ve the entrance by which
visitors came to see her, she had substituted a handsome iron gateway
for the shabby railing, which 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fashion of which was out of date.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 appoin