atter," said the old maid, imperiously; "it
is all arranged, and will be carried out, unless, mademoiselle, you
pretend to have more wisdom than your elders."

"I will do as you choose, aunt," replied Celeste, feeling as if a
thunder-cloud had burst upon her head, and knowing but too well that she
had no power to struggle against the iron will which had just pronounced
her doom.

She went at once to pour her sorrows into Madame Thuillier's soul; but
when she heard her godmother advising patience and resignation the poor
child felt that from that feeble quarter she could get no help for even
the slightest effort of resistance, and that her sacrifice was virtually
accomplished.

Precipitating herself with a sort of frenzy into the new element of
activity thus introduced into her life, Brigitte took the field in the
making of the trousseau and the purchase of the corbeille. Like many
misers, who on great occasions come out of their habits and their
nature, the old maid now thought nothing too good for her purpose; and
she flung her money about so lavishly that until the day appointed
for the signing of the contract, the jeweller, dressmaker, milliner,
lingere, etc. (all chosen from the best establishments in Paris), seemed
to occupy the house.

"It is like a procession," said Josephine, the cook, admiringly, to
Francoise, the Minards' maid; "the bell never stops ringing from morning
till night."

CHAPTER XII. A STAR

The dinner on the great occasion was ordered from Chabot and Potel, and
not from Chevet, by which act Brigitte intended to prove her initiative
and her emancipation from the late Madame de Godollo. The invited guests
were as follows: three Collevilles, including the bride, la Peyrade the
groom, Dutocq and Fleury, whom he had asked to be his witnesses, the
extremely limited number of his relatives leaving him no choice, Minard
and Rabourdin, chosen as witnesses for Celeste, Madame and Mademoiselle
Minard and Minard junior, two of Thuillier's colleagues in the
Council-general; the notary Dupuis, charged with the duty of drawing up
the contract, and lastly, the Abbe Gondrin, director of the consciences
of Madame Thuillier and Celeste, who was to give the nuptial blessing.

The latter was the former vicar of Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas, whose
great refinement of manner and gift of preaching had induced the
archbishop to remove him from the humble parish where his career
had begun to the aristocratic c