ource of great rejoicing to all the
guests of the chateau, never flagged during that entire day, and, most
unexpected of all, it continued during the next and the following days
without perceptible change. If Julia did still nurture any remnants of her
moody cares, she had at least the kindness of keeping them to herself, and
to suffer alone. More than once, still, she was seen returning from her
solitary excursions with gloomy eye and clouded brow; but she shook off
these equivocal dispositions as soon as she found herself again in the
family circle, and was all amiability.

Toward Monsieur de Lucan particularly she showed herself most agreeable;
feeling, probably, that she had many amends to make in that direction. She
went so far as to take up a great deal of his time without much
discretion, and to call him a little too often in requisition for walks or
rides, for tapestry drawings, for playing duets with her, sometimes for
nothing, simply to disturb him, standing in front of his windows, and
asking him, in the midst of his reading, all sorts of burlesque questions.
All this was charming; Monsieur de Lucan lent himself to it with the
utmost good nature, and did not surely deserve great credit for doing so.

About this time, the Baroness de Pers came to spend three days with her
daughter. She was at once advised, with full particulars, of the
miraculous change that had taken place in Julia's character, and of her
behavior toward her step-father. On witnessing the gracious attentions
which she lavished upon Monsieur de Lucan, Madame de Pers manifested the
liveliest satisfaction, in the midst of which, however, could be seen at
times some slight traces of her former prejudices against her
grand-daughter.

The day before the expected departure of the baroness, some of the
neighbors were invited to dinner for her gratification, for she had but
very little taste for the intimacy of family life, and was passionately
fond of strangers. For want of time to do any better, they gave her for
company, the cure of Vastville, the local physician, the receiver of
taxes, and recorder of deeds, all of whom were tolerably frequent guests
at the chateau, and great admirers of Julia. It was doubtless not a great
deal; it was enough, however, to furnish to the baroness an occasion for
wearing one of her handsome dinner-dresses.

Julia, during the dinner, seemed to make it a point to effect the conquest
of the cure, a simple old man, w