n of the
girl who had rebuked him. Then he began to remember that she was only a
woman and very young, and she had appealed to his heart--ah, yes, he had
a heart. After all, he was not sure but that her appeal was charming.
Then he thought of her with admiration. This was not the result of
Marie's words--words in themselves are nothing; it is the personality of
the speaker that makes them live or die, and personality is strongest
when nourished long in virtue and silence and prayer. When it came to
pass that the notary actually did the thing Marie told him to do, he
began to think of her even with tenderness in his heart.

Now a very strange thing happened. In about a week the notary called on
Madame Verine a second time; he greeted her with all ceremony, and then
he sat down on a little stiff chair and explained his business in his
own brief, dry way.

Marie was not there. The little _salon_, all polished and shining, gave
faint lights and shadows in answer to every movement of its inmates.
Madame Verine, in a voluminous silk gown, sat all attention, looking at
the notary; she thought he was a very fine man, quite a great personage,
and undoubtedly handsome.

'Madam,' began he, 'I am, as you know, at middle age, yet a bachelor,
and the reason, to be plain with you, is that I have not believed in
women. Pardon me, I would not be rude, but I am a business man. I have
no delusions left, yet it has occurred to me that a young woman who
would make the lives of the saints her rule of life--I do not believe
in such things myself, but--in short, madam, I ask for your daughter in
marriage.'

He said it as if he was doing quite a kind thing, as, indeed, he thought
he was. Madame Verine thought so too, and with great astonishment, and
even some apologies, gave away her daughter with grateful smiles.

Marie was married to the notary, and he made her very happy. At first
she was happy because he had good manners and she had such a loving
heart that she loved him. After a few years he found out that she was
too good for him, and then he became a better man.

X

THE PAUPERS' GOLDEN DAY

Betty Lamb was a comely girl; she was big to look at, being tall and
strong. She was never plump; she was never well clothed, not even in the
best days of her youth. She had been brought up in the work-house; after
that she belonged to no one. Her mind was a little astray: she had
strong, rude, strange ideas of her own; she would not