She had seated herself on the bench beside him, with Louise on her lap. He smilingly inclined his head and kissed the child, who had raised her little hands to pull his beard. And he quietly answered: 'Well, we will wait till six o'clock, my dear. There is nobody to interfere with us, we can remain here. Besides, I have something to tell you.'
But Louise wanted to play, and, stamping on her father's thighs, she cast her arms about his neck.
'Has she been good?' he asked.
'Oh! she always is at grandmother's; she's afraid of being scolded. But now, you see, she wants to have her revenge.'
When the young woman had managed to reseat the child on her lap again, she inquired of her husband: 'What is it you want to tell me?'
'Something which I did not previously speak to you about, as I had not made up my mind. I am offered the post of schoolmaster here, at Maillebois, and I am going to accept it. What do you think of it?'
She looked at him in amazement, at first unable to reply. And for a moment in her eyes he plainly detected a gleam of joyous surprise, followed, however, by increasing anxiety.
'Yes, what do you think of it?' he repeated.
'I think, my friend, that it is advancement, such as you did not expect so soon—only, the position will not be an easy one here, amid such exasperated passions—your opinions, too, being known to everybody.'
'No doubt. I thought of that, but it would be cowardly to refuse the fight.'