In our world, it would never occur to a mother to entrust a daughter of
sixteen to a man of twenty-eight! for Germain was really only
twenty-eight, and although, according to the ideas of his province, he
was considered an old man so far as marriage was concerned, he was still
the handsomest man in the neighborhood. Work had not furrowed and
wrinkled his face, as is the case with most peasants who have ten years
of ploughing behind them. He was strong enough to plough ten more years
without looking old, and the prejudice of age must have been very strong
in a young girl's mind to prevent her remarking that Germain had a fresh
complexion, a bright eye, blue as the heavens in May, ruddy lips, superb
teeth, and a body as graceful and supple as that of a colt that has
never left the pasture.
But chastity is a sacred tradition in certain country districts, far
removed from the corrupt animation of large cities, and Maurice's family
was noted among all the families of Belair for uprightness, and fidelity
to the truth. Germain was going in search of a wife; Marie was too young
and too pure for him to think of her in that light, and, unless he was a
heartless, bad man, it was impossible that he should have a guilty
thought in connection with her. Pere Maurice was in no way disturbed,
therefore, to see him take the pretty girl _en croupe_; La Guillette
would have considered that she was insulting him if she had requested
him to respect her as his sister.
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