Let us sit down, shall we ?" She felt herself full of confidence and daring.

She burned with fever, but with that fever which, on the field of battle, gives to a soldier ardor, heroism, and disdain of danger.

The emotion which made Bettina's heart beat quicker than usual was a high and generous emotion.

She said to herself: "I will be loved! I will love! I will be happy! I will make him happy! And since he has not sufficient courage to do it, I must have it for both.

I must march alone, my head high, and my heart at ease, to the conquest of our love, to the conquest of our happiness!" From her first words Bettina had gained over the Abbe and Jean a complete ascendancy.