The notary's nose;

132 THE NOTARY'S NOSE.
All the ladies heartily welcomed him, both
those in society and out of it. One of
those who congratulated him most tenderly
on his cure was the elder sister of his
friend Steimbourg.
That lovely creature was in the habit of
considering men just as she considered
horses. She very judiciously observed
that M. l'Ambert had come out of his last
crisis handsomer than ever. Yes, really
it seemed that two or three months of
suffering had added some indescribable perfection to his face. The nose above allthat straight nose which had returned to
its proper limits after its painful expansion
-appeared finer, whiter, and more aristocratic than ever.
This, too, was the handsome notary's
own opinion. He contemplated himself
in all the glasses with ever-fresh admiration.
It was a pleasure to see him face to face
with himself, smiling at his own nose.