My heart is absorbed by tender thoughts, yet I am not the less ready for luncheon! Come, my children and fellow-mortals.

_Allons cultiver notre jardin!"_ With this quotation from "Candide," plaintively delivered, the old lady led the way out of the room, and was followed by her younger pupils.
The eldest sister remained behind for a moment, and reminded me that the lunch was ready.
"I am afraid you have found the dear old soul rather an unruly sitter," she said, noticing the look of dissatisfaction with which I was regarding my drawing.

"But she will improve as you go on.

She has done better already for the last half-hour, has she not ?" "Much better," I answered.

"My admiration of the miniature on the bracelet seemed--I suppose, by calling up some old associations--to have a strangely soothing effect on Mademoiselle Clairfait." "Ah yes! only remind her of the original of that portrait, and you change her directly, whatever she may have been saying or doing the moment before.