where Bertollon saw her but seldom, but in winter she resided in town.
Their alliance seemed to have been formed not from love, but
convenience and interest.

What made this man still more remarkable to me was his freedom from all
prejudice, in a town which seemed entirely animated by religious
fanaticism, and where he only was an exception. Notwithstanding this
he went frequently to mass, and was himself a member of the fraternity
of the Penitents. "It is so easy," he used to say, "to reconcile men;
we need but pay homage to their prejudices if we cannot combat and
conquer them, and are sure to gain all hearts. He who wages open war
against prejudices is as much a fanatic as he who defends them with
arms."

We nevertheless were often involved in friendly disputes. He
considered happiness the grand end of man, and recognised no bounds in
the choice of means to that end; he derided my ardent zeal for virtue,
called it a work of social order, and proved to me that it assumed
different colours among different nations. His wit sometimes made me
appear ridiculous to myself, by following my cardinal virtues to
different nations, where he always confounded them. But
notwithstanding the danger of these principles, Bertollon was dear to
me, for he always did what was right.

While I thus devoted my time to friendship and the muses, the two
windows and the balcony of the house of De Sonnes were not forgotten.
M. Bertollon had more than once offered to exchange my garret for a
room in his house, which was furnished in costly style, and commanded
an extensive and cheerful prospect. But I would not have exchanged my
poor garret for his best drawing-room, or for the prospect of the
paradise of Languedoc.

By chance--for a singular shyness prevented me from making inquiries--I
learned that the family De Sonnes would, in a few weeks, return to
Nismes, and that they were in great grief for Clementine's sister, who
had died lately.

The few weeks, and, indeed, the quarter passed. As often as I played
the harp, my eye was fixed on those beloved walls, but the family De
Sonnes did not return, and no chance brought me further intelligence.
I was silent, and concealed my love from the world.

The vacation arrived; I hastened to Nismes in hopes of being happier
there. As I passed the chateau on the Vidourle I stopped. All was
closed, though the fields and vineyards were thronged with reapers and
grape-gatherers. I looked fo