Fortunately she had an aunt settled at Bruxelles, to whom she had been
accustomed once in every year to pay a month's visit, and at that time
she generally took with her the work of a twelvemonths' industry, which
found a readier sale at Bruxelles than at Malines. Lucille and St. Amand
were already betrothed; their wedding was shortly to take place; and the
custom of the country leading parents, however poor, to nourish the
honourable ambition of giving some dowry with their daughters, Lucille
found it easy to hide the object of her departure, under the pretence of
taking the lace to Bruxelles, which had been the year's labour of her
mother and herself,--it would sell for sufficient, at least, to defray
the preparations for the wedding.

"Thou art ever right, child," said Madame le Tisseur; "the richer St.
Amand is, why, the less oughtest thou to go a beggar to his house."

In fact, the honest ambition of the good people was excited; their pride
had been hurt by the envy of the town and the current congratulations on
so advantageous a marriage; and they employed themselves in counting up
the fortune they should be able to give to their only child, and
flattering their pardonable vanity with the notion that there would be no
such great disproportion in the connection after all. They were right,
but not in their own view of the estimate; the wealth that Lucille
brought was what fate could not lessen, reverse could not reach; the
ungracious seasons could not blight its sweet harvest; imprudence could
not dissipate, fraud could not steal, one grain from its abundant
coffers! Like the purse in the Fairy Tale, its use was hourly, its
treasure inexhaustible.

St. Amand alone was not to be won to her departure; he chafed at the
notion of a dowry; he was not appeased even by Lucille's representation