"Yes, yes, go!" cried Gilberte, her father and Janille with one breath. Emile saw that Gilberte was pleased with him, and he ran to get his horse.
But as he was descending the path on foot with the carpenter, Monsieur Châteaubrun ran after him and said with some embarrassment:
"My dear boy, you have a generous heart and great delicacy of feeling, and I can safely confide in you; I must warn you of one thing—of small importance perhaps, but which it is essential for you to know. It is this, that for some reason or other—in short, that I am on bad terms with Monsieur de Boisguilbault, so that there is no use of your mentioning me to him. Avoid mentioning my name before him or telling him that you come from my house; if you do, it may irritate him and cool his kindly disposition toward our poor Jean."
Emile promised to say nothing and followed his guide in the direction of Boisguilbault, absorbed by his thoughts, and thinking more of the fair Gilberte than of his companion and his mission.
XI
A GHOST
However, as they approached the manor of Boisguilbault, Emile began to wonder what sort of man, whether of superior parts or simply eccentric, he was to deal with, and he was compelled to attend to the information which the carpenter, with his rustic good sense, tried to give him concerning that enigmatical personage. From all that Emile could gather from this somewhat contradictory information, strewn as it was with conjectures, he concluded that the Marquis de Boisguilbault was immensely rich, not at all avaricious, although far from extravagant; generous so far as his shyness and indifference permitted him to practise benevolence, that is to say assisting all the poor people who applied to him, but never taking the trouble to investigate their sufferings or their needs, and giving every one such a cold and depressing welcome, that only the most imperative necessity could induce any one to go near him. And yet he was not a hard and unfeeling man; he never refused to listen to a complaint or questioned the propriety of alms-giving. But he was so absent-minded and seemed so indifferent to everything, that one's heart contracted and congealed in his presence. He rarely scolded and never punished. Jappeloup was almost the only man he had ever treated harshly, and the way in which he had now made it up to him led the carpenter to think that if he had been less proud himself and had shown himself to the marquis sooner, the latter would not have remembered the whim that had led him to banish him.
"However," continued Jean, "there's another person whom Monsieur de Boisguilbault dislikes even more than he does me, although he has never tried to injure him. But they will never be on good terms again; and as Monsieur Antoine mentioned the subject to you, I may venture to tell you, monsieur, that in that matter Monsieur de Boisguilbault made many people think that there was a screw loose in his brain. Just fancy that after he had been for twenty years the friend and adviser, almost a father to his neighbor Monsieur Antoine de Châteaubrun, he suddenly turned his back on him and shut his door in his face, without anybody, not even Monsieur Antoine himself, knowing what it was all about. At least the pretext was so absurd that you can't explain it except by thinking that he was cracked. It was for some offence that Monsieur Antoine committed while hunting over the marquis's land. And observe that, ever since he came into the world, Monsieur Antoine had always hunted over Monsieur de Boisguilbault's estates as if they were his own, as they were comrades and good friends; that Monsieur de Boisguilbault, had never in his life touched a gun or shot a piece of game, had never made any objection to his neighbors shooting his game; and lastly that he had never notified Monsieur Antoine that he didn't want him to hunt over his land. The result has been that since that time, that is to say, about twenty years, the two neighbors have never met, never exchanged a word, and Monsieur de Boisguilbault can't bear to hear the name of Châteaubrun. For his part Monsieur Antoine, although it touches him more than he is willing to admit, has persisted in making no advances, and seems to avoid Monsieur de Boisguilbault as carefully as he is avoided by him. As my dismissal from Boisguilbault took place about the same time, I believe that the marquis's anger overflowed on me, or else that, knowing that I was much attached to Monsieur Antoine, he was afraid that I would be bold enough to broach the subject to him and reprove him for his whim. In that respect he made no mistake, for my tongue isn't sluggish and it is certain that I should have made monsieur le marquis hear what I had to say. He preferred to take the initiative; I can't explain his harshness to me in any other way."
"Has this man a family?" Emile inquired.
"Not any, monsieur. He married a very pretty young lady, a poor relation, much too young for him. It resembled a love marriage on his part, but his conduct didn't show it; for he was neither more cheerful, nor more approachable, nor more amiable after it. He made no change in his way of living like a bear, saving the respect I owe him. Monsieur Antoine continued to be almost the only intimate friend of the house, and madame was so bored there that one day she went to Paris to live, and her husband never thought of joining her there or of bringing her back. She died when she was still very young, without bearing him any children, and since then, whether because a secret grief has turned his brain, or because the pleasure of being alone consoles him for everything, he has lived absolutely secluded in his château, with no companion, not even a poor dog. His family is almost extinct, he is not known to have any heirs or any friends; so no one can imagine who will be enriched by his death."