A Woodland Queen ('Reine des Bois') - Volume 3

ace of Auberive, accompanied by his clerk, Etienne Seurrot, left his home at Abbatiale, in order to repair to t

a narrow grass-bordered path, leading through the forest up the hill of Charboniere, from the summit of which was seen that intermingling of narrow gorges and wooded heights which is so characteristic of this mountainous region. On all sides were indented horizons of trees, among which a few, of more dominant height, projected their sharp outlines against the sky; in the distance were rocky steeps, wit

a black cravat, and a very high hat, which the justice, who loved correctness in details, thought it his duty to don whenever called upon to perform his judicial functions. The clerk, Seurrot, more obese, and of maturer age, prot

to walk by his side, "I trust we shall find Maitre Arbillot down there; we shall

er Monsieur de Buxieres had not left a will in his keeping. In my humble opinion, that is hardly likely; for the deceased had great

n the seals are raised, we may discover an

heart, for the sake of Claudet Sejournant, for he is a good fellow, alth

the grand chasserot, as they call him here, will be on the wrong side of the hedge if Monsieur de Buxieres has unfortunately died inte

d Claudet as his own son, and every

bors; especially in all questions of the 'cujus'. Odouart de Buxieres was a terribly wild fellow,

e neither a deer nor a pretty girl without flying in pursuit. Ah, yes! Many a trick has he played them-talk of your miracles, forsooth!-well, Claudet was his fa

r last wishes-to make a will, to them, is to put one foot into the grave. They will not call in the priest or the notary until the very last moment, and v

to an heir of whom Monsieur Odouart never had taken account-to one of the younge

believe," sai

Buxieres, who is employed b

ample information, he is, for us, the so

sent his power of attorney t

stourbet, "in that case, we can

against an almost upright wall of thicket and pointed rocks. On the west this narrow defile was closed by a mill, standing like a sentinel on guard, in its uniform of solid gray; on each side of the river a verdant line of meadow led the eye gradually toward the clump of ancient and lofty ash-trees, behind which rose the Buxieres domi

eligion as a vocation; Claude Antoine, the elder son, to whom he left his entire fortune, and Julien Abdon, the younger, officer in the regiment of Rohan Soubise, with whom he was not on good terms. After emigrating and serving in Conde's army, the younger Buxieres had returned to France during the Restoration, had married, and been appointed special receiver in a

and a preceptor without authority, who had succeeded in imparting to him only the most elementary amount of instruction, and he had, from a very early age, taken his own pleasure as his sole rule of life. He lived side by side with peasants and poachers, and had himself become a regular country yeoman, wearing a blouse, dining at the wine-shop, and taking

t girl of attractive form or feature, all had had to resist his advances, and with more than one the resistance had been very slight. It was no false report which affirmed that he had peopled the district with his

ughters of the nobles, and even the Langarian middle classes, he dreaded more than anything else in the world the monotonous regularity of conjugal life. He did not car

favorite pastime, but he frequented less places of questionable repute, seldom slept away from home, and seemed to take greater pleasure in remaining under his own roof. The cause of this change was ascri

e knew how to wait upon and cosset her master, accustoming him by imperceptible degrees to prefer the cuisine of the chateau to that of the wine-shops. After a while, by dint of making her merits appreciated, and her presence continually desired

d took him hunting with him. Under the teaching of M. de Buxieres, Claudet did honor to his master, and soon became such an expert that he could give points to all the huntsmen of the canton. None could equal him in tracing a dog; he knew all the passes, by-paths, and enclosures of the forest; swooped down upon the game with the keen scent and the velocity of a bird of prey, and never was known to miss his mark. Thus it was that the country people surnamed him the 'grand chasserot', the term which we here apply to the sparrow-hawk. Besides all these advantages, he was handsome, alert, straight, and well made, dark-haired and olive-skinned, like all the Buxieres; he had his mother's caressing glance, but also the overhanging eyelids and somewhat stern expression of his father, from whom h

Claudet will have all my fortune; my will and testamen

ho knew very little about what was required in such cases, considered the matter already secure. She continued in

er, the hasty search for it after the decease having been suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the mayor of Vivey; and by the proceedings of the justice of the peace. The seals being once imposed, there was no means, in th

amp, and adorned alternately by stags' heads and family portraits in a crumbling state of decay. The floor was thus divided: on the right, the dining-room and the kitchen; on the left, drawing-room and a billiard-hall. A stone staircase, built in one of the turrets, led to the upper floors. Only one of these rooms, the kitchen, which the justice and his bailiff entered, was occupied by the household. A cold light, equally diffused

toyed, in an absent fashion, with the silky ears of a spaniel, whose fluffy little head lay in his lap. Behind him, Manette Sejournant stood putting away her shawl and prayerbook in a closet

he head of the animal. To all the notary's questions, he replied only by monosyllables, passing his fingers every now and then

opment of the bust at the expense of her neck and throat, which seemed disproportionately short and thick. Her cheeks had lost their gracious curves and her double chin was more pronounced. All that remained of her for

rbillot, and a petulant little man with squirrel

expecting you-if you are willing, we will begin our wo

hat down carefully on the window-sill; "we shall draw out the for

ar to me that the deceased made no tes

rbet, "he may have execut

nette,' said he, not more than two weeks ago; 'I do not intend you shall be worried, neither you nor Claudet, when I am no longer here. All shall be arranged

tiously to her nose and wiped her eyes, th

h me, that we ought to begin operations b

notified his chief clerk to remo

ousekeeper; and the quartet of men of the law follow

lowed hesitatingly, and then halted, uncertain how to decide between the desire to assist i

, are not you one of the

then followed the justice, carefully choosing his foothold on the well-worn stairs, the asthmatic old bailiff, breathing short and har

nd the afternoon sun revealed an interior decorated and furnished in the style of the close of the eighteenth century. An inlaid secretary, with white marble top a

s of the inventory. In this confused murmuring some fragments of phrases would occasionally strike the ear: "Chateau of Vivey-deceased the eighth of October last-at th

ed from Claudet a sudde

e requisition of the only heir named, to whom we must make app

t and afterward by the tearing sound of the sealed bands across the bureau, the drawe

ered the money received from the sale of his wood and the dates of the payments made by his farmers; a daybook, i

r piece of furniture,"

son why none but insignificant papers had been found in the drawer

derwent a slight but anxious change. The bailiff continued his scrupulous search of each drawer under the watchful eye of the justice, finding nothing but documents of mediocre importance; old titles to property, bundles of letters, tradesmen's bills, etc. Suddenly, at the opening of t

s my te

opeless case of illness, the justice made known to his two neighbors the text of the sheet of paper, o

caring nothing about them, I give an

onsult some legal authority more experienced than himself, or because he had been interrupted in hi

ore reading aloud this unfi

did not finish-it is

ousekeeper; "you think, then, Monsieur just

paper; the name of the legatee is not indicated, and even were it indicated,

sieur de Buxiere

the only piece of furniture in which he kept his papers." Then, turning toward the notary and the bailiff: "You are doubtless, gentlemen, of the same opinion as myself; it will be wise, therefore

y; "in the meanwhile, the keeping of the se

the foot of the bed; stunned by the unexpected announcement; the bailiff and the c

p a courageous heart, and be able to rise to the top; besides, even if, legally, you own nothing here, this unfinished testament of Monsieur de

e went hastily to his room, next that of the deceased, tore off his dress-coat, slipped on a hunting-coat, put on his gaiters, donned his

peech and a more purely French mode of expression, but in this moment of discouragement and despair the ru

in, that he would leave us in trouble! Where can we seek our br

, "it does not mend matters to give way like that. Calm thyself-so long as I have ha

dly, he soon reached the outs

ditation induced by spacious forest depths. The woods seemed asleep, and the low murmurings, which from time to time escaped from their recesses, seemed like the unconscious sighs exhale

eyond the hedges was heard the crackling of branches, snapped by invisible hands, and the rattle of nuts dropping on the earth. It was the noise made by the gatherers of beechnuts, for in the years when the beech produces

it. One or two familiar voices hailed him as he passed, but he was not disposed to gossip, for the moment, and turned abruptly into the bushwood, so as to avoid any encounter. The unexpected ev

suffered vaguely, without seeking to know from what cause; he had not been able as yet to realize the

a jacket of the same, close-fitting at the waist, her arms bare to the elbows and supporting on her head a bag of nuts enveloped in a white sheet, advanced toward him with a quick and rhythmical step. The manner in which she carried her burden showed the elegance of her form, the perfect grace of her chest and throat. She was not very tall, but finely proportioned. As she approached, the slanting rays of

weight of her bundle, had laid it down by the roadside while she

voice singularly softened in tone,

uly, now, that is not an offer to be refu

come far t

efore, because I don't like to leave father alone for long at a

to take hold of things. To see you all day trotting about the farm, no

ent that his eyes looked with delight into the dark limpid orbs of Reine, on her pure and rosy lips, a

o give orders, the women must take a hand themselves. My father was not very strong when my mother

er his shoulder. They walked on, side by side, in the direction of La Thuliere; the sun had set, and a pen

her, is he?" said Claudet

ut how is it with yourself, Claudet?" she asked, turning her frank, cordial gaze upon him. "You have had your share o

knew and admitted the fact, however irregular, as one sanctioned by time and continuity. Therefore, in speaking to the young

ot', which had cleared for a time und

he, "he was ta

you are sole mast

eturned, with such bitterness that th

it not agreed with Monsieur de Buxieres

thout leaving any will, and, as I am nothing in the eye of the law, the patrimony wi

eyes filled

d, "and who could have expected s

as perhaps misled, and thought he read in her glistening eyes a tenderer

rude shock to wake up one morning without hearth or home,

nd to do?" inquir

rugged his

a bad soldier. Everything is going round and round in my head like a millwheel. The first thing to do is to

had become ve

Therefore, I pray you not to take in ill part that which I am going to say-in short, if you should get into an

chasserot

nce the time when we played together in the cure's garden, while waiting for the time to repeat the catechism. But there is no

ry of the forest where the

lack outline of the ancient forge, now become a grange, and

he bundle of nuts on the flat stone wall which surr

t come in an

go back,"

Claudet; au revoi

n the deepening twilight, then

n a choking voice, "you are a goo

the farm precipitately, and