“Let us stop here,” said Reine, seating herself on a flat, mossy stone, “we can talk here without fear of being disturbed.”

“No fear of that,” remarked Claudet, with a forced smile, “with the exception of the shepherd of Vivey, who comes here sometimes with his cattle, we shall not see many passers-by.  It must be a secret that you have to tell me, Reine?” he added.

“No;” she returned, “but I foresee that my words will give you pain, my poor Claudet, and I prefer you should hear them without being annoyed by the farm-people passing to and fro.”

“Explain yourself!” he exclaimed, impetuously.  “For heaven’s sake, don’t keep me in suspense!”

“Listen, Claudet.  When you asked my hand in marriage, I answered yes, without taking time to reflect.  But, since I have been thinking over our plans, I have had scruples.  My father is becoming every day more of an invalid, and in his present state I really have no right to live for any one but him.  One would think he was aware of our intentions, for since you have been visiting at the farm, he is more agitated and suffers more.  I think that any change in his way of living would bring on a stroke, and I never should forgive myself if I thought I had shortened his life.  That is the reason why, as long as I have him with me, I do not see that it will be possible for me to dispose of myself.  On the other hand, I do not wish to abuse your patience.  I therefore ask you to take back your liberty and give me back my promise.”

“That is to say, you won’t have me!” he exclaimed.

“No; my poor friend, it means only that I shall not marry so long as my father is living, and that I can not ask you to wait until I am perfectly free.  Forgive me for having entered into the engagement too carelessly, and do not on that account take your friendship from me.”

“Reine,” interrupted Claudet, angrily, “don’t turn your brain inside out to make me believe that night is broad day.  I am not a child, and I see very well that your father’s health is only a pretext.  You don’t want me, that’s all, and, with all due respect, you have changed your mind very quickly!  Only the day before yesterday you authorized me to arrange about the day for the ceremony with the Abbe Pernot.  Now that you have had a visit from the cure, you want to put the affair off until the week when two Sundays come together!  I am a little curious to know what that confounded old abbe has been babbling about me, to turn you inside out like a glove in such a short time.”

Claudet’s conscience reminded him of several rare frolics, chance love-affairs, meetings in the woods, and so on, and he feared the priest might have told Reine some unfavorable stories about him.  “Ah!” he continued, clenching his fists, “if this old poacher in a cassock has done me an ill turn with you, he will not have much of a chance for paradise!”

“Undeceive yourself,” said Reine, quickly, “Monsieur le Cure is your friend, like myself; he esteems you highly, and never has said anything but good of you.”