With a desire, therefore, to avoid exposing her to either shock in the first moments of weakness, he forbade any announcement of the sex of the child being made to any one but himself.

The instant that the child was born, he hastened to the bedside to judge for himself whether she could bear the news.

Presently she came to herself; and it seemed to her that the general silence indicated that she had become the mother of a second daughter.

But she desired to be assured of the fact.

"See," said she to Louis, "how reasonable I am.