The notary's nose;

14 THE NOTARY S NOSE.
to always land on your feet; to smile with
your eyes full of tears; isn't that, in a few
words, the programme of the ballet, and
of politics? "
The duchess smiled, forgave him, and
took a lover.
Great lords like the Duke de Bidtry,
statesmen like Baron de F —, great
millionnaires, like little M. St., and
mere notaries like the hero of this story,
elbowed each other, pell-mell, in the ballet
green-room and side scenes of the stage.
They were all equal before the ignorance
and nazvetd of those twenty-four little innocents, who compose the ballet. They
are called the subscribers. They are
smiled upon freely; they are prattled with
in little corners; their bon-bons, and even
their diamonds are accepted as a mere
matter of politeness, not committing their
receivers to anything.
The world is entirely wrong in fancying