"Faith! I confess that I prefer riding in a carriage to walking; you go forward, at all events--you make some progress. But with you, I have to stop every second; and with all this I see no more of a chateau than there is in my hand!--Here it is almost seven o'clock, and I am beginning to be very tired."

"And I to be very hungry," said Alfred; "evidently the air in these mountains is good for the digestion."

The two friends could not help laughing at Robineau's face, as he stared about, sighing dolefully. However, they went on, left the path behind, and seeing a village on the sh.o.r.e of a lake, bent their steps in that direction.

"We will ask about my chateau in this village," said Robineau.

"We will have something to eat there, too," said Alfred, "for the walk we have taken has given me an appet.i.te."

"Yes, this walk has been very pleasant! I am sure that we have gone more than six leagues out of our way!"

They drew near the sh.o.r.e of the lake on which the village was built. The peasants sat in front of their cottages; there were old women spinning, young women sewing, and children playing and rolling about on the ground.

"They are a little dark," said Alfred as he scrutinized the young women; "however they are not bad-looking--bright eyes and white teeth; their method of arranging their hair is original; and with the little straw hats, set back and tied under the chin, one would almost take them for Englishwomen.--Come, messieurs, let us go on; I fancy that there are no inns in this place, so that we must ask hospitality at the hands of these good people, like the chevaliers of old; with this difference, that we will pay for what we consume--which is less chivalrous, perhaps, but which seems to me more natural."

They entered one of the most pretentious cottages; the inmates gazed at the three young men with an expression of curiosity blended with kindliness and good humor.

"Can you give us something to eat?" inquired Alfred; "to be well paid for, of course."

"Oh, yes! messieurs, right away; and even if you shouldn't pay, it would be all the same."

"You see, messieurs," said Edouard, "that hospitality is not a lost art; these good people do not know us, yet they would entertain us gratis!"

"Oh! that's because they see that we will pay," said Robineau.

"Don't you believe in the virtues of the ancient patriarchs, pray, Monsieur Jules?"

"I will believe in whatever you please when I have seen my chateau, messieurs!" said Robineau.--"Where are we, my good people, if you please?"

"At Ayda, monsieur."

"Is it far to Saint-Amand?"

"Two good leagues, monsieur."

"Which proves that, although we walk, we make little progress!--To table, messieurs!"

A table was laden with eggs, fresh cheese, old cheese, milk and fruit; the three young men seated themselves on stools, and the villagers remained standing around them. In vain did Alfred urge them to sit--the honest Auvergnats would do nothing of the sort, and Robineau said to himself:

"That is very well done--these peasants are respectful; I am very glad that I have bought an estate in Auvergne."

Two girls of fifteen or sixteen waited upon the travellers, filled their gla.s.ses, and served them zealously with fruit, bread and milk, smiling all the while, and making a slight courtesy each time.

"They are very pretty," said Alfred, "and I consider that it's much more agreeable to see such amiable children behind one's chair, with a smile always on their faces, than to have a dozen prying, talkative footmen hanging over one's shoulder. Look you, Robineau, I advise you to set up your establishment with girls like these; you will be served like a sultan!"

"Oh! messieurs, you see only the trivial side! But I cannot have a woman for coachman, for groom, for valet de chambre. A coachman in petticoats--that would be very pretty!"

"You could dress them as men."

"Oh, no!" said Edouard, "they are so charming as they are!"

"'Nothing so lovely as the true, The true alone is lovable.'"

"The pleasantest thing," said Robineau, seizing a bowl of milk; "would be to have arrived at our destination.--I say, Monsieur l'Auvergnat, do you know the estate of La Roche-Noire in this neighborhood?"

The peasant whom Robineau addressed reflected a moment, then replied:

"Oh, yes! monsieur--La Roche-Noire--I know it well----"

"He knows it!" cried Robineau; and in an ecstasy of delight he threw his arms in the air and dashed into Alfred's face almost all the milk contained in the cup he held in his hand.

"The devil take you and your chateau!" cried Alfred, rising from the table to take off his cravat, which was drenched with milk, while Edouard roared with laughter.

"Oh! I beg your pardon, my dear fellow!" said Robineau; "but really I was beginning to be anxious about my chateau! This excellent man has restored me to life."

"Were you afraid that your house had flown away?"

"I'll give you another cravat, Alfred.--Tell me, worthy villager, who knows La Roche-Noire, is it a fine estate?"

"Oh, yes! it's very large, monsieur! It's a sort of chateau, as they say, and it's got some big towers. They say that in old times they used to fight there, and it was besieged."

"Besieged!" cried Robineau, springing to his feet and overturning his stool, in his haste to run to the peasant's side. "My friend, here's a five-franc piece; now tell me, I beg you, all you know about La Roche-Noire."

"You are very generous, monsieur, that's sure!"

"I am more than that: I am the owner, the new chatelain of the chateau which you tell me was once besieged.--I promise you that there'll be some more wonderful doings there! I will give tournaments, jousts, and--and--But let us return to my domain. Can it be seen from a distance?"

"Yes, monsieur, it's on a hill."

"It's on a hill! Delightful!--And the park and gardens?"

"The park is still very large, so they say; I don't know it, but I was in the gardens once.--Oh! they're fine! There's marble fountains--they're a little damaged, but that's no matter. And splendid _estatues_! with men and women all naked--why, it gives you a fright!"

"Statues!"--And Robineau took the peasant in his arms; he would have kissed him but for his fear of compromising his newly acquired dignity.

He tried to calm himself and continued: "Now, my good man, let us come to the essential point: in which direction is my chateau?"

"La Roche-Noire? Bless me! monsieur, it's about a league from Saint-Amand."

"In that case, as Saint-Amand is only two leagues from here, we are within a league of my estate."

"Oh! excuse me, monsieur! you're much more than that, because La Roche-Noire ain't in this direction at all. If you came from Clermont, you didn't take the best way to get there."

"There! I knew it! We have gone astray! Do you hear, messieurs?"

Robineau turned and looked about for his friends; but they had left the cottage while he was talking with the peasant.

"Well done! I'll bet they have gone off to walk now! They have sworn to kill me with vexation!--But at all events my mind is more at rest about my estate.--Tell me, my good man, how far are we from La Roche-Noire?"