THE CHRISTENING OF THE LILY
"Julia-Antonia Thierrii it is," replied the professors artlessly.
"Julia-Antonia Thierrii it is," replied the professors artlessly.
"Ah! at last! bravo! so it's decided!" cried the Baronne d'Ancourt, pointing to Julie, and making the sign indicating union with her plump white hands.
Every eye was turned upon Julie, who blushed, and thereby recovered all the splendor of her beauty.
"Excuse me, madame la baronne," said Uncle Antoine, with a sly expression. "I tricked you by going to your house to beg you to make an offer of marriage to Madame d'Estrelle in my behalf. I wanted to see what you would say, and you didn't say no; on the contrary, you advised that young lady to accept me. That was what led me to propose to her the man I had in view for her, for I said to myself: 'If an old fellow like me is eligible because of his money, my nephew, who is young and will have a good share of my money, may be accepted.'—That is how it happens, mesdames and messieurs, that, with the consent of Madame d'Estrelle, I concluded to-day the business troubles we have had by a marriage between her and my nephew Julien Thierry, whom I do myself the honor to present to you."
"Psha! the young painter?" cried Madame d'Ancourt, irritated, she knew not why, by Julien's beauty and impassioned manner.
"A painter?" said the bewildered Madame Desmorges. "Ah! my dear, so it was true after all, was it?"
"Yes, my friends, it was true," replied Julie, boldly; "we loved each other before we knew that Monsieur Antoine would rescue us from the poverty that threatened us both."