Zebiline, vol 3 | Page 4

ideas before making
an entire meal of them. D.W.]

ZIBELINE
By PHILIPPE DE MASSA

BOOK 3.

CHAPTER XX
ZIBELINE RECEIVES
The Duchesse de Montgeron had no children, and her most tender
affections were concentrated upon her husband and her brother. The
scruples which caused the latter to forswear matrimony grieved her
deeply, for, knowing the inflexibility of his character, she was sure that
no one in the world could make him alter his decision.
Thus, on one side the title of the Duc de Montgeron was destined to
pass to a collateral branch of the family; and on the other, the title of
Marquis de Prerolles would become extinct with the General.
But, although she now considered it impossible to realize the project
which she had momentarily cherished, she continued to show the same
kindness to Mademoiselle de Vermont. She would have regarded any
other course as unworthy of her, since she had made the first advances;
moreover, the young girl's nature was so engaging that no one who
approached her could resist her charm.
Very reserved or absolutely frank, according to the degree of
confidence with which she was treated, Valentine had sufficient
intuition to avoid a lack of tact.
She was, in feminine guise, like 'L'Ingenu' of Voltaire, struck, as was
Huron, with all that was illogical in our social code; but she did not
make, after his fashion, a too literal application of its rules, and knew
where to draw the line, if she found herself on the point of making
some hazardous remark, declaring frankly: "I was about to say
something foolish!" which lent originality to her playful conversation.
After receiving from Valentine's hands the contract signed in presence
of the notary, for the benefit of the Orphan Asylum, the president of the
society did not fail to give a dinner in honor of the new patroness.
As she was a foreigner she was placed in the seat of honor at the table,
to the great displeasure of Madame Desvanneaux, who was invited to
take the second place, in spite of her title of vice-president.

"It is because of her millions that she was placed before me," she said
in an undertone to her husband, as soon as the guests had returned to
the drawing-room. And, giving orders that her carriage should be
summoned immediately, she left the house without speaking to any one,
and with the air of a peeress of England outraged in her rights of
precedence!
This was, for the hostile pair, a new cause of grievance against Zibeline.
When she, in her turn, gave at her home a similar dinner, a fortnight
later, she received from them, in reply to her invitation, which was
couched in the most courteous terms, a simple visiting card, with the
following refusal: "The Comte and the Comtesse Desvanneaux, not
being in the habit of accepting invitations during Lent, feel constrained
to decline that of Mademoiselle de Vermont."
The dinner was only the more gay and cordial.
Valentine's household was conducted on a footing more elegant than
sumptuous.
The livery was simple, but the appearance of her people was
irreproachable. The butler and the house servants wore the ordinary
dress-coat and trousers; the powdered footmen wore short brown coats,
ornamented, after the English fashion, with metal buttons and a false
waistcoat; the breeches were of black velveteen, held above the knee by
a band of gold braid, with embroidered ends, which fell over black silk
stockings. At the end of the ante-chamber where this numerous
personnel was grouped, opened a long gallery, ornamented with old
tapestries representing mythological subjects in lively and
well-preserved coloring. This room, which was intended to serve as a
ballroom at need, was next to two large drawing-rooms. The walls of
one were covered with a rich material, on which hung costly paintings;
the furniture and the ceiling of the other were of oak, finely carved,
relieved with touches of gold in light and artistic design.
Everywhere was revealed an evident desire to avoid an effect of
heaviness and ostentation, and this was especially noticeable in the
dining-room, where the pure tone of the panels and the moulding

doubled the intensity of the light thrown upon them. Upon the table the
illumination of the apartment was aided by two large candelabra of
beautifully chiselled silver, filled with candles, the light of which
filtered through a forest of diaphanous little white shades.
The square table was a veritable parterre of flowers, and was laid for
twelve guests, three on each side.
The young mistress of the house was seated on one side, between the
Duc de Montgeron and the Marquis de Prerolles. Facing her sat the
Duchesse de Montgeron, between General Lenaieff and the Chevalier
de Sainte-Foy. --Laterally, on one hand appeared Madame de Lisieux,