He took them to the church, and blessed their union;
and for the first time Josephine felt as if Heaven consented. They took
a gentle farewell of him, and went back to the mayor's to dine; and
at this stage of the business Rose and Josephine at last effected a
downright simultaneous cry, apropos of nothing that was then occurring.
This refreshed them mightily, and they glowed at the mayor's table like
roses washed with dew.
But oh! how glad at heart they all were to find themselves in the
carriage once more going home to Beaurepaire.
Rose and Josephine sat intertwined on the back seat; Camille, the reins
in his right hand, nearly turned his back on the horse, and leaned back
over to them and purred to Rose and his wife with ineffable triumph and
tenderness.
The lovers were in Elysium, and Rose was not a little proud of her good
management in ending all their troubles. Their mother received them
back with great, and as they fancied, with singular, affection. She was
beginning to be anxious about them, she said. Then her kindness gave
these happy souls a pang it never gave them before.
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