hat I
chose you, insisted on you. You would be far from the mark, my poor
dear. It is, on the contrary, because of your want of merit. Now, as to
M. de Courtalin. Why, there is a man of merit! I had, from morning to
night, M. de Courtalin's merit dinned into my ears, and that was why I
had taken a dislike to him. What I dreaded more than anything for a
husband was what is called a superior man; and mamma went the wrong way
to work to win me over to her candidate when she said to me: 'He is a
very intelligent, very serious, very deep-thinking, and very
distinguished man; he has spent his youth honorably; he has been a model
son, and would make a model husband.' It made me shiver to hear mamma
talk so. I know nothing more awful than people who are always, always
right; who, under all circumstances, give evidence of unfailing good
sense; who crush us with their superiority. With Gontran I am easy,
quite easy. It isn't he who would crush me with his superiority. I do
not know much, Aunt Louise, but my ignorance beside his is learning. He
had great trouble in getting his baccalaureate. He flunked three times."

"Flunked!" exclaimed Aunt Louise.

"It means failed. He taught me the word. All the queer words I use, Aunt
Louise, were taught me by him."

"Come, now--"

"Yes, all. I can see him now, coming to the house one day, and I can
hear him say, 'Flunked again!' That was the third time. Then he went and
took his examination in the country at a little college at Douai; it was
easier, and he passed at last. M. de Courtalin has never been flunked;
he is everything that one can be at his age: bachelor, advocate, lawyer,
and grave, exact, and severe in his language, and dressed--always in a
black frock-coat, with two rows of buttons, always all buttoned--in
short, a man of the past. And what a future before him! Already a member
of the General Council, and very eloquent, very influential, he will be
deputy in three years, and then, when we have a government that people
of our class can recognize, minister, ambassador, and I know not what!
The highest offices wait for him, and all his ambitions will be
legitimate when he has a chance to put his superior talents at the
service of the monarchy. That's one of mamma's phrases. Whereas you, my
poor Gontran--you will never be anything other than a very funny and
very nice old dear, whom I shall lead as I like with my little finger."

"Oh! oh!"

"You will see. Besides, you have se