momentary agitation.

"What can it mean?" she wondered, much disturbed.

Still, it was with the perfect assumption of innocence that she
continued:

"In fact, you must have seen her, this poor Marie-Anne, Monsieur le
Marquis, since her father was the guardian of Sairmeuse?"

"Yes, I have seen her, Mademoiselle," replied Martial, quietly.

"Is she not remarkably beautiful? Her beauty is of an unusual type, it
quite takes one by surprise."

A fool would have protested. The marquis was not guilty of this folly.

"Yes, she is very beautiful," said he.

This apparent frankness disconcerted Mlle. Blanche a trifle; and it was
with an air of hypocritical compassion that she murmured:

"Poor girl! What will become of her? Here is her father, reduced to
delving in the ground."

"Oh! you exaggerate, Mademoiselle; my father will always preserve
Lacheneur from anything of that kind."

"Of course--I might have known that--but where will he find a husband
for Marie-Anne?"