ound connected
with the events of this history, though the foregoing sketch of the
hall, where the whole luxury of the household appears, may enable the
reader to surmise the nakedness of the upper floors.

In 1819, at the beginning of an evening in the middle of November, la
Grande Nanon lighted the fire for the first time. The autumn had
been very fine. This particular day was a fete-day well known to the
Cruchotines and the Grassinists. The six antagonists, armed at all
points, were making ready to meet at the Grandets and surpass each other
in testimonials of friendship. That morning all Saumur had seen Madame
and Mademoiselle Grandet, accompanied by Nanon, on their way to hear
Mass at the parish church, and every one remembered that the day was
the anniversary of Mademoiselle Eugenie's birth. Calculating the hour at
which the family dinner would be over, Maitre Cruchot, the Abbe Cruchot,
and Monsieur C. de Bonfons hastened to arrive before the des Grassins,
and be the first to pay their compliments to Mademoiselle Eugenie. All
three brought enormous bouquets, gathered in their little green-houses.
The stalks of the flowers which the president intended to present were
ingeniously wound round with a white satin ribbon adorned with gold
fringe. In the morning Monsieur Grandet, following his usual custom on
the days that commemorated the birth and the fete of Eugenie, went to
her bedside and solemnly presented her with his paternal gift,--which
for the last thirteen years had consisted regularly of a curious
gold-piece. Madame Grandet gave her daughter a winter dress or a summer
dress, as the case might be. These two dresses and the gold-pieces,
of which she received two others on New Year's day and on her father's
fete-day, gave Eugenie a little revenue of a hundred crowns or
thereabouts, which Grandet loved to see her amass. Was it not putting
his money from one strong-box to another, and, as it were, training the
parsimony of his heiress? from whom he sometimes demanded an account
of her treasure (formerly increased by the gifts of the Bertellieres),
saying: "It is to be your marriage dozen."

The "marriage dozen" is an old custom sacredly preserved and still in
force in many parts of central France. In Berry and in Anjou, when a
young girl marries, her family, or that of the husband, must give her a
purse, in which they place, according to their means, twelve pieces,
or twelve dozen pieces, or twelve hundred piece