f the new proprietor.

"This de Buxieres," said M. Destourbet, "does not at all resemble his
deceased cousin Claude!"

"I can quite understand why the two families kept apart from each other,"
observed the notary, jocosely.

"Poor 'chasserot'!" whined Seurrot the clerk, whom the wine had rendered
tender-hearted; "he will not have a penny. I pity him with all my heart!"

As soon as the notary had departed, Julien came to the determination of
transforming into a study the hall where he had been conferring with
Maitre Arbillot, which was dignified with the title of "library,"
although it contained at the most but a few hundred odd volumes. The hall
was spacious, and lighted by two large windows opening on the garden; the
floor was of oak, and there was a great fireplace where the largest logs
used in a country in which the wood costs nothing could find ample room
to blaze and crackle. It took the young man several days to make the
necessary changes, and during that time he enjoyed a respite from the
petty annoyances worked by the steady hostility of Manette Sejournant and
her son. To the great indignation of the inhabitants of the chateau, he
packed off the massive billiard-table, on which Claude de Buxieres had so
often played in company with his chosen friends, to the garret; after
which the village carpenter was instructed to make the bookshelves ready
for the reception of Julien's own books, which were soon to arrive by
express. When he had got through with these labors, he turned his
attention to the documents placed in his hands by the notary, endeavoring
to find out by himself the nature of his revenues. He thought this would
be a very easy matter, but he soon found that it was encumbered with
inextricable difficulties.

A large part of the products of the domain consisted of lumber ready for
sale. Claude de Buxieres had been in the habit of superintending, either
personally or through his intermediate agents, one half of the annual
amount of lumber felled for market, the sale of which was arranged with
the neighboring forge owners by mutual agreement; the other half was
disposed of by notarial act. This latter arrangement was clear and
comprehensible; the price of sale and the amounts falling due were both
clearly indicated in the deed. But it was quite different with the
bargains made by the owner himself, which were often credited by notes
payable at sight, mostly worded in confused terms, unintelligible to a