"Seven years! Can I wait seven years?" Then she continued:
"Beautiful bridegroom, how do you know that the propitious moment falls
precisely at the hour of Matins? Who told you so?"
"The stars," replied Sylvestre Ker. "At midnight Mars and Saturn will
arrive in diametrical opposition; Venus will seek Vesta; Mercury will
disappear in the sun; and the planet without a name, that the deceased
Thaël divined by calculation, I saw last night, steering its unknown
route through space to come in conjunction with Jupiter. Ah! if I only
dared disobey my dear mother." He was interrupted by a distant
vibration of the bells of Plouharnel, which rang out the first signal of
the midnight Mass.
Josserande instantly left her wheel.
"It would be a sin to spin one thread more," said she. "Come, my son
Sylvestre, put on your Sunday clothes, and let us be off for the parish
church, if you please."
Sylvestre wished to rise, for never yet had he disobeyed his mother; but
Matheline, seated at his side, detained him and murmured in silvery
tones,--
"My handsome friend, you have plenty of time."