everywhere, and seen
everything. To my wife he gave the pharmaceutic recipes of his own land,
to my daughter he taught the melodies of the Ukraine. We were positively
enchanted with him all of us, and when I turned my face homeward on a
rainy evening, I thought with pleasure that I should find so congenial a
person at my fireside. My wife resisted somewhat the general enthusiasm,
but as it was rather her habit to cultivate a certain distrust as a
balance to my recklessness, I paid little attention. Meanwhile our
invalid was quite well enough to return to Paris, but he did not go, and
I did not ask either myself or him why he lingered.

"One day my wife said, 'M. Nadine must explain why he comes so often to
the house; people are beginning to gossip about Madeleine and himself.'

"'What nonsense!' I exclaimed. I had the absurd notion that the count
lingered at Etiolles on my account; I thought he liked our long talks,
idiot that I was. Had I looked at my daughter when he entered the
room, I should have seen her change color and bend assiduously over her
embroidery all the while he was there. But there are no eyes so blind
as those which will not see; and I chose to be blind. Finally, when
Madeleine acknowledged to her mother that they loved each other, I went
to find the comte to force an explanation.

"He loved my daughter, he said, and asked me for her hand, although he
wished me to understand the obstacles that would be thrown in the way by
his family. He said, however, that he was of an age to act for himself,
and that he had some small income, which, added to the amount that I
could give Madeleine, would secure their comfort.

"A great disproportion of fortune would have terrified me, while the
very moderation of his resources attracted me. And then his air of
lordly decision, his promptness in arranging everything, was singularly
attractive. In short, he was installed in the house as my future
son-in-law, without my asking too curiously by what door he entered. I
realized that there was something a little irregular in the affair, but
my daughter was very happy; and when her mother said, 'We must know more
before we give up our daughter,' I laughed at her, I was so certain
that all was right. One day I spoke of him to M. Vieville, one of the
huntsmen.

"'Indeed, I know nothing of the Comte Nadine,' he said; 'he strikes me
as an excellent fellow. I know that he bears a celebrated name, and that
he is well educate