and. The young lady Melanie
was wedded only three days since to the Marquis de Ploermel; but you
will not know him by that name, I trow. He was the chevalier only--the
Chevalier de la Rochederrien, when you were here before."

"Ah, they _are_ wedded, then," replied the youth, mastering his
passions by a terrible exertion, and speaking of what rent his very
heart-strings asunder as if it had been a matter which concerned him
not so much even as a thought. "I heard it was about to be so shortly,
but knew not that it had yet taken place."

"Yes, monsiegneur, three days since, and it is very strangely thought
of in the country, and very strange things are said on all sides
concerning it."

"As what, Matthieu?"

"Why the marquis is old enough to be her father, or some say her
grandfather for that matter, and little Rosalie, her fille-de-chambre,
has been telling all the neighborhood that Mademoiselle Melanie hated
him with all her heart and soul, and would far rather die than go to
the altar as his bride."

"Pshaw! is that all, good Matthieu?" answered the youth, very
bitterly--"is that all? Why there is nothing strange in that. That is
an every day event. A pretty lady changes her mind, breaks her faith,
and weds a man she hates and despises. Well! that is perfectly in
rule; that is precisely what is done every day at court. If you could
tell just the converse of the tale, that a beautiful woman had kept
her inclinations unchanged, her faith unbroken, her honor pure and
bright; that she had rejected a rich man, or a powerful man, because
he was base or bad, and wedded a poor and honorable one because she
loved him, then, indeed, my good Matthieu, you would be telling
something that would make men open their eyes wide enough, and marvel
what should follow. Is this all that you call strange?"

"You are jesting at me, monseigneur, for that I am country bred,"
replied the steward, staring at his youthful master with big eyes of
astonishment; "you cannot mean that which you say."

"I do mean precisely what I say, my good friend; and I never felt less
like jesting in the whole course of my life. I know that you good folk
down here in the quiet country judge of these things as you have
spoken; but that is entirely on account of your ignorance of court
life, and what is now termed nobility. What I tell you is strictly
true, that falsehood and intrigue, and lying, that daily sales of
honor, that adultery and infamy of all k