family。〃
  〃Alas　for　the　child　that　finds　her　happiness　in　resisting　them；〃　said
  the　colonel；　gravely。　〃In　1813　I　saw　one　of　my　comrades；　the　Marquis
  d'Aiglemont；　marry　his　cousin　against　the　wishes　of　her　father；　and
  the　pair　have　since　paid　dear　for　the　obstinacy　which　the　young　girl
  took　for　love。　The　family　must　be　sovereign　in　marriage。〃
  〃My　poet　has　told　me　all　that；〃　she　answered。　〃He　played　Orgon　for
  some　time；　and　he　was　brave　enough　to　disparage　the　personal　lives　of
  poets。〃
  〃I　have　read　your　letters；〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　with　the　flicker　of　a
  malicious　smile　on　his　lips　that　made　Modeste　very　uneasy；　〃and　I
  ought　to　remark　that　your　last　epistle　was　scarcely　permissible　in　any
  woman；　even　a　Julie　d'Etanges。　Good　God！　what　harm　novels　do！〃
  〃We　should　live　them；　my　dear　father；　whether　people　wrote　them　or
  not；　I　think　it　is　better　to　read　them。　There　are　not　so　many
  adventures　in　these　days　as　there　were　under　Louis　XIV。　and　Louis　XV。；
  and　so　they　publish　fewer　novels。　Besides；　if　you　have　read　those
  letters；　you　must　know　that　I　have　chosen　the　most　angelic　soul；　the
  most　sternly　upright　man　for　your　son…in…law；　and　you　must　have　seen
  that　we　love　one　another　at　least　as　much　as　you　and　mamma　love　each
  other。　Well；　I　admit　that　it　was　not　all　exactly　conventional；　I　did；
  if　you　WILL　have　me　say　so；　wrong〃
  〃I　have　read　your　letters；〃　said　her　father；　interrupting　her；　〃and　I
  know　exactly　how　far　your　lover　justified　you　in　your　own　eyes　for　a
  proceeding　which　might　be　permissible　in　some　woman　who　understood
  life；　and　who　was　led　away　by　strong　passion；　but　which　in　a　young
  girl　of　twenty　was　a　monstrous　piece　of　wrong…doing。〃
  〃Yes；　wrong…doing　for　commonplace　people；　for　the　narrow…minded
  Gobenheims；　who　measure　life　with　a　square　rule。　Please　let　us　keep　to
  the　artistic　and　poetic　life；　papa。　We　young　girls　have　only　two　ways
  to　act；　we　must　let　a　man　know　we　love　him　by　mincing　and　simpering；
  or　we　must　go　to　him　frankly。　Isn't　the　last　way　grand　and　noble？　We
  French　girls　are　delivered　over　by　our　families　like　so　much
  merchandise；　at　sixty　days'　sight；　sometimes　thirty；　like　Mademoiselle
  Vilquin；　but　in　England；　and　Switzerland；　and　Germany；　they　follow
  very　much　the　plan　I　have　adopted。　Now　what　have　you　got　to　say　to
  that？　Am　I　not　half　German？〃
  〃Child！〃　cried　the　colonel；　looking　at　her；　〃the　supremacy　of　France
  comes　from　her　sound　common…sense；　from　the　logic　to　which　her　noble
  language　constrains　her　mind。　France　is　the　reason　of　the　whole　world。
  England　and　Germany　are　romantic　in　their　marriage　customs；though
  even　there　noble　families　follow　our　customs。　You　certainly　do　not
  mean　to　deny　that　your　parents；　who　know　life；　who　are　responsible　for
  your　soul　and　for　your　happiness；　have　no　right　to　guard　you　from　the
  stumbling…blocks　that　are　in　your　way？　Good　heavens！〃　he　continued；
  speaking　half　to　himself；　〃is　it　their　fault；　or　is　it　ours？　Ought　we
  to　hold　our　children　under　an　iron　yoke？　Must　we　be　punished　for　the
  tenderness　that　leads　us　to　make　them　happy；　and　teaches　our　hearts
  how　to　do　so？〃
  Modeste　watched　her　father　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye　as　she
  listened　to　this　species　of　invocation；　uttered　in　a　broken　voice。
  〃Was　it　wrong；〃　she　said；　〃in　a　girl　whose　heart　was　free；　to　choose
  for　her　husband　not　only　a　charming　companion；　but　a　man　of　noble
  genius；　born　to　an　honorable　position；　a　gentleman；　the　equal　of
  myself；　a　gentlewoman？〃
  〃You　love　him？〃　asked　her　father。
  〃Father！〃　she　said；　laying　her　head　upon　his　breast；　〃would　you　see　me
  die？〃
  〃Enough！〃　said　the　old　soldier。　〃I　see　your　love　is　inextinguishable。〃
  〃Yes；　inextinguishable。〃
  〃Can　nothing　change　it？〃
  〃Nothing。〃
  〃No　circumstances；　no　treachery；　no　betrayal？　You　mean　that　you　will
  love　him　in　spite　of　everything；　because　of　his　personal　attractions？
  Even　though　he　proved　a　D'Estourny；　would　you　love　him　still？〃
  〃Oh；　my　father！　you　do　not　know　your　daughter。　Could　I　love　a　coward；
  a　man　without　honor；　without　faith？〃
  〃But　suppose　he　had　deceived　you？〃
  〃He？　that　honest；　candid　soul；　half　melancholy？　You　are　joking；
  father；　or　else　you　have　never　met　him。〃
  〃But　you　see　now　that　your　love　is　not　inextinguishable；　as　you　chose
  to　call　it。　I　have　already　made　you　admit　that　circumstances　could
  alter　your　poem；　don't　you　now　see　that　fathers　are　good　for
  something？〃
  〃You　want　to　give　me　a　lecture；　papa；　it　is　positively　l'Ami　des
  Enfants　over　again。〃
  〃Poor　deceived　girl；〃　said　her　father；　sternly；　〃it　is　no　lecture　of
  mine；　I　count　for　nothing　in　it；　indeed；　I　am　only　trying　to　soften
  the　blow。〃
  〃Father；　don't　play　tricks　with　my　life；〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　turning
  pale。
  〃Then；　my　daughter；　summon　all　your　courage。　It　is　you　who　have　been
  playing　tricks　with　your　life；　and　life　is　now　tricking　you。〃
  Modeste　looked　at　her　father　in　stupid　amazement。
  〃Suppose　that　young　man　whom　you　love；　whom　you　saw　four　days　ago　at
  church　in　Havre；　was　a　deceiver？〃
  〃Never！〃　she　cried；　〃that　noble　head；　that　pale　face　full　of　poetry〃
  〃was　a　lie；〃　said　the　colonel　interrupting　her。　〃He　was　no　more
  Monsieur　de　Canalis　than　I　am　that　sailor　over　there　putting　out　to
  sea。〃
  〃Do　you　know　what　you　are　killing　in　me？〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice。
  〃Comfort　yourself；　my　child；　though　accident　has　put　the　punishment　of
  your　fault　into　the　fault　itself；　the　harm　done　is　not　irreparable。
  The　young　man　whom　you　have　seen；　and　with　whom　you　exchanged　hearts
  by　correspondence；　is　a　loyal　and　honorable　fellow；　he　came　to　me　and
  confided　everything。　He　loves　you；　and　I　have　no　objection　to　him　as　a
  son…in…law。〃
  〃If　he　is　not　Canalis；　who　is　he　then？〃　said　Modeste　in　a　changed
  voice。
  〃The　secretary；　his　name　is　Ernest　de　La　Briere。　He　is　not　a　nobleman；
  but　he　is　one　of　those　plain　men　with　fixed　principles　and　sound
  morality　who　satisfy　parents。　However；　that　is　not　the　point；　you　have
  seen　him　and　nothing　can　change　your　heart；　you　have　chosen　him；
  comprehend　his　soul；　it　is　as　beautiful　as　he　himself。〃
  The　count　was　interrupted　by　a　heavy　sigh　from　Modeste。　The　poor　girl
  sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　sea；　pale　and　rigid　as　death；　as　if　a
  pistol　shot　had　struck　her　in　those　fatal　words；　A　PLAIN　MAN；　WITH
  FIXED　PRINCIPLES　AND　SOUND　MORALITY。
  〃Deceived！〃　she　said　at　last。
  〃Like　your　poor　sister；　but　less　fatally。〃
  〃Let　us　go　home；　father；〃　she　said；　rising　from　the　hillock　on　which
  they　were　sitting。　〃Papa；　hear　me；　I　swear　before　God　to　obey　your
  wishes；　whatever　they　may　be；　in　the　AFFAIR　of　my　marriage。〃
  〃Then　you　don't　love　him　any　longer？〃　asked　her　father。
  〃I　loved　an　honest　man；　with　no　falsehood　on　his　face；　upright　as
  yourself；　incapable　of　disguising　himself　like　an　actor；　with　the
  paint　of　another　man's　glory　on　his　cheeks。〃
  〃You　said　nothing　could　change　you〃；　remarked　the　colonel；　ironically。
  〃Ah；　do　not　trifle　with　me！〃　she　exclaimed；　clasping　her　hands　and
  looking　at　her　father　in　distressful　anxiety；　〃don't　you　see　that　you
  are　wringing　my　heart　and　destroying　my　beliefs　with　your　jokes。〃
  〃God　forbid！　I　have　told　you　the　exact　truth。〃
  〃You　are　very　kind；　father；〃　she　said　after　a　pause；　and　with　a　sort
  of　solemnity。
  〃He　has　kept　your　letters；〃　resumed　the　colonel；　〃now　suppose　the　rash
  caresses　of　your　soul　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　one　of　those　poets
  who；　as　Dumay　says；　light　their　cigars　with　them？〃
  〃Oh！you　are　going　too　far。〃
  〃Canalis　told　him　so。〃
  〃Has　Dumay　seen　Canalis？〃
  〃Yes；〃　answered　her　father。
  The　two　walked　along　in　silence。
  〃So　that　is　why　that　GENTLEMAN；〃　resumed　Modeste；　〃told　me　so　much
  harm　of　poets　and　poetry；　no　wonder　the　little　secretary　said　Why；〃
  she　added；　interrupting　herself；　〃his　virtues；　his　noble　qualities；
  his　fine　sentiments　are　nothing　but　an　epistolary　theft！　The　man　who
  steals　glory　and　a　name　may　very　likely〃
  〃break　locks；　steal　purses；　and　cut　people's　throats　on　the
  highway；〃　cried　the　colonel。　〃Ah；　you　young　girls；　that's　just　like
  you；with　your　peremptory　opinions　and　your　ignorance　of　life。　A　man
  who　once　deceives　a　woman　was　born　under　the　scaffold　on　which　he
  ought　to　die。〃
  This　ridicule　stopped　Modeste's　effervescence　for　a　moment　and　least；
  and　again　there　was　silence。
  〃My　child；〃　said　the　colonel；　presently；　〃men　in　society；　as　in　nature
  everywhere；　are　made　to　win　the　hearts　of　women；　and　women　must　defend
  themselves。　You　have　chosen　to　invert　the　parts。　Was　that　wise？
  Everything　is　false　in　a　false　position。　The　first　wrong…doing　was
  yours。　No；　a　man　is　not　a　monster　because　he　seeks　to　please　a　woman；
  it　is　our　right　to　win　her　by　aggression　with　all　its　consequences；
  short　of　crime　and　cowardice。　A　man　may　have　many　virtues　even　if　he
  does　deceive　a　woman；　if　he　deceives　her；　i