Industry and
Prudence--Love and Happiness.' And what do you suppose this charming box
contained? Why, a number of lace caps similar to the one I have now on,
pieces for gowns, gloves, ornaments, a beautiful shawl, and this pretty
scarf. Oh, I thought I should lose my senses with delight! But that is
not all. At the bottom of the box I found a handsome pocketbook, with
these words written on a bit of paper affixed to it, 'From a friend to a
friend.' Inside were two folded papers, one addressed to Germain, and
the other to me. In that addressed to Germain was an order for his
appointment as director of a bank for the poor with a salary of four
thousand francs a year; while he found under the envelope, directed to
me, a money order for forty thousand francs on the treasury,--yes,
that's the word; it was called my marriage portion.

"I did not like to take so large a sum, but Madame Georges said to me,
'My dear child, you both can and must accept it, as a recompense for
your prudence, industry, and devotion to those who were in misfortune;
for did you not run the risk of injuring your health, and probably
deprive yourself of your only means of support, by sitting up all night
at work, in order to make up for the time you spent in attending to
others?'"

"Oh, that is quite true," exclaimed Louise, with fervour. "I do not
think there is any one upon earth who would have done all that you have
done, Mademoi--Madame Germain!"

"There's a good girl, she has learned her lesson at last! Well, I said
to the elderly gentleman that I did not merit such a reward, that what
little I had done was purely because it afforded me pleasure. To which
he answered, 'That makes no difference; M. Rodolph is immensely rich,
and he sends you this dowry as a mark of his friendship and esteem, and
your refusal of it would pain him very much indeed. He will himself be
present at your marriage, and then he will compel you to take it.'"

"What a blessing that so charitable a person as M. Rodolph should be
possessed of such riches!"

"Of course it is! But I haven't told you all yet. Oh, Louise, you never
can guess who and what M. Rodolph turns out to be; and to think of my
making him carry large parcels for me! But have a little patience, you
will hear about it directly.

"The night before the marriage the elderly gentleman came again very
late, and in great haste,--it was to tell us that M. Rodolph was ill,
and could not attend the wedding, but t