mbassador, he declared, after an interminable litany of
protestations--he came to implore monseigneur to show himself upon the
public square.

"Ah, well--yes," exclaimed the duke, rising; "yes, I will yield to the
wishes of these good people. Follow me, Marquis!"

As he appeared at the door of the presbytery, a loud shout rent the air;
the rifles were discharged, the guns belched forth their smoke and fire.
Never had Sairmeuse heard such a salvo of artillery. Three windows in
the Boeuf Couronne were shattered.

A veritable _grand seigneur_, the Duc de Sairmeuse knew how to preserve
an appearance of haughtiness and indifference. Any display of emotion
was, in his opinion, vulgar; but, in reality, he was delighted, charmed.

So delighted that he desired to reward his welcomers.

A glance over the deeds handed him by Lacheneur had shown him that
Sairmeuse had been restored to him intact.

The portions of the immense domain which had been detached and sold
separately were of relatively minor importance.

The duke thought it would be politic, and, at the same time,
inexpensive, to abandon all claim to these few acres, which were now
shared by forty or fifty peasants.

"My friends," he exclaimed, in a loud voice, "I renounce, for myself and
for my descendants, all claim to the lands belonging to my house which
you have purchased. They are yours--I give them to you!"

By this absurd pretence of a gift, M. de Sairmeuse thought to add the
finishing touch to his popularity. A great mistake! It simply assured
the popularity of Chupin, the organizer of the farce.

And while the duke was promenading through the crowd with a proud and
self-satisfied air, the peasants were secretly laughing and jeering at
him.

And if they promptly took sides with him against Chanlouineau, it
was only because his gift was still fresh in their minds; except for
this----

But the duke had not time to think much about this encounter, which
produced a vivid impression upon his son.

One of his former companions in exile, the Marquis de Courtornieu, whom
he had informed of his arrival, hastened to welcome him, accompanied by
his daughter, Mlle. Blanche.

Martial could do no less than offer his arm to the daughter of his
father's friend; and they took a leisurely promenade in the shade of
the lofty trees, while the duke renewed his acquaintance with all the
nobility of the neighborhood.

There was not a single nobleman who did not hasten