The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-27

theleSS costing 10D TO ooo lTalcS.
Nor was that all. The day of the first
visit to M. Arthur, when Nine. Derline
walked out Of the fine place she was
grieved, absolutely grieyed at the sight
of her coupe. II had been her mother
in-law's coupe and had rolled around the
streets of Paris for fifteen years.
Mime. Derline only entered this shock
ing coupe to be driven to very Illus
trious carriage makers.
That night, adroitly selling the psy-
Geological moment, she explained to NJ.
Derline that she had seen certain little
black coupe, lined with deep blue satin,
that would divinely frame her new
gowns.
The coupe was bought next day by M.
Derline, who himself began to realize
the extent of his new duties. But next
day he saw it was impossible to harness
to that pretty toy of a coupe the old
horse that drew the old carriage, and
equally impossible to put on the box the
old coachman who drove the old horse.
That is why on Thursday, April 25, at
1880 p. M, very handsome sorrel
mare, driven by very correct English
coachman, drew NJ. and Nine. Derline
to the Palmers' house. Nevertheless,
yet one thing was lacking-a little groom
by the English coachman's side. But
one must use certain discretion. The
most beautiful woman in Paris proposed
to wait for ten days before asking for
the little groom.
While she mounted the staircase at
the Palmers' she distinctly heard the
repeated little blows of her heartbeats.
She entered, and for the first minute she
enjoyed the delicious sensation of sue
cess. Yes, decidedly all went well. She
was in the way Of having all Paris at
her feet. And sure of herself, more
confident, more courageous, more rash,
she advanced, leaning on M. Palmer's
arm, who introduced her on the way to
counts, marquises and dukes.
Palmer suddenly said to her:
II am anxious to present to you one
Of your greatest admirers, who the other
night at the opera could talk of nothing
else but your beauty-the Prince de
Nerins."
Nine. Derline was not to see the
Prince de Nerins that night. Neverthe-
less he had counted surely on going to
Pslmer's house and presiding at the
apptheosis of his notary's wife. But he
dined at his club and permitted himself
to be persuaded to go to a first per,
formance at a small theater. They
played an operetta cast in the classic
mold. The principal character was a
young queen, who was always escorted
by four regulation ladies of honor.
Three Of these young ladies were well
known to first nighters as having figured
in good many fnales of operettas and
in not a few professions of fairies. But
the fourth-oh, the fourth! She was
new, a magnificent brunette of the most
surprising beauty. When the audience
was leaving, Prince de Nerins said to
every one who would listen to him:
ssThat brunettel Helm! That brunettei
There's nothing like her in any other
theater. She's the most beautiful wo-
man in Paris. The most beautiful"
The next morning Nine. Derline found
in the fashionable intelligence of her
newspaper ten lines about the Palnlers'
ball. The marchionesses, the countesses
and the duchesses who were there were
named, but OF her, Mime. Derline, not
word-not one word
And to make it worse, he who wrote
about the theatrical performance lauded
in enthusiastic terms the beauty Of the
ideal lady Of honor and said, Moreover,
the Prince de Nerins declared that in
contestably Mile. Miranda was the most
beautiful woman in Paris"
Nine. Derline threw the paper in the
fire. She did not wish her husband to
know that she was no longer the most
beautiful woman in Paris.
Nevertheless she held on to the great
dressmaker and the English coachman,
but she has never dared to ask for the
little groom Translated from the
French of Ludovig Halevy for the New
York World.