In1830Colleville，whohadthegoodfortunenottoloseachild，wasobliged，owingtohiswell—knownattachmenttothefallenroyalfamily，tosendinhisresignation；buthewascleverenoughtomakeabargainforit，——obtaininginexchangeapensionoftwothousandfourhundredfrancs，basedonhisperiodofservice，andtenthousandfrancsindemnitypaidbyhissuccessor；healsoreceivedtherankofofficeroftheLegionofhonor。Nevertheless，hefoundhimselfinratheracrampedconditionwhenMademoiselleThuillier，in1832，advisedhimtocomeandlivenearthem；pointingouttohimthepossibilityofobtainingsomepositioninthemayor’soffice，which，infact，hedidobtainafewweekslater，atasalaryofthreethousandfrancs。ThusThuillierandCollevilleweredestinedtoendtheirdaystogether。In1833MadameColleville，thenthirty—fiveyearsold，settledherselfintherued’Enfer，atthecorneroftheruedesDeux—EgliseswithCelesteandlittleTheodore，theotherboysbeingattheirseveralschools。Collevillewasequidistantbetweenthemayor’sofficeandtherueSaint—Dominiqued’Enfer。Thusthehousehold，afterabrilliant，gay，headlong，reformed，andcalmedexistence，subsidedfinallyintobourgeoisobscuritywithfivethousandfourhundredfrancsayearforitssoledependence。
Celestewasbythistimetwelveyearsofage，andshepromisedtobepretty。Sheneededmasters，andhereducationoughttocostnotlessthantwothousandfrancsayear。Themotherfeltthenecessityofkeepingherundertheeyeofhergodfatherandgodmother。ShethereforeverywillinglyadoptedtheproposalofMademoiselleThuillier，who，withoutcommittingherselftoanyengagement，allowedMadameCollevilletounderstandthatthefortunesofherbrother，hiswife，andherselfwouldgo，ultimately，tothelittleCeleste。ThechildhadbeenleftatAuteuiluntilshewassevenyearsofage，adoredbythegoodoldMadameLemprun，whodiedin1829，leavingtwentythousandfrancs，andahousewhichwassoldfortheenormoussumoftwenty—eightthousand。Thelivelylittlegirlhadseenverylittleofhermother，butverymuchofMademoiselleandMadameThuillierwhenshefirstreturnedtothepaternalmansionin1829；butin1833shefellunderthedominionofFlavie，whowasthen，aswehavesaid，endeavoringtodoherduty，which，likeotherwomeninstigatedbyremorse，sheexaggerated。Withoutbeinganunkindmother，Flaviewasverysternwithherdaughter。Sherememberedherownbringing—up，andsworewithinherselftomakeCelesteavirtuouswoman。Shetookhertomass，andhadherpreparedforherfirstcommunionbyarectorwhohassincebecomeabishop。Celestewasallthemorereadilypious，becausehergodmother，MadameThuillier，wasasaint，andthechildadoredher；shefeltthatthepoorneglectedwomanlovedherbetterthanherownmother。
From1833to1840shereceivedabrillianteducationaccordingtotheideasofthebourgeoisie。Thebestmusic—mastersmadeherafairmusician；shecouldpaintawater—colorproperly；shedancedextremelywell；andshehadstudiedtheFrenchlanguage，history，geography，English，Italian，——inshort，allthatconstitutestheeducationofawell—brought—upyounglady。Ofmediumheight，ratherplump，unfortunatelynear—sighted，shewasneitherplainnorpretty；notwithoutdelicacyorevenbrilliancyofcomplexion，itistrue，buttotallydevoidofalldistinctionofmanner。Shehadagreatfundofreservedsensibility，andhergodfatherandgodmother，MademoiselleThuillierandColleville，wereunanimousononepoint，——thegreatresourceofmothers——namely，thatCelestewascapableofattachment。
Oneofherbeautieswasamagnificentheadofveryfineblondhair；
butherhandsandfeetshowedherbourgeoisorigin。