
raising of himself. But my opinions, as during the time we were
brought together you were made aware, are those of a practical man
of the world, and have nothing in common with Communists, Socialists,
Internationalists, or whatever sect would place the aged societies of
Europe in Medea's caldron of youth. At a moment like the present,
fanatics and dreamers so abound that the number of such sinners will
necessitate a general amnesty when order is restored. What a poet so
young as you may have written or said at such a time will be readily
forgotten and forgiven a year or two hence, provided he does not put his
notions into violent action. But if you choose to persevere in the views
you now advocate, so be it. They will not make poor Julie less a