This is the state of men who frequent the avenues of success.

At present he was thinking of a wife, and he approved the epistle to the baroness cordially.
'I do think it a nice kind of letter, and quite humble enough,' said Clotilde.
He agreed, 'Yes, yes: she knows already that this is really serious with me.' So much for the baroness.
Now for their parting.

A parting that is no worse than the turning of a page to a final meeting is made light of, but felt.

Reason is all in our favour, and yet the gods are jealous of the bliss of mortals; the slip between the cup and the lip is emotionally watched for, even though it be not apprehended, when the cup trembles for very fulness.

Clotilde required reassuring and comforting: 'I am certain you will prevail; you must; you cannot be resisted; I stand to witness to the fact,' she sighed in a languor: 'only, my people are hard to manage.