XXIX. AN EVENTFUL DAY 294 XXX. THE SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE CONTRACTS 306 XXXI. THE BARON HAS HIS REVENGE 314 XXXII. CONCLUSION 322 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE "GERALD RUSHED IN LIKE ONE DISTRACTED" _Frontispiece_ "'SHE HAS FAINTED'" 72 "'ENOUGH, MONSIEUR, ENOUGH'" 148 "M. DE MAILLEFORT, ACCOMPANIED BY GERALD, BURST INTO THE ROOM" 290 PRIDE. CHAPTER I. MADAME HERBAUT'S PARTY. Madame Herbaut occupied quite a spacious suite of apartments on the third floor of the same house in which Commander Bernard lived. The rooms devoted to these Sunday reunions consisted of the dining-room, where the young people danced to the music of the piano; the drawing-room, where there were card-tables for those who did not care to dance, and, lastly, Madame Herbaut's bedroom, where guests could sit and chat without being disturbed by the noise of the dancing, and without disturbing the card-players. This simply furnished, but comfortable abode indicated that Madame Herbaut--who, by the way, was the widow of a small merchant--was in very comfortable circumstances, though far from rich. The worthy woman's two daughters found lucrative employment, one in painting on china, the other in copying music,--work which had led to her acquaintance with Herminie, who also copied music when pupils were scarce. The rooms presented a scene of even more than usual gaiety that evening. There were about fifteen young girls, none over twenty years of age, all resolved to make the most of Sunday, their only day of rest and pleasure, so richly earned by toil and confinement all the week, either at the counter, in the office, in some gloomy little back shop on the Rue St. Denis or the Rue des Bourdonnais, or perhaps in some _pension_. Some of these young girls were extremely pretty, and nearly all were dressed with the good taste that characterises the attire of this humble and industrious class of people only in Paris, probably. These poor girls, being obliged to work hard all the rest of the week, reserved all their little coquettish adornments for their one fete day, the day so impatiently awaited on Saturday, and so deeply regretted on Monday. As is usual at such reunions, the masculine element in the little assembly presented a much less elegant and stylish appearance than the feminine element. In fact, but for some almost imperceptible shades of difference, most of these young girls were as bright and attractive as if they belonged to the very best society, but this slight superiority on the part of the young girls was soon forgotten, thanks to the cordial good-humour and frank gaiety, tempered with respect, which the young men displayed towards their fair companions.