He went through into the kitchen before he met any one, and there he found Madame Voss with the cook and Peter.  Immediate explanations had, of course, to be made as to his unexpected arrival;—­questions asked, and suggestions offered—­’Came he in peace, or came he in war?’ Had he come because he had heard of the betrothals?  He admitted that it was so.  ‘And you are glad of it?’ asked Madame Voss.  ‘You will congratulate her with all your heart?’

‘I will congratulate her certainly,’ said George.  Then the cook and Peter began with a copious flow of domestic eloquence to declare how great a marriage this was for the Lion d’Or—­how pleasing to the master, how creditable to the village, how satisfactory to the friends, how joyous to the bridegroom, how triumphant to the bride!  ’No doubt she will have plenty to eat and drink, and fine clothes to wear, and an excellent house over her head,’ said George in his bitterness.

’And she will be married to one of the most respectable young men in all Switzerland,’ said Madame Voss in a tone of much anger.  It was already quite clear to Madame Voss, to the cook, and to Peter, that George had not come over from Colmar simply to express his joyous satisfaction at his cousin’s good fortune.

He soon walked through into the little sitting-room, and his step-mother followed him.  ‘George,’ she said, ’you will displease your father very much if you say anything unkind about Marie.’

‘I know very well,’ said he, ’that my father cares more for Marie than he does for me.’

‘That is not so, George.’

’I do not blame him for it.  She lives in the house with him, while I live elsewhere.  It was natural that she should be more to him than I am, after he had sent me away.  But he has no right to suppose that I can have the same feeling that he has about this marriage.  I cannot think it the finest thing in the world for all of us that Marie Bromar should succeed in getting a rich young man for her husband, who, as far as I can see, never had two ideas in his head.’

’He is a most industrious young man, who thoroughly understands his business.  I have heard people say that there is no one comes to Granpere who can buy better than he can.’

‘Very likely not.’

‘And at any rate, it is no disgrace to be well off.’

’It is a disgrace to think more about that than anything else.  But never mind.  It is no use talking about it, words won’t mend it.’

‘Why then have you come here now?’

‘Because I want to see my father.’  Then he remembered how false was this excuse; and remembered also how soon its falseness would appear.  ’Besides, though I do not like this match, I wish to see Marie once again before her marriage.  I shall never see her after it.  That is the reason why I have come.  I suppose you can give me a bed.’

‘O, yes, there are beds enough.’  After that there was some pause, and Madame Voss hardly knew how to treat her step-son.  At last she asked him whether he would have dinner, and an order was given to Peter to prepare something for the young master in the small room.  And George asked after the children, and in this way the dreaded subject was for some minutes laid on one side.