The house, visited from garret to cellar by old Chaffaroux, was admitted by him to be an admirable construction; poor Grindot, the architect, who was interested with the notary and Claparon in the affair, thought the old man was employed in the interests of the contractor; the old fellow himself thought he was acting in the interests of his niece, and he gave it as his opinion that thirty thousand francs would finish the house.

Thus, in the course of one week la Peyrade became Brigitte's god; and she proved to him by the most naively nefarious arguments that fortune should be seized when it offered itself.
"Well, if there _is_ any sin in the business," she said to him in the middle of the garden, "you can confess it." "The devil!" cried Thuillier, "a man owes himself to his relatives, and you are one of us now." "Then I decide to do it," replied la Peyrade, in a voice of emotion; "but on conditions that I must now distinctly state.

I will not, in marrying Celeste, be accused of greed and mercenary motives.

If you lay remorse upon me, at least you must consent that I shall remain as I am for the present.

Do not settle upon Celeste, my old Thuillier, the future possession of the property I am about to obtain for you--" "You are right." "Don't rob yourself; and let my dear little aunt here act in the same way in relation to the marriage contract.