“But she will be thunderstruck when I present to her a son-in-law by telegraph.”

Return of the footman.  It was a despatch for M. Derame.  He opens it.

“It’s from my wife, from Macon, 2.15.”

“Good,” says M. Chamblard; “all goes well, very well.”

“Very disturbed.  Met in the train the son of M. C., of Rue Rougemont, your club friend.  He was presented by Maurice.  You often spoke to me of a possible alliance there.  Evidently he thinks her charming.  Just at present he is talking to her, and looks at her, looks at her.  What shall I do?  Shall I put a stop to it or allow it to continue?  Large fortune, isn’t there?”

M. Derame in his turn showed his despatch to M. Chamblard.  They continued to talk, in high good-humor and in excellent accord, and went on with their game of piquet only after having sent the following two telegrams to the Hotel de Noailles: 

First despatch to Mme. Derame:  “If it pleases you, if it pleases her, yes.  Enormous fortune.”

Second despatch to Raoul:  “Have spoken to D. He is telegraphing to Mme. D. He approves, so do I.”

A footman carried the two despatches at the same time to the telegraph-office in the Place de la Bourse, and during the time that, running over the wires along the railroad, they passed the express towards half-past six in the neighborhood of Saint-Rambert, the Derames, Raoul, and Maurice, in the best possible spirits and in most perfect harmony, dined at the same table, and Martha looked at Raoul, and Raoul looked at Martha, and Mme. Derame said to herself:  “Martha’s falling in love; I know her, she is falling in love.  She fell in love just so last year at a ball with a little youth who was very dandified, but without fortune.  This time, luckily, yes—­Edward told me so—­there is plenty of money; so, naturally, if Martha is willing we are.”

The train ran on, and on, and on; and Raoul talked, and talked, and talked.  He even let slip practical thoughts, raised himself up to general ideas, and developed with force the theory that the first duty of a woman was to be, in all things, refined elegance.  He explained, with endless detail, what the life of an absolutely correct fashionable woman was, what it was to be an absolutely fashionable woman.  He triumphantly took his fashionable woman from Paris to Trouville, from Trouville to Lake Como, from Lake Como to Monte-Carlo.  He drew the trunks of the fashionable woman, marvellous trunks, which were heaped up in the vestibules of first-class hotels.  Besides, he had also invented a trunk.

Then, very tactfully, he put Martha through a little examination, which had nothing in common with the examinations of the Sorbonne or the Hotel de Ville.

“Did she skate?” That’s what he wanted to know first!  He was himself a very distinguished skater.  He needed a sport-loving wife.  He had but just pronounced the word skating when suddenly the young brother (how precious little brothers sometimes are) exclaimed:  “Ah, it’s sister who skates well!  She makes figures-of-eight.  And who swims well, too—­like a fish!”