And I must explain to you, my dear, that this is a matter in which
your religious duty is specially in question. You have been
betrothed, you know, to M. Urmand.'

'But people betrothed are very often not married,' said Marie
quickly. 'There was Annette Lolme at Saint Die. She was betrothed
to Jean Stein at Pugnac. That was only last winter. And then there
was something wrong about the money; and the betrothal went for
nothing, and Father Carrier himself said it was all right. If it
was all right for Annette Lolme, it must be all right for me as far
as betrothing goes.'

The story that Marie told so clearly was perfectly true, and M. le
Cure Gondin knew that it was true. He wished now to teach Marie
that if certain circumstances should occur after a betrothal which
would make the marriage inexpedient in the eyes of the parents of
the young people, then the authority of the Church would not exert
itself to insist on the sacred nature of the pledge;--but that if
the pledge was to be called in question simply at the instance of a
capricious young woman, then the Church would have full power. His
object, in short, was to insist on parental authority, giving to
parental authority some little additional strength from his own
sacerdotal recognition of the sanctity of the betrothing promise.
But he feared that Marie would be too strong for him, if not also
too clear-headed. 'You cannot mean to tell me,' said he, 'that you
think such a solemn promise as you have given to this young man,
taking one from him as solemn in return, is to go for nothing?'

'I am very sorry that I promised,--very sorry indeed; but I cannot
keep my promise.'