old Martha enabled Marguerite to accept the life of anguish
and renunciation on which she had entered. This artless, progressive
love was her support. In all his testimonies of affection Emmanuel
showed the natural grace that is so winning, the sweet yet subtile mind
which breaks the uniformity of sentiment as the facets of a diamond
relieve, by their many-sided fires, the monotony of the stone,--adorable
wisdom, the secret of loving hearts, which makes a woman pliant to the
artistic hand that gives new life to old, old forms, and refreshes with
novel modulations the phrases of love. Love is not only a sentiment, it
is an art. Some simple word, a trifling vigilance, a nothing, reveals to
a woman the great, the divine artist who shall touch her heart and yet
not blight it. The more Emmanuel was free to utter himself, the more
charming were the expressions of his love.

"I have tried to get here before Pierquin," he said to Marguerite one
evening. "He is bringing some bad news; I would rather you heard it from
me. Your father has sold all the timber in your forest at Waignies
to speculators, who have resold it to dealers. The trees are already
felled, and the logs are carried away. Monsieur Claes received three
hundred thousand francs in cash as a first instalment of the price,
which he has used towards paying his bills in Paris; but to clear off
his debts entirely he has been forced to assign a hundred thousand
francs of the three hundred thousand still due to him on the
purchase-money."

Pierquin entered at this moment.

"Ah! my dear cousin," he said, "you are ruined. I told you how it
would be; but you would not listen to me. Your father has an insatiable
appetite. He has swallowed your woods at a mouthful. Your family
guardian, Monsieur Conyncks, is just now absent in Amsterdam, and Claes
has seized the opportunity to strike the blow. It is all wrong. I have
written to Monsieur Conyncks, but he will get here too late; everything
will be squandered. You will be obliged to sue your father. The suit
can't be long, but it will be dishonorable. Monsieur Conyncks has no
alternative but to institute proceedings; the law requires it. This
is the result of your obstinacy. Do you now see my prudence, and how
devoted I was to your interests?"

"I bring you some good news, mademoiselle," said young de Solis in his
gentle voice. "Gabriel has been admitted to the Ecole Polytechnique. The
difficulties that seemed in the way have