"Besieged!" cried Robineau, springing to his feet and overturning his stool, in his haste to run to the peasant’s side. "My friend, here’s a five-franc piece; now tell me, I beg you, all you know about La Roche-Noire."
"You are very generous, monsieur, that’s sure!"
"I am more than that: I am the owner, the new châtelain of the château which you tell me was once besieged.—I promise you that there’ll be some more wonderful doings there! I will give tournaments, jousts, and—and—But let us return to my domain. Can it be seen from a distance?"
"Yes, monsieur, it’s on a hill."
"It’s on a hill! Delightful!—And the park and gardens?"
"The park is still very large, so they say; I don’t know it, but I was in the gardens once.—Oh! they’re fine! There’s marble fountains—they’re a little damaged, but that’s no matter. And splendid estatues! with men and women all naked—why, it gives you a fright!"
"Statues!"—And Robineau took the peasant in his arms; he would have kissed him but for his fear of compromising his newly acquired dignity. He tried to calm himself and continued: "Now, my good man, let us come to the essential point: in which direction is my château?"
"La Roche-Noire? Bless me! monsieur, it’s about a league from Saint-Amand."
"In that case, as Saint-Amand is only two leagues from here, we are within a league of my estate."
"Oh! excuse me, monsieur! you’re much more than that, because La Roche-Noire ain’t in this direction at all. If you came from Clermont, you didn’t take the best way to get there."