Her aunt thought that the marriage should be settled for the earliest possible day,—­though she never quite expressed her thoughts.  Madame Voss, though she did not generally obtain much credit for clear seeing, had a clearer insight to the state of her niece’s mind than had her husband.  She still believed that Marie’s heart was not with Adrian Urmand.  But, attributing perhaps no very great importance to a young girl’s heart, and fancying that she knew that in this instance the young girl’s heart could not have its own way, she was quite in favour of the Urmand marriage.  And if they were to be married, the sooner the better.  Of that she had no doubt.  ‘It’s best to have it over always as soon as possible,’ she said to her husband in private, nodding her head, and looking much wiser than usual.

‘I won’t have Marie hurried,’ said Michel.

‘We had better say some day next month, my dear,’ said Madame Voss, again nodding her head.  Michel, struck by the peculiarity of her voice, looked into her face, and saw the unaccustomed wisdom.  He made no answer, but after a while nodded his head also, and went out of the room a man convinced.  There were matters between women, he thought, which men can never quite understand.  It would be very bad if there should be any slip here between the cup and the lip; and, no doubt, his wife was right.

It was Madame Voss at last who settled the day,—­the 15th of October, just four weeks from the present time.  This she did in concert with Adrian Urmand, who, however, was very docile in her hands.  Urmand, after he had been accepted, soon managed to bring himself back to that state of mind in which he had before regarded the possession of Marie Bromar as very desirable.  For some four-and-twenty hours, during which he had thought himself to be ill-used, and had meditated a retreat from Granpere, he had contrived to teach himself that he might possibly live without her; but as soon as he was accepted, and when the congratulations of the men and women of Granpere were showered down upon him in quick succession,—­ so that the fact that the thing was to be became assured to him,—­he soon came to fancy again that he was a man as successful in love as he was in the world’s good, and that this acquisition of Marie’s hand was a treasure in which he could take delight.  He undoubtedly would be ready by the day named, and would go home and prepare everything for Marie’s arrival.

They were very little together as lovers during those two days, but it was necessary that there should be an especial parting.  ’She is up-stairs in the little sitting-room,’ Aunt Josey said; and up-stairs to the little sitting-room Adrian Urmand went.

‘I am come to say good-bye,’ said Urmand.

‘Good-bye, Adrian,’ said Marie, putting both her hands in his, and offering her cheek to be kissed.

‘I shall come back with such joy for the 15th,’ said he.