"Yes, monsieur; I am travelling--for my pleasure--with a friend of mine, the Comte de Montreville, of whom you may have heard, and Monsieur Ménard, a distinguished professor of literature and a Hellenist of the first order, who improvises poetry like an angel--especially at dessert." The gentleman bowed to Ménard, who looked like an idiot when Dubourg said that he improvised readily, but he was very careful not to contradict him, none the less. "Do you live in this province, monsieur?" queried Dubourg. "Yes, monsieur," the lady replied, with a gracious smile. "We live two leagues and a half from here, at Allevard, where my husband bought a superb estate when he retired from the wine trade." At this point, the gentleman nudged his wife, but she continued, apparently without noticing the hint: "A trade we carried on for our pleasure, for my husband has always had a very handsome fortune; but one must do something." "What do you say, madame? For my own part, I have a great esteem for trade, especially the wine trade. Certainly Noah didn't plant the vine with the idea that we should eat nothing but dried grapes. Gideon, a Hebrew captain, threshed his own grain, Saul was a cowherd, David a shepherd, Cincinnatus ploughed his own fields, Pope Sixtus V kept pigs, and Urban IV was once a cobbler; so I can see nothing surprising in the fact that your husband once sold wine." "Surely not, monsieur," said the husband, bowing low to Dubourg.--"He's a noble philosopher," he whispered to his wife. "But since we retired," continued the lady, "we associate with only the best people in the province: the mayor and his clerk, and landowners who are electors--aristocratic people. We lead a delightful life; my husband is almost the lord of the district." "I certainly am looked upon in that light," added the husband, leaning on his cane. "It was in my power to be sub-prefect; but I should have had to move, and I am attached to my present home. We are so highly considered there! I entertain all the best people at dinner; we cultivate music and the arts--I am learning the violin just now; I have had a cabinet organ sent from Paris. My wife will play it; she has a fine ear." "Pardieu!" said Dubourg; "talking of ear, Monsieur Ménard here has one of the finest bassos I know? As for myself, I play all instruments." "Ah! monsieur," said the lady, with a smirk, "what a pleasure it would be to hear you! We have lots of amateur musicians at Allevard: monsieur le maire plays the bass-viol, and one of our neighbors is very strong on the hunting-horn. If monsieur should remain any length of time in this vicinity, we should be charmed to entertain him." This invitation was accompanied by a very tender smile; Dubourg replied with an expressive glance, and the husband, well pleased, meekly lowered his eyes, while Ménard looked at his companion to find out what he was to say.