ledge that women found him irresistible that made him press her
hand, gently at first, then harder and harder till he hurt her? Then,
without changing the expression of his face, that no one might notice
him, he said very distinctly: "Oh, Jeanne, if you liked, this might be
our betrothal!"

She slowly bent her head with a movement which perhaps meant "yes"; and
some drops of holy water fell on their hands.

The ceremony was over; the women rose from their knees, and everyone
began to hurry back. The choir-boy let the cross swing from side to
side, or tilt forward till it nearly fell; the cure, no longer praying,
hurried behind him; the choristers and the serpent-player disappeared
down a narrow turning to get back and undress quickly, the sailors
hastened past in twos and threes; a good lunch was waiting for them at
Les Peuples and the very thought of it quickened their pace and made
their mouths water.

Sixty sailors and peasants sat down to the long table laid in the
courtyard under the apple trees. The baroness sat at the middle of the
table with the cure from Yport on one side of her and the Abbe Picot on
the other; opposite her was the baron between the mayor and his wife.
The mayoress was a thin, elderly country woman with a nod for everyone;
her big Normandy cap fitted close round her thin face, making her head,
with its round, astonished-looking eyes, look like a white-tufted
fowl's, and she ate in little jerks as if she were pecking at her plate.

Jeanne was silent, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, her head turned with
joy. At last she asked the vicomte, who was sitting beside her:

"What is your Christian name?"

"Julien," he replied; "did you not know?"

She did not answer him, for she was thinking: "How often I shall repeat
that name to myself."

When lunch was over, the courtyard was left to the sailors. The baroness
began to take her exercise, leaning on the baron and accompanied by the
two priests, and Jeanne and Julien walked down to the wood, and wandered
along its little winding paths. All at once he took her hands in his.

"Tell me," he said, "will you be my wife?"

She hung her head, and he pleaded:

"Do not keep me in suspense, I implore you."

Then she slowly raised her eyes to his, and in that look he read her
answer.

* * * * *

IV

The baron went into Jeanne's room before she was up one morning soon
after the christening of the boat, and sat down