man
who will fulfil his promises. I have my daughter's happiness too much
at heart to give her to a man who did not produce--what do you call
them?--securities, guarantees."

"Decidedly," thought Fauvel with mortification, "we are making a bargain
and sale."

Then he said aloud:

"Of course, your son-in-law would bind himself in the marriage contract
to--"

"Never! monsieur, never! Put such an agreement in the marriage contract!
Think of the impropriety of the thing! What would the world say?"

"Permit me, madame, to suggest that your pension should be mentioned as
the interest of a sum acknowledged to have been received from you."

"Well, that might do very well; that is very proper."

The countess insisted upon taking Andre home in her carriage. During
the drive, no definite plan was agreed upon between them; but they
understood each other so well, that, when the countess set the young
engineer down at his own door, she invited him to dinner the next day,
and held out her skinny hand which Andre kissed with devotion, as he
thought of the rosy fingers of Valentine.

When Mme. de la Verberie returned home, the servants were dumb with
astonishment at her good-humor: they had not seen her in this happy
frame of mind for years.

And her day's work was of a nature to elevate her spirits: she had been
unexpectedly raised from poverty to affluence. She, who boasted of
such proud sentiments, never stopped to think of the infamy of the
transaction in which she had been engaged: it seemed quite right in her
selfish eyes.

"A pension of six thousand francs!" she thought, "and a thousand crowns
from the estate, that makes nine thousand francs a year! My daughter
will live in Paris after she is married, and I can spend the winters
with my dear children without expense."

At this price, she would have sold, not only one, but three daughters,
if she had possessed them.

But suddenly her blood ran cold at a sudden thought, which crossed her
mind.

"Would Valentine consent?"

Her anxiety to set her mind at rest sent her straightway to her
daughter's room. She found Valentine reading by the light of a
flickering candle.

"My daughter," she said abruptly, "an estimable young man has demanded
your hand in marriage, and I have promised it to him."

On this startling announcement, Valentine started up and clasped her
hands.

"Impossible!" she murmured, "impossible!"

"Will you be good enough to explain why it is im