as said that the drawing
had been set on its legs by his master, Dequersonniere, who had quietly
obtained this medal for him from the jury over which he presided.
Then the best of it was that this long-awaited reward had decided the
marriage. Ah! it would be nice trafficking if medals were now awarded to
settle needy pupils in rich families! Old Margaillan, like all parvenus,
had set his heart upon having a son-in-law who could help him, by
bringing authentic diplomas and fashionable clothes into the business;
and for some time past he had had his eyes on that young man, that
pupil of the School of Arts, whose notes were excellent, who was so
persevering, and so highly recommended by his masters. The medal aroused
his enthusiasm; he at once gave the young fellow his daughter and took
him as a partner, who would soon increase his millions now lying idle,
since he knew all that was needful in order to build properly. Besides,
by this arrangement poor Regine, always low-spirited and ailing, would
at least have a husband in perfect health.

'Well, a man must be fond of money to marry that wretched flayed
kitten,' repeated Claude.

And as Christine compassionately took the girl's part, he added:

'But I am not down upon her. So much the better if the marriage does not
finish her off. She is certainly not to be blamed, if her father,
the ex-stonemason, had the stupid ambition to marry a girl of the
middle-classes. Her father, you know, has the vitiated blood of
generations of drunkards in his veins, and her mother comes of a stock
in the last stages of degeneracy. Ah! they may coin money, but that
doesn't prevent them from being excrescences on the face of the earth!'

He was growing ferocious, and Christine had to clasp him in her arms and
kiss him, and laugh, to make him once more the good-natured fellow
of earlier days. Then, having calmed down, he professed to understand
things, saying that he approved of the marriages of his old chums. It
was true enough, all three had taken wives unto themselves. How funny
life was!

Once more the summer drew to an end; it was the fourth spent at
Bennecourt. In reality they could never be happier than now; life was
peaceful and cheap in the depths of that village. Since they had been
there they had never lacked money. Claude's thousand francs a year and
the proceeds of the few pictures he had sold had sufficed for their
wants; they had even put something by, and had bought some hou