to the farm. Besides these horses, Moreau had his own saddle-horse. He
did enough farming on the count's property to keep the horses and
maintain his servants. He stacked three hundred tons of excellent hay,
but accounted for only one hundred, making use of a vague permission
once granted by the count. He kept his poultry-yard, pigeon-cotes, and
cattle at the cost of the estate, but the manure of the stables was
used by the count's gardeners. All these little stealings had some
ostensible excuse.

Madame Moreau had taken into her service a daughter of one of the
gardeners, who was first her maid and afterwards her cook. The
poultry-game, also the dairy-maid, assisted in the work of the
household; and the steward had hired a discharged soldier to groom the
horses and do the heavy labor.

At Nerville, Chaumont, Maffliers, Nointel, and other places of the
neighborhood, the handsome wife of the steward was received by persons
who either did not know, or pretended not to know her previous
condition. Moreau did services to many persons. He induced his master
to agree to certain things which seem trifles in Paris, but are really
of immense importance in the country. After bringing about the
appointment of a certain "juge de paix" at Beaumont and also at
Isle-Adam, he had, in the same year, prevented the dismissal of a
keeper-general of the Forests, and obtained the cross of the Legion of
honor for the first cavalry-sergeant at Beaumont. Consequently, no
festivity was ever given among the bourgeoisie to which Monsieur and
Madame Moreau were not invited. The rector of Presles and the mayor of
Presles came every evening to play cards with them. It is difficult
for a man not to be kind and hospitable after feathering his nest so
comfortably.