in the French style, display their squares and long straight paths,
like brilliant pages written in the ciphers of Lenotre. These gardens
are backed to their whole length by a border of nearly thirty acres of
woodland. From the terrace the view is bounded by a forest belonging
to Rosembray and contiguous to two other forests, one of which belongs
to the Crown, the other to the State. It would be difficult to find a
nobler landscape.



CHAPTER XXVII

A GIRL'S REVENGE

Modeste's arrival at Rosembray made a certain sensation in the avenue
when the carriage with the liveries of France came in sight,
accompanied by the grand equerry, the colonel, Canalis, and La Briere
on horseback, preceded by an outrider in full dress, and followed by
six servants,--among whom were the Negroes and the mulatto,--and the
britzka of the colonel for the two waiting-women and the luggage. The
carriage was drawn by four horses, ridden by postilions dressed with
an elegance specially commanded by the grand equerry, who was often
better served than the king himself. As Modeste, dazzled by the
magnificence of the great lords, entered and beheld this lesser
Versailles, she suddenly remembered her approaching interview with the
celebrated duchesses, and began to fear that she might seem awkward,
or provincial, or parvenue; in fact, she lost her self-possession, and
heartily repented having wished for a hunt.

Fortunately, however, as the carriage drew up, Modeste saw an old man,