obtained. While she was riding out at noon, Frau
Lerch found it in her chest, and thought that she now knew what had made
the girl so happy the day before. She was all the more indignant when,
soon after, Barbara gave half the new wealth to the Prebrunn town clerk
to distribute among the poor journeymen potters whose huts had been
burned down the previous night. The rest she kept to give to the
relatives of her one-eyed maid-servant at home, who were in the direst
poverty.

For the first time she had felt the pleasure of interposing, like a
higher power, in the destiny of others. What she had hoped from the
greatness to which she had risen now appeared on the eve of being
actually and wholly fulfilled.

Even the strange manner in which the marquise thanked her for her
generosity could but partially impair the exquisite sense of happiness
which filled her heart.

As soon as the old noblewoman heard that the bill of exchange for her
son was on the way to Paris, she expressed her intention of thanking his
Majesty for this noble donation.

Startled and anxious, Barbara was obliged to forbid this, and to confess
that, on the contrary, the Emperor had refused to do anything whatever
for her son, and that morning, for little Babette's sake, she had used
her own property.

The marquise then angrily declared that a Marquise de Leria could accept
such a favour without a blush solely from his Majesty. Even from an
equal in station she must refuse gifts of such value. If Barbara was
honest, she would admit that she had never, even by a syllable, asked
for a donation, but always only for her intercession with his Majesty.
Her hasty action made withdrawal impossible, but the humiliation which
she had experienced through her was so hard to conquer that she could
scarcely bring herself to feel grateful for a gift which, in itself, was
certainly worthy of appreciation.

In fact, from that time the marquise entirely changed her manner, and
instead of flattering her ward as before, she treated her with haughty
coldness, and sometimes remarked that poverty and hostility were often
easier to bear than intrusive kindness and humiliating gifts.

Hitherto Barbara had placed no one under obligation to be grateful, and
therefore the ugliness of ingratitude was unknown to her.

Now she was to become acquainted with it.

At first this disappointment wounded her, but soon the marquise's
intention of ridding herself, by this conduct, of a