"What, M. Touquet has consented to it?" "Yes, yes, I tell you. It's finished. Everything is arranged." The good old woman hardly believed that her ears did not deceive her, but the arrival of her master put an end to her doubts. The barber looked very stern as he approached Marguerite, and the old woman trembled, for she felt that she was in fault. "Marguerite," he said, "I could punish you for having betrayed my confidence, for having, despite my orders, introduced someone into the house. You will tell me, like Blanche, that you have been deceived--and I would wish to think so, besides, as I have forgiven it, it is needless to dwell on what is past. The young man will be Blanche's husband; he will make her happy. You will go with them when they leave this house. I have but one command to lay upon you, and that is to keep this incident from all your gossips in this neighborhood. If you commit the least indiscretion, I'll send you away and you will prevent this marriage from taking place." "Oh, dear nurse, don't say anything about it," cried Blanche. "No, mademoiselle; no, monsieur," responded Marguerite, still trembling, "I swear to you that--" "That's enough," said the barber. "You love Blanche, and her happiness depends upon your discretion. Urbain will come in the evenings only, until the day he takes away his bride." The barber departed after thus speaking, leaving Marguerite still dumbfounded by all that she had heard. "How is this?" said she, following Blanche to her room; "M. Touquet consented to this at once?" "Yes, dear nurse." "I'm not to be sent away." "That surprises me, also; I was so afraid he would refuse Urbain." "Urbain--Urbain--but you don't know him, my child!" "Why, yes, I do, dear nurse, since he is Ursule." "I understand that very well; but Ursule has deceived us." "It was that he might see me that Urbain disguised himself; it was love that made him do it, dear nurse." "Love, indeed! but you cannot yet love him, my child." "Oh, dear nurse, I believe I shall love him very quickly. Urbain was teaching me how to love yesterday, when my protector knocked at the door." "Jesu, Maria! What, my child, in place of calling for help when you saw it was a man?" "I desired to do so at first, but if you only knew! Urbain was not at all alarming, on the contrary; and then he threw himself at my feet and begged my pardon with such a sweet air, with eyes so--O Marguerite, what should I have forgiven him for?" "Good heavens! And your talisman, my girl, did you not have recourse to that?" "Oh, forgive me, dear nurse, I even showed it several times to Urbain." "And it didn't cause him to fly?" "On the contrary, dear nurse, he drew still nearer." "Come, decidedly everything is upside down. It must be that boy is a magician to work such changes in this house. I shall no longer have any faith in his little relic."