ose fortune,
united to theirs, would require no change in their way of living.
Thus having settled her account with her daughter, whose patrimony was
acknowledged in the contract, Madame Evangelista could feel at her ease.

"How foolish of me to worry as I did," she thought. "But I wish the
marriage were well over."

So Madame Evangelista, Paul, Natalie, and the two notaries were equally
satisfied with the first day's result. The Te Deum was sung in both
camps,--a dangerous situation; for there comes a moment when the
vanquished side is aware of its mistake. To Madame Evangelista's mind,
her son-in-law was the vanquished side.

CHAPTER IV. THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT--SECOND DAY

The next day Elie Magus (who happened at that time to be in Bordeaux)
obeyed Madame Evangelista's summons, believing, from general rumor as to
the marriage of Comte Paul with Mademoiselle Natalie, that it concerned
a purchase of jewels for the bride. The Jew was, therefore, astonished
when he learned that, on the contrary, he was sent for to estimate the
value of the mother-in-law's property. The instinct of his race, as well
as certain insidious questions, made him aware that the value of the
diamonds was included in the marriage-contract. The stones were not to
be sold, and yet he was to estimate them as if some private person
were buying them from a dealer. Jewellers alone know how to distinguish
between the diamonds of Asia and those of Brazil. The stones of Golconda
and Visapur are known by a whiteness and glittering brilliancy which
others have not,--the water of the Brazilian diamonds having a yellow
tinge which reduces their selling value. Madame Evangelista's necklace
and ear-rings, being composed entirely of Asiatic diamonds, were valued
by Elie Magus at two hundred and fifty thousand francs. As for
the "Discreto," he pronounced it one of the finest diamonds in the
possession of private persons; it was known to the trade and valued at
one hundred thousand francs. On hearing this estimate, which proved to
her the lavishness of her husband, Madame Evangelista asked the old Jew
whether she should be able to obtain that money immediately.

"Madame," replied the Jew, "if you wish to sell I can give you only
seventy-five thousand for the brilliant, and one hundred and sixty
thousand for the necklace and earrings."

"Why such reduction?"

"Madame," replied Magus, "the finer the diamond, the longer we keep it
unsold. The rarity of s