man, with so much to make his existence delightful.  The stopping of the chariot at the foot of the broad stone steps in the front of the chateau aroused him from his reverie; he dismissed as quickly as he could the sad thoughts that had engrossed him, endeavoured to dismiss also the dark shadow from his brow, and jumping lightly to the ground turned and held out his hand to help Isabelle to descend, before any one else could offer her that little service.

The Marquis de Bruyeres, who had seen the chariot advancing slowly up the avenue, stood in the porch to receive them.  He was superbly dressed, and looked very handsome, as both Serafina and the soubrette secretly remarked.  He descended two or three steps as the chariot stopped, and welcomed his guests with a friendly wave of the hand—­doing them as much honour as if they had been of his own rank—­which act of courtesy, let us hasten to explain, was because of the Baron de Sigognac’s presence among them; but for that they would not have been brought to the main entrance at all.

At this moment the wily soubrette, seeing her opportunity for a bold stroke, prepared to alight; and as de Sigognac was fully occupied with Isabelle, and nobody else thought of paying any attention to her—­for she always jumped to the ground as lightly as a bird, disdaining assistance—­she hesitated for a moment, with an adorable little air of timidity, and then raised an appealing glance to the marquis.  He could not resist it, and, rushing down the steps to her aid, held out both hands to her.  With wonderful art the clever little actress managed to slip and lose her balance, so as to fall into his extended arms, clasping him around the neck as she did so.

“Pardon me, my lord,” said she, breathlessly, to the marquis, feigning a confusion she was far from really feeling, “I thought I was going to fall, and grasped your collar, just as a drowning man clutches at the nearest object.  A fall is a bad omen, you know, as well as a serious matter, for a poor actress.”

“Permit me to look upon this little accident as a favour,” the marquis replied, giving her a most significant glance, and lightly pressing her yielding form in his arms before he released her.

Serafina had watched this little by-play out of the corner of her eye, though her face was apparently turned away from them, and she bit her lip till it bled, with vexation; so after all the soubrette had succeeded, by an abominably bold action, in compelling the marquis to neglect her betters and give his warmest welcome to a low intrigante, said the “leading lady” to herself, swelling with righteous indignation, and abusing the offender roundly in her thoughts—­wishing that she could do it aloud, and expose her outrageous, unmannerly artifice.

“Jean,” said the marquis to a servant in livery who stood near, “have this chariot taken into the court, and see that the decorations, scenery, etc., are carefully put in some convenient place; have the luggage of these ladies and gentlemen carried to the rooms that I ordered to be made ready for them, and take care that they have everything they want;” then in a lower tone, but very emphatically, “I desire that they should be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect.”