and then months, and he still remained. It was not surprising.
Hector had passed a very stormy youth, full of debauchery, of clubs,
of gambling, and of amours. He had thrown to the winds of his
caprices an immense fortune; the relatively calm life of Valfeuillu
was a relief. At first people said to him, 'You will soon have
enough of the country.' He smiled, but said nothing. It was then
thought, and rightly, perhaps, that having become poor, he cared
little to display his ruin before those who had obscured his
splendor. He absented himself rarely, and then only to go to
Corbeil, almost always on foot. There he frequented the Belle Image
hotel, the best in the town, and met, as if by chance, a young lady
from Paris. They spent the afternoon together, and separated when
the last train left."

"Peste!" growled the mayor, "for a man who lives alone, who sees
nobody, who would not for the world have anything to do with other
people's business, it seems to me our dear Monsieur Plantat is
pretty well informed."

Evidently M. Courtois was jealous. How was it that he, the first
personage in the place, had been absolutely ignorant of these
meetings? His ill-humor was increasing, when Dr. Gendron answered:

"Pah! all Corbeil prated about that at the time."

M. Plantat made a movement with his lips as if to say, "I know
other things besides." He went on, however, with his story.

"The visit of Count Hector made no change in the habits at the
chateau. Monsieur and Madame Sauvresy had a brother; that was all.