age, a great regularity of life, nothing which stimulates either vanity
or imagination. That is the proper way to bring up girls without
notions, girls who will let themselves be married without opposition,
and are satisfied with the state of life to which Providence may be
pleased to call them. For my part, I am enchanted with the ladies in
the Rue de Monsieur, and, what is more, Giselle is very happy among them;
to hear her talk you would suppose she was quite ready to take the veil.
Of course, that is a mere passing fancy. But fancies of that sort are
never dangerous, they have nothing in common with those that are passing
nowadays through most girls' brains. Having 'a day!'--what a foolish
notion: And then to let little girls take part in it, even in a corner of
the room. I'll wager that, though her skirts are half way up her legs,
and her hair is dressed like a baby's, that that little de Nailles is
less of a child than my granddaughter, who has been brought up by the
Benedictines. You say that she probably does not understand all that
goes on around her. Perhaps not, but she breathes it in. It's poison-
that's what it is!"

There was a good deal of truth in this harsh picture, although it
contained considerable exaggeration.

At this moment, when Madame de Monredon was sitting in judgment on the
education given to the little girls brought up in the world, and on the
ruinous extravagance of their young stepmothers, Madame de Nailles and
Jacqueline--their last visitors having departed--were resting themselves,
leaning tenderly against each other, on a sofa. Jacqueline's head lay on
her mother's lap. Her mother, without speaking, was stroking the girl's
dark hair. Jacqueline, too, was silent, but from time to time she kissed
the slender fingers sparkling with rings, as they came within reach of
her lips.