“You will see,” said the chevalier, deeply moved, “that this Mauprat will yet build up the honour of the family again.  And now, my dear Bernard, I will say no more about business.  I know how I ought to act, and you cannot prevent me from taking such steps as I shall think fit to insure the rehabilitation of my name by yourself.  The only true rehabilitation is guaranteed by your noble sentiments; but there is still another which I know you will not refuse to attempt—­the way to this lies through your talents and intelligence.  You will make the effort out of love for us, I hope.  However, we need not talk of this at present.  I respect your proud spirit, and I gladly renew my offers without conditions.  And now, abbe, I shall be glad if you will accompany me to the town to see my lawyer.  The carriage is waiting.  As for you, children, you can have lunch together.  Come, Bernard, offer your arm to your cousin, or rather, to your sister.  You must acquire some courtesy of manner, since in her case it will be but the expression of your heart.”

“That is true, uncle,” I answered, taking hold of Edmee’s arm somewhat roughly to lead her downstairs.

I could feel her trembling; but the pink had returned to her cheeks, and a smile of affection was playing about her lips.

As soon as we were seated opposite each other at table our happy harmony was chilled in a very few moments.  We both returned to our former state of embarrassment.  Had we been alone I should have got out of the difficulty by one of those abrupt sallies which I knew how to force from myself when I grew too much ashamed of my bashfulness; but the presence of Saint-Jean, who was waiting upon us, condemned me to silence on the subject next to my heart.  I decided, therefore, to talk about Patience.  I asked her how it came to pass that she was on such good terms with him, and in what light I ought to look upon the pretended sorcerer.  She gave me the main points in the history of the rustic philosopher, and explained that it was the Abbe Aubert who had taken her to Gazeau Tower.  She had been much struck by the intelligence and wisdom of the stoic hermit, and used to derive great pleasure from conversation with him.  On his side, Patience had conceived such a friendship for her that for some time he had relaxed his strict habits, and would frequently pay her a visit when he came to see the abbe.

As you may imagine, she had no little difficulty in making these explanations intelligible to me.  I was very much surprised at the praise she bestowed on Patience, and at the sympathy she showed for his revolutionary ideas.  This was the first time I had heard a peasant spoken of as a man.  Besides, I had hitherto looked upon the sorcerer of Gazeau Tower as very much below the ordinary peasant, and here was Edmee praising him above most of the men she knew, and even siding with him against the nobles.  From this I drew the comfortable conclusion that education was not so essential as the chevalier and the abbe would have me believe.