Now comes Madame de Mercerey's stroke of genius. Taking the ball, as it were, on the rise, without a moment's hesitation, she said, in the presence of her husband, who was stupefied at the assertion, that on the following evening they were going to have a few friends, among whom Madame and Mademoiselle Léoty were invited, and that Monsieur de Martelle-Simieuse would be welcome if he cared to come. There would be some music, and he would have an opportunity of seeing his fair heroine of the Bois. Monsieur de Mercerey was thunderstruck: "Aren't you mistaken in the date, my dear?" he said. "We were surely going to the Gymnase to-morrow night to see the new piece of Octave Feuillet." "No, my dear; that is for the day after to-morrow." "I thought that--I ordered the box myself." "It is for the day after to-morrow, I tell you." Upon which Monsieur subsided and got no further explanation of the riddle until dinner was over. Madame de Mercerey's exertions did not stop at that. She took possession of Monsieur de Martelle-Simieuse, and treated him to a eulogy of me. "Irene de Léoty is just the girl to suit you--just the wife you want. The meeting this morning was clearly the work of Providence." He repeated as refrain: "How well she rides." Yesterday, after having seen mama, Madame de Mercerey, in spite of her _migraine_, courageously set to work and took the field to get people together--engaged musicians and got programs printed. What admirable activity! On what insignificant trifles our destiny hangs. If Virginie had fastened my hair up properly, if Triboulet had been quiet, if the Puymarins had not put the Mercereys among the nobodies--Monsieur de Martelle-Simieuse would not have been invited to dine at our house to-morrow, and I should not be asking myself the question: "Shall I, or shall I not be Comtesse de Martelle-Simieuse?" Poor Puymarins! They have come to Paris for the sole purpose of exhibiting their phenomenon. Poor Catherine de Puymarin! Shall I let her keep her count, or shall I take him myself? I don't yet know. But I do know that the sixth has not made a bad start, and if I _had_ to bet on the result, I would not give odds. _November 20th. Ten o'clock in the morning._