God endowed her with all the gifts that can adorn a woman.

I hoped that her beauty, the purity of her soul, the nobility of her blood, were treasures quite as precious as gold!" "That is to say, for a gentleman, perhaps; but not for so common a person as a merchant," interrupted Monsieur Denecker, with a sneer.
"Don't reproach me with having _courted_ your nephew," continued De Vlierbeck.

"That is a word that wounds me deeply; for it is unjust.
Their attachment was reciprocal and in every way unstudied.

I thanked God daily in my prayers that he had cast in our path a savior for my child:--yes, a savior, I say; for Gustave is an honorable youth, who would have made her happy not so much by money as by his noble and generous character.

Is it then so great a crime for a father who has unfortunately become poor to hope that his child should escape want ?" "Certainly not," replied the merchant; "but every thing is in _success_; and in that respect, Monsieur De Vlierbeck, your enterprise has been unfortunate.