He ceased speaking, and his audience crowded around
him to shake hands with him, and to bless him; and
before the sun was in the middle of the sky he had
left St. Florent on his mission, in company with Forte
and Peter Berrier.
Durbelliere.
The chateau of Durbelliere, the family seat of the
Larochejacquelins, was situated in the very centre
of the Bocage, between the small towns of Chatillon
and Vihiers—in the province of Poitou, and
about twelve leagues from St. Florent.
It was a large mansion, surrounded by extensive gardens,
and a considerable domain. There were few residences
of more importance as betokening greater wealth in
the province of Poitou; but it was neither magnificent
nor picturesque. The landlords of the country
were not men of extensive property or expensive habits—they
built no costly castles, and gave no sumptuous banquets;
but they lived at home, on their incomes, and had
always something to spare for the poorer of their
neighbours. Farming was their business—the
chase their amusement—loyalty their strongest
passion, and the prosperity of their tenantry their
chief ambition.
The chateau of Durbelliere was a large square building,
three stories high, with seven front windows to each
of the upper stories, and three on each side of the
large door on the ground floor. Eight stone steps
of great width led up to the front door; but between
the top step and the door there was a square flagged
area of considerable space; and on the right hand,
and on the left, two large whitewashed lions reclined
on brick and mortar pedestals. An enormous range
of kitchens, offices and cellars, ran under the whole
house; the windows opened into a low area, or rather
trench, which ran along the front and back of the house,
and to which there were no rails or palings of any
kind. The servants’ door was at the side
of the house, and the servants and people coming to
them, to save themselves the trouble of walking round
to this door, were in the habit of jumping into the
area and entering the kitchen by the window.
Doubtless some lady of the house, when the mansion
was first built, had protested strongly against this
unsightly practice; but habit had now accustomed the
family to this mode of ingress and egress, and the
servants of Durbelliere consequently never used any
other.
The back of the chateau was just the same as the front,
the same windows, the same broad steps, the same pedestals
and the same whitewashed lions, only the steps, instead
of leading on to a large gravelled square, led into
a trim garden. There were no windows, whatsoever,
on one side of the house, and on the other only those
necessary to light the huge staircase of the mansion.
