s to your
mother, thinking that you would have your share of the spoil."

"I had nothing at all. The arrival of the box was kept a secret. It
would have been necessary to have pronounced your name before me, and
mamma didn't wish that. On the other hand, there was always one name on
her lips--Courtalin. Still Courtalin, and always Courtalin. He had all
qualities, all virtues. Then he had just lost his aunt in Brittany, and
he had inherited something. It was thought that he would only have a
quarter of the property, and he had had three-quarters. Besides, it was
a country-seat, and all around this seat, an admirable domain, sixteen
or seventeen hundred hectares. I say it to my shame, Aunt Louise, to my
great shame, the thought of giving in came to me; and then, to be
absolutely frank, it rather pleased me to become a duchess; so mamma
made me out a list of all possible husbands for me, and there was no
other duke in the list but M. de Courtalin. There was, of course, the
little Count of Limiers, who would be duke some day. But when? His
father is forty-five and an athlete, and has an iron constitution. So I
was obliged to admit it when I talked it over with mamma in the evening.
To be duchess it was necessary to agree on M. de Courtalin. Mamma,
however, was perfect, and delightfully gentle. She did not press me, nor
treat me harshly, nor torment me; she waited. Only I knew she had said
to Mme. de Nelly: 'It will be accomplished, my dear, before the 20th of
June. It must be.' Papa was obliged to return to Aix for his complaint.
The 20th of June was the date for his departure. I no longer said, 'No,
no, no!' with that savage energy of the year before. You see, Gontran, I
open my whole heart to you; you will have, I hope, soon the same courage
and sincerity."

"You may be sure of it."

"I was waiting, however--I was waiting for his return. I wished to have
with him a very serious conversation. It is quite true that I felt like
fainting with fear at the mere thought of that explanation; but I was
none the less resolved to speak, and I would speak. It seemed to me
impossible that he had not thought of me sometimes out there in China
and Cochin China. We had always loved each other (till the unhappy day
on which I had become marriageable) with a tender and faithful
affection! I knew that he would arrive in Paris during the night of the
2d or 3d of April. Very certainly the day after he would come and see
us. And so, in fact