After this conversation, Michel went upstairs to his young friend, and within a quarter of an hour had handed him over to his wife.  It was of course understood now that Marie was not to be troubled till the time came for her to sit down at table with her smart frock.  Michel explained to his wife the full amount of his success, and acknowledged that he felt that Marie was already pretty nearly overcome.

‘She’ll try to be pleasant for my sake this evening,’ he said, ’and so she’ll fall into the way of being intimate with him; and when he asks her to-morrow she’ll be forced to take him.’

It never occurred to him, as he said this, that he was forming a plan for sacrificing the girl he loved.  He imagined that he was doing his duty by his niece thoroughly, and was rather proud of his own generosity.  In the afternoon Adrian Urmand was taken out for a drive to the ravine by Madame Voss.  They both, no doubt, felt that this was very tedious; but they were by nature patient—­quite unlike Michel Voss or Marie—­and each of them was aware that there was a duty to be done.  Adrian therefore was satisfied to potter about the ravine, and Madame Voss assured him at least a dozen times that it was the dearest wish of her heart to call him her nephew-in-law.

At last the time for supper came.  Throughout the day Marie had said very little to any one after leaving her uncle.  Ideas flitted across her mind of various modes of escape.  What if she were to run away—­to her cousin’s house at Epinal; and write from thence to say that this proposed marriage was impossible?  But her cousin at Epinal was a stranger to her, and her uncle had always been to her the same as a father.  Then she thought of going to Colmar, of telling the whole truth to George, and of dying when he refused her--as refuse her he would.  But this was a dream rather than a plan.  Or how would it be if she went to her uncle now at once, while the young man was away at the ravine, and swore to him that nothing on earth should induce her to marry Adrian Urmand?  But brave as Marie was, she was afraid to do this.  He had told her how he suffered when they two did not stand well together, and she feared to be accused by him of unkindness and ingratitude.  And how would it be with her if she did accept the man?  She was sufficiently alive to the necessities of the world to know that it would be well to have a home of her own, and a husband, and children if God would send them.  She understood quite as well as Michel Voss did that to be head-waiter at the Lion d’Or was not a career in life of which she could have reason to be proud.  As the afternoon went on she was in great doubt.  She spread the cloth, and prepared the room for supper, somewhat earlier than usual, knowing that she should require some minutes for her toilet.  It was necessary that she should explain to Peter that he must take upon himself some self-action upon this occasion, and it may be doubted whether she did this with perfect good humour.  She was angry when she had to look for him before she commenced her operations, and scolded him because he could not understand without being told why she went away and left him twenty minutes before the bell was rung.