rstruck as she herself had been but a few short
minutes since.

Inquiring of the first person whom she met the way to Michel Greboeuf's
house, Madame de Valricour at once bent her steps thither, and soon
reached the spot. Anything more miserable and dilapidated than
Greboeuf's cottage could hardly be conceived, though it was perhaps no
worse than the dwellings of most people of his class in France at that
time. Michel was standing at the door, and a very small exercise of
Madame de Valricour's powers was required in order to obtain from him
the fullest corroboration of all she had heard from Father Hypolite.

"Though, to be sure," continued the simple-hearted peasant, who was
quite won over by the gracious condescension of so grand a personage,
"I think the young gentleman did not come here intending at first to
marry the lady, but only to leave her for a time under our poor roof;
but when they saw what a place it was they were in a great taking, as
you may suppose, and he went down to Father Hypolite to talk about it,
as I told him that the good man was always ready to help anybody in
distress; and sure enough he came back presently and said they were to
be married at once. The poor young lady was in a terrible way about
it, I can tell you, madame. However, we all went down together to the
chapel, and that is how it came about."

"What! are they still here then?" asked Madame de Valricour, eagerly.

"O dear, no!" replied Greboeuf. "Our poor place is not fit for the
like of them, for I assure you, madame, I think they be quite gentle
folks."

"Poor place indeed! I should think so. What on earth could ever have
brought them here?"

"Why, you see, madame, a cousin of mine, a M. Perigord, who is employed
at the Chateau de Beaujardin, sent them here to me, and asked me to do
anything I could to help them; and I would give the last drop of my
blood to serve my cousin Perigord, for we should all have perished long
ago but for his kindness. He kept us alive all last winter, when
things were so bad. Ah, madame, you great folks don't know what the
poor people suffer. We had no fuel and had to lie a-bed to warm
ourselves, till we were obliged to get rid even of our beds and last
bits of furniture for a mouthful of bread. But my cousin heard of it
and helped us. As for those who haven't got such a friend, what with
crown taxes, duties, fines, tolls, and forced labour on the roads,
manorial dues, seigneurial righ