ow much do I prefer the Manor House!
There were not many guests to supper, and Monsieur Doltaire was not
among them. I affected a genial surprise, and asked the Governor if one
of the two vacant chairs at the table was for monsieur; and looking a
little as though he would reprove me--for he does not like to think
of me as interested in monsieur--he said it was, but that monsieur was
somewhere out of town, and there was no surety that he would come. The
other chair was for the Chevalier de la Darante, one of the oldest and
best of our nobility, who pretends great roughness and barbarism, but is
a kind and honourable gentleman, though odd. He was one of your judges,
Robert; and though he condemned you, he said that you had some reason on
your side. And I will show you how he stood for you last night.

"I need not tell you how the supper passed, while I was
planning--planning to reach the Governor if monsieur did not come; and
if he did come, how to play my part so he should suspect nothing but a
vain girl's caprice, and maybe heartlessness. Moment after moment went
by, and he came not. I almost despaired. Presently the Chevalier de la
Darante entered, and he took the vacant chair beside me. I was glad of
this. I had gone in upon the arm of a rusty gentleman of the Court, who
is over here to get his health again, and does it by gaming and drinking
at the Chateau Bigot. The Chevalier began at once to talk to me, and he
spoke of you, saying that he had heard of your duel with my brother,
and that formerly you had been much a guest at our house. I answered him
with what carefulness I could, and brought round the question of
your death, by hint and allusion getting him to speak of the mode of
execution.

"Upon this point he spoke his mind strongly, saying that it was a case
where the penalty should be the musket, not the rope. It was no subject
for the supper table, and the Governor felt this, and I feared he would
show displeasure; but other gentlemen took up the matter, and he could
not easily change the talk at the moment. The feeling was strong against
you. My father stayed silent, but I could see he watched the effect
upon the Governor. I knew that he himself had tried to get the mode of
execution changed, but the Governor had been immovable. The Chevalier
spoke most strongly, for he is afraid of no one, and he gave the other
gentlemen raps upon the knuckles.

"'I swear,' he said at last, 'I am sorry now I gave in to hi