worthy of an epic poem in seven cantos. But I must send off this scribble, else it will be buried again, and I shall appear more ungrateful to you than is right.

The happiest period of Madame Mohl's life was fast approaching. She was married in August, 1847.

CHAPTER III.

FROM 1847 TO 1850.

Madame Mohl's account of her marriage-The Friday evenings now begin in the Rue du Bac-Madame Quirins' description of them-Last days of Madame Récamier's salon-Revolution of 1848-Legouvé's lectures-Death of Châteaubriand-Visit to Germany-Political events-M. and Madame Mohl adopt their niece Ida-Her description of the life in the Rue du Bac-First acquaintance with the Stanleys on the Lago Maggiore-The Arconatis introduce us to M. and Madame Mohl.

THE engagement between M. Mohl and Miss Clarke was kept a profound secret, and as she was long past fifty, and her fiancé seven years younger, it is no wonder that she should have disliked her marriage being talked of beforehand. The difference of age between M. and Madame Mohl was, however, never perceptible, for she retained her childlike temperament and spirits to the last. But even when she was very old, at a time when people are generally proud of the years they have attained, she remained sensitive on the subject; for instance, when she was in England in 1870, it was impossible to persuade her to fill in the census.

It has been said that when she was asked her age at the Mairie she replied, "Monsieur, si vous insistez je me jetterai par la fenêtre mais je ne vous dirai pas mon âge." The story is apocryphal, but Madame Quirins says that one of the témoins told her that when the bride's age was read out at the Mairie, he blew his nose very hard in order to spare her feelings.

She often told me the story of her marriage, which used to amuse me extremely. It was to this effect :

I gave my two servants warning, my dear, and told them I was going to travel in Switzerland. You know it is necessary to put up a placard the day before on the church you are going to be married in, announcing the event. So I gave a little boy some money to paste a play-bill over it at once, and waited at the corner of the street to see it done. When the morning came I told my maid I was going to a christening, as an excuse for putting on my best clothes. I didn't know whether I was standing on my head or my heels. After the ceremony I left Mr. Mohl and my witnesses at the church-door, got into a coach, and told the man to drive to 100, Rue du Bac (she lived at 120). I got out as soon as we arrived, paid the driver, went into the porter's lodge, and asked if Madame Bertrand was at home-this was to give time for the coach to drive off. The porter thought me very stupid. He assured me that no Madame Bertrand had ever lived there, which I knew perfectly well. When I got home I took off my fine clothes and my wedding-ring, and packed up for my journey. My servants had no idea that I was married. I did not see Mr. Mohl again for two days, when I met him and our witnesses at the railway station. We all dined together, and Mr. Mohl and I set off for Switzerland; and then, luckily for me, the Duc de Praslin murdered his wife, and everybody talked about that, and forgot me and my marriage.

She wrote to her sister, without any previous warning, that as an aunt was like a fifth wheel to a coach, she had been married that morning to Mr. Mohl."

The following winter Madame Quirins writes

The parties were resumed, but on Friday instead of Saturday evenings. The children had grown up; many new friends were added to their numbers. All enjoyed themselves as much as formerly, if not more, and nothing gave dear Madame Mohl so much pleasure as to see the young people amusing themselves. The diningroom was given up to dancing, and the young people made tea in the small salon. The inner salon, which you so well know, was more than ever kept sacred to the more serious and distinguished guests.

Among Madame Mohl's very intimate friends were Lady Elgin and her daughters, Ladies Charlotte, Augusta and Frances Bruce, who had also a very pleasant salon, to which many of Madame Mohl's friends, both young and old, were kindly invited. Later on, as you know, every distinguished person in Paris, whether French or foreign, passed through Madame Mohl's salon.

M. Mohl brought thither all the savans of the Academy and the Asiatic Society, and, although he had not her animation, added considerably to the attraction of the Rue du Bac.

All those (Madame Quirins continues) who had the privilege of knowing M. Mohl intimately can bear witness to his great kindness of heart, and the pleasure he took in rendering service to others, often at the cost of great trouble to himself. Monseigneur Buquet, Bishop of Surinam, told me that, although he had not the honour of knowing M. Mohl, he had the greatest respect for him, and that he had been greatly touched by his kindness to a French missionary who had passed several years in Japan, and came to Paris to get a French and Japanese dictionary published. M. Mohl kindly took his interest in hand, and one evening went to him at eleven o'clock to tell him that he had succeeded in obtaining the publication of his work, and would not wait until the next day to announce this good news to him. This is, of course, only one instance of his numerous acts of kindness and thoughtfulness.

Fostered by the tender care of this excellent man, endowed with extraordinary powers of enjoyment, and surrounded by such interesting and attached friends, it may well be imagined that Madame Mohl's middle life, in spite of her delicate health, which was a great torment to her, became a very happy one, and that her spirits soon regained the spring of which the sad events of the last three years had bereft them. Schmidt writes

Madame von

She looked
He

My uncle took care of her in quite a motherly way. up to him with the greatest confidence, valued and trusted him. was never tired of telling her the best of his humorous stories, of discussing scientific and literary subjects with her; he was ever sure

of her sympathy with his pursuits and studies. Society to her was not frivolous amusement; she thought highly of it, believed it to be of vital importance in the lives of individuals and nations. Her predilection for France was so strong precisely because society there is, or was, of more importance than in any other country. She hated everything in the shape of a coterie, but the free intercourse of clever high-minded people, talk as an art, she valued more than anything. She abhorred everything like ostentation and show. Her luxury was

good conversation.

Although Madame Mohl had now a salon of her own, every afternoon, except Monday, found her at the Abbaye; and thither Châteaubriand, who had lost the use of his limbs, and who lived on the ground-floor of the house the Mohls occupied, was likewise carried every day. To Madame Récamier's also came the members of the old aristocracy-the Duc de Laval, Matthieu de Montmorency, etc.-as well as all the intellectual celebrities, some of whom were members of the Chamber, and came in every day to relate what had taken place. Nothing remarkable in private or public ever passed that was not known there sooner than elsewhere. Whoever had first read a new book came to give an account of it. La Jeune France was represented by Benjamin Constant, Cousin, Villemain, Guizot, Thierry, Mignet, Rémusat, Thiers, Tocqueville. Ampère came every day. "His conversation," says Madame Mohl (and the present writer can testify to the truth of her description)" his conversation was like a stream of sparkling water, always fresh, never fatiguing. His wit was so natural that you never thought of anything but the amusement he gave you." To a chosen few out of this circle, M. de Châteaubriand read his "Memoirs," bit by bit as he wrote them. The effect was prodigious. In some of the scenes Madame Mohl said tears would unconsciously steal down her face, to the great satisfaction of the author. Here, too, Rachel recited the part of Esther for a charitable subscription, and from that time never

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