was her heart also.  She could understand that such a circumstance, affecting one of so little importance as herself, should be nothing to a man like her uncle; but it was everything to her.  George had forgotten her, and she had wept sorely over his want of constancy.  But though telling herself that this certainly was so, she had declared to herself that she would never be untrue till her want of truth had been put beyond the reach of doubt.  Who does not know how hope remains, when reason has declared that there is no longer ground for hoping?

Such had been the state of her mind hitherto; but what would be the good of entertaining hope, even if there were ground for hoping, when, as was so evident, her uncle would never permit George and her to be man and wife?  And did she not owe everything to her uncle?  And was it not the duty of a girl to obey her guardian?  Would not all the world be against her if she refused this man?  Her mind was tormented by a thousand doubts, when her uncle said another word to her, just as they were entering the village.

‘You will try and think better of it;—­will you not, my dear?’ She was silent.  ’Come, Marie, you can say that you will try.  Will you not try?’

‘Yes, uncle,—­I will try.’

Michel Voss went home in a good humour, for he felt that he had triumphed; and poor Marie returned broken-hearted, for she was aware that she had half-yielded.  She knew that her uncle was triumphant.

CHAPTER V.

When Edmond Greisse was back at Granpere he well remembered his message, but he had some doubt as to the expediency of delivering it.  He had to reflect in the first place whether he was quite sure that matters were arranged between Marie and Adrian Urmand.  The story had been told to him as being certainly true by Peter the waiter.  And he had discussed the matter with other young men, his associates in the place, among all of whom it was believed that Urmand was certainly about to carry away the young woman with whom they were all more or less in love.  But when, on his return to Granpere, he had asked a few more questions, and had found that even Peter was now in doubt on a point as to which he had before been so sure, he began to think that there would be some difficulty in giving his message.  He was not without some little fear of Marie, and hesitated to tell her that he had spread the report about her marriage.  So he contented himself with simply announcing to her that George Voss intended to visit his old home.

‘Does my uncle know?’ Marie asked.

‘No;—­you are to tell him,’ said Greisse.

‘I am to tell him!  Why should I tell him?  You can tell him.’