mistress but can find spirit enough to domineer over his wife and take his children to task.
No, Monsieur de Chauvelin had simply left the Marquise to enjoy her pious thoughts in peace.
"I am gaining acres enough of ground in hell," he used to say; " let our good Marquise gain some few inches of blue in the skies."
He never now came to Grosbois except once a year, on St. Andrew's day, when his wife held high holiday. The proceedings were always the same; Monsieur de Chauvelin embraced his children at two, dined in company, got into his coach at six and was back at Versailles in time for the King's "coucher." For four years he had never varied this routine. During four years he had kissed the Marquise's hand four times. Every New Year's Day his boys came to see him at Versailles with their tutor.
Monsieur de Chauvelin entrusted his wife with the duty of bringing up his children. The Abbé V . . ., young and erudite, (he had not yet taken orders, but was generally given the title of Abbe by courtesy), zealously seconded the Marquise's efforts, and gave all his time and all his heart to these children whom their father had forsaken.
Life ran smoothly at Grosbois. The Marquise divided her day between the management of her fortune, confided to the care of an old intendant by name Bonbonne, the practice of a rigorous piety, under the surveillance of a judicious director, the Père Delar, a Camaldulensian monk, and the education of her two sons who already promised to bear worthily a name made illustrious by many conspicuous services to the State.
Now and again a letter penned by the Marquis in an hour of idleness or discouragement would arrive to console the family and revive in the Alarquise's bosom a tenderness she often reproached herself with not devoting entirely to God. Madame de Chauvelin still loved her husband fondly, and when she had been at her prayers all the day. Father Delar her director would call her attention to the fact that she had spoken to God of nothing else whatever but her beloved consort.
The Marquise had come at last not to entertain a hope for any more of her husband's society in this world. She aspired, good pious lady, to deserve well enough of God to find Monsieur de Chauvelin once more in the abode of eternal joys.
The Monk blamed Monsieur Bonbonne, and Monsieur Bonbonne the Abbé V. . . ., whenever the children, looking sad or doing penance, seemed to be regretting their father, whom however they knew so little of.
"We cannot but admit," the Monk would say to his penitent, " that the life he leads there will damn Monsieur de Chauvelin's soul."
"We must allow," the old Intendant would complain, " that this extravagance will ruin the house."
"Confess," the Preceptor would declare, " that these children will never win fame, having had no one to stir their emulation,"
Then the Marquise would smile with angelic patience at all three, promising the Monk that Monsieur de Chauvelin would reform in time, telling the Intendant that the economies effected at Grosbois would relieve the deficit of the budget so severely strained at Paris, assuring the Tutor that the lads were of good blood, and that good blood will out.
And all the while the great secular oaks were growing at Grosbois and the young saplings sprouting, both drawing life and sap from the fecund bosom of God.
A day of gloom came, when the flowers in the park, the fruits in the garden, faded and withered, the waters of the fountain ran dry, and the stones of the château crumbled, and all grew sad and bitter. It was a time of disaster and disorder. The Intendant Bonbonne presented accounts that terrified the Marquise, predicting ruin for her children, if Monsieur de Chauvelin did not quickly set himself to the task of ordering his affairs better.
"Madame," he began after breakfast, " allow me to say twenty words to you."
"By all means, my good Bonbonne," returned the Marquise.
"Pray do not forget, Madame," broke in Père Delar, " that I expect you in the Chapel."
"May I have the honour to remind the Marquise," protested the Abbé V . . ., " that we had fixed to-day for an examination in the mathematics and in grammar; without this my two young friends will not work as they should."
The fact is, the two lads were begin-
