“I do not need much,” said the Baron; “I am breaking up.”

“You eat like an ogre!”

“Just so.  But however much I may eat, I feel my legs get weaker and weaker—­”

“It is from working the lathe,” said his wife.

“I do not know,” said he.

“We will marry Rosalie to Monsieur de Soulas; if you give her les Rouxey, keep the life interest.  I will give them fifteen thousand francs a year in the funds.  Our children can live here; I do not see that they are much to be pitied.”

“No.  I shall give them les Rouxey out and out.  Rosalie is fond of les Rouxey.”

“You are a queer man with your daughter!  It does not occur to you to ask me if I am fond of les Rouxey.”

Rosalie, at once sent for, was informed that she was to marry Monsieur de Soulas one day early in the month of May.

“I am very much obliged to you, mother, and to you too, father, for having thought of settling me; but I do not mean to marry; I am very happy with you.”

“Mere speeches!” said the Baroness.  “You are not in love with Monsieur de Soulas, that is all.”

“If you insist on the plain truth, I will never marry Monsieur de Soulas—­”

“Oh! the never of a girl of nineteen!” retorted her mother, with a bitter smile.

“The never of Mademoiselle de Watteville,” said Rosalie with firm decision.  “My father, I imagine, has no intention of making me marry against my wishes?”

“No, indeed no!” said the poor Baron, looking affectionately at his daughter.

“Very well!” said the Baroness, sternly controlling the rage of a bigot startled at finding herself unexpectedly defied, “you yourself, Monsieur de Watteville, may take the responsibility of settling your daughter.  Consider well, mademoiselle, for if you do not marry to my mind you will get nothing out of me!”

The quarrel thus begun between Madame de Watteville and her husband, who took his daughter’s part, went so far that Rosalie and her father were obliged to spend the summer at les Rouxey; life at the Hotel de Rupt was unendurable.  It thus became known in Besancon that Mademoiselle de Watteville had positively refused the Comte de Soulas.

After their marriage Mariette and Jerome came to les Rouxey to succeed to Modinier in due time.  The Baron restored and repaired the house to suit his daughter’s taste.  When she heard that these improvements had cost about sixty thousand francs, and that Rosalie and her father were building a conservatory, the Baroness understood that there was a leaven of spite in her daughter.  The Baron purchased various outlying plots, and a little estate worth thirty thousand francs.  Madame de Watteville was told that, away from her, Rosalie showed masterly qualities, that she was taking steps to improve the value of les Rouxey, that she had treated herself to a riding habit and rode about; her father, whom she made very happy, who no longer complained of his health, and who was growing fat, accompanied her in her expeditions.  As the Baroness’ name-day grew near—­her name was Louise—­the Vicar-General came one day to les Rouxey, deputed, no doubt, by Madame de Watteville and Monsieur de Soulas, to negotiate a peace between mother and daughter.