among the people; in consequence of which Montegnac had considerably
increased. Graslin had also begun, before his death, behind the
offices on the slope of the hill leading down to the plain, a number
of farm buildings, proving his intention to draw some profit from the
hitherto uncultivated soil of the plains. Six journeyman-gardeners,
who were lodged in the offices, were now at work under orders of a
head gardener, planting and completing certain works which Monsieur
Bonnet had considered indispensable.

The ground-floor apartments of the chateau, intended only for
reception-rooms, had been sumptuously furnished; the upper floor was
rather bare, Monsieur Graslin having stopped for a time the work of
furnishing it.

"Ah, Monseigneur!" said Madame Graslin to the bishop, after going the
rounds of the house, "I who expected to live in a cottage! Poor
Monsieur Graslin was extravagant indeed!"

"And you," said the bishop, adding after a pause, as he noticed the
shudder than ran through her frame at his first words, "you will be
extravagant in charity?"

She took the arm of her mother, who was leading Francis by the hand,
and went to the long terrace at the foot of which are the church and
the parsonage, and from which the houses of the village can be seen in
tiers. The rector carried off Monseigneur Dutheil to show him the
different sides of the landscape. Before long the two priests came
round to the farther end of the terrace, where they found Madame
Graslin and her mother motionless as statues. The old woman was wiping
her eyes with a handkerchief, and her daughter stood with both hands