te? Every thought, which in the hour of temptation might have
become a reality? He had lost her ring and by this loss had she won
him back. Could she confess to him? It seemed as if his heart would
break when he thought of her; so many recollections passed through his
soul. He saw her a lively, laughing, petulant child; many a loving
word, which she had said to him in the fullness of her heart, shot
like a sunbeam through his breast and soon all there was sunshine for
Babette.

She must be able to confess to him and she should do so.

He came to the mill, he came to confession; and this commenced with a
kiss, and ended with the fact that Rudy was the sinner; his great
fault was, that he had doubted Babette's fidelity; yes, that was
indeed atrocious in him! Such mistrust, such violence could bring them
both into misfortune! Yes, most surely! Thereupon Babette preached him
a little sermon, which much diverted her and became her charmingly; in
one article Rudy was quite right; the god-mother's relation was a
jackanapes! She should burn the book that he had given her, and not
possess the slightest object which could remind her of him.

"Now it is all arranged," said the parlour-cat, "Rudy is here again,
they understand each other and that is a great happiness!"

"Last night," said the kitchen-cat, "I heard the rats say that the
greatest happiness was to eat tallow candles, and to have abundance of
tainted meat. Now who must one believe, the rats or the lovers?"

"Neither of them," said the parlour-cat, "that is the surest way!"

The greatest happiness for Rudy and Babette was drawing near; they
were awaiting, so they said, their happiest day, their wedding day.

But the wedding was not to be in the church of Bex, nor in the
miller's house; the god-mother wished it to be solemnized near her,
and the marriage ceremony was to take place in the beautiful little
church of Montreux. The miller insisted that her desire should be
fulfilled; he alone knew what the god-mother intended for the young
couple; they were to receive a bridal present from her, which was well
worth so slight a concession. The day was appointed. They were to
leave for Villeneuve, in time to arrive at Montreux early in the
morning, and so enable the god-mother's daughters to dress the bride.

"Then I suppose there will be a wedding here in the house, on the
following day," said the parlour-cat, "otherwise, I would not give a
single mew for the whole th