daughters; but the wise old man explained, again and again, how
difficult it would be to have permanent relations with the Duchesse de
Carigliano, who lived in Paris and seldom came to Gondreville, or with
the brilliant Madame Keller, after doing a business in hosiery.

"Your life is lived," he said to his daughter; "find all your
enjoyments henceforth in Cecile, who will certainly be rich enough to
give you an existence as broad and high as you deserve. Choose a
son-in-law with ambition and means, and you can follow her to Paris and
leave that jackass Beauvisage behind you. If I live long enough to see
Cecile's husband I'll pilot you all on the sea of political interests,
as I once piloted others, and you will reach a position equal to that
of the Kellers."

These few words were said before the revolution of July, 1830. Grevin
desired to live that he might get under way the future grandeur of his
daughter, his grand-daughter, and his great-grandchildren. His
ambition extended to the third generation.

When he talked thus, the old man's idea was to marry Cecile to Charles
Keller; he was now grieving over that lost hope, uncertain where to
look in the future. Having no relations with Parisian society, and
seeing in the department of the Aube no other husband for Cecile than
the youthful Marquis de Cinq-Cygne, he was asking himself whether by
the power of gold he could surmount the animosities which the
revolution of July had roused between the royalists who were faithful
to their principles, and their conquerors. The happiness of his
grand-daughter seemed to him so doubtful if he delivered her into the
hands of the proud and haughty Marquise de Cinq-Cygne that he decided
in his own mind to trust to the friend of old age, Time. He hoped that