PAULA MONTI: OR, THE HÔTEL LAMBERT. BY M. EUGÈNE SUE _From the French_ BY THE TRANSLATOR OF THE "MYSTERIES OF PARIS," AND THE "WANDERING JEW." WITH TWENTY ENGRAVINGS, UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF MR. CHARLES HEATH, _FROM DESIGNS BY JULES DAVID._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 186 STRAND 1845 CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE OPERA-BALL II. A RENDEZVOUS III. THE DOMINO IV. PAULA MONTI V. THE EXPLANATION VI. M. DE BRÉVANNES VII. MADAME DE BRÉVANNES VIII. THE RETURN IX. THE RECITAL X. THE PRINCE DE HANSFELD XI. THE FATHER AND DAUGHTER XII. THE FATHER-IN-LAW AND SON-IN-LAW XIII. A FIRST REPRESENTATION XIV. DRESS CIRCLE.--BOX NO. 7 XV. DRESS CIRCLE.--BOX NO. 29 XVI. FRIENDS IN THE STALLS XVII. BETWEEN THE ACTS.--BOX NUMBER VII XVIII. AFTER THE PLAY XIX. THE "POSTE RESTANTE." XX. THE EMISSARY XXI. THE INTERVIEW XXII. THE MEETING XXIII. UNHAPPINESS XXIV. DISCOVERY XXV. ANGUISH XXVI. THE BLACK BOOK XXVII. DETACHED THOUGHTS XXVIIII. ARNOLD AND BERTHA XXIX. INTIMACY XXX. RECITAL XXXI. THREATS XXXII. REFLECTIONS XXXIII. THE INTERROGATORY XXXIV. REVELATIONS XXXV. CONFESSIONS XXXVI. THE RENDEZVOUS XXXVII. PROPOSITION XXXVIII. CORRESPONDENCE XXXIX. THE MARRIAGE XL. THE BLACK BOOK XLI. A CONVERSATION XLII. RESOLUTION XLIII. THE PIN XLIV. DECISION XLV. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING XLVI. THE CHÂTEAU DE BRÉVANNES XLVII. THE CHÂLET XLVIII. THE DOUBLE MURDER XLIX. EXPLANATIONS PAULA MONTI CHAPTER I THE OPERA-BALL In 1837 the Opera-ball in Paris was not as yet entirely invaded by that mob of wild and crazed dancers, _chicards_[1] and _chicandards_ (as they style themselves), who, in the present day, have almost entirely driven from these assemblies the old traditions for mystification, and that tone of good society which did not detract from the piquancy of adventure. Then, as now, the fashionables of the day congregated around a large chest, placed in the corridor of the first circle of boxes, between the two doors of the Opera "crush-room." The privileged made a seat of this chest, and frequently shared it with certain sprightly dominoes, who were not always of the _haut ton_, but who knew it well enough by hearsay to be able to chatter scandal as fluently as the most scandalous. At the last ball in the month of January 1837, about two o'clock in the morning, a tolerably large party of men were collected round a female in a domino, seated on the chest to which we have alluded. Loud bursts of laughter hailed the sallies of this lady. She was not deficient in wit, but certain vulgar expressions, and the manner of _tutoiement_ which she employed, proved that she did not appertain to the leading circles; although she appeared perfectly well informed as to all that passed in the highest and most exclusive society. They were still laughing at one of the last smart comments of this domino, when, looking towards a young man who was passing through the corridor with great haste to enter the "crush-room," this female said,--