n of that vast world of which she was as yet totally
ignorant. Since those who loved her had prepared for her so tenderly
this happiness, she desired to partake thereof, and to enter therein
like a princess coming from some chimerical country, who approaches
the real kingdom where she is to reign for ever. In the same way she
preferred to know nothing, except by hearsay, of the _corbeille_, which
also was waiting for her--a superb gift from her betrothed, the wedding
outfit of fine linen, embroidered with her cipher as marchioness, the
full-dress costumes tastefully trimmed, the old family jewels valuable
as the richest treasures of a cathedral, and the modern jewels in their
marvellous yet delicate mountings, precious stones of every kind, and
diamonds of the purest water. It was sufficient to her that her dream
had come to pass, and that this good future awaited her in her new home,
radiant in the reality of the new life that was opening before her. The
only thing she saw was her wedding-dress, which was brought to her on
the marriage morning.

That day, when she awoke, Angelique, still alone, had in her great bed
a moment of intense exhaustion, and feared that she would not be able to
get up at all. She attempted to do so, but her knees bent under her;
and in contrast to the brave serenity she had shown for weeks past, a
fearful anguish, the last, perhaps, took utter possession of her. Then,
as in a few minutes Hubertine came into the room, looking unusually
happy, she was surprised to find that she could really walk, for she
certainly did not do so from her own strength, but aid came to her
from the Invisible, and friendly hands sustained and carried her. They
dressed her; she no longer seemed to weigh anything, but was so slight
and frail that her mother was astonished, and laughingly begged her not
to move any more if she did not wish to fly quite away. During all the
time of preparing her toilette, the little fresh house of the Huberts,
so close to the side of the Cathedral, trembled under the great
breath of the Giant, of that which already was humming therein, of the
preparations for the ceremony, the nervous activity of the clergy, and
especially the ringing of the bells, a continuous peal of joy, with
which the old stones were vibrating.

In the upper town, for over an hour there had been a glorious chiming
of bells, as on the greatest holy days. The sun had risen in all its
beauty, and on this limpid April