A Start in Life [43]
she discarded.
The dependence in which the situation of their dwelling placed the
Moreaus, was thus adroitly concealed, and they seemed all the more
like rich and independent persons taking care of the property of a
friend, because neither the count nor the countess ever came to
Presles to take down their pretensions. Moreover, the perquisites
granted by Monsieur de Serizy allowed them to live in the midst of
that abundance which is the luxury of country life. Milk, eggs,
poultry, game, fruits, flowers, forage, vegetables, wood, the steward
and his wife used in profusion, buying absolutely nothing but
butcher's-meat, wines, and the colonial supplies required by their
life of luxury. The poultry-maid baked their bread; and of late years
Moreau had paid his butcher with pigs from the farm, after reserving
those he needed for his own use.
On one occasion, the countess, always kind and good to her former
maid, gave her, as a souvenir perhaps, a little travelling-carriage,
the fashion of which was out of date. Moreau had it repainted, and now
drove his wife about the country with two good horses which belonged
to the farm. Besides these horses, Moreau had his own saddle-horse. He
did enough farming on the count's property to keep the horses and
maintain his servants. He stacked three hundred tons of excellent hay,
but accounted for only one hundred, making use of a vague permission
once granted by the count. He kept his poultry-yard, pigeon-cotes, and
cattle at the cost of the estate, but the manure of the stables was
used by the count's gardeners. All these little stealings had some
ostensible excuse.
Madame Moreau had taken into her service a daughter of one of the
gardeners, who was first her maid and afterwards her cook. The
poultry-game, also the dairy-maid, assisted in the work of the
household; and the steward had hired a discharged soldier to groom the
horses and do the heavy labor.
At Nerville, Chaumont, Maffliers, Nointel, and other places of the
neighborhood, the handsome wife of the steward was received by persons
who either did not know, or pretended not to know her previous
condition. Moreau did services to many persons. He induced his master
to agree to certain things which seem trifles in Paris, but are really
of immense importance in the country. After bringing about the
appointment of a certain "juge de paix" at Beaumont and also at Isle-
Adam, he had, in the same year, prevented the dismissal of a keeper-
general of the Forests, and obtained the cross of the Legion of honor
for the first cavalry-sergeant at Beaumont. Consequently, no festivity
was ever given among the bourgeoisie to which Monsieur and Madame
Moreau were not invited. The rector of Presles and the mayor of
Presles came every evening to play cards with them. It is difficult
for a man not to be kind and hospitable after feathering his nest so
comfortably.
A pretty woman, and an affected one, as all retired waiting-maids of
great ladies are, for after they are married they imitate their
mistresses, Madame Moreau imported from Paris all the new fashions.
She wore expensive boots, and never was seen on foot, except,
occasionally, in the finest weather. Though her husband allowed but
five hundred francs a year for her toilet, that sum is immense in the
provinces, especially if well laid out. So that Madame Moreau, fair,
rosy, and fresh, about thirty-six years of age, still slender and
delicate in shape in spite of her three children, played the young
girl and gave herself the airs of a princess. If, when she drove by in
her caleche, some stranger had asked, "Who is she?" Madame Moreau
would have been furious had she heard the reply: "The wife of the
steward at Presles." She wished to be taken for the mistress of the
chateau. In the villages, she patronized the people in the tone of a
great lady. The influence of her husband over the count, proved in so
The dependence in which the situation of their dwelling placed the
Moreaus, was thus adroitly concealed, and they seemed all the more
like rich and independent persons taking care of the property of a
friend, because neither the count nor the countess ever came to
Presles to take down their pretensions. Moreover, the perquisites
granted by Monsieur de Serizy allowed them to live in the midst of
that abundance which is the luxury of country life. Milk, eggs,
poultry, game, fruits, flowers, forage, vegetables, wood, the steward
and his wife used in profusion, buying absolutely nothing but
butcher's-meat, wines, and the colonial supplies required by their
life of luxury. The poultry-maid baked their bread; and of late years
Moreau had paid his butcher with pigs from the farm, after reserving
those he needed for his own use.
On one occasion, the countess, always kind and good to her former
maid, gave her, as a souvenir perhaps, a little travelling-carriage,
the fashion of which was out of date. Moreau had it repainted, and now
drove his wife about the country with two good horses which belonged
to the farm. Besides these horses, Moreau had his own saddle-horse. He
did enough farming on the count's property to keep the horses and
maintain his servants. He stacked three hundred tons of excellent hay,
but accounted for only one hundred, making use of a vague permission
once granted by the count. He kept his poultry-yard, pigeon-cotes, and
cattle at the cost of the estate, but the manure of the stables was
used by the count's gardeners. All these little stealings had some
ostensible excuse.
Madame Moreau had taken into her service a daughter of one of the
gardeners, who was first her maid and afterwards her cook. The
poultry-game, also the dairy-maid, assisted in the work of the
household; and the steward had hired a discharged soldier to groom the
horses and do the heavy labor.
At Nerville, Chaumont, Maffliers, Nointel, and other places of the
neighborhood, the handsome wife of the steward was received by persons
who either did not know, or pretended not to know her previous
condition. Moreau did services to many persons. He induced his master
to agree to certain things which seem trifles in Paris, but are really
of immense importance in the country. After bringing about the
appointment of a certain "juge de paix" at Beaumont and also at Isle-
Adam, he had, in the same year, prevented the dismissal of a keeper-
general of the Forests, and obtained the cross of the Legion of honor
for the first cavalry-sergeant at Beaumont. Consequently, no festivity
was ever given among the bourgeoisie to which Monsieur and Madame
Moreau were not invited. The rector of Presles and the mayor of
Presles came every evening to play cards with them. It is difficult
for a man not to be kind and hospitable after feathering his nest so
comfortably.
A pretty woman, and an affected one, as all retired waiting-maids of
great ladies are, for after they are married they imitate their
mistresses, Madame Moreau imported from Paris all the new fashions.
She wore expensive boots, and never was seen on foot, except,
occasionally, in the finest weather. Though her husband allowed but
five hundred francs a year for her toilet, that sum is immense in the
provinces, especially if well laid out. So that Madame Moreau, fair,
rosy, and fresh, about thirty-six years of age, still slender and
delicate in shape in spite of her three children, played the young
girl and gave herself the airs of a princess. If, when she drove by in
her caleche, some stranger had asked, "Who is she?" Madame Moreau
would have been furious had she heard the reply: "The wife of the
steward at Presles." She wished to be taken for the mistress of the
chateau. In the villages, she patronized the people in the tone of a
great lady. The influence of her husband over the count, proved in so