A Start in Life [42]
than his own. His blue eyes
and a large crow-beaked nose gave him an air that was the more
threatening because his eyes were placed too close together. But his
large lips, the outline of his face, and the easy good-humor of his
manner soon showed that his nature was a kindly one. Abrupt in speech
and decided in tone, he impressed Oscar immensely by the force of his
penetration, inspired, no doubt, by the affection which he felt for
the boy. Trained by his mother to magnify the steward, Oscar had
always felt himself very small in Moreau's presence; but on reaching
Presles a new sensation came over him, as if he expected some harm
from this fatherly figure, his only protector.
"Well, my Oscar, you don't look pleased at getting here," said the
steward. "And yet you'll find plenty of amusement; you shall learn to
ride on horseback, and shoot, and hunt."
"I don't know any of those things," said Oscar, stupidly.
"But I brought you here to learn them."
"Mamma told me only to stay two weeks because of Madame Moreau."
"Oh! we'll see about that," replied Moreau, rather wounded that his
conjugal authority was doubted.
Moreau's youngest son, an active, strapping lad of twelve, here ran
up.
"Come," said his father, "take Oscar to your mother."
He himself went rapidly along the shortest path to the gamekeeper's
house, which was situated between the park and the forest.
The pavilion, or lodge, in which the count had established his
steward, was built a few years before the Revolution. It stood in the
centre of a large garden, one wall of which adjoined the court-yard of
the stables and offices of the chateau itself. Formerly its chief
entrance was on the main road to the village. But after the count's
father bought the building, he closed that entrance and united the
place with his own property.
The house, built of freestone, in the style of the period of Louis XV.
(it is enough to say that its exterior decoration consisted of a stone
drapery beneath the windows, as in the colonnades of the Place Louis
XV., the flutings of which were stiff and ungainly), had on the
ground-floor a fine salon opening into a bedroom, and a dining-room
connected with a billiard-room. These rooms, lying parallel to one
another, were separated by a staircase, in front of which was a sort
of peristyle which formed an entrance-hall, on which the two suits of
rooms on either side opened. The kitchen was beneath the dining-room,
for the whole building was raised ten steps from the ground level.
By placing her own bedroom on the first floor above the ground-floor,
Madame Moreau was able to transform the chamber adjoining the salon
into a boudoir. These two rooms were richly furnished with beautiful
pieces culled from the rare old furniture of the chateau. The salon,
hung with blue and white damask, formerly the curtains of the state-
bed, was draped with ample portieres and window curtains lined with
white silk. Pictures, evidently from old panels, plant-stands, various
pretty articles of modern upholstery, handsome lamps, and a rare old
cut-glass chandelier, gave a grandiose appearance to the room. The
carpet was a Persian rug. The boudoir, wholly modern, and furnished
entirely after Madame Moreau's own taste, was arranged in imitation of
a tent, with ropes of blue silk on a gray background. The classic
divan was there, of course, with its pillows and footstools. The
plant-stands, taken care of by the head-gardener of Presles, rejoiced
the eye with their pyramids of bloom. The dining-room and billiard-
room were furnished in mahogany.
Around the house the steward's wife had laid out a beautiful garden,
carefully cultivated, which opened into the great park. Groups of
choice parks hid the offices and stables. To improve the entrance by
which visitors came to see her, she had substituted a handsome iron
gateway for the shabby railing, which
and a large crow-beaked nose gave him an air that was the more
threatening because his eyes were placed too close together. But his
large lips, the outline of his face, and the easy good-humor of his
manner soon showed that his nature was a kindly one. Abrupt in speech
and decided in tone, he impressed Oscar immensely by the force of his
penetration, inspired, no doubt, by the affection which he felt for
the boy. Trained by his mother to magnify the steward, Oscar had
always felt himself very small in Moreau's presence; but on reaching
Presles a new sensation came over him, as if he expected some harm
from this fatherly figure, his only protector.
"Well, my Oscar, you don't look pleased at getting here," said the
steward. "And yet you'll find plenty of amusement; you shall learn to
ride on horseback, and shoot, and hunt."
"I don't know any of those things," said Oscar, stupidly.
"But I brought you here to learn them."
"Mamma told me only to stay two weeks because of Madame Moreau."
"Oh! we'll see about that," replied Moreau, rather wounded that his
conjugal authority was doubted.
Moreau's youngest son, an active, strapping lad of twelve, here ran
up.
"Come," said his father, "take Oscar to your mother."
He himself went rapidly along the shortest path to the gamekeeper's
house, which was situated between the park and the forest.
The pavilion, or lodge, in which the count had established his
steward, was built a few years before the Revolution. It stood in the
centre of a large garden, one wall of which adjoined the court-yard of
the stables and offices of the chateau itself. Formerly its chief
entrance was on the main road to the village. But after the count's
father bought the building, he closed that entrance and united the
place with his own property.
The house, built of freestone, in the style of the period of Louis XV.
(it is enough to say that its exterior decoration consisted of a stone
drapery beneath the windows, as in the colonnades of the Place Louis
XV., the flutings of which were stiff and ungainly), had on the
ground-floor a fine salon opening into a bedroom, and a dining-room
connected with a billiard-room. These rooms, lying parallel to one
another, were separated by a staircase, in front of which was a sort
of peristyle which formed an entrance-hall, on which the two suits of
rooms on either side opened. The kitchen was beneath the dining-room,
for the whole building was raised ten steps from the ground level.
By placing her own bedroom on the first floor above the ground-floor,
Madame Moreau was able to transform the chamber adjoining the salon
into a boudoir. These two rooms were richly furnished with beautiful
pieces culled from the rare old furniture of the chateau. The salon,
hung with blue and white damask, formerly the curtains of the state-
bed, was draped with ample portieres and window curtains lined with
white silk. Pictures, evidently from old panels, plant-stands, various
pretty articles of modern upholstery, handsome lamps, and a rare old
cut-glass chandelier, gave a grandiose appearance to the room. The
carpet was a Persian rug. The boudoir, wholly modern, and furnished
entirely after Madame Moreau's own taste, was arranged in imitation of
a tent, with ropes of blue silk on a gray background. The classic
divan was there, of course, with its pillows and footstools. The
plant-stands, taken care of by the head-gardener of Presles, rejoiced
the eye with their pyramids of bloom. The dining-room and billiard-
room were furnished in mahogany.
Around the house the steward's wife had laid out a beautiful garden,
carefully cultivated, which opened into the great park. Groups of
choice parks hid the offices and stables. To improve the entrance by
which visitors came to see her, she had substituted a handsome iron
gateway for the shabby railing, which