y, punctilious, and polite, and honored by
his mistress more as an humble friend than as a servant of her house.

"Dinner is served, my Lady!" repeated Felix, with a bow. "But my
Lady must excuse! The kitchen has been full of habitans all day. The
Trifourchettes, the Doubledents, and all the best eaters in Tilly have
been here. After obeying my Lady's commands to give them all they could
eat we have had difficulty in saving anything for my Lady's own table."

"No matter, Felix, we shall say grace all the same. I could content
myself with bread and water, to give fish and flesh to my censitaires,
who are working so willingly on the King's corvee! But that must be
my apology to you, Pierre Philibert and the Chevalier La Corne, for a
poorer dinner than I could wish."

"Oh, I feel no misgivings, my Lady!" remarked La Corne St. Luc,
laughing. "Felix Baudoin is too faithful a servitor to starve his
mistress for the sake of the Trifourchettes, the Doubledents, and all
the best eaters in the Seigniory! No! no! I will be bound your Ladyship
will find Felix has tolled and tithed from them enough to secure a
dinner for us all--come, Amelie, with me."

Lady de Tilly took the arm of Colonel Philibert, followed by Le Gardeur,
La Corne, and Amelie, and, marshalled by the majordomo, proceeded to the
dining-room--a large room, wainscotted with black walnut, a fine wood
lately introduced. The ceiling was coved, and surrounded by a rich
frieze of carving. A large table, suggestive of hospitality, was covered
with drapery of the snowiest linen, the product of the spinning-wheels
and busy looms of the women of the Seigniory of Tilly. Vases of china,
filled with freshly-gathered flowers, shed sweet perfumes, while they
delighted the eye with their beauty, etherializing the elements of bread
and meat by suggestions of the poetry and ideals of life. A grand old
buffet, a prodigy of cabinet-maker's art, displayed a mass of family
plate, and a silver shield embossed with the arms of Tilly, a gift of
Henry of Navarre to their ancient and loyal house, hung upon the wall
over the buffet.

In spite of the Trifourchettes and the Doubledents, Felix Baudoin had
managed to set an excellent dinner upon the table of his lady, who
looked archly at the Chevalier La Corne, as if assenting to his remark
on her old servitor.

The lady remained standing at the head of her table until they all sat
down, when, clasping her hands, she recited with feeling an