I
Wealthy women never paid decently for their fans, and Hedwig Brankovan was not an exception.
She was a very young woman, daughter of Polish aristocrat, who had fought in the failed uprising against Russians in 1825. Hedwig had escaped to the Carpathians, married a young Moldovan nobleman, who had died soon after the wedding, and moved to Paris as the extremely wealthy widow. All this had happened before she was 20.
Today Madame Brankovan had fantastic costume which attracted Feuilly´s eye: knee-length coat of dark red velvet, trimmed with gold, long white trousers and a little cap with long black lace veil. Her face was extraordinary pale.
"Beautiful", she said and admired Feuilly´s ornate handiwork. "I will pay five francs for it."
Feuilly nodded. He had spent whole night to paint the flower patterns. "Thank you, Madame."
He took the money which the servant girl gave and walked out of the room.
II
"They say that the vampire bit her, that´s why she is so pale," Jehan said.
Bahorel laughed heartily. "I agree with Voltaire. Only vampires are the living ones, not those rosy-cheeked corpses!"
He winked to Feuilly, and discussion turned quickly to the political matters.