"Here's five francs more for the first outlay; for, from what you tell me, I see that it costs a great deal to feed her."

The old peasant put the second five-franc piece in his pocket, saying:

"But I'll take such good care of her! You won't know her after a little while. If monsieur would like to come to our house to see where I live----"

"Yes, but first, you must show me Madame de Belleville's place."

"That's easy; we get there by turning to the right."

"And on the way, you will tell me what houses are to let here."

"I say! is monsieur coming to live at Ch.e.l.les, too?"

"Perhaps--for a short time."

"Our village is getting to be mighty fashionable; we've got lots of fine folks from Paris. But I can't think of any houses to let."

"If I cannot get a house, I will be content with a room--at some farmer's; I am not hard to suit, I simply want to be in the country air."

"If monsieur ain't hard to suit, we can find that, I guess. Pardi! a room--why I've got one myself I could let you have. I could sleep in my loft--it's all one to me."

"Well, Pere Ledrux, we will look at your room; but show me first the house of these 'fine folks,' who give a party this evening."

"In a minute, monsieur; we go this way."

As Beauregard and the old peasant were starting, Monsieur Jarnouillard appeared at a bend in the road, shouting:

"Five sous more, Pere Ledrux; come, I'll give you thirty-five sous for your hen."

"Not likely!" retorted the gardener with a shrug. "You wouldn't take her for four francs just now! I'm glad you didn't! it will teach you to haggle."

XVII

RECOGNITION

On that same morning preceding the fete she was to give, Thelenie, desirous to escape for a moment the turmoil that reigned in her house, and still anxious to learn whom the dog belonged to who had defended the little boy when she attempted to chastise him, had ordered her horse saddled, and, leaping upon him with the fearless grace of a circus rider, galloped away in the direction of the Tower.

In a very short time the intrepid equestrian reached her destination.

She skirted the park walls, then slackened her horse's pace in order to examine the house, of which she could see the turret.

"How old and gloomy the place looks!" she said to herself. "The man who lives here must, in fact, be nothing better than a bear, a person who has no friends to entertain--for no one would ever come to see him. He is probably some old miser, or some newly-rich tradesman who knows nothing of society. But whoever he may be, I propose to inform the owner of this place that he has a very badly bred dog, that bites horses; and that, if he doesn't muzzle him, I will have him shot the first time I fall in with him. I am curious to see what answer this man will make, who, they say, is such a savage. Such manners don't frighten me.--Mon Dieu! is there no end to this park? Ah! there's a gate, at last!"

Thelenie dismounted and rang a loud peal at the gate. An old, decrepit peasant woman answered the bell and asked her what she wanted.

"Is the owner of this place at home?"

"Monsieur Paul?"

"Paul or Pierre; I don't know his name, but I presume he has some other than that. But no matter, is this gentleman at home?"

"Yes, madame; he has just come back from a visit to Paris."

"I wish to speak with him; take me to him."

"Bless me! you see, I don't know whether monsieur will want to see you; he doesn't like visits."

"You're a fool! I tell you that I have something to say to your master, that I want to see him. I am not a person to be kept waiting. Come, off you go!"

Old Mere Lucas was hesitating when Ami suddenly appeared in the courtyard and planted himself, growling, in front of Thelenie, as if to bar her pa.s.sage.

"That dog again, that infernal dog! It's he that I came to complain about. Call him away, old woman; you see that he prevents me from pa.s.sing."

"Come, good Loulou, come, my boy; come with me and don't stand in front of madame like that."

But Ami paid no heed to what Mere Lucas said. He continued to block the amazon's path, and began to bark at her.

"Look you, servant, I advise you to call your dog away; if he doesn't get out of the way I'll curry him with my crop, after a fashion he won't like!"

"Don't do that, madame, or you'll be sorry for it; the dog isn't ugly, but if anybody besides his master should strike him--and his master never strikes him--why, then he'd bite you, he'd throw himself on you."

"But you see that he won't let me pa.s.s; that he stands in front of me all the time."

The master's arrival put an end to this scene.

Paul had come from the house, surprised to hear his dog bark so persistently.

"What's the matter?" he said, coming forward; "what's going on here?

whom are you barking at, Ami?"

Thelenie had taken two or three steps toward Paul; when she heard his voice, she looked at him a moment, then stopped; she seemed like one stupefied; she turned deathly pale and fixed her eyes on the ground.

Paul meanwhile had scanned the features of the woman before him, and started back as if he had seen a serpent. The dog became somewhat calmer at sight of his master, but he took his stand between him and the visitor, and fixed his intelligent eyes upon her, as if to say:

"You shall not come near him!"

Thelenie soon recovered from the first paroxysm of dismay, and faltered:

"What! is it you, Monsieur Duronceray? here, in this solitude, living like a hermit! I confess that I hardly expected this meeting."

"I can well believe, madame, that you would not have come here if you had expected to find me. For my part, I hoped that this spot would not be sullied by your presence."

"Monsieur! this insult----"

"I do not insult you; indeed, you are well aware that there are people whom it is impossible to insult. But you know also that I am justified in speaking to you as I am doing."