could become his wife; but still tinting all her thoughts with a rosy hue because of the love which had been declared to her.  She could not but be happy if he really loved her.  And she,—­as she had told him that she loved him,—­would be true to him through everything!  In her present mood she could not speak of herself to her brother, but she took the opportunity of making good the promise which Marie Melmotte had extracted from her.  She gave him some short account of the party, and told him that she had talked with Marie.  ’I promised to give you a message,’ she said.

‘It’s all of no use now,’ said Felix.

’But I must tell you what she said.  I think, you know, that...