just starting for a ride in
the Bois, and 'a propos' of riding"--she stopped, and looking curiously
at Jean's great dusty boots--"Monsieur Jean, you have spurs on."

"Yes, Miss Percival."

"Then you are in the cavalry?"

"I am in the artillery, and that, you know, is cavalry."

"And your regiment is quartered?"---

"Quite near here."

"Then you will be able to ride with us?"

"With the greatest pleasure."

"That is settled. Let me see; where was I?"

"You do not know at all where you are, Bettina, and you are telling
these gentlemen things which can not interest them."

"Oh! I beg your pardon," said the Cure. "The sale of this estate is
the only subject of conversation in the neighborhood just now, and Miss
Percival's account interests me very much."

"You see, Susie, my account interests Monsieur le Cure very much; then
I shall continue. We went for our ride, we returned at seven
o'clock--nothing. We dined, and just when we were leaving the table a
telegram from America arrived. It contained only a few lines:

"'I have ordered the purchase to-day, for you and in your name, of the
castle and lands of Longueval, near Souvigny, on the Northern Railway
line.'

"Then we both burst into a fit of wild laughter at the thought."

"No, no, Bettina; you calumniate us both. Our first thought was one of
very sincere gratitude, for both my sister and I are very fond of
the country. My husband knows that we had longed to have an estate in
France. For six months he had been looking out, and found nothing. At
last he discovered this one, and, without telling us, ordered it to be
bought for my birthday. It was a delicate attention."

"Yes, Susie, you are right, but after the little fit of gratitude, we
had a great one of gayety."

"Yes, I confess it. When we realized that we had suddenly become
possessed of a castle, without knowing in the least where it was, what
it was like, or how much it had cost, it seemed so like a fairy-tale.
Well, for five good minutes we laughed with all our hearts, then we
seized the map of France, and succeeded in discovering Souvigny. When he
had finished with the map it was the turn of the railway guide, and this
morning, by the ten o'clock express, we arrived at Souvigny.

"We have passed the whole day in visiting the castle, the farms, the
woods, the stables. We are delighted with what we have seen. Only,
Monsieur le Cure, there is one thing about which I feel curious. I know
that th