which　made　her　the　mistress　of　her　own　choice　and　allowed　her　to
  bestow　it　as　her　heart　desired。
  But　la　Peyrade　was　not　mistaken　in　his　calculation　when　he　reckoned
  that　the　religious　intolerance　of　the　young　girl　on　one　side；　and　the
  philosophical　inflexibility　of　Phellion's　son　on　the　other；　would
  create　an　invincible　obstacle　to　their　coming　together。
  CHAPTER　III
  GOOD　BLOOD　CANNOT　LIE
  The　evening　of　the　day　on　which　Flavie　had　communicated　to　Celeste　the
  sovereign　orders　of　Thuillier；　the　Phellions　called　to　spend　the
  evening　with　Brigitte；　and　a　very　sharp　engagement　took　place　between
  the　two　young　people。　Mademoiselle　Colleville　did　not　need　to　be　told
  by　her　mother　that　it　would　be　extremely　unbecoming　if　she　allowed
  Felix　to　know　of　the　conditional　approval　that　was　granted　to　their
  sentiments。　Celeste　had　too　much　delicacy；　and　too　much　real　religious
  feeling　to　wish　to　obtain　the　conversion　of　the　man　she　loved　on　any
  other　ground　than　that　of　his　conviction。　Their　evening　was　therefore
  passed　in　theological　debate；　but　love　is　so　strange　a　Proteus；　and
  takes　so　many　and　such　various　forms；　that　though　it　appeared　on　this
  occasion　in　a　black　gown　and　a　mob　cap；　it　was　not　at　all　as
  ungraceful　and　displeasing　as　might　have　been　imagined。　But　Phellion
  junior　was　in　this　encounter；　the　solemnity　of　which　he　little　knew；
  unlucky　and　blundering　to　the　last　degree。　Not　only　did　he　concede
  nothing；　but　he　took　a　tone　of　airy　and　ironical　discussion；　and　ended
  by　putting　poor　Celeste　so　beside　herself　that　she　finally　declared　an
  open　rupture　and　forbade　him　to　appear　in　her　presence　again。
  It　was　just　the　case　for　a　lover　more　experienced　than　the　young
  savant　to　reappear　the　very　next　day；　for　young　hearts　are　never　so
  near　to　understanding　each　other　as　when　they　have　just　declared　the
  necessity　of　eternal　separation。　But　this　law　is　not　one　of
  logarithms；　and　Felix　Phellion；　being　incapable　of　guessing　it；
  thought　himself　positively　and　finally　banished；　so　much　so；　that
  during　the　fifteen　days　granted　to　the　poor　girl　to　deliberate　（as
  says　the　Code　in　the　matter　of　beneficiary　bequests）；　although　he　was
  expected　day　by　day；　and　from　minute　to　minute　by　Celeste；　who　gave　no
  more　thought　to　la　Peyrade　than　if　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the
  question；　the　deplorably　stupid　youth　did　not　have　the　most　distant
  idea　of　breaking　his　ban。
  Luckily　for　this　hopeless　lover；　a　beneficent　fairy　was　watching　over
  him；　and　the　evening　before　the　day　on　which　the　young　girl　was　to
  make　her　decision　the　following　affair　took　place。
  It　was　Sunday；　the　day　on　which　the　Thuilliers　still　kept　up　their
  weekly　receptions。
  Madame　Phellion；　convinced　that　the　housekeeping　leakage；　vulgarly
  called　〃the　basket　dance；〃　was　the　ruin　of　the　best…regulated
  households；　was　in　the　habit　of　going　in　person　to　her　tradespeople。
  From　time　immemorial　in　the　Phellion　establishment；　Sunday　was　the　day
  of　the　〃pot…au…feu；〃　and　the　wife　of　the　great　citizen；　in　that
  intentionally　dowdy　costume　in　which　good　housekeepers　bundle
  themselves　when　they　go　to　market；　was　prosaically　returning　from　a
  visit　to　the　butcher；　followed　by　her　cook　and　the　basket；　in　which
  lay　a　magnificent　cut　of　the　loin　of　beef。　Twice　had　she　rung　her　own
  doorbell；　and　terrible　was　the　storm　gathering　on　the　head　of　the
  foot…boy；　who　by　his　slowness　in　opening　the　door　was　putting　his
  mistress　in　a　situation　less　tolerable　than　that　of　Louis　XIV。；　who
  had　only　ALMOST　waited。　In　her　feverish　impatience　Madame　Phellion　had
  just　given　the　bell　a　third　and　ferocious　reverberation；　when；　judge
  of　her　confusion；　a　little　coupe　drew　up　with　much　clatter　at　the　door
  of　her　house；　and　a　lady　descended；　whom　she　recognized；　at　this
  untimely　hour；　as　the　elegant　Comtesse　Torna　de　Godollo！
  Turning　a　purplish　scarlet；　the　unfortunate　bourgeoise　lost　her　head；
  and；　floundering　in　excuses；　she　was　about　to　complicate　the　position
  by　some　signal　piece　of　awkwardness；　when；　happily　for　her；　Phellion；
  attracted　by　the　noise　of　the　bell；　and　attired　in　a　dressing…gown　and
  Greek　cap；　came　out　of　his　study　to　inquire　what　was　the　matter。　After
  a　speech；　the　pompous　charm　of　which　did　much　to　compensate　for　his
  dishabille；　the　great　citizen；　with　the　serenity　that　never　abandoned
  him；　offered　his　hand　very　gallantly　to　the　lady；　and　having　installed
  her　in　the　salon；　said：
  〃May　I；　without　indiscretion；　ask　Madame　la　comtesse　what　has　procured
  for　us　the　unhoped…for　advantage　of　this　visit？〃
  〃I　have　come；〃　said　the　lady；　〃to　talk　with　Madame　Phellion　on　a
  matter　which　must　deeply　interest　her。　I　have　no　other　way　of　meeting
  her　without　witnesses；　and　therefore；　though　I　am　hardly　known　to
  Madame　Phellion；　I　have　taken　the　liberty　to　call　upon　her　here。〃
  〃Madame；　your　visit　is　a　great　honor　to　this　poor　dwelling。　But　where
  is　Madame　Phellion？〃　added　the　worthy　man；　impatiently；　going　towards
  the　door。
  〃No；　I　beg　of　you；　don't　disturb　her；〃　said　the　countess；　〃I　have
  heedlessly　come　at　a　moment　when　she　is　busy　with　household　cares。
  Brigitte　has　been　my　educator　in　such　matters；　and　I　know　the　respect
  we　ought　to　pay　to　good　housekeepers。　Besides；　I　have　the　pleasure　of
  your　presence；　which　I　scarcely　expected。〃
  Before　Phellion　could　reply　to　these　obliging　words；　Madame　Phellion
  appeared。　A　cap　with　ribbons　had　taken　the　place　of　the　market　bonnet；
  and　a　large　shawl　covered　the　other　insufficiencies　of　the　morning
  toilet。　When　his　wife　arrived；　the　great　citizen　made　as　though　he
  would　discreetly　retire。
  〃Monsieur　Phellion；〃　said　the　countess；　〃you　are　not　one　too　many　in
  the　conference　I　desire　with　madame；　on　the　contrary；　your　excellent
  judgment　will　be　most　useful　in　throwing　light　upon　a　matter　as
  interesting　to　you　as　to　your　wife。　I　allude　to　the　marriage　of　your
  son。〃
  〃The　marriage　of　my　son！〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　with　a　look　of
  astonishment；　〃but　I　am　not　aware　that　anything　of　the　kind　is　at
  present　in　prospect。〃
  〃The　marriage　of　Monsieur　Felix　with　Mademoiselle　Celeste　is；　I　think；
  one　of　your　strongest　desires〃
  〃But　we　have　never；〃　said　Phellion；　〃taken　any　overt　steps　for　that
  object。〃
  〃I　know　that　only　too　well；〃　replied　the　countess；　〃on　the　contrary；
  every　one　in　your　family　seems　to　study　how　to　defeat　my　efforts　in
  that　direction。　However；　one　thing　is　clear　in　spite　of　the　reserve；
  and；　you　must　allow　me　to　say　so；　the　clumsiness　in　which　the　affair
  has　been　managed；　and　that　is　that　the　young　people　love　each　other；
  and　they　will　both　be　unhappy　if　they　do　not　marry。　Now；　to　prevent
  this　catastrophe　is　the　object　with　which　I　have　come　here　this
  morning。〃
  〃We　cannot；　madame；　be　otherwise　than　deeply　sensible　of　the　interest
  you　are　so　good　as　to　show　in　the　happiness　of　our　son；〃　said
  Phellion；　〃but；　in　truth；　this　interest〃
  〃Is　something　so　inexplicable；〃　interrupted　the　countess；　〃that　you
  feel　a　distrust　of　it？〃
  〃Oh！　madame！〃　said　Phellion；　bowing　with　an　air　of　respectful　dissent。
  〃But；〃　continued　the　lady；　〃the　explanation　of　my　proceeding　is　very
  simple。　I　have　studied　Celeste；　and　in　that　dear　and　artless　child　I
  find　a　moral　weight　and　value　which　would　make　me　grieve　to　see　her
  sacrificed。〃
  〃You　are　right；　madame；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃Celeste　is；　indeed；　an
  angel　of　sweetness。〃
  〃As　for　monsieur　Felix；　I　venture　to　interest　myself　because；　in　the
  first　place；　he　is　the　son　of　so　virtuous　a　father〃
  〃Oh；　madame！　I　entreat〃　said　Phellion；　bowing　again。
  〃and　he　also　attracts　me　by　the　awkwardness　of　true　love；　which
  appears　in　all　his　actions　and　all　his　words。　We　mature　women　find　an
  inexpressible　charm　in　seeing　the　tender　passion　under　a　form　which
  threatens　us　with　no　deceptions　and　no　misunderstandings。〃
  〃My　son　is　certainly　not　brilliant；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　a
  faint　tone　of　sharpness；　〃he　is　not　a　fashionable　young　man。〃
  〃But　he　has　the　qualities　that　are　most　essential；〃　replied　the
  countess；　〃and　a　merit　which　ignores　itself；a　thing　of　the　utmost
  consequence　in　all　intellectual　superiority〃
  〃Really；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃you　force　us　to　hear　things　that〃
  〃That　are　not　beyond　the　truth；〃　interrupted　the　countess。　〃Another
  reason　which　leads　me　to　take　a　deep　interest　in　the　happiness　of
  these　young　people　is　that　I　am　not　so　desirous　for　that　of　Monsieur
  Theodose　de　la　Peyrade；　who　is　false　and　grasping。　On　the　ruin　of
  their　hopes　that　man　is　counting　to　carry　out　his　swindling　purposes。〃
  〃It　is　quite　certain；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　there　are　dark　depths　in
  Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　where　light　does　not　penetrate。〃
  〃And　as　I　myself　had　the　misfortune　to　marry　a　man　of　his　description；
  the　thought　of　the　wretchedness　to　which　Celeste　would　be　condemned　by
  so　fatal　a　connection；　impels　me；　in　the　hope　of　saving　her；　to　the
  charitable　effort　which　now；　I　trust；　has　ceased　to　surprise　you。〃
  〃Madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃we　do　not　need　the　conclusive　explanations
  by　which　you　illumine　your　conduct；　but　as　to　the　faults　on　our　part；
  which　have　thwarted　your　generous　efforts；　I　must　declare　that　in
  order　to　avoid　committing　them　in　future；　it　seems　to　me　not　a　little
  desirabl