The Père Maurice is talking to Germain, his 28-year-old young son-in-law, about Germain taking a new wife. Germain has been a widower for two years, and his wife left behind three young children. (Père means Father and is used in ancient oral Language.) Maurice wants Germain to go visit his friend, Père Leonard, at a farm about half a day's ride away, to visit Leonard's daughter, a rich widow who is looking to remarry. Her name is Catherine Guerin and it appears she is a good person. Germain does not really want to remarry, but Maurice tells him that two years is long enough to be in mourning, that he is grateful for Germain having been good to his daughter, and that the children need a mother. He and his wife cannot continue to take care of the three young children, and his son and daughter-in-law are expecting a baby, so will not be able to help. Germain finally agrees. Maurice tells Germain to take a present of game to Leonard and the widow and to leave Saturday, spend the night at the widow's farm, and come back on Sunday. He leaves with his son and Mary, a young and beautiful 16 year old girl who needs to find a job in town. They stopped at night near The "mare au diable" and spend the night. They both become to fall in love with each other, but none of them shows it. The day after, they split. Germain goes see the widow and leaves his son with Mary. When he come to fetched him, disappointed by the widow, he learns that Mary has fled her employer (who had tried to rape her) with Pierre. Germain find them both at the "mare au diable" and they all go back to the village. Several months passes. They don't talk to each other. They finally talk to each other, find out they're both in love and marry. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)
