ch foolishness, I have heard say; and being, as
it were, almost alone in the world, as if an only brother with an only
sister, to whom, if not to one another, should we speak freely?"

"You need not have made so long a preamble, dear Auguste," I replied
with a smile; "of course, I will answer you; and, when I say that, of
course I will answer truly."

"Well, then, Valerie, do you like this Count de Chavannes?"

"It is an odd question, but--Yes. I do like him."

"Do you love him, Valerie?"

"Oh! Auguste--that is not fair. Besides, he has never spoken to me of
love. He has never--I do not know whether he loves me--I have no reason
to believe that he does."

"No reason!"--he exclaimed, half surprised, half indignant--"no reason!
I should think--but never mind--answer me this; if he did love you, do
you love him or like him enough to take him for your husband?"

"He has spoken to you, Auguste--he has spoken to you!" I exclaimed,
blushing very deeply, but unable to conceal my gratification.

"I am answered, Valerie, by the sparkle of those bright eyes. Yes, he
has spoken to me, dearest sister; and asked my influence with you, and
my permission to address you."

"And you replied--?"

"And I replied, that my permission was a matter of no consequence, for
that you were entirely your own mistress, and that my influence would be
exerted only to induce you to follow your own judgment and inclinations,
and to consult for your own happiness."

"Answered like a good and wise brother. And then he--?"

"Asked, whether I could form any opinion of the state of your feelings.
To which I replied, that I could only say that I had reason to suppose
that your hand and heart were neither of them engaged, and that the
field was open to him if he chose to make a trial. But that I had no
opportunity of judging how you felt toward him. I also said, that I
thought you knew very little of each other, and that his attachment must
have grown up too rapidly to have taken a very strong root. But there I
found I was mistaken. For he assured me that it was from esteem of your
character, and admiration of your energy, courage, and constancy under
adversity, not from the mere prettiness of your face, or niceness of
your manners, that he first began to love you. And I since ascertained
that there is scarce an incident of your life with which he has not made
himself acquainted, and that in the most delicate and guarded manner. I
con