Part 8 (1/2)

Knowing the condition of the country, and the state of public opinion, the cure endeavored to convince the obstinate man of his mistake; but upon this subject the duke would not permit contradiction, or even raillery; and he was fast losing his temper, when Bibiaine appeared at the parlor door.

”Monsieur le Duc,” said she, ”Monsieur Lacheneur and his daughter are without and desire to speak to you.”

CHAPTER IV.

This name Lacheneur awakened no recollection in the mind of the duke.

First, he had never lived at Sairmeuse.

And even if he had, what courtier of the _ancien regime_ ever troubled himself about the individual names of the peasants, whom he regarded with such profound indifference.

When a _grand seigneur_ addressed these people, he said: ”Halloo! hi, there! friend, my worthy fellow!”

So it was with the air of a man who is making an effort of memory that the Duc de Sairmeuse repeated:

”Lacheneur--Monsieur Lacheneur----”

But Martial, a closer observer than his father, had noticed that the priest's glance wavered at the sound of this name.

”Who is this person, Abbe?” demanded the duke, lightly.

”Monsieur Lacheneur,” replied the priest, with very evident hesitation, ”is the present owner of the Chateau de Sairmeuse.”

Martial, the precocious diplomat, could not repress a smile on hearing this response, which he had foreseen. But the duke bounded from his chair.

”Ah!” he exclaimed, ”it is the rascal who has had the impudence--Let him come in, old woman, let him come in.”

Bibiaine retired, and the priest's uneasiness increased.

”Permit me, Monsieur le Duc,” he said, hastily, ”to remark that Monsieur Lacheneur exercises a great influence in this region--to offend him would be impolitic----”

”I understand--you advise me to be conciliatory. Such sentiments are purely Jacobin. If His Majesty listens to the advice of such as you, all these sales of confiscated estates will be ratified. Zounds! our interests are the same. If the Revolution has deprived the n.o.bility of their property, it has also impoverished the clergy.”

”The possessions of a priest are not of this world, Monsieur,” said the cure, coldly.

M. de Sairmeuse was about to make some impertinent response, when M.

Lacheneur appeared, followed by his daughter.

The wretched man was ghastly pale, great drops of perspiration stood out upon his temples, his restless, haggard eyes revealed his distress of mind.

Marie-Anne was as pale as her father, but her att.i.tude and the light that burned in her eyes told of invincible energy and determination.

”Ah, well! friend,” said the duke, ”so we are the owner of Sairmeuse, it seems.”

This was said with such a careless insolence of manner that the cure blushed that they should thus treat, in his own house, a man whom he considered his equal.

He rose and offered the visitors chairs.