Royal。
  〃Hey！　dear　du　Bousquier；〃　said　he；　in　a　jaunty　tone；　so　sure　was　he　of
  success；　〃Monsieur　de　Troisville　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　are　examining
  your　house　like　appraisers。〃
  〃Faith！〃　said　du　Bousquier；　〃if　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　wants　it；　it
  it　is　his　for　forty　thousand　francs。　It　is　useless　to　me　now。　If
  mademoiselle　will　permitit　must　soon　be　known　Mademoiselle；　may　I
  tell　it？　Yes！　Well；　then；　be　the　first；　MY　DEAR　CHEVALIER；　to　hear〃
  ＇Mademoiselle　Cormon　dropped　her　eyes＇　〃of　the　honor　that　mademoiselle
  has　done　me；　the　secret　of　which　I　have　kept　for　some　months。　We　shall
  be　married　in　a　few　days；　the　contract　is　already　drawn；　and　we　shall
  sign　it　to…morrow。　You　see；　therefore；　that　my　house　in　the　rue　du
  Cygne　is　useless　to　me。　I　have　been　privately　looking　for　a　purchaser
  for　some　time；　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde；　who　knew　that　fact；　has
  naturally　taken　Monsieur　de　Troisville　to　see　the　house。〃
  This　falsehood　bore　such　an　appearance　of　truth　that　the　chevalier　was
  taken　in　by　it。　That　〃my　dear　chevalier〃　was　like　the　revenge　taken　by
  Peter　the　Great　on　Charles　XII。　at　Pultawa　for　all　his　past　defeats。
  Du　Bousquier　revenged　himself　deliciously　for　the　thousand　little
  shafts　he　had　long　borne　in　silence；　but　in　his　triumph　he　made　a
  lively　youthful　gesture　by　running　his　hands　through　his　hair；　and　in
  so　doing　heknocked　aside　his　false　front。
  〃I　congratulate　you　both；〃　said　the　chevalier；　with　an　agreeable　air；
  〃and　I　wish　that　the　marriage　may　end　like　a　fairy　tale：　THEY　WERE
  HAPPY　EVER　AFTER；　AND　HADMANYCHILDREN！〃　So　saying；　he　took　a　pinch
  of　snuff。　〃But；　monsieur；〃　he　added　satirically；　〃you　forgetthat　you
  are　wearing　a　false　front。〃
  Du　Bousquier　blushed。　The　false　front　was　hanging　half　a　dozen　inches
  from　his　skull。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　raised　her　eyes；　saw　that　skull　in
  all　its　nudity；　and　lowered　them；　abashed。　Du　Bousquier　cast　upon　the
  chevalier　the　most　venomous　look　that　toad　ever　darted　on　its　prey。
  〃Dogs　of　aristocrats　who　despise　me；〃　thought　he；　〃I'll　crush　you　some
  day。〃
  The　chevalier　thought　he　had　recovered　his　advantage。　But　Mademoiselle
  Cormon　was　not　a　woman　to　understand　the　connection　which　the
  chevalier　intimated　between　his　congratulatory　wish　and　the　false
  front。　Besides；　even　if　she　had　comprehended　it；　her　word　was　passed；
  her　hand　given。　Monsieur　de　Valois　saw　at　once　that　all　was　lost。　The
  innocent　woman；　with　the　two　now　silent　men　before　her；　wished；　true
  to　her　sense　of　duty；　to　amuse　them。
  〃Why　not　play　a　game　of　piquet　together？〃　she　said　artlessly；　without
  the　slightest　malice。
  Du　Bousquier　smiled；　and　went；　as　the　future　master　of　the　house；　to
  fetch　the　piquet　table。　Whether　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　lost　his　head；
  or　whether　he　wanted　to　stay　and　study　the　causes　of　his　disaster　and
  remedy　it；　certain　it　is　that　he　allowed　himself　to　be　led　like　a　lamb
  to　the　slaughter。　He　had　received　the　most　violent　knock…down　blow
  that　ever　struck　a　man；　any　nobleman　would　have　lost　his　senses　for
  less。
  The　Abbe　de　Sponde　and　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　soon　returned。
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　instantly　rose；　hurried　into　the　antechamber；　and
  took　her　uncle　apart　to　tell　him　her　resolution。　Learning　that　the
  house　in　the　rue　du　Cygne　exactly　suited　the　viscount；　she　begged　her
  future　husband　to　do　her　the　kindness　to　tell　him　that　her　uncle　knew
  it　was　for　sale。　She　dared　not　confide　that　lie　to　the　abbe；　fearing
  his　absent…mindedness。　The　lie；　however；　prospered　better　than　if　it
  had　been　a　virtuous　action。　In　the　course　of　that　evening　all　Alencon
  heard　the　news。　For　the　last　four　days　the　town　had　had　as　much　to
  think　of　as　during　the　fatal　days　of　1814　and　1815。　Some　laughed；
  others　admitted　the　marriage。　These　blamed　it；　those　approved　it。　The
  middle　classes　of　Alencon　rejoiced；　they　regarded　it　as　a　victory。　The
  next　day；　among　friends；　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　said　a　cruel　thing：
  〃The　Cormons　end　as　they　began；　there's　only　a　hand's　breadth　between
  a　steward　and　a　purveyor。〃
  CHAPTER　VII
  OTHER　RESULTS
  The　news　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　choice　stabbed　poor　Athanase　Granson
  to　the　heart；　but　he　showed　no　outward　sign　of　the　terrible　agitation
  within　him。　When　he　first　heard　of　the　marriage　he　was　at　the　house　of
  the　chief…justice；　du　Ronceret；　where　his　mother　was　playing　boston。
  Madame　Granson　looked　at　her　son　in　a　mirror；　and　thought　him　pale；
  but　he　had　been　so　all　day；　for　a　vague　rumor　of　the　matter　had
  already　reached　him。
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　the　card　on　which　Athanase　had　staked　his
  life；　and　the　cold　presentiment　of　a　catastrophe　was　already　upon　him。
  When　the　soul　and　the　imagination　have　magnified　a　misfortune　and　made
  it　too　heavy　for　the　shoulders　and　the　brain　to　bear；　when　a　hope　long
  cherished；　the　realization　of　which　would　pacify　the　vulture　feeding
  on　the　heart；　is　balked；　and　the　man　has　faith　neither　in　himself；
  despite　his　powers；　nor　in　the　future；　despite　of　the　Divine　power；
  then　that　man　is　lost。　Athanase　was　a　fruit　of　the　Imperial　system　of
  education。　Fatality；　the　Emperor's　religion；　had　filtered　down　from
  the　throne　to　the　lowest　ranks　of　the　army　and　the　benches　of　the
  lyceums。　Athanase　sat　still；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　Madame　du
  Ronceret's　cards；　in　a　stupor　that　might　so　well　pass　for　indifference
  that　Madame　Granson　herself　was　deceived　about　his　feelings。　This
  apparent　unconcern　explained　her　son's　refusal　to　make　a　sacrifice　for
  this　marriage　of　his　LIBERAL　opinions；the　term　〃liberal〃　having
  lately　been　created　for　the　Emperor　Alexander　by；　I　think；　Madame　de
  Stael；　through　the　lips　of　Benjamin　Constant。
  After　that　fatal　evening　the　young　man　took　to　rambling　among　the
  picturesque　regions　of　the　Sarthe；　the　banks　of　which　are　much
  frequented　by　sketchers　who　come　to　Alencon　for　points　of　view。
  Windmills　are　there；　and　the　river　is　gay　in　the　meadows。　The　shores
  of　the　Sarthe　are　bordered　with　beautiful　trees；　well　grouped。　Though
  the　landscape　is　flat；　it　is　not　without　those　modest　graces　which
  distinguish　France；　where　the　eye　is　never　wearied　by　the　brilliancy
  of　Oriental　skies；　nor　saddened　by　constant　fog。　The　place　is
  solitary。　In　the　provinces　no　one　pays　much　attention　to　a　fine　view；
  either　because　provincials　are　blases　on　the　beauty　around　them；　or
  because　they　have　no　poesy　in　their　souls。　If　there　exists　in　the
  provinces　a　mall；　a　promenade；　a　vantage…ground　from　which　a　fine　view
  can　be　obtained；　that　is　the　point　to　which　no　one　goes。　Athanase　was
  fond　of　this　solitude；　enlivened　by　the　sparkling　water；　where　the
  fields　were　the　first　to　green　under　the　earliest　smiling　of　the
  springtide　sun。　Those　persons　who　saw　him　sitting　beneath　a　poplar；
  and　who　noticed　the　vacant　eye　which　he　turned　to　them；　would　say　to
  Madame　Granson：
  〃Something　is　the　matter　with　your　son。〃
  〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　the　mother　would　reply；　hinting　that　he　was
  meditating　over　some　great　work。
  Athanase　no　longer　took　part　in　politics：　he　ceased　to　have　opinions；
  but　he　appeared　at　times　quite　gay；gay　with　the　satire　of　those　who
  think　to　insult　a　whole　world　with　their　own　individual　scorn。　This
  young　man；　outside　of　all　the　ideas　and　all　the　pleasures　of　the
  provinces；　interested　few　persons；　he　was　not　even　an　object　of
  curiosity。　If　persons　spoke　of　him　to　his　mother；　it　was　for　her　sake；
  not　his。　There　was　not　a　single　soul　in　Alencon　that　sympathized　with
  his；　not　a　woman；　not　a　friend　came　near　to　dry　his　tears；　they
  dropped　into　the　Sarthe。　If　the　gorgeous　Suzanne　had　happened　that
  way；　how　many　young　miseries　might　have　been　born　of　the　meeting！　for
  the　two　would　surely　have　loved　each　other。
  She　did　come；　however。　Suzanne's　ambition　was　early　excited　by　the
  tale　of　a　strange　adventure　which　had　happened　at　the　tavern　of　the
  More；a　tale　which　had　taken　possession　of　her　childish　brain。　A
  Parisian　woman；　beautiful　as　the　angels；　was　sent　by　Fouche　to
  entangle　the　Marquis　de　Montauran；　otherwise　called　〃The　Gars；〃　in　a
  love…affair　（see　〃The　Chouans〃）。　She　met　him　at　the　tavern　of　the　More
  on　his　return　from　an　expedition　to　Mortagne；　she　cajoled　him；　made
  him　love　her；　and　then　betrayed　him。　That　fantastic　powerthe　power
  of　beauty　over　mankind；　in　fact；　the　whole　story　of　Marie　de　Verneuil
  and　the　Garsdazzled　Suzanne；　she　longed　to　grow　up　in　order　to　play
  upon　men。　Some　months　after　her　hasty　departure　she　passed　through　her
  native　town　with　an　artist　on　his　way　to　Brittany。　She　wanted　to　see
  Fougeres；　where　the　adventure　of　the　Marquis　de　Montauran　culminated；
  and　to　stand　upon　the　scene　of　that　picturesque　war；　the　tragedies　of
  which；　still　so　little　known；　had　filled　her　childish　mind。　Besides
  this；　she　had　a　fancy　to　pass　through　Alencon　so　elegantly　equipped
  that　no　one　could　recognize　her；　to　put　her　mother　above　the　reach　of
  necessity；　and　also　to　send　to　poor　Athanase；　in　a　deli