"No," said the duchess, overjoyed to have it in her possession at last; "and yet you defeated me by means—"
"Go to!" said Benvenuto; "I threatened you with them, but do you think I would have used them?"
"God in heaven!" cried the duchess, as if the light had suddenly come to her; "that is what it is to have thought that you were like myself!"
The next day, Ascanio and Colombe were married in the chapel at the Louvre, and, notwithstanding the rules of etiquette, the young people obtained permission for Jacques Aubry and his wife to be present.
It was a signal favor, but we must agree that the poor student had well merited it.
XXIII
MARIAGE DE CONVENANCE
A week later, Hermann solemnly espoused Dame Perrine, who brought him as her marriage portion twenty thousand Tours livres, and the assurance that he would soon be a father.
We hasten to say that this assurance had much more to do with the honest German's determination than the twenty thousand Tours livres.
On the evening following the marriage of Colombe and Ascanio, Benvenuto set out for Florence, despite the entreaties of the young husband and wife.