e elegance of his clothes and deportment had
increased tremendously. He wore an undue number of white gloves. Now
that he was too much of a society man, Eveline began to doubt if it was
not worse than being too little of one. Madame Clarence regarded the
engagement with favour. She was reassured concerning her daughter's
future and pleased to have flowers given her every Thursday for her
drawing-room.

The celebration of the marriage raised some difficulties. Eveline was
pious and wished to receive the benediction of the Church. Hippolyte
Ceres, tolerant but a free-thinker, wanted only a civil marriage. There
were many discussions and even some violent scenes upon the subject.
The last took place in the young girl's room at the moment when the
invitations were being written. Eveline declared that if she did not go
to church she would not believe herself married. She spoke of breaking
off the engagement, and of going abroad with her mother, or of retiring
into a convent. Then she became tender, weak, suppliant. She sighed,
and everything in her virginal chamber sighed in chorus, the holy-water
font, the palm-branch above her white bed, the books of devotion on
their little shelves, and the blue and white statuette of St.
Orberosia chaining the dragon of Cappadocia, that stood upon the marble
mantelpiece. Hippolyte Ceres was moved, softened, melted.

Beautiful in her grief, her eyes shining with tears, her wrists girt
by a rosary of lapis lazuli and, so to speak, chained by her faith,
she suddenly flung herself at Hippolyte's feet, and dishevelled, almost
dying, she embraced his knees.

He nearly yielded.

"A religious marriage," he muttered, "a marriage in church, I could
make my constituents stand that, but my committee would not swallow the
matter so easily. . . . Still I'll explain it to them . . . toleration,
social necessities . . . . They all send their daughters to Sunday
school . . . . But as for office, my dear I am afraid we are going to
drown all hope of that in your holy water."

At these words she stood up grave, generous, resigned, conquered also in
her turn.

"My dear, I insist no longer."

"Then we won't have a religious marriage. It will be better, much better
not."

"Very well, but be guided by me. I am going to try and arrange
everything both to your satisfaction and mine."

She sought the Reverend Father Douillard and explained the situation. He
showed himself even more accommodating and y