"Oh! there's no time for that," said Raynal. And as the baronesslooked horrified and amazed, Picard explained: "The state marriesits citizens now, with reason: since marriage is a civil contract.""Marriage a civil contract!" repeated the baroness. "What, is itthen no longer one of the holy sacraments? What horrible impietyshall we come to next? Unhappy France! Such a contract would neverbe a marriage in my eyes: and what would become of an union theChurch had not blessed?""Madame," said Picard, "the Church can bless it still; but it isonly the mayor here that can DO it."All this time Josephine was blushing scarlet, and looking this wayand that, with a sort of instinctive desire to fly and hide, nomatter where, for a week or so.

　　"Haw! haw! haw!" roared Raynal; "here is a pretty mother. Wants herdaughter to be unlawfully married in a church, instead of lawfullyin a house. Give me the will!""Look here, mother-in-law: I have left Beaurepaire to my lawfulwife.""Otherwise," put in Picard, "in case of death, it would pass to hisheir-at-law.""And HE would turn you all out, and that does not suit me. Nowthere stands the only man who can make mademoiselle my LAWFUL wife.

　　So quick march, monsieur the mayor, for time and Bonaparte wait forno man.""Stay a minute, young people," said the mayor. "We should sootherespectable prejudices, not crush them. Madam, I am at least as oldas you, and have seen many changes. I perfectly understand yourfeelings.""Ah, monsieur! oh!""Calm yourself, dear madam; the case is not so bad as you think. Itis perfectly true that in republican France the civil magistratealone can bind French citizens in lawful wedlock. But this does notannihilate the religious ceremony. You can ask the Church'sblessing on my work; and be assured you are not the only one whoretains that natural prejudice. Out of every ten couples that Imarry, four or five go to church afterwards and perform the ancientceremonies. And they do well. For there before the altar thepriest tells them what it is not my business to dilate upon--thegrave moral and religious duties they have undertaken along withthis civil contract. The state binds, but the Church still blesses,and piously assents to that"--"From which she has no power to dissent.""Monsieur Picard, do you consider it polite to interrupt the chiefmagistrate of the place while he is explaining the law to acitizen?"(This closed Picard.)"I married a daughter last year," continued the worthy mayor.

　　"What, after this fashion?""I married her myself, as I will marry yours, if you will trust mewith her. And after I have made them one, there is nothing toprevent them adjourning to the church.""I beg your pardon," cried Raynal, "there are two things to preventit: a couple that wait for no man: Time and Bonaparte. Come, sir;marry us, and have done with it."The mayor assented. He invited Josephine to stand before him. Shetrembled and wept a little: Rose clung to her and wept, and the goodmayor married the parties off hand.

　　"Is that all?" asked the baroness; "it is terribly soon done.""It is done effectively, madam," said the mayor, with a smile.

　　"Permit me to tell you that his Holiness the Pope cannot undo mywork."Picard grinned slyly, and whispered something into Raynal's ear.

　　"Oh! indeed," said Raynal aloud and carelessly. "Come, MadameRaynal, to breakfast: follow us, the rest of you."They paired, and followed the bride and bridegroom into thebreakfast-room.

　　The light words Picard whispered were five in number.

　　Now if the mayor had not snubbed Picard just before, he would haveuttered those jocose but true words aloud. There was no particularreason why he should not. And if he had,--The threads of the web oflife, how subtle they are! The finest cotton of Manchester, thefiner meshes of the spider, seem three-inch cables by comparisonwith those moral gossamers which vulgar eyes cannot see at all, th............