Page:Novels of Honoré de Balzac Volume 23.djvu/203

 caused by the jolting; the cap was crumpled, turned up; the unrolled plaits fell on both sides of her face, flushed with the heat of the carriage; but, in this situation, which would be dreadful for women who depend upon toilette, youth and beauty triumph. Innocence always enjoys good sleep. The half-parted lips showed pretty teeth, the loosened shawl disclosed, without offence to Ursule, under the folds of a colored muslin gown, all the grace of her body. In short, the purity of this virgin soul shone in this physiognomy and was seen to all the better advantage in that no other expression disturbed it. Old Minoret, waking, replaced his daughter’s head in the corner of the carriage so that she could be more comfortable; she let him do as he pleased without noticing it, so soundly was she sleeping after all the nights spent in thinking over Savinien’s misfortune.

“Poor little thing!” he said to his neighbor, “she sleeps like the child that she is.”

“You must be proud of her,” rejoined Savinien, “for she seems to be as good as she is beautiful.”

“Ah! she is the joy of the house. Were she my daughter I could not love her more. She will be sixteen on the fifth of February next. God grant that I may live long enough to marry her to a man who will make her happy! I wanted to take her to the play in Paris, which she was visiting for the first time; but she refused, the curé of Nemours had forbidden it. ‘But,’ I said to her, ‘when you are married suppose your husband should wish to take