r 40 MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE. Vaudrey was very pale, but his sorrow and I He had intentionally placed himself «i anxiety were forgotten for the time being in j in Mademoiselle Kayser's path: but she r the gratification he experienced on receiving all the celebrities and magnates of Paris—for- eign embassadors, the President of the Senate, all the ministers, his colleagues, the deputies, and the rulers of the world of finance. He thought only of the scene around him— of the homage lavished upon the once obscure lawyer of Grenoble, now risen to the dignity of Prime Minister. Suddenly, as if Marianne had, for a time, beeu entirely forgotten, he became livid, and in- voluntarily glanced at Adrienne, who was as pale as a corpse. The usher had just announced another guest in his clear, metallic voice, and the name, which lie had uttered precisely as he had uttered the others, resounded in the ears of Vaudrey and his wife like a trumpet blast. Guy de Lissac also started violently on hear- ing : "Monsieur Simon Kayser; Mademoiselle Kayser." Then came another name: "The Duke de Rosas." But neither Lissac, Vaudrey, nor Adrienne heard this last name. Vaudrey's first impulse was to spring toward Marianne, who was just entering the "room, and to beg her to leave the house. " He had invited her, it is true; and she had resolved to como and to show herself to every one at this ministerial reception in spite of the entreaties of Jouvenet, who knew all, f«n with ' and in spite of the many others who suspected the truth. Vaudrey too had warned her: he had appeared to recognize him as she i ! scarcely glance in the immense mirrors, and then passed are alone, far from this crowd, alone, alone, drey as she has deceived me, as she would de. to where a lackey inquired the name of each | utterly^alone! guest and then repeated it to an usher, who "announced it loudly at the door of the suite of spacious apartments which bad reechoed the nanies of persons belonging to every political party and all régimes. Almost upon the threshold of the brilliantly lighted salon stood the minister, bowing and smiling to friend and stranger alike. Behind him stood his secretaries, affable young men, in white cravats, and by his side, Mme. Vaudrey, pale aud smiling, who also bowed and mechanically extended her gloved hand. Her dress was of white salin, fastened on the shoulders by pearl agrafes, and upou her bosom she wore a superb bouquet of natural roses. She greeted Guy with a sad smile, and Vaudrey eagerly shook hands with him, as if he depended upon him to arrange matters. Adrienne's evident unhappiness pained Lissac deeply. While other guests could perhaps detect only a slight expression of fatigue in her weary face, he could read her terrible anguish, and he passed hastily on into the crowd. Diamonds sparkled brilliantly in the bright light, and the toilets of the ladies already seated before the improvised stage formed a mass of pale blue, white, and pink. In the front row, amid the pearly whiteness of un- covered shoulders, the glitter of diamonds, and graceful rose crowned heads, Guy perceived Mme. Marsy attired in pale-green satin, cut very with a large bouquet of lilies on one shoulder As she plied her fan with careless grace, she scrutinized her former friend, pretty Mme, Gerson, surveying her with a stare whicli was insolent in its hauteur. There was a crowd about Mme. Evan, the most charm- ing of women, unquestionably, for every lady endeavored to imitate her and every gentle- man admired her. Guy surveyed the crowd with considerable curiosity, far" he was a man who had seen a great deal and who indulged in comparisons. He saw here and there familiar faces, but they were exceedingly rare; so he was delighted to discover Ramel, whom he had often met at Adrienne's afternoon receptions, and of whom he was reallv very fond. He thought the old journalist looked tired and ill; and he said as much. " I am not feeling at all well," replied Ramel, i£ -XJ and I came tonight only because I have some- ^'*^kt|itng of importance to say to Vaudrey. I am anxious to give him a bit of advice. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction felt iu regard to his course; in"fact, a combination has been formed against him." " By whom?" "By the m.ajority of those present." " His guests?" " You certainly know that when one invites all one's acquaintances one finds at least three fourths of the number enemies." " At least," replied Lissac. He moved about the rooms, but found him- self continually returning to the door where even writteu to her a few hours before, beg- ging and almost commanding her not to come. Yet here she was advancing on her uncle's arm with head proudly erect. This time, Adrienne really asked herself if she was not dreaming. She saw advancing toward her with a queen-like step a superbly beautiful woman, clad in a long trailing skirt of black salin, the corsage a mass of glitter- ing jet, and a great bunch of magnificent red roses on her breast. Behind her, his usually pensive face, radiant with smiles, came M. de Rosas, but Mine. Vaudrey did not even see him. She had eyes only for the woman who had the-audacity to como and defy her in her own house,—to insult her after having so basely wronged her. Adrienne was seized with a sudden and vio- lent anger, and it was only with the utmost dif- ficulty that she repressed the impulse to order this shameless creature out of the house, then aud there. Involuntarily she glanced around her witli the terrified look of a woman who does not know what course to pursue, and who asks help ; or counsel. Vaudrey's frightful pallor, and Lissac's im- ! ploring gesture suddenly recalled her to the realities of life. Y'es, it was true that she had no right to create a scandal. She was not in ber own house; she was in the ministerial man- sion, in a salon which this woman had the same right to enter as any of the other guests. It Adrienne stood, scarcely hearing the names was not alone her pride and honor as a woman which the usher uttered at regular intervals like a talking machine. She had resolved to be brave, and not to allow any one to see the despair which was gnawing her heart. She forced her lips to smile, though this long procession of men in white neckties and of richly attired ladies, who bowed before her with tlie same expression of pretended deference upon their faces, seemed to her a pro- cession of phantoms; for had her life been at stake, she could not have told the name of one of the guests who greeted her with forced smiles or imposing dignity. She experienced a feeling of unutterable weariness, and the sound of music in the distance, where an orchestra was playing one of the Strauss waltzes, formed a mocking ac- companiment to this dreary nightmare. " Aud in this crowd of women there are some that are jealous of her, and many who envy her," thought Guy as he watched ber. Adrienne never once glanced at her husband. She was afraid if Vaudrey's eyes met hers that her calmness would desert her, and that she that she had to consider: her husband's reputa- tion was at stake. She was on exhibition,-ahl what a word,—that is to say, no awkwardness could be permitted. She was compelled to smile with death in her soul, to wear a mask, to deceive and to lie to all these guests, many of whom were enemies eagerly watching for an opportunity to laugh or sneer. Resolved to conceal the intense indignation that almost suffocated her, she closed her eyes, and Marianne Kayser passed on into the crowd that opened before her with a murmur of ad- miration. Adrienne had not seen the insolent smile that wreathed the scarlet lips as Marianne bowed before her, or the jealous flame that leaped into Vaudrey's eyes when, behind Mile. Kay- ser, be beheld Jose de Rosas' triumphant face. That look of jealous anger, how it would have branded itself like a Lot iron on Adrienne's agonized heart! Guy saw it, and it revealed to him only too clearly all the wounded love and vanity that was torturing this man, who cared less for the suffering he had inflicted on would burst into a passion of sobs there in j his wife than for Marianne's treachery in de- the presence of every one. Such an exhibition | serting him for this Spaniard would have been ridiculous. With a strength of will surprising in such a fragile creature, she ignored Vaudrey's presence, whispering to herself again and again: "Be brave. You can weep uureproved when you Lissac was thoroughly exasperated. He longed to rush between Marianne and Rosas, and say to him: " You are mad to accompany this woman. She is deceiving ycu, as she has deceived Vau- as sue swept bv »¦ ; a scornful smile, taking Rosas'arm as if ! were now sure of her Duke. slle It was equally important that Guy should make a scene where it would bring djs„Xot upon Vaudrey. Only a short time before i had whispered to Adrienne: "Courage-" i that must be his own watchword as well ' Ah yet he started in pursuit of Jouvenet in ordm relieve his mind by telling that official in a aniîî way what he thought of his conduct- h f Jouvenet had come and gone. Granet 'as if reading Lissac's motive, surveyed him'sneer ingly, and murmured to the great Molina seated beside hira : "There is Alcibiades!" Adrienne had not left, the doorway by which she bad been standing ever since the hegiilniD„ of the reception, and had mingled with the crowd as if hoping to find forgetfulness in the excitement, laughter, aud music that was goto» on around her. At last, she took a seat before the improvised stage in the midst of the crowd of ladies, who immediately de» voted themselves to the task of examining her toilet, commenting on her pallor, and criticising her features and manners. Unfortunately, she had scarcely seated herself when she discovered across from her, Marianne whose voluptuous Titianesque beauty ami snowy shoulders were admirably set off by her black satin corsage: aud Adrienne's atteutiou was almost momentarily distracted by some movement of the head or fan, or by a laugh from this beautiful creature who occasionally leaned forward to exchange a whispered re- mark with Sabine Marsy; then threw hacklier head iu all the arrogance of her fatal beauty, as she played with the superb roses that glowed upon her breast. The anger and indignation whicli had temporarily subsided, were reawak- ened with tenfold violence at the sight of this woman. She felt that she was going mad, liter- ally mad, when she remembered lhat Sulpice had kissed those scarlet, painted lips, that he had caressed those tawny tresses, and held that lovely form to his heart. Ah, how she longed to spring up and say to this woman, " Y'ou are a vile wretch. Go, go, at once!" And why should she deny herself this satis- faction. Had any one a right to thus insult her iu public, merely because she held an offi- cial position. She fancied she heard sneering whispers around her, and that all these women knew her secret. How could they fad to know it? All Paris must have read that mocking article. Every one must know it by heart. Probably, there were people now moving about in her salons who had it in their pockets. Sulpice did not know her; he thought her in significant because she was gentle, and because siie had considered everything except his love and success of trifling importance. Ah, how entire had been her devotion,—how gladly she would have died for his sake; how cheerfully she would have toiled for him with her own hands, provided that he loved her, provided that he had not deceived her. And there sat his mistress! , She repeated the word again and again wun ever increasing rage, as she looked at this arro- gant woman, who was very beautiful, undouD - edlv, but as evidently capable of inciting a w« nature like that of Sulpice to all sorts of follies and even crimes. ,, " And these are the women men love. an, fools, fools, that we are!" Fortunately the flrst part of the concert soon ended, for Adrienne was literally panting»« breath. Politeness made it incumbent upou the minister to embrace the opportunity an" ed by the intermission to thank the artists wm» names figured upon the programme, io n. the small salon which served as a foyei m » rear of the stage, Vaudrey was obliged; to p. between the rows of seats. Adrienne saw 1 ' approaching, and noticed his ™f&J!Z, and his forced smile. As he passed Manp he averted bis head;but Mile. Kayser stoppe^ him by slightly extending her foot aim he involuntarily glanced at her, she looked t I in his face with a dazzling smile. suc. Adrienne could endure no^ more, j^ u more, ceeded ia making her way out of'tlie> room, i^ paused almost upon the threshold, 101 faint and giddy.