adopted　the　principles　of　Saint　John　Chrysostom；　who　wrote　that　〃the
  virgin　state　is　as　far　above　the　marriage　state　as　the　angel　is　above
  humanity。〃　Accustomed　to　reverence　her　uncle；　Mademoiselle　Cormon
  dared　not　initiate　him　into　the　desires　which　filled　her　soul　for　a
  change　of　state。　The　worthy　man；　accustomed；　on　his　side；　to　the　ways
  of　the　house；　would　scarcely　have　liked　the　introduction　of　a　husband。
  Preoccupied　by　the　sufferings　he　soothed；　lost　in　the　depths　of
  prayer；　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　had　periods　of　abstraction　which　the
  habitues　of　the　house　regarded　as　absent…mindedness。　In　any　case；　he
  talked　little；　but　his　silence　was　affable　and　benevolent。　He　was　a
  man　of　great　height　and　spare；　with　grave　and　solemn　manners；　though
  his　face　expressed　all　gentle　sentiments　and　an　inward　calm；　while　his
  mere　presence　carried　with　it　a　sacred　authority。　He　was　very　fond　of
  the　Voltairean　chevalier。　Those　two　majestic　relics　of　the　nobility
  and　clergy；　though　of　very　different　habits　and　morals；　recognized
  each　other　by　their　generous　traits。　Besides；　the　chevalier　was　as
  unctuous　with　the　abbe　as　he　was　paternal　with　the　grisettes。
  Some　persons　may　fancy　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　used　every　means　to
  attain　her　end；　and　that　among　the　legitimate　lures　of　womanhood　she
  devoted　herself　to　dress；　wore　low…necked　gowns；　and　employed　the
  negative　coquetries　of　a　magnificent　display　of　arms。　Not　at　all！　She
  was　as　heroic　and　immovable　in　her　high…necked　chemisette　as　a　sentry
  in　his　box。　Her　gowns；　bonnets；　and　chiffons　were　all　cut　and　made　by
  the　dressmaker　and　the　milliner　of　Alencon；　two　hump…backed　sisters；
  who　were　not　without　some　taste。　In　spite　of　the　entreaties　of　these
  artists；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　refused　to　employ　the　airy　deceits　of
  elegance；　she　chose　to　be　substantial　in　all　things；　flesh　and
  feathers。　But　perhaps　the　heavy　fashion　of　her　gowns　was　best　suited
  to　her　cast　of　countenance。　Let　those　laugh　who　will　at　this　poor
  girl；　you　would　have　thought　her　sublime；　O　generous　souls！　who　care
  but　little　what　form　true　feeling　takes；　but　admire　it　where　it　IS。
  Here　some　light…minded　person　may　exclaim　against　the　truth　of　this
  statement；　they　will　say　that　there　is　not　in　all　France　a　girl　so
  silly　as　to　be　ignorant　of　the　art　of　angling　for　men；　that
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　is　one　of　those　monstrous　exceptions　which
  commonsense　should　prevent　a　writer　from　using　as　a　type；　that　the
  most　virtuous　and　also　the　silliest　girl　who　desires　to　catch　her　fish
  knows　well　how　to　bait　the　hook。　But　these　criticisms　fall　before　the
  fact　that　the　noble　catholic；　apostolic；　and　Roman　religion　is　still
  erect　in　Brittany　and　in　the　ancient　duchy　of　Alencon。　Faith　and　piety
  admit　of　no　subtleties。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　trod　the　path　of
  salvation；　preferring　the　sorrows　of　her　virginity　so　cruelly
  prolonged　to　the　evils　of　trickery　and　the　sin　of　a　snare。　In　a　woman
  armed　with　a　scourge　virtue　could　never　compromise；　consequently　both
  love　and　self…interest　were　forced　to　seek　her；　and　seek　her
  resolutely。　And　here　let　us　have　the　courage　to　make　a　cruel
  observation；　in　days　when　religion　is　nothing　more　than　a　useful　means
  to　some；　and　a　poesy　to　others。　Devotion　causes　a　moral　ophthalmia。　By
  some　providential　grace；　it　takes　from　souls　on　the　road　to　eternity
  the　sight　of　many　little　earthly　things。　In　a　word；　pious　persons；
  devotes；　are　stupid　on　various　points。　This　stupidity　proves　with　what
  force　they　turn　their　minds　to　celestial　matters；　although　the
  Voltairean　Chevalier　de　Valois　declared　that　it　was　difficult　to
  decide　whether　stupid　people　became　naturally　pious；　or　whether　piety
  had　the　effect　of　making　intelligent　young　women　stupid。　But　reflect
  upon　this　carefully：　the　purest　catholic　virtue；　with　its　loving
  acceptance　of　all　cups；　with　its　pious　submission　to　the　will　of　God；
  with　its　belief　in　the　print　of　the　divine　finger　on　the　clay　of　all
  earthly　life；　is　the　mysterious　light　which　glides　into　the　innermost
  folds　of　human　history；　setting　them　in　relief　and　magnifying　them　in
  the　eyes　of　those　who　still　have　Faith。　Besides；　if　there　be
  stupidity；　why　not　concern　ourselves　with　the　sorrows　of　stupidity　as
  well　as　with　the　sorrows　of　genius？　The　former　is　a　social　element
  infinitely　more　abundant　than　the　latter。
  So；　then；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　guilty　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　of
  the　divine　ignorance　of　virgins。　She　was　no　observer；　and　her　behavior
  with　her　suitors　proved　it。　At　this　very　moment；　a　young　girl　of
  sixteen；　who　had　never　opened　a　novel；　would　have　read　a　hundred
  chapters　of　a　love　story　in　the　eyes　of　Athanase　Granson；　where
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　saw　absolutely　nothing。　Shy　herself；　she　never
  suspected　shyness　in　others；　she　did　not　recognize　in　the　quavering
  tones　of　his　speech　the　force　of　a　sentiment　he　could　not　utter。
  Capable　of　inventing　those　refinements　of　sentimental　grandeur　which
  hindered　her　marriage　in　her　early　years；　she　yet　could　not　recognize
  them　in　Athanase。　This　moral　phenomenon　will　not　seem　surprising　to
  persons　who　know　that　the　qualities　of　the　heart　are　as　distinct　from
  those　of　the　mind　as　the　faculties　of　genius　are　from　the　nobility　of
  soul。　A　perfect；　all…rounded　man　is　so　rare　that　Socrates；　one　of　the
  noblest　pearls　of　humanity；　declared　（as　a　phrenologist　of　that　day）
  that　he　was　born　to　be　a　scamp；　and　a　very　bad　one。　A　great　general
  may　save　his　country　at　Zurich；　and　take　commissions　from　purveyors。　A
  great　musician　may　conceive　the　sublimest　music　and　commit　a　forgery。
  A　woman　of　true　feeling　may　be　a　fool。　In　short；　a　devote　may　have　a
  sublime　soul　and　yet　be　unable　to　recognize　the　tones　of　a　noble　soul
  beside　her。　The　caprices　produced　by　physical　infirmities　are　equally
  to　be　met　with　in　the　mental　and　moral　regions。
  This　good　creature；　who　grieved　at　making　her　yearly　preserves　for　no
  one　but　her　uncle　and　herself；　was　becoming　almost　ridiculous。　Those
  who　felt　a　sympathy　for　her　on　account　of　her　good　qualities；　and
  others　on　account　of　her　defects；　now　made　fun　of　her　abortive
  marriages。　More　than　one　conversation　was　based　on　what　would　become
  of　so　fine　a　property；　together　with　the　old　maid's　savings　and　her
  uncle's　inheritance。　For　some　time　past　she　had　been　suspected　of
  being　au　fond；　in　spite　of　appearances；　an　〃original。〃　In　the
  provinces　it　was　not　permissible　to　be　original：　being　original　means
  having　ideas　that　are　not　understood　by　others；　the　provinces　demand
  equality　of　mind　as　well　as　equality　of　manners　and　customs。
  The　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　seemed；　after　1804；　a　thing　so
  problematical　that　the　saying　〃married　like　Mademoiselle　Cormon〃
  became　proverbial　in　Alencon　as　applied　to　ridiculous　failures。　Surely
  the　sarcastic　mood　must　be　an　imperative　need　in　France；　that　so
  excellent　a　woman　should　excite　the　laughter　of　Alencon。　Not　only　did
  she　receive　the　whole　society　of　the　place　at　her　house；　not　only　was
  she　charitable；　pious；　incapable　of　saying　an　unkind　thing；　but　she
  was　fully　in　accord　with　the　spirit　of　the　place　and　the　habits　and
  customs　of　the　inhabitants；　who　liked　her　as　the　symbol　of　their
  lives；　she　was　absolutely　inlaid　into　the　ways　of　the　provinces；　she
  had　never　quitted　them；　she　imbibed　all　their　prejudices；　she　espoused
  all　their　interests；　she　adored　them。
  In　spite　of　her　income　of　eighteen　thousand　francs　from　landed
  property；　a　very　considerable　fortune　in　the　provinces；　she　lived　on　a
  footing　with　families　who　were　less　rich。　When　she　went　to　her
  country…place　at　Prebaudet；　she　drove　there　in　an　old　wicker　carriole；
  hung　on　two　straps　of　white　leather；　drawn　by　a　wheezy　mare；　and
  scarcely　protected　by　two　leather　curtains　rusty　with　age。　This
  carriole；　known　to　all　the　town；　was　cared　for　by　Jacquelin　as　though
  it　were　the　finest　coupe　in　all　Paris。　Mademoiselle　valued　it；　she　had
  used　it　for　twelve　years；a　fact　to　which　she　called　attention　with
  the　triumphant　joy　of　happy　avarice。　Most　of　the　inhabitants　of　the
  town　were　grateful　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon　for　not　humiliating　them　by
  the　luxury　she　could　have　displayed；　we　may　even　believe　that　had　she
  imported　a　caleche　from　Paris　they　would　have　gossiped　more　about　that
  than　about　her　various　matrimonial　failures。　The　most　brilliant
  equipage　would；　after　all；　have　only　taken　her；　like　the　old　carriole；
  to　Prebaudet。　Now　the　provinces；　which　look　solely　to　results；　care
  little　about　the　beauty　or　elegance　of　the　means；　provided　they　are
  efficient。
  CHAPTER　V
  AN　OLD　MAID'S　HOUSEHOLD
  To　complete　the　picture　of　the　internal　habits　and　ways　of　this　house；
  it　is　necessary　to　group　around　Mademoiselle　Cormon　and　the　Abbe　de
  Sponde　Jacquelin；　Josette；　and　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　employed
  themselves　in　providing　for　the　comfort　of　uncle　and　niece。
  Jacquelin；　a　man　of　forty；　short；　fat；　ruddy；　and　brown；　with　a　face
  like　a　Breton　sailor；　had　bee