And she despised her husband because he had not despised her enough!
People were always telling her that she was the happiest of women.
Happy! And there were days when she wept when she thought that she
was married. Happy! There were times when she longed to fly, to
seek adventure and pleasure, all that she yearned for, what she had
not had and never would have. The fear of poverty--which she knew
well--restrained her. This fear was caused in part by a wise
precaution which her father, recently dead, had taken. Sauvresy
wished to insert in the marriage-contract a settlement of five
hundred thousand francs on his affianced. The worthy Lechailin had
opposed this generous act.
"My daughter," he said, "brings you nothing. Settle forty thousand
francs on her if you will, not a sou more; otherwise there shall be
no marriage."
As Sauvresy insisted, the old man added:
"I hope that she will be a good and worthy wife; if so, your fortune
will be hers. But if she is not, forty thousand francs will be none
too little for her. Of course, if you are afraid that you will die
first, you can make a will."
Sauvresy was forced to yield.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250