most unhoped-for match."

And, turning to Mlle. Gilberte:

"For I suppose you have got over your foolish ideas," he uttered.

The young girl shook her head.

"My ideas are the same as they were last night."

"Ah, ah!"

"And so, father, I beg of you, do not insist. Why wrangle and
quarrel? You must know me well enough to know, that, whatever may
happen, I shall never yield."

Indeed, M. Favoral was well aware of his daughter's firmness; for
he had already been compelled on several occasions, as he expressed
it himself, "to strike his flag" before her. But he could not
believe that she would resist when he took certain means of
enforcing his will.

"I have pledged my word," he said.

"But I have not pledged mine, father."

He was becoming excited: his cheeks were flushed; and his little
eyes sparkled.

"And suppose I were to tell you," he resumed, doing at least to his
daughter the honor of controlling his anger: "suppose I were to
tell you that I would derive from this marriage immense, positive,
and immediate advantages?"

"Oh!" she interrupted with a look of disgust, "oh, for mercy's sake!"

"Suppose I were to tell you that I have a powerful interest in it;
that it is indispensable to the success of vast combinations?"

Mlle. Gilberte looked straight at him.

"I would answer you," she exclaimed, "that it does not suit me to
be made use of as an earnest to your combinations. Ah! it's an
operation, is it? an enterprise, a big speculation? and you throw
in your daughter in the bargain as a bonus. Well, no! You can
tell your partner that the thing has fallen through."

M. Favoral's anger was growing with each word.

"I'll see if I can't make you yield," he said.

"You may crush me, perhaps. Make me yield, never!"

"Well, we shall see. You will see--Maxence and you--whether there
are no means by which a father can compel his rebellious children to
submit to his authority."

And, feeling that he was no longer master of himself, he left,
swearing loud enough to shake the plaster from the stair-walls.

Maxence shook with indignation.

"Never," he uttered, "never until now, had I understood the infamy
of my conduct. With a father such as ours, Gilberte, I should be
your protector. And now I am debarred even of the right to
interfere. But never mind, I have the will; and all will soon be
repaired."

Left alone, a few moments after, Mlle. Gilberte was congratulating
herself upon her fir