“Yes--yes--yes,” said the sergeant. And barely had he registered the promise in a strong bass voice, when the marquise entered the room. She was almost paralyzed again at the sight of the third party. “Aunt--aunt--this is he who once saved my life; and--and I love him.” “Love! To use the word openly, like that!” “But, marquise, this is Tony--her husband!” “Silence, sir--the Duke of Krakentorp is Marie’s husband. Love, indeed! A soldier--a common soldier!” “Pardon me, marquise--but Tony is a captain now.” “Then, if he is an officer, he knows, I presume, the laws of good breeding; and when I tell him his presence is distasteful,”--here the grand lady curtseyed, for the captain, without another word, retired, but not without a certain look from Sulpice, who, having given the promise, was proceeding to keep it. He looked Tony from the presence of the marquise, and then he looked Marie also from her presence. “Ah, I would speak to you alone, Sulpice.” “And I have a precisely similar desire, marquise.” “You know I am determined on her marrying the duke.” “Ah!” “And I depend on _you_ to bring Marie to reason.” “Ah!” “And I think when you have heard me, you _will_ bring Marie to reason. If you do not--no one will--for she loves you better than me--though I’m ... her ... aunt.” “Ah!” “Did you ever fall in love?” “Par-r-r-rbleu.” “_I_ have fallen in love. _I_, ridiculous and fantastic as you think me.” “Not at all, marquise--not at all.” “And I have been married--and to a soldier!” “Cor-r-r-r-rbleu.” “And knowing the misery I suffered from that marriage--knowing the misery which _must_ follow all such matches--” “I don’t see it.” “You don’t see as the wife, sergeant--I would not wish such a marriage for my daughter--if I had a daughter.” “Ah!” “And--and I have a daughter.” “Par-r-r-rbleu!--what’s her name?” “Marie!--Yes. She is my daughter. And now, sergeant--if you would oppose the aunt, you will not oppose the mother. I tell you a marriage with the captain would be misery. So you will persuade her to marry the duke--a man of high character, I assure you, sergeant.” “I--yes--certainly.” “Then go at once to her, for I hear a carriage at the door.” Away went the sergeant--as dejected as though the brave eleventh had been signally defeated and cut to shreds. “Ting--ting”--went the castle bell. The visitors came pouring in, and amongst them the duke and his mother, the duchess; with the inevitable notary. When Marie came in with the sergeant, she ran to the marquise, and embraced her with more warmth than she had ever shown. In one dismal word or two she promised to obey her newly-found mother. Then the preparations went on for signing the unavoidable contract.