"Lovers must earn their bread-and-butter as well as people with brains.

Besides," here his face and tone became serious, "there's one thing we've both forgotten.

This matter of your false name--you can't be married as Bressant, you know: and if the tenure of your property depends, as you said, on preserving the _incognito_, I have reason to believe that you stand an excellent chance of losing every cent of it, the moment the minister has pronounced your real name." "No matter!" said the young man, with an impatient movement, as if to dismiss an unprofitable subject.

"I shall have Sophie; my father's will can't deprive me of her.

I don't want to be famous, nor to have a great reputation--except with her." The old man was touched at this devotion, unreasonable and impracticable though it was.