h wall on the side toward
the orchard and kitchen garden; and in consequence of this piece
of spite, the few square feet which the lease secured to the Chalet
resembled a Parisian garden. The out-buildings, painted in keeping
with the cottage, stood with their backs to the wall of the adjoining
property.

The interior of this charming dwelling harmonized with its exterior.
The salon, floored entirely with iron-wood, was painted in a style that
suggested the beauties of Chinese lacquer. On black panels edged with
gold, birds of every color, foliage of impossible greens, and fantastic
oriental designs glowed and shimmered. The dining-room was entirely
sheathed in Northern woods carved and cut in open-work like the
beautiful Russian chalets. The little antechamber formed by the landing
and the well of the staircase was painted in old oak to represent Gothic
ornament. The bedrooms, hung with chintz, were charming in their costly
simplicity. The study, where the cashier and his wife now slept, was
panelled from top to bottom, on the walls and ceiling, like the cabin of
a steamboat. These luxuries of his predecessor excited Vilquin's wrath.
He would fain have lodged his daughter and her husband in the cottage.
This desire, well known to Dumay, will presently serve to illustrate the
Breton obstinacy of the latter.

The entrance to the Chalet is by a little trellised iron door, the
uprights of which, ending in lance-heads, show for a few inches above
the fence and its hedge. The little garden, about as wide as the more
pretentious lawn, was just now filled with flowers, roses, and dahlias
of the choicest kind, and many rare products of the hot-houses, for
(another Vilquinard grievance) the elegant little hot-house, a very whim
of a hot-house, a hot-house representing dignity and style, belonged
to the Chalet, and separated, or if you prefer, united it to the villa
Vilquin. Dumay consoled himself for the toils of business in taking care
of this hot-house, whose exotic treasures were one of Modeste's joys.
The billiard-room of the villa Vilquin, a species of gallery, formerly
communicated through an immense aviary with this hot-house. But after
the building of the wall which deprived him of a view into the orchards,
Dumay bricked up the door of communication. "Wall for wall!" he said.

In 1827 Vilquin offered Dumay a salary of six thousand francs, and ten
thousand more as indemnity, if he would give up the lease. The cashier
r