themselves with sticking pins and needles into suffering flies."

"You give me a bad character, Count. Was I not horrified at parts of your narrative last night?" "Oh, yes; the fate of poor Lucille must touch any heart. You were surprised; but, believe me, you'll scruple at few atrocities after you have fixed your mind on your object. You may be surprised into terror of conscience; but it must be a most extraordinary manifestation to effect that."

"I am the happier for that organization. It is a mental cuirass, that insensibility to grief in the abstract. And yet I do remember the time when I occasionally felt otherwise; but of late, my dear Count, I confess I have become a confirmed stoic. The object is all to me. I pursue it by every means in my power, reckless of consequences.”

"And yet, what a demon of caution you are. Who but myself know what you have done? You astonish me. 'Tis natural, however. Your career had no precursory steps. You plunged into crime; and your transformation, as it seemed to be, was only the development of your hidden nature. But you are so constituted, that you can fashion yourself to any state, if you but fix your mind on an object, as you call it."

"Your philosophy is very keen; but I prefer my present state to any-possible or contingent."

"There is one point, however, on which, like myself, you will require a few disappointments to be enlightened,—I mean, the matter of woman's love.

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ABOUT WOMAN'S LOVE.

You believe in the thing. You believe that women adore you, when, in point of fact, 't is only themselves that they adore: woman is the most selfish of creatures."

"No, no, Count; that's not my doctrine, certainly; and I should be the most ungrateful of men if it were."

"Of course, you would be: but, my dear friend, I thought so too, until I was disabused."

"It will take a vast deal to disabuse me of the disinterested, unalterable love of woman. Have I not had numerous proofs of it?"

"And yet you say you are not the most ungrateful of men! How have you shown your gratitude?"

"As well as I could: but you are excessively hard on me, Count."

"Excuse me. I would like you to be enlightened on all points. Let not your vanity deceive you. 'Tis not you that women love; 't is some ideal association-ideal or real. They are flattered by the attentions of men, when these are men of beauty or talent. Often 't is a mere whim, a caprice; nay, I have known a woman captivated by a squint* in

* In the saloons of Paris, in 1842, when the operation for strabismus made a great noise, the following anecdote was often told:-A young lady, of a sanguine temperament and ardent imagination, was on the point of being married to a young man, who loved her, and whom she tenderly loved. Now, it happened that the youth squinted. Fully persuaded that his image was not engraved precisely with that imperfection on the heart of his betrothed, the unfortunate man one day conceived the luckless idea of preparing a surprise for his be

YOUNG GUILT AND OLD GUILT.

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her suitor! Sometimes they seek the love of men through revenge, spite-sometimes through jealousy. All women love marriage more than their lover: 'tis the state of independence that they crave. Here's your present flame. Of course, you see how your exploit has progressed: you have to thank her father and the wretch Gramont for the lady's kindness."

"Oh, I'll never believe that. I know that she loves me. I believe in her love as in the existence of Heaven."

“ A very curious juxtaposition of belief, certainly ; and human vanity has much to do with both. But in a few weeks you 'll discover your error. No man ever had to do with a woman without being, sooner or later, disappointed."

"All that may be true enough; but really your reasons for doubting the sincerity of Adele's love seem very weak indeed."

"I am glad that you begin to feel their force, as is evident from your look, and your reverting to the remark."

loved by having his squint removed.

The operation succeeded; but not so the desired effect on the lady. As soon as she saw him, she uttered a cry of alarm; and in spite of the explanations made, she refused to recognise, under that form, the husband whom she had chosen and loved under another. Wishing to remain faithful to the cherished image, she sacrificed the man who ceased to resemble it. Inconstant through excess of fidelity, she spoke so well on the subject that the marriage was broken off. Nothing could change her resolution.-Cerise, in Roussel's Syst. de la Femme.

"I beg your pardon, but must be allowed to contradict you. Were it not for our vanity and conceit, our eyes would never be blinded by appearances. I would undertake to prove that you may be supplanted by another.”

"You would? By whom?"

"I would; and by your humble servant.”

"The deuce you would!"

"Indeed I would; with your permission, however. You seem to admit the proposal. How vast is your self-confidence! Now, I should like to disabuse you of a belief which is your only weakness. Get rid of that belief, and your power over women will be increased tenfold. Yes, yes; I see you think it impossible that all her protestations of love and adoration can be false. But think of my experience, my dear friend. I can detail hundreds of cases in which all seemed as fair as the present; but "

"I agree to your proposal. I am resolved to test the girl; and if she prove false, I'll be revenged on the whole sex."

"Brave, my friend. I'll to the work with heart and soul, for your sake. Here's the scheme :-You have appointed to meet her at to-night. Send me instead, with a letter, requesting her to put herself under my protection, promising to meet her at the first stage. Of course, she 'll not demur to this. We will wait for you. You will send another letter, urging us on; with another promise, couched in the most passionate terms, pleading a very severe illness. And so we'll journey on; and I'll make

love in all word. Should she reject every advance by the third day, I pledge my word that I shall be the first to throw myself at your feet, and confess that I have slandered the only true woman as yet created. If you really believe that this lady loves you, and you alone, you may trust her to any temptation."

"I agree. Let us start at once for Paris.”

"Good. "Tis a glorious idea! I shall set my mind to the work, as though it were destined to be my last triumph."