"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 nobility 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 attitude 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.