understood too well, and far from discouraging me--that is what forces me
to go."

"No, I do not understand it! I know well, my poor boy, we are speaking
of things in which I am no great scholar, but you are both good, young,
and charming; you love her, she would love you, and you will not!"

"And her money! her money!"

"What matters her money? If it is only that, is it because of her money
that you have loved her? It is rather in spite of her money. Your
conscience, my son, would be quite at peace with regard to that, and that
would suffice."

"No, that would not suffice. To have a good opinion of one's self is not
enough; that opinion must be shared by others."

"Oh, Jean! Among all who know you, who can doubt you?"

"Who knows? And then there is another thing besides this question of
money, another thing more serious and more grave. I am not the husband
suited to her."

"And who could be more worthy than you?"

"The question to be considered is not my worth; we have to consider what
she is and what I am, to ask what ought to be her life, and what ought to
be my life."

"One day, Paul--you know he has rather a blunt way of saying things, but