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"Youmean，"saidlaPeyrade，seizingtheballinitsbound，"thattogetyououtoftheclawsofthatjuryisathirteenthlaborofHercules，imposeduponmetoearnthehandofMademoiselleColleville？
Iexpectedthatdemandswouldmultiplyinproportiontotheproofsofmydevotion。Butthatistheverythingthathaswornmeout，andI
havecomehereto—daytoputanendtothisslavelaborbygivingbacktoyouyourpledges。YoumaydisposeofCeleste’shand；formypart，I
amnolongerasuitorforit。"
TheunexpectednessandsquarenessofthisdeclarationleftThuillierwithoutwordsorvoice，allthemorebecauseatthismomententeredBrigitte。Thetemperoftheoldmaidhadalsogreatlymoderatedsincethepreviousevening，andhergreetingwasfullofthemostamicablefamiliarity。
"Ah！sohereyouare，yougoodoldbarrister，"shesaid。
"Mademoiselle，yourservant，"hereplied，gravely。
"Well，"shecontinued，payingnoattentiontothestiffnessofhismanner，"thegovernmenthasgotitselfintoaprettymessbyseizingyourpamphlet。Yououghttoseehowthemorningpaperslashit！Here，"
sheadded，givingThuillierasmallsheetprintedonsugar—paper，incoarsetype，andalmostillegible，——"here’sanother，youdidn’tread；
theporterhasjustbroughtitup。Itisapaperfromouroldquarter，’L’EchodelaBievre。’Idon’tknow，gentlemen，ifyou’llbeofmyopinion，butIthinknothingcouldbebetterwritten。Itisdroll，though，howinattentivethesejournalistsare！mostofthemwriteyournamewithouttheH；Ithinkyououghttocomplainofit。"
Thuilliertookthepaper，andreadthearticleinspiredtothereviewerofthetanner’sorganbystomachgratitude。NeverinherlifehadBrigittepaidtheslightestattentiontoanewspaper，excepttoknowifitwastherightsizeforthepackagesshewrappedupinit；
butnow，suddenly，convertedtoaworshipofthepressbytheardorofhersisterlylove，shestoodbehindThuillierandre—read，overhisshoulder，themorestrikingpassagesofthepageshethoughtsoeloquent，pointingherfingertothem。
"Yes，"saidThuillier，foldingupthepaper，"that’swarm，andveryflatteringtome。Buthere’sanothermatter！Monsieurhascometotellmethatherefusestopleadforme，andrenouncesallclaimtoCeleste’shand。"
"Thatistosay，"saidBrigitte，"herenouncesherif，afterhavingpleaded，themarriagedoesnottakeplace’subito。’Well，poorfellow，Ithinkthat’sareasonabledemand。Whenhehasdonethatforusthereoughttobenofurtherdelay；andwhetherMademoiselleCelestelikesitornot，shemustaccepthim，because，youknow，there’sanendtoallthings。"
"Doyouhearthat，mygoodfellow？"saidlaPeyrade，seizinguponBrigitte’sspeech。"WhenIhavepleaded，themarriageistotakeplace。Yoursisterisfranknessitself；she，atleast，doesn’tpractisediplomacy。"
"Diplomacy！"echoedBrigitte。"I’dliketoseemyselfcreepingundergroundinmatters。IsaythingsasIthinkthem。Theworkmanhasworked，andheoughttohavehispay。"
"Dobesilent，"criedThuillier，stampinghisfoot；"youdon’tsayawordthatdoesn’tturntheknifeinthewound。"
"Theknifeinthewound？"saidBrigitte，inquiringly。"Ahca！areyoutwoquarrelling？"
"Itoldyou，"saidThuillier，"thatlaPeyradehadreturnedourpromises；andthereasonhegivesisthatweareaskinghimanotherserviceforCeleste’shand。Hethinkshehasdoneusenoughwithoutit。"
"Hehasdoneussomeservices，nodoubt，"saidBrigitte；"butitseemstomethatwehavenotbeenungratefultohim。Besides，itwashewhomadetheblunder，andIthinkitratheroddheshouldnowwishtoleaveusinthelurch。"
"Yourreasoning，mademoiselle，"saidlaPeyrade，"mighthavesomeappearanceofjusticeifIweretheonlybarristerinParis；butasthestreetsareblackwiththem，andas，onlyyesterday，Thuillierhimselfspokeofengagingsomemoreimportantlawyerthanmyself，I
havenottheslightestscrupleinrefusingtodefendhim。Now，astothemarriage，inorderthatitmaynotbemadetheobjectofanotherbrutalandforcibledemanduponme，Ihererenounceitinthemostformalmanner，andnothingnowpreventsMademoiselleCollevillefromacceptingMonsieurFelixPhellionandallhisadvantages。"
"Asyouplease，mydearmonsieur，"saidBrigitte，"ifthat’syourlastword。WeshallnotbeatalosstofindahusbandforCeleste，——FelixPhellionoranother。Butyoumustpermitmetotellyouthatthereasonyougiveisnotthetrueone。Wecan’tgofasterthanthefiddles。Ifthemarriageweresettledto—day，therearethebannstopublish；youhavesenseenoughtoknowthatMonsieurlemairecan’tmarryyoubeforetheformalitiesarecompliedwith，andbeforethenThuillier’scasewillhavebeentried。"
"Yes，"saidlaPeyrade，"andifIlosethecaseitwillbeIwhohavesenthimtoprison，——justasyesterdayitwasIwhobroughtabouttheseizure。"
"Asforthat，itseemstomethatifyouhadwrittennothingthepolicewouldhavefoundnothingtobite。"
"MydearBrigitte，"saidThuillier，seeinglaPeyradeshrughisshoulders，"yourargumentisviciousinthesensethatthewritingwasnotincriminatingonanyside。ItisnotlaPeyrade’sfaultifpersonsofhighstationhaveorganizedapersecutionagainstme。Yourememberthatlittlesubstitute，MonsieurOlivierVinet，whomCardotbroughttooneofourreceptions。Itseemsthatheandhisfatherarefuriousthatwedidn’twanthimforCeleste，andthey’veswornmydestruction。"
"Well，whydidwerefusehim，"saidBrigitte，"ifitwasn’tforthefineeyesofmonsieurhere？For，afterall，asubstituteinParisisaverysuitablematch。"
"Nodoubt，"saidlaPeyrade，nonchalantly。"Only，hedidnothappentobringyouamillion。"
"Ah！"criedBrigitte，firingup。"Ifyouaregoingtotalkanymoreaboutthathouseyouhelpedustobuy，Ishalltellyouplainlythatifyouhadhadthemoneytotrickthenotaryyouneverwouldhavecomeafterus。Youneedn’tthinkIhavebeenaltogetheryourdupe。Youspokejustnowofabargain，butyouproposedthatbargainyourself。
’GivemeCelesteandI’llgetyouthathouse，’——that’swhatyousaidtousinsomanywords。Besideswhich，wehadtopaylargesumsonwhichwenevercounted。"
"Come，come，Brigitte，"saidThuillier，"youaremakingagreatdealoutofnothing。"
"Nothing！nothing！"exclaimedBrigitte。"Didwe，ordidwenot，havetopaymuchmorethanweexpected？"
"MydearThuillier，"saidlaPeyrade，"Ithink，withyou，thatthematterisnowsettled，anditcanonlybeembitteredbydiscussingitfurther。MycoursewasdecidedonbeforeIcamehere；allthatIhavenowheardcanonlyconfirmit。IshallnotbethehusbandofCeleste，butyouandIcanremaingoodfriends。"
Herosetoleavetheroom。
"Onemoment，monsieur，"saidBrigitte，barringhisway；"thereisonematterwhichIdonotconsidersettled；andnowthatwearenolongertohaveinterestsincommon，IshouldnotbesorryifyouwouldbesogoodastotellmewhathasbecomeofasumoftenthousandfrancswhichThuilliergaveyoutobribethoserascallygovernmentofficesinordertogetthecrosswehavenevergot。"
"Brigitte！"criedThuillier，inanguish，"youhaveadevilofatongue！Yououghttobesilentaboutthat；Itoldittoyouinamomentofill—temper，andyoupromisedmefaithfullynevertoopenyourlipsaboutittoanyone，nomatterwho。"
"SoIdid；but，"repliedtheimplacableBrigitte，"weareparting。
Whenpeopleparttheysettleup；theypaytheirdebts。Tenthousandfrancs！Formypart，Ithoughtthecrossitselfdearatthat；butforacrossthathasmeltedaway，monsieurhimselfwillallowthepriceistoohigh。"
"Come，laPeyrade，myfriend，don’tlistentoher，"saidThuillier，goinguptothebarrister，whowaspalewithanger。"Theaffectionshehasformeblindsher；Iknowverywellwhatgovernmentofficesare，andIshouldn’tbesurprisedifyouhadhadtopayoutmoneyofyourown。"
"Monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade，"Iam，unfortunately，notinapositiontoreturntoyou，instantly，thatmoney，anaccountingforwhichissoinsolentlydemanded。Grantmeashortdelay；andhavethegoodnesstoacceptmynote，whichIamreadytosign，ifthatwillgiveyoupatience。"
"Tothedevilwithyournote！"criedThuillier；"youowemenothing；
onthecontrary，itiswewhooweyou；forCardottoldmeIoughttogiveyouatleasttenthousandfrancsforenablingustobuythismagnificentproperty。"
"Cardot！Cardot！"saidBrigitte；"heisverygenerouswithotherpeople’smoney。WeweregivingmonsieurCeleste，andthat’sagooddealmorethantenthousandfrancs。"
LaPeyradewastoogreatacomediannottoturnthehumiliationhehadjustenduredintoascenefinale。Withtearsinhisvoice，whichpresentlyfellfromhiseyes，heturnedtoBrigitte。
"Mademoiselle，"hesaid，"whenIhadthehonortobereceivedbyyouI
waspoor；youlongsawmesufferingandillatease，knowing，alas！
toowell，theindignitiesthatpovertymustbear。FromthedaythatI
wasabletogiveyouafortunewhichIneverthoughtofformyselfI
havefelt，itistrue，moreassurance；andyourownkindnessencouragedmetoriseoutofmytimidityanddepression。To—day，whenI，byfrankandloyalconduct，releaseyoufromanxiety，——for，ifyouchosetobehonest，youwouldacknowledgethatyouhavebeenthinkingofanotherhusbandforCeleste，——wemigh
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