think it would be well to cut down that young lime-tree on the lawn
opposite the chateau; it grows too fast; and if it should spread much
more, it would quite intercept our view; I will therefore cut it down
for fuel.'

'Oh, papa,' exclaimed Eugene, 'that lime-tree that has grown so
beautiful since last year! I was looking at it the other day, and I
saw shoots of this year as long as my arm.'

At this moment they came to a young poplar which had been blown down
by a storm the preceding day. Its leaves were not yet withered, but
its young shoots, though still green, began to lose their vigour;
they were soft and weak, as if drooping from want of water; but in
that case a refreshing shower would have restored it to health and
freshness, whereas now it was beyond recovery. Eugene stopped before
the poplar, and lamented it.

'Such,' said Monsieur D'Ambly, 'will in two days more be the state of
our lime-tree.'

'Ah!' cried Eugene, 'can you have the heart to say so?'

'Why not? A lime is not more valuable than a poplar, or an oak; and
you would like to see this whole forest in a blaze.'

'Indeed, papa, that is a very different thing.'

'Yes; there is certainly a vast difference between a person cutting
down a tree that incommodes him, and that he would then make use of
for fuel, and fourteen or fifteen thousand that you would burn for
your pleasure.'

'But I do not know those trees.'

'Neither do you know this poplar that you have just been lamenting.'

'But at least I see it.'

'You can as easily see all those that surround it. Look at this one,
how strong and how straight it is!'

'Oh, what a fine oak! I do not think my arms could reach round it.
See, papa, how high it is, and those three great branches which grow
from it look like large trees.'

'It must be sixty or seventy years old: it will grow at least twenty
more.'

'How enormous it will be then! I hope I shall see it.'

'But if it should be burned in the meantime?'

'I should be very sorry, now that I know it.'

'You would, then, only spare those trees from the fire which have
come under your own particular notice: this is too common a case.
Would it give you more pleasure to see this one burning?' said
Monsieur D'Ambly, as he showed him another, divided into four
enormous trunks, which shot from the same root.

'No, indeed. Look, it makes quite an arbour. Papa, some day when we
have more time we will come and sit here, shall we not?'

'So