of Sairmeuse. Who sent you these beautiful flowers?"

Marie-Anne turned crimson. She did not speak for a moment, but at last
she replied, or rather stammered:

"It is--an attention from the Marquis de Sairmeuse."

"So she confesses it!" thought Mlle. de Courtornieu, amazed at what she
was pleased to consider an outrageous piece of impudence.

But she succeeded in concealing her rage beneath a loud burst of
laughter; and it was in a tone of raillery that she said:

"Take care, my dear friend; I am going to call you to account. It is
from my fiance that you are accepting flowers."

"What! the Marquis de Sairmeuse?"

"Has demanded the hand of your friend. Yes, my darling; and my father
has given it to him. It is a secret as yet; but I see no danger in
confiding in your friendship."

She believed that she had inflicted a mortal wound upon Marie-Anne's
heart; but though she watched her closely, she failed to detect the
slightest trace of emotion upon her face.

"What dissimulation!" she thought. Then aloud, and with affected gayety,
she resumed:

"And the country folks will see two weddings at about the same time,
since you, also, are going to be married, my dear."

"I!"

"Yes, you, you little deceiver! Everybody knows that you are engaged to
a young man in the neighborhood, named--wait--I know--Chanlouineau."

Thus the report that annoyed Marie-Anne so much reached her from every
side.

"Everybody is for once mistaken," said she, energetically. "I shall
never be that young man's wife."

"But why? They speak well of him, personally, and he is quite rich."

"Because," faltered Marie-Anne, "because----"

Maurice d'Escorval's name trembled upon her lips; but unfortunately she
did not utter it, prevented by a strange expression on the face of her
friend. How often one's destiny depends upon a circumstance apparently
as trivial as this!

"Impudent, worthless creature!" thought Mlle. Blanche.

Then, in cold and sneering tones, that betrayed her hatred unmistakably,
she said:

"You are wrong, believe me, to refuse this offer. This Chanlouineau
will, at all events, save you from the painful necessity of laboring
with your own hands, and of going from door to door in quest of work
which is refused you. But, no matter; I"--she laid great stress upon
this word--"I will be more generous than your old acquaintances. I have
a great deal of embroidery to be done. I shall send it to you by my
maid, and you two may