But Urmand was determined not to be beaten. He intended to return
to Basle on the next day but one, and desired to put this matter a
little in forwardness before he took his departure. On the
following morning he had various appointments to keep with
countrymen and their wives, who sold linen to him, but he was quick
over his business and managed to get back to the inn early in the
afternoon. From six till eight he well knew that Marie would allow
nothing to impede her in the grand work of preparing for supper; but
at four o'clock she would certainly be sitting somewhere about the
house with her needle in her hand. At four o'clock he found her,
not with her needle in her hand, but, better still, perfectly idle.
She was standing at an open window, looking out upon the garden as
he came behind her, standing motionless with both hands on the sill
of the window, thinking deeply of something that filled her mind.
It might be that she was thinking of him.

'I have done with my customers now, and I shall be off to Basle to-
morrow,' said he, as soon as she had looked round at the sound of
his footsteps and perceived that he was close to her.

'I hope you have bought your goods well, M. Urmand.'

'Ah! for the matter of that the time for buying things well is clean
gone. One used to be able to buy well; but there is not an old
woman now in Alsace who doesn't know as well as I do, or better,
what linen is worth in Berne and Paris. They expect to get nearly
as much for it here at Granpere.'

'They work hard, M. Urmand, and things are dearer than they were.
It is well that they should get a price for their labour.'