As they walked side by side she began to speak rapidly.
"Well, this amusing thing I have seen! Listen! I was at the top of the valley that leads to Orvillière Farm this morning when, all at once, I saw a cart coming along. In it was a big chest made of oak and carved all over; and besides there was a box covered with leather and all over brass nails. Of course one knew at once what that meant! In the chest and in the box there was the linen for the house of some woman who was soon to be married, and it was being taken to the house of the bridegroom. Sure enough, it seems I was right, for tied to the cart behind was the cow the father of the bride would give! Then, close to the cart, on the side, there was a girl I knew. She was the nearest woman relation of Blaisette Simon, and she was carrying a looking glass. I knew what all those things meant—a marriage soon to take place. So I looked again, and I saw that the man who was leading the cart was Dominic Le Mierre, the master of Orvillière, and he turned down the hill that leads to the farm. He didn't see me—him—he was chatting and laughing with the girl cousin of Blaisette, and telling her not to let the looking glass fall, or that would be bad luck. Now, Perrin Corbet, tell me, what do you think all that means?"
She breathed quickly and turned her face away from him.
"Means!" echoed the fisherman, "of course it means only one thing, that there will soon be a wedding, that the bride will be Blaisette Simon and the bridegroom will be Dominic Le Mierre. But why do you ask me? You said you knew yourself what it meant when you saw the chest in the cart!"
"Bah, don't be so stupid and tease me like that! There might be some mistake. And what do I care if she does marry him?"
"I wonder you haven't heard it talked of before, Ellenor, for all Torteval has said long ago they would make a match."
"Well, let people chat as much as they like! He don't care for her, that I know. It's only her money he's after. She is a silly little fool, all pink and white and yellow hair."
"Perhaps! But all we men can see that she is a very pretty girl. And how do you know he don't care for her, eh?"
"How dare you to question me like this! Never mind how I know, but I do."