She would reply-- 'No husband! It is small loss.

I have seen much of the world.' Marie had seen little of the world, and she did not believe the Russian lady.

She never said anything about it, except at her prayers, and then she used to ask the saints to pray for her that she might have a husband.
Now, in a village about half a day's journey from the town where Marie dwelt, there lived a young girl whose name was Celeste.

Her mother had named her thus because her eyes were blue as the sky above, and her face was round as the round moon, and her hair and eyelashes were like sunbeams, or like moonlight when it shines in yellow halo through the curly edges of summer clouds.

The good people of this village were a hard-working, hard-headed set of men and women.