one heard
him. If Finette had stayed at home, she would doubtless have taken
pity on him; but after putting the spell upon him, she hastened to
the seashore, where, forgetting everything else, she watched for Yvon
in vain.

The moment that the sun set, the tongs fell from the steward's hands.
He did not stop to finish his errand, but ran as if the devil or
justice were at his heels. He made such leaps, he uttered such groans,
he was so blackened, scorched, and benumbed, that every one in the
village was afraid of him, thinking that he was mad. The boldest tried
to speak to him, but he fled without answering, and hid himself in his
house, more ashamed than a wolf that has left his paw in the trap.

At evening, when Finette returned home in despair, instead of the
steward she found another visitor little less formidable. The bailiff
had heard the story of the guineas and had also made up his mind to
marry the stranger. He was not rough, like the steward, but a fat,
good-natured man that could not speak without bursting into a laugh,
showing his great yellow teeth, and puffing and blowing like an ox,
though at heart he was not less obstinate or less threatening than his
predecessor. Finette entreated the bailiff to leave her alone. He
laughed, and hinted to her, in a good-natured way, that, by right of
his office, he had the power to imprison and hang people without
process of law. She clasped her hands and begged him with tears to go.
For his only answer, he took a roll of parchment from his pocket,
wrote on it a contract of marriage, and declared to Finette that,
should he stay all night, he would not leave the house till she had
signed the promise.

"Nevertheless," said he, "if you do not like my person, I have another
parchment here on which I will write an agreement to live apart; and
if my sight annoys you you have only to shut your eyes."

"Why," said Finette, "I might decide to do as you wish if I were sure
of finding a good husband in you; but I am afraid."

"Of what, my dear child?" asked the bailiff, smiling, and already as
proud as a peacock.

"Do you think," said she, with a pettish air, "that a good husband
would leave that door wide open and not know that his wife was
freezing with cold?"

"You are right, my dear," said the bailiff; "it was very stupid in me.
I will go and shut it."

"Have you hold of the knob?" asked Finette.

"Yes, my charmer," answered the happy bailiff; "I am just shutting th