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〃Well； monsieur； I hope you no longer feel the effects of your
fall；〃 said the old lady； rising from an antique armchair that
stood by the chimney； and offering him a seat。
〃No； madame。 I have come to thank you for the kind care you gave
me； and above all mademoiselle； who heard me fall。〃
As he uttered this speech； stamped with the exquisite stupidity
given to the mind by the first disturbing symptoms of true love；
Hippolyte looked at the young girl。 Adelaide was lighting the
Argand lamp； no doubt that she might get rid of a tallow candle
fixed in a large copper flat candlestick； and graced with a heavy
fluting of grease from its guttering。 She answered with a slight
bow； carried the flat candlestick into the ante…room； came back；
and after placing the lamp on the chimney shelf； seated herself
by her mother； a little behind the painter； so as to be able to
look at him at her ease； while apparently much interested in the
burning of the lamp； the flame； checked by the damp in a dingy
chimney； sputtered as it struggled with a charred and badly…
trimmed wick。 Hippolyte； seeing the large mirror that decorated
the chimney…piece； immediately fixed his eyes on it to admire
Adelaide。 Thus the girl's little stratagem only served to
embarrass them both。
While talking with Madame Leseigneur； for Hippolyte called her
so； on the chance of being right； he examined the room； but
unobtrusively and by stealth。
The Egyptian figures on the iron fire…dogs were scarcely visible；
the hearth was so heaped with cinders； two brands tried to meet
in front of a sham log of fire…brick； as carefully buried as a
miser's treasure could ever be。 An old Aubusson carpet； very much
faded； very much mended； and as worn as a pensioner's coat； did
not cover the whole of the tiled floor； and the cold struck to
his feet。 The walls were hung with a reddish paper； imitating
figured silk with a yellow pattern。 In the middle of the wall
opposite the windows the painter saw a crack； and the outline
marked on the paper of double…doors； shutting off a recess where
Madame Leseigneur slept no doubt； a fact ill disguised by a sofa
in front of the door。 Facing the chimney； above a mahogany chest
of drawers of handsome and tasteful design； was the portrait of
an officer of rank； which the dim light did not allow him to see
well； but from what he could make out he thought that the fearful
daub must have been painted in China。 The window…curtains of red
silk were as much faded as the furniture； in red and yellow
worsted work； ＇as＇ if this room 〃contrived a double debt to pay。〃
On the marble top of the chest of drawers was a costly malachite
tray； with a dozen coffee cups magnificently painted and made； no
doubt； at Sevres。 On the chimney shelf stood the omnipresent
Empire clock： a warrior driving the four horses of a chariot；
whose wheel bore the numbers of the hours on its spokes。 The
tapers in the tall candlesticks were yellow with smoke； and at
each corner of the shelf stood a porcelain vase crowned with
artificial flowers full of dust and stuck into moss。
In the middle of the room Hippolyte remarked a card…table ready
for play； with new packs of cards。 For an observer there was
something heartrending in the sight of this misery painted up
like an old woman who wants to falsify her face。 At such a sight
every man of sense must at once have stated to himself this
obvious dilemmaeither these two women are honesty itself； or
they live by intrigue and gambling。 But on looking at Adelaide； a
man so pure…minded as Schinner could not but believe in her
perfect innocence； and ascribe the incoherence of the furniture
to honorable causes。
〃My dear；〃 said the old lady to the young one； 〃I am cold； make a
little fire； and give me my shawl。〃
Adelaide went into a room next the drawing…room； where she no
doubt slept； and returned bringing her mother a cashmere shawl；
which when new must have been very costly； the pattern was
Indian； but it was old； faded and full of darns； and matched the
furniture。 Madame Leseigneur wrapped herself in it very
artistically； and with the readiness of an old woman who wishes
to make her words seem truth。 The young girl ran lightly off to
the lumber…room and reappeared with a bundle of small wood； which
she gallantly threw on the fire to revive it。
It would be rather difficult to reproduce the conversation which
followed among these three persons。 Hippolyte； guided by the tact
which is almost always the outcome of misfortune suffered in
early youth； dared not allow himself to make the least remark as
to his neighbors' situation； as he saw all about him the signs of
ill…disguised poverty。 The simplest question would have been an
indiscretion； and could only be ventured on by old friendship。
The painter was nevertheless absorbed in the thought of this
concealed penury； it pained his generous soul； but knowing how
offensive every kind of pity may be； even the friendliest； the
disparity between his thoughts and his words made him feel
uncomfortable。
The two ladies at first talked of painting； for women easily
guess the secret embarrassment of a first call； they themselves
feel it perhaps； and the nature of their mind supplies them with
a thousand devices to put an end to it。 By questioning the young
man as to the material exercise of his art； and as to his
studies； Adelaide and her mother emboldened him to talk。 The
indefinable nothings of their chat； animated by kind feeling；
naturally led Hippolyte to flash forth remarks or reflections
which showed the character of his habits and of his mind。 Trouble
had prematurely faded the old lady's face； formerly handsome； no
doubt； nothing was left but the more prominent features； the
outline； in a word； the skeleton of a countenance of which the
whole effect indicated great shrewdness with much grace in the
play of the eyes； in which could be discerned the expression
peculiar to women of the old Court； an expression that cannot be
defined in words。 Those fine and mobile features might quite as
well indicate bad feelings； and suggest astuteness and womanly
artifice carried to a high pitch of wickedness； as reveal the
refined delicacy of a beautiful soul。
Indeed； the face of a woman has this element of mystery to puzzle
the ordinary observer； that the difference between frankness and
duplicity； the genius for intrigue and the genius of the heart；
is there inscrutable。 A man gifted with the penetrating eye can
read the intangible shade of difference produced by a more or
less curved line； a more or less deep dimple； a more or less
prominent feature。 The appreciation of these indications lies
entirely in the domain of intuition； this alone can lead to the
discovery of what everyone is interested in concealing。 The old
lady's face was like the room she inhabited； it seemed as
difficult to detect whether this squalor covered vice or the
highest virtue； as