rests," replied Madame
Evangelista, calmly. "I can reserve to myself only the necessary cost of
living in a convent, and my children can have my property at once. I can
renounce the world, if such anticipated death conduces to the welfare of
my daughter."

"Madame," said the old notary, "let us take time to consider and
weigh, deliberately, the course we had best pursue to conciliate all
interests."

"Good heavens! monsieur," cried Madame Evangelista, who saw defeat
in delay, "everything has already been considered and weighed. I was
ignorant of what the process of marriage is in France; I am a Spaniard
and a Creole. I did not know that in order to marry my daughter it was
necessary to reckon up the days which God may still grant me; that my
child would suffer because I live; that I do harm by living, and by
having lived! When my husband married me I had nothing but my name and
my person. My name alone was a fortune to him, which dwarfed his own.
What wealth can equal that of a great name? My dowry was beauty,
virtue, happiness, birth, education. Can money give those treasures?
If Natalie's father could overhear this conversation, his generous soul
would be wounded forever, and his happiness in paradise destroyed. I
dissipated, foolishly, perhaps, a few of his millions without a quiver
ever coming to his eyelids. Since his death, I have grown economical and
orderly in comparison with the life he encouraged me to lead--Come, let
us break this thing off! Monsieur de Manerville is so disappointed that
I--"

No descriptive language can express the confusion and shock which the
words, "break off," introduced into the conversation. It is enough to
say that these four apparently well-bred persons all talked at once.

"In Spain people marry in the Spanish fashion, or as they please; but
in France they marry according to French law, sensibly, and as best they
can," said Mathias.

"Ah, madame," cried Paul, coming out of his stupefaction, "you mistake
my feelings."

"This is not a matter of feeling," said the old notary, trying to stop
his client from concessions. "We are concerned now with the interests
and welfare of three generations. Have _we_ wasted the missing millions?
We are simply endeavoring to solve difficulties of which we are wholly
guiltless."

"Marry us, and don't haggle," said Solonet.

"Haggle! do you call it haggling to defend the interests of father and
mother and children?" said Mathias.

"Yes," sa