all the world be against her if she refused this man? Her mind was
tormented by a thousand doubts, when her uncle said another word to
her, just as they were entering the village.

'You will try and think better of it;--will you not, my dear?' She
was silent. 'Come, Marie, you can say that you will try. Will you
not try?'

'Yes, uncle,--I will try.'

Michel Voss went home in a good humour, for he felt that he had
triumphed; and poor Marie returned broken-hearted, for she was aware
that she had half-yielded. She knew that her uncle was triumphant.



CHAPTER V.

When Edmond Greisse was back at Granpere he well remembered his
message, but he had some doubt as to the expediency of delivering
it. He had to reflect in the first place whether he was quite sure
that matters were arranged between Marie and Adrian Urmand. The
story had been told to him as being certainly true by Peter the
waiter. And he had discussed the matter with other young men, his
associates in the place, among all of whom it was believed that
Urmand was certainly about to carry away the young woman with whom
they were all more or less in love. But when, on his return to
Granpere, he had asked a few more questions, and had found that even
Peter was now in doubt on a point as to which he had before been so
sure, he began to think that there would be some difficulty in