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He stood above the calm, narrow valley of Vivey; on the right, over the tall ash-trees, peeped the pointed turrets of the chateau; on the left, and a little farther behind, was visible a whitish line, contrasting with the surrounding verdure, the winding path to La Thuiliere, through the meadow-land of Planche-au-Vacher.
Since their January promenade in the glades of Charbonniere, he had seen her at a distance, sometimes on Sundays in the little church at Vivey, sometimes like a fugitive apparition at the turn of a road. They had also exchanged formal salutations, but had not spoken to each other.
He himself held the little fellow at the baptismal font, and later, consigned him to the care of the Abbe Pernot, the curate of Vivey, who prepared the little Claudet for his first communion, at the same time that he instructed him in reading, writing, and the first four rules of arithmetic.
"Felix," said she, warningly, "drive slowly and avoid the ruts. Good- night, Monsieur de Buxieres, send for the doctor as soon as you get in, and all will be well. I will send to inquire how you are getting along." She turned and went pensively down the road to La Thuiliere, while the carriage followed slowly the direction to Vivey.
This chateau, or rather country squire's residence, had belonged to the Odouart de Buxieres for more than two centuries. Before the Revolution, Christophe de Buxieres, grandfather of the last proprietor, had owned a large portion of Vivey, besides several forges in operation on the Aube and Aubette rivers.
Claudet leans on his gun, and remembers that at this same hour the nightingales in the park at Vivey, and in the garden of La Thuiliere, are pouring forth the same melodies. He recalls the bright vision of Reine: he sees her leaning at her window, listening to the same amorous song issuing from the coppice woods of Maigrefontaine.
In this confused murmuring some fragments of phrases would occasionally strike the ear: "Chateau of Vivey deceased the eighth of October last at the requisition of Marie- Julien de Buxieres, comptroller of direct contributions at Nancy styling himself heir to Claude Odouart de Buxieres, his cousin-german by blood " This last phrase elicited from Claudet a sudden movement of surprise.
"No, Mademoiselle, I do not know how to handle a gun!" "I suppose it is not your intention to settle in Vivey?" "Why not?" replied he; "on the contrary, I intend to inhabit the chateau, and establish myself there definitely." "What!" exclaimed Reine, laughing, "you neither drink nor hunt, and you intend to live in our woods! Why, my poor Monsieur, you will die of ennui."
"He is still in the same condition," said Reine, "neither better nor worse, and, with the illness which afflicts him, the best I can hope for is that he may remain in that condition. But," continued she, with a slight inflection of irony; "doubtless it is not for the purpose of inquiring after my father's health that you have come all the way from Vivey?"
Just as the man was turning away, another, who had overheard the end of the colloquy, came up to young de Buxieres, and offered to undertake the journey for twenty francs. "I have a good horse," said he to Julien; "I know the roads, and will guarantee that we reach Vivey before nightfall."
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