Unusual circumstances and extraordinary excitement often cause the
customary rules and practices of life to be abandoned; and so it was
now. Marie received the love that was offered her, frankly,
affectionately, and with her whole heart. She owned to her lover how
well and truly she had loved him, and there, before her brother and his
wife, plighted to him her troth, and promised to him then the obedience
and love, which she soon hoped to owe him as his wife. Such declarations
are usually made in private, but the friends now assembled had no
secrets from each other, and they all felt that strange times made
strange scenes necessary.
They then arranged their plans for the morrow. The day had already been
an eventful one, but they little dreamed how much more was to be done
before the morrow's sun was in the heavens; and yet even then they did
not separate for the night: luckily for them all, they determined that
too much was to be done to allow them yet to retire to rest.
It was resolved that on the following day they should leave Clisson for
Durbelliere, and hand over the chateau and all it contained--the farm
and all its well-filled granaries, the cattle and agricultural wealth
of the estate, to the fire and plunder of the republicans.
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