little room downstairs, to scold the servants, and to make the
strangers from a distance believe that her authority was unimpaired.
She was also to receive a moderate annual pension in money in
addition to her board and lodging. For these considerations, and on
condition that George Voss should expend a certain sum of money in
renewing the faded glories of the house, he was to be the landlord
in full enjoyment of all real power on the first of January
following. Madame Faragon, when she had expressed her agreement to
the arrangement, which was indeed almost in all respects one of her
own creation, wept and wheezed and groaned bitterly. She declared
that she would soon be dead, and so trouble him no more.
Nevertheless, she especially stipulated that she should have a new
arm-chair for her own use, and that the feather bed in her own
chamber should be renewed.

'So your cousin Marie is to be married to Adrian Urmand, the young
linen-merchant at Basle,' said Madame Faragon.

'Who says so?' demanded George. He asked his question in a quiet
voice; but, though the news had reached him thus suddenly, he had
sufficient control over himself to prevent any plain expression of
his feelings. The thing which had been told him had gone into his
heart like a knife; but he did not intend that Madame Faragon should
know that he had been wounded.

'It is quite true. There is no doubt about it. Stodel's man with
the roulage brought me word direct from your step-mother.' George
immediately began to inquire within himself why Stodel's man with
the roulage had not brought some word direct to him, and answered
the question to himself not altogether incorrectly. 'O, yes,'