"I was saying that I had come across her!" La Faloise presented his cousin to Count Muffat de Beuville, who appeared very frigid.

But on hearing the name Fauchery the countess raised her head and with a certain reserve complimented the paragraphist on his articles in the Figaro.

Leaning on the velvet-covered support in front of her, she turned half round with a pretty movement of the shoulders.

They talked for a short time, and the Universal Exhibition was mentioned.
"It will be very fine," said the count, whose square-cut, regular-featured face retained a certain gravity.
"I visited the Champ de Mars today and returned thence truly astonished." "They say that things won't be ready in time," La Faloise ventured to remark.

"There's infinite confusion there--" But the count interrupted him in his severe voice: "Things will be ready.