which
happened quite often (we never knew why), he had a deep, ugly ditch made
just across the road which we always took when we were riding around the
property. The woods were so thick and low, with plenty of thorns, that
we could not get along by keeping on one side and were obliged to go
back and make quite a long detour. The notary did his best to buy it for
us, but the man would never sell--rather enjoyed, I think, having the
power to annoy us.

Mme. de Thury and I fraternised a little and I should have liked to see
more of her, but soon after that evening they had great trouble. They
had a great deal of illness and lost a son. I never saw Thury till after
both of them were dead. The chateau had been sold, most of the furniture
taken away and the whole place had a deserted, neglected look that made
one feel quite miserable. The big drawing-room was piled up with straw,
over the doors were still two charming dessus-de-porte, the colours
quite fresh--not at all faded--chickens were walking about in another
room, and upstairs in a pretty corner room, with a lovely view over
woods and park, was a collection of photographs, engravings (one the
mother of the late owner), a piece of unfinished tapestry, samplers,
china vases, books, papers, two or three knots of faded ribbon, all
tossed in a corner like a heap of rubbish. The things had evidently been
forgotten in the big move, but it looked melancholy.

The chateau must have been charming when it was furnished and lived in.
Quantities of rooms, a long gallery with small rooms on one side, the
"garconniere" or bachelors' quarters, led directly into the church,
where many Thurys are sleeping their last sleep. The park was beautiful
and there was capital shooting. W. had often shot there in the old days
when their shooting parties were famous.

We ended our evening with music, the bride playing extremely well. Mme.
de Thury also sang very well. She had learnt in Italy and sang in quite
bravura style. The evening didn't last very long after the men came in.
Everybody was anxious to get the long, cold drive over.

I enjoyed myself very much. It was my first experience of a French
country entertainment and it was very different from what I had
expected. Not at all stiff and a most cordial welcome. I thought--rather
naively perhaps--that it was the beginning of many entertainments of
the same kind, but I never dined out again in the country. It is only
fair to say that we