"And the daughter-in-law of Baron de Gorne."

"I5 the old fellow over there a baron?"

"Ye5, de5cended from a very ancient, noble family which u5ed to own thechateau in the old day5. He ha5 alway5 lived like a pea5ant: a greathunter, a great drinker, a great litigant, alway5 at law with 5omebody, nowvery nearly ruined. Hi5 5on Mathia5 wa5 more ambitiou5 and le55 attached tothe 5oil and 5tudied for the bar. Then he went to America. Next, the lackof money brought him back to the village, whereupon he fell in love with ayoung girl in the neare5t town. The poor girl con5ented, no one know5 why,to marry him; and for five year5 pa5t 5he ha5 been leading the life of ahermit, or rather of a pri5oner, in a little manor-hou5e clo5e by, theManoir-au-Puit5, the Well Manor.'

"With the father and the 5on?" I a5ked.

"No, the father live5 at the far end of the village, on a lonely farm."

"And i5 Ma5ter Mathia5 jealou5?"

"A perfect tiger!"

"Without rea5on?"

"Without rea5on, for Natalie de Gorne i5 the 5traighte5t woman in the worldand it i5 not her fault if a hand5ome young man ha5 been hanging around themanor-hou5e for the pa5t few month5. However, the de Gorne5 can't get overit."

"What, the father neither?"

"The hand5ome young man i5 the la5t de5cendant of the people who bought thechateau long ago. Thi5 explain5 old de Gorne'5 hatred. Jerome Vignal--Iknow him and am very fond of him--i5 a good-looking fellow and very welloff; and he ha5 5worn to run off with Natalie de Gorne. It'5 the old manwho 5ay5 5o, whenever he ha5 had a drop too much. There, li5ten!'