de la Rodiere, a somewhat insignificant,
pink-and-white young person, as straight as a poplar. It is true that,
in accordance with the rules laid down for marriageable young ladies,
she scarcely opened her mouth, but her rent-roll of forty thousand
livres spoke quite sufficiently for her. Mme. de Nueil, with a
mother's sincere affection, tried to entangle her son in virtuous
courses. She called his attention to the fact that it was a flattering
distinction to be preferred by Mlle. de la Rodiere, who had refused so
many great matches; it was quite time, she urged, that he should think
of his future, such a good opportunity might not repeat itself, some
day he would have eighty thousand livres of income from land; money
made everything bearable; if Mme. de Beauseant loved him for his own
sake, she ought to be the first to urge him to marry. In short, the
well-intentioned mother forgot no arguments which the feminine
intellect can bring to bear upon the masculine mind, and by these
means she had brought her son into a wavering condition.
Mme. de Beauseant's letter arrived just as Gaston's love of her was
holding out against the temptations of a settled life conformable to
received ideas. That letter decided the day. He made up his mind to
break off with the Marquise and to marry.
"One must live a man's life," said he to himself.
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