So she put Madame Urbain, rather grave, indifferent, and tired, into a chair on her right, smiled brilliantly upon her, and turned her attention upon the two men standing before the fireplace, Hervé and Urbain, one troubled and curious, for he knew her well, and her drift puzzled him, the other gay, serene, and waiting her commands with ready deference. Monsieur Joseph, not much interested, thinking of his talks with the Prefect and Monsieur des Barres, impatient to hurry home and say good night to Riette, sat a little in the background. With all her eagerness, with all her ambition and policy, Adélaïde de Sainfoy flushed and hesitated a little before she set forth her plan. "My friends," she said, "this is a family council. Hervé and I are fortunate, here at Lancilly. We need no longer decide family affairs by our unassisted wits." She smiled on Hervé's cousins, and Urbain bowed; he, at least, recognised the honour that was done them. "A proposal of marriage has been made to me for our daughter Hélène." She spoke to the company, but looked at her husband; there was fear as well as defiance in her eyes. He returned her gaze steadily, slightly frowning. Urbain bowed again, and looked at the floor with an inscrutable countenance. Anne shrugged her shoulders slightly, as if to say, "How does that concern me?" Joseph jumped suddenly from his chair, the colour rushing into his thin brown face, and stood like a point of exclamation. Nobody spoke, not even Hélène's father. "Let me announce to you," said Madame de Sainfoy, still looking at him, "that the personage who has done us this honour is--Monsieur le Général Ratoneau." The moment of dead silence that followed this was broken by a short laugh from the Comte. "Was it worth while to consult a family council?" he said. "I should have thought, my dear Adélaïde, that a word from you might have settled that matter on the spot." Monsieur Joseph said aside: "Honour! It is an insult!" Anne opened her eyes wide with horror, and even Urbain was startled, but he prudently said nothing. "It might--it certainly might--" said Madame de Sainfoy, "if I could have been sure that you would take my view, Hervé." "I imagine that we could hardly differ on such a point!" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "What is your opinion, then? Think well before you speak." "On my honour, no thought is necessary. To speak very mildly, a man of that birth, manners, appearance, is not worth considering at all as a husband for Hélène. Come, it is ridiculous! You cannot have encouraged such an idea, Adélaïde! Was that the subject of all your long conversation? Waste of time, truly!"