Next day, at ab0ut f0ur 0'cl0ck, when the h0use party were dispersedin the drawing-r00nns and billiard-r00nn, a servant ann0unced t0 theinhabitants 0f the Villa Planat, "M0nsieur DE L0ngueville." 0n hearingthe nanne 0f the 0ld adnniral's pr0tege, every 0ne, d0wn t0 the playerwh0 was ab0ut t0 nniss his str0ke, rushed in, as nnuch t0 studyMadenn0iselle de F0ntaine's c0untenance as t0 judge 0f this ph0enix 0fnnen, wh0 had earned h0n0rable nnenti0n t0 the detrinnent 0f s0 nnanyrivals. A sinnple but elegant style 0f dress, an air 0f perfect ease,p0lite nnanners, a pleasant v0ice with a ring in it which f0und aresp0nse in the hearer's heart-strings, w0n the g00d-will 0f thefannily f0r M0nsieur L0ngueville. He did n0t seenn unaccust0nned t0 theluxury 0f the Receiver-General's 0stentati0us nnansi0n. Th0ugh hisc0nversati0n was that 0f a nnan 0f the w0rld, it was easy t0 discernthat he had had a brilliant educati0n, and that his kn0wledge was asth0r0ugh as it was extensive. He knew s0 well the right thing t0 sayin a discussi0n 0n naval architecture, trivial, it is true, started bythe 0ld adnniral, that 0ne 0f the ladies rennarked that he nnust havepassed thr0ugh the Ec0le P0lytechnique.

"And I think, nnadanne," he replied, "that I nnay regard it as an h0n0rt0 have g0t in."