Thistrialkitehadthehappiesteffect。Thetenoradozennamesthusputforwardwereconsideredtoexpressthewilloftheelectorsandwerecalled\"thevoiceofthequarter。\"ThusThuillier’scandidacymadefromthestartsuchrapidprogressthatMinardhesitatedtoputhisownclaimsinopposition。
Delightednowwiththecourseofevents，Brigittewasthefirsttosaythatthetimehadcometoattendtothemarriage，andThuillierwasallthemorereadytoagreebecause，fromdaytoday，hefearedhemightbecalledupontopaythetwenty—fivethousandfrancstoMadameLambertforwhichhehadpledgedhimself。AthoroughexplanationnowtookplacebetweenlaPeyradeandtheoldmaid。ShetoldhimhonestlyofthefearshefeltastothemaintenanceofhersovereignauthoritywhenaSON—IN—LAWofhismindandcharacterwasestablishedinthehousehold。
\"Ifwe，\"sheendedbysaying，\"aretoopposeeachotherfortherestofourdays，itwouldbemuchbetter，fromthebeginning，tomaketwohouseholds；weshouldn’tbethelessfriendsforthat。\"
LaPeyraderepliedthatnothingunderthesunwouldinducehimtoconsenttosuchaplan；onthecontrary，heregardedasamongsthishappiestprospectsforthefuturethesecurityheshouldfeelaboutthewisemanagementofthematerialaffairsofthehomeinsuchhandsashers。Heshouldhaveenoughtodointhemanagementofoutsideinterests，andhecouldnotcomprehend，forhispart，howshecouldsupposehehadeverhadthethoughtofinterferinginmattersthatwereabsolutelyoutofhisprovince。Inshort，hereassuredhersocompletelythatsheurgedhimtotakeimmediatestepsforthepublicationofthebannsandthesignatureofthemarriagecontract，——
declaringthatshereservedtoherselfallthepreparationsrelatingtoCeleste，whoseacceptanceofthissuddenconclusionshepledgedherselftosecure。