the daughter to her mother when he brought her back after a waltz, a
little chat followed, and then an invitation in the most natural way
in the world. Once introduced into the house, the dragoon was dazzled
by the hospitality of a family who appeared to conceal their real
wealth beneath a show of careful economy. He was skilfully flattered
on all sides, and every one extolled for his benefit the various
treasures there displayed. A neatly timed dinner, served on plate lent
by an uncle, the attention shown to him by the only daughter of the
house, the gossip of the town, a well-to-do sub-lieutenant who seemed
likely to cut the ground from under his feet--all the innumerable
snares, in short, of the provincial ant-lion were set for him, and to
such good purpose, that Castanier said five years later, "To this day
I do not know how it came about!"

The dragoon received fifteen thousand francs with the lady, who after
two years of marriage, became the ugliest and consequently the most
peevish woman on earth. Luckily they had no children. The fair
complexion (maintained by a Spartan regimen), the fresh, bright color
in her face, which spoke of an engaging modesty, became overspread
with blotches and pimples; her figure, which had seemed so straight,
grew crooked, the angel became a suspicious and shrewish creature who
drove Castanier frantic. Then the fortune took to itself wings. At
length the dragoon, no longer recognizing the woman whom he had
wedded, left her to live on a little property at Strasbourg, until the
time when it should please God to remove her to adorn Paradise. She
was one of those virtuous women who, for want of other occupation,
would weary the life out of an angel with complainings, who pray till
(if their prayers are heard in heaven) they must exhaust the patience
of the Almighty, and say everything that is bad of their husbands in
dovelike murmurs over a game of boston with their neighbors. When