Xavier Rabourdin, without parents and without fortune other than his situation under government, was proposed to Celestine by her father.

She resisted for a long time; not that she had any personal objection to her suitor, who was young, handsome, and much in love, but she shrank from the plain name of Madame Rabourdin.

Monsieur Leprince assured his daughter that Xavier was of the stock that statesmen came of.

Celestine answered that a man named Rabourdin would never be anything under the government of the Bourbons, etc.

Forced back to his intrenchments, the father made the serious mistake of telling his daughter that her future husband was certain of becoming Rabourdin "de something or other" before he reached the age of admission to the Chamber.