She was a part of the Chantal family, that was all.  But how?  By what right?  She was a tall, thin person who tried to remain in the background, but who was by no means insignificant.  She was treated in a friendly manner, better than a housekeeper, not so well as a relative.  I suddenly observed several shades of distinction which I had never noticed before.  Madame Chantal said:  “Pearl.”  The young ladies:  “Mademoiselle Pearl,” and Chantal only addressed her as “Mademoiselle,” with an air of greater respect, perhaps.

I began to observe her.  How old could she be?  Forty?  Yes, forty.  She was not old, she made herself old.  I was suddenly struck by this fact.  She fixed her hair and dressed in a ridiculous manner, and, notwithstanding all that, she was not in the least ridiculous, she had such simple, natural gracefulness, veiled and hidden.  Truly, what a strange creature!  How was it I had never observed her before?  She dressed her hair in a grotesque manner with little old maid curls, most absurd; but beneath this one could see a large, calm brow, cut by two deep lines, two wrinkles of long sadness, then two blue eyes, large and tender, so timid, so bashful, so humble, two beautiful eyes which had kept the expression of naive wonder of a young girl, of youthful sensations, and also of sorrow, which had softened without spoiling them.

Her whole face was refined and discreet, a face the expression of which seemed to have gone out without being used up or faded by the fatigues and great emotions of life.

What a dainty mouth! and such pretty teeth!  But one would have thought that she did not dare smile.

Suddenly I compared her to Madame Chantal!  Undoubtedly Mademoiselle Pearl was the better of the two, a hundred times better, daintier, prouder, more noble.  I was surprised at my observation.  They were pouring out champagne.  I held my glass up to the queen and, with a well-turned compliment, I drank to her health.  I could see that she felt inclined to hide her head in her napkin.  Then, as she was dipping her lips in the clear wine, everybody cried:  “The queen drinks! the queen drinks!” She almost turned purple and choked.  Everybody was laughing; but I could see that all loved her.

As soon as dinner was over Chantal took me by the arm.  It was time for his cigar, a sacred hour.  When alone he would smoke it out in the street; when guests came to dinner he would take them to the billiard room and smoke while playing.  That evening they had built a fire to celebrate Twelfth Night; my old friend took his cue, a very fine one, and chalked it with great care; then he said: 

“You break, my boy!”

He called me “my boy,” although I was twenty-five, but he had known me as a young child.

I started the game and made a few carroms.  I missed some others, but as the thought of Mademoiselle Pearl kept returning to my mind, I suddenly asked: 

“By the way, Monsieur Chantal, is Mademoiselle Pearl a relative of yours?”