ntiously; he took an interest in it. The count, coming
down now and then to examine the property, pass judgment on what had
been done, and decide on new purchases, was struck with Moreau's evident
loyalty, and showed his satisfaction by liberal gifts.

But after the birth of Moreau's third child, a daughter, he felt himself
so securely settled in all his comforts at Presles that he ceased to
attribute to Monsieur de Serizy those enormous advantages. About the
year 1816, the steward, who until then had only taken what he needed
for his own use from the estate, accepted a sum of twenty-five thousand
francs from a wood-merchant as an inducement to lease to the latter,
for twelve years, the cutting of all the timber. Moreau argued this: he
could have no pension; he was the father of a family; the count really
owed him that sum as a gift after ten years' management; already the
legitimate possessor of sixty thousand francs in savings, if he added
this sum to that, he could buy a farm worth a hundred and twenty-five
thousand francs in Champagne, a township just above Isle-Adam, on the
right bank of the Oise. Political events prevented both the count and
the neighboring country-people from becoming aware of this investment,
which was made in the name of Madame Moreau, who was understood to have
inherited property from an aunt of her father.

As soon as the steward had tasted the delightful fruit of the possession
of the property, he began, all the while maintaining toward the world
an appearance of the utmost integrity, to lose no occasion of increasing
his fortune clandestinely; the interests of his three children served as
a poultice to the wounds of his honor. Nevertheless, we ought in justice
to say that while he accepted casks of wine, and took care of himself in
all the purchases that he made for the count, yet according to the terms
of the Code he remained an honest man, and no proof could have
been found to justify an accusation against him. According to the
jurisprudence of the least thieving cook in Paris, he shared with the
count in the profits due to his own capable management. This manner
of swelling his fortune was simply a case of conscience, that was
all. Alert, and thoroughly understanding the count's interests, Moreau
watched for opportunities to make good purchases all the more eagerly,
because he gained a larger percentage on them. Presles returned
a revenue of seventy thousand francs net. It was a saying o