encouraged by the champagne； which he sent round with a liberal hand。
The band that covered the young artist's eyes was so thick that he
thought his future parents amiable。 He was not above enlivening them
by a few jests in the best taste。 So he too pleased every one。 In the
evening； when the drawing…room； furnished with what Madame Guillaume
called 〃everything handsome；〃 was deserted； and while she flitted from
the table to the chimney…piece； from the candelabra to the tall
candlesticks； hastily blowing out the wax…lights； the worthy draper；
who was always clear…sighted when money was in question； called
Augustine to him； and seating her on his knee； spoke as follows：
〃My dear child； you shall marry your Sommervieux since you insist； you
may； if you like； risk your capital in happiness。 But I am not going
to be hoodwinked by the thirty thousand francs to be made by spoiling
good canvas。 Money that is lightly earned is lightly spent。 Did I not
hear that hare…brained youngster declare this evening that money was
made round that it might roll。 If it is round for spendthrifts； it is
flat for saving folks who pile it up。 Now； my child； that fine
gentleman talks of giving you carriages and diamonds！ He has money；
let him spend it on you； so be it。 It is no concern of mine。 But as to
what I can give you； I will not have the crown…pieces I have picked up
with so much toil wasted in carriages and frippery。 Those who spend
too fast never grow rich。 A hundred thousand crowns； which is your
fortune； will not buy up Paris。 It is all very well to look forward to
a few hundred thousand francs to be yours some day； I shall keep you
waiting for them as long as possible； by Gad！ So I took your lover
aside； and a man who managed the Lecocq bankruptcy had not much
difficulty in persuading the artist to marry under a settlement of his
wife's money on herself。 I will keep an eye on the marriage contract
to see that what he is to settle on you is safely tied up。 So now； my
child； I hope to be a grandfather； by Gad！ I will begin at once to lay
up for my grandchildren； but swear to me； here and now； never to sign
any papers relating to money without my advice； and if I go soon to
join old Father Chevrel； promise to consult young Lebas； your brother…
in…law。〃
〃Yes； father； I swear it。〃
At these words； spoken in a gentle voice； the old man kissed his
daughter on both cheeks。 That night the lovers slept as soundly as
Monsieur and Madame Guillaume。
Some few months after this memorable Sunday the high altar of Saint…
Leu was the scene of two very different weddings。 Augustine and
Theodore appeared in all the radiance of happiness； their eyes beaming
with love； dressed with elegance； while a fine carriage waited for
them。 Virginie； who had come in a good hired fly with the rest of the
family； humbly followed her younger sister； dressed in the simplest
fashion like a shadow necessary to the harmony of the picture。
Monsieur Guillaume had exerted himself to the utmost in the church to
get Virginie married before Augustine； but the priests； high and low；
persisted in addressing the more elegant of the two brides。 He heard
some of his neighbors highly approving the good sense of Mademoiselle
Virginie； who was making； as they said； the more substantial match；
and remaining faithful to the neighborhood； while they fired a few
taunts； prompted by envy of Augustine； who was marrying an artist and
a man of rank； adding； with a sort of dismay； that if the Guillaumes
were ambitious； there was an end to the business。 An old fan…maker
having remarked that such a prodigal would soon bring his wife to
beggary； father Guillaume prided himself /in petto/ for his prudence
in the matter of marriage settlements。 In the evening； after a
splendid ball； followed by one of those substantial suppers of which
the memory is dying out in the present generation； Monsieur and Madame
Guillaume remained in a fine house belonging to them in the Rue du
Colombier； where the wedding had been held； Monsieur and Madame Lebas
returned in their fly to the old home in the Rue Saint…Denis； to steer
the good ship Cat and Racket。 The artist； intoxicated with happiness；
carried off his beloved Augustine； and eagerly lifting her out of
their carriage when it reached the Rue des Trois…Freres； led her to an
apartment embellished by all the arts。
The fever of passion which possessed Theodore made a year fly over the
young couple without a single cloud to dim the blue sky under which
they lived。 Life did not hang heavy on the lovers' hands。 Theodore
lavished on every day inexhaustible /fioriture/ of enjoyment； and he
delighted to vary the transports of passion by the soft languor of
those hours of repose when souls soar so high that they seem to have
forgotten all bodily union。 Augustine was too happy for reflection；
she floated on an undulating tide of rapture； she thought she could
not do enough by abandoning herself to sanctioned and sacred married
love； simple and artless； she had no coquetry； no reserves； none of
the dominion which a worldly…minded girl acquires over her husband by
ingenious caprice； she loved too well to calculate for the future； and
never imagined that so exquisite a life could come to an end。 Happy in
being her husband's sole delight； she believed that her
inextinguishable love would always be her greatest grace in his eyes；
as her devotion and obedience would be a perennial charm。 And； indeed；
the ecstasy of love had made her so brilliantly lovely that her beauty
filled her with pride； and gave her confidence that she could always
reign over a man so easy to kindle as Monsieur de Sommervieux。 Thus
her position as a wife brought her no knowledge but the lessons of
love。
In the midst of her happiness； she was still the simple child who had
lived in obscurity in the Rue Saint…Denis； and who never thought of
acquiring the manners； the information； the tone of the world she had
to live in。 Her words being the words of love； she revealed in them；
no doubt； a certain pliancy of mind and a certain refinement of
speech； but she used the language common to all women when they find
themselves plunged in passion； which seems to be their element。 When；
by chance； Augustine expressed an idea that did not harmonize with
Theodore's； the young artist laughed； as we laugh at the first
mistakes of a foreigner； though they end by annoying us if they are
not corrected。
In spite of all this love…making； by the end of this year； as
delightful as it was swift； Sommervieux felt one morning the need for
resuming his work and his old habits。 His wife was expecting their
first child。 He saw some friends again。 During the tedious discomforts
of the year when a young wife is nursing an infant for the first time；
he worked； no doubt； with zeal； but he occasionally sought diversion
in the fashionable world。 The house which he was best pleased to
frequent was that of the Duchesse de Carigliano； who had at last
attracted the celebrated artist to her parties。 When Augustine was
quite well again； and her boy no longer required the assiduous care
which debars a mother from social pleasures； Theodore had come to the
stage of wishing to know the joys of satisfied vanity to be found in
society by a man who shows himself with a handsome woman； the object
of envy and admiration。
To figure in drawing…rooms with the reflected lustre of her husband's
fame； and to find other women envious of her； was to Augustine a new
harvest of pleasures； but it was the last gleam of conjugal happiness。
She first wounded her husband's vanity when； in spite of vain efforts；
she betrayed her ignorance； the inelegance of her language； and the
narrowness of her ideas。 Sommervieux's nature； subjugated for nearly
two years and a half by the first transports of love； now； in the calm
of less new possession； recovered its bent and habits； for a while
diverted from their channel。 Poetry； painting； and the subtle joys of
imagination have inalienable rights over a lofty spirit。 These
cravings of a powerful soul had not been starved in Theodore during
these two years； they had only found fresh pasture。 As soon as the
meadows of love had been ransacked； and the artist had gathered roses
and cornflowers as the children do； so greedily that he did not see
that his hands could hold no more； the scene changed。 When the painter
showed his wife the sketches for his finest compositions he heard her
exclaim； as her father had done； 〃How pretty！〃 This tepid admiration
was not the outcome of conscientious feeling； but of her faith on the
strength of love。
Augustine cared more for a look than for the finest picture。 The only
sublime she knew was that of the heart。 At last Theodore could not
resist the evidence of the cruel facthis wife was insensible to
poetry； she did not dwell in his sphere； she could not follow him in
all his vagaries； his inventions； his joys and his sorrows； she walked
groveling in the world of reality； while his head was in the skies。
Common minds cannot appreciate the perennial sufferings of a being
who； while bound to another by the most intimate affections； is
obliged constantly to suppress the dearest flights of his soul； and to
thrust down into the void those images which a magic power compels him
to create。 To him the torture is all the more intolerable because his
feeling towards his companion enjoins； as its first law； that they
should have no concealments； but mingle the aspirations of their
thought as perfectly as the effusions of their soul。 The demands of
nature are not to be cheated。 She is as inexorable as necessity； which
is； indeed； a sort of social nature。 Sommervieux took refuge in the
peace and silence of his studio； hoping that the habit of living with
artists might mould his wife and develop in her the dormant germs of
lofty intelligence which some superior minds suppose must exist in
every being。 But Augustine was too sincerely religious not to take
fright at the tone of artists。 At the first dinner Theodore gave； she
heard a young painter say； with the childlike lightness； which to her
was unintelligible； and which redeems a jest from the taint of
profanity； 〃Bu