Epinal to Granpere, and the house certainly was not felt to be too
small because she was there. Marie soon learned the ways and wishes
of her burly, soft-hearted uncle; would fill his pipe for him, and
hand him his soup, and bring his slippers, and put her soft arm
round his neck, and became a favourite. She was only a child when
she came, and Michel thought it was very pleasant; but in five
years' time she was a woman, and Michel was forced to reflect that
it would not be well that there should be another marriage and
another family in the house while he was so young himself,--there
was at this time a third baby in the cradle,--and then Marie Bromar
had not a franc of dot. Marie was the sweetest eldest daughter in
the world, but he could not think it right that his son should marry
a wife before he had done a stroke for himself in the world.
Prudence made it absolutely necessary that he should say a word to
his son.

Madame Voss was certainly nearly twenty years younger than her
husband, and yet the pair did not look to be ill-sorted. Michel was
so handsome, strong, and hale; and Madame Voss, though she was a
comely woman,--though when she was brought home a bride to Granpere
the neighbours had all declared that she was very handsome,--carried
with her a look of more years than she really possessed. She had
borne many of a woman's cares, and had known much of woman's sorrows
before she had become wife to Michel Voss; and then when the babes
came, and she had settled down as mistress of that large household,
and taught herself to regard George Voss and Marie Bromar almost as
her own children, all idea that she was much younger than her
husband departed from her. She was a woman who desired to excel her
husband in nothing,--if only she might be considered to be in some
things his equal. There was no feeling in the village that Michel