"Oh," she murmured weakly, "have pity!"
But the words were intercepted by a kiss, and the remembrance of the past, the happiness of the present, resumed their sway; the imaginary terrors were forgotten, and the curtains closed around the marriage- bed.
The next day was a festival in the village of Artigues . Martin returned the visits of all who had come to welcome him the previous night, and there were endless recognitions and embracings . The young men remembered that he had played with them when they were little; the old men, that they had been at his wedding when he was only twelve.
The women remembered having envied Bertrande , especially the pretty Rose, daughter of Marcel, the apothecary, she who had roused the demon of jealousy in, the poor wife's heart. And Rose knew quite well
