He had owned that the path of life as
marked out for him by his mother was the one which it behoved him, as
a man, to follow. It was this view of his duties as a man which had
I been specially urged on him with all the capitaine's eloquence.
And old Campan had entirely succeeded. It is so easy to get the
assent of such young men, so weak in mind and so weak in pocket, when
the arguments are backed by a promise of two thousand francs a year.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," at last he said. "I'll get my mother
by herself, and will ask her to let the matter remain as it is for
the present."
"Not if it be a trouble, M. Adolphe;" and the proud girl still held
her hands upon her bosom, and still looked towards the mountain.
"You know what I mean, Marie. You can understand how she and the
capitaine are worrying me."
"But tell me, Adolphe, do you love me?"
"You know I love you, only."
"And you will not give me up?"
"I will ask my mother. I will try and make her yield."
Marie could not feel that she received much confidence from her
lover's promise; but still, even that, weak and unsteady as it was,
even that was better than absolute fixed rejection. So she thanked
him, promised him with tears in her eyes that she would always,
always be faithful to him, and then bade him go down to the house.
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