n the great door,
and the Sieur Tranchelot, dressed in his holiday costume, but bareheaded
and without sword or spurs,--not being gentilhomme he was not entitled
to wear them,--entered the door, which was ceremoniously opened for him
by the majordomo. He was gravely led up to the dais, where stood the
lady of the Manor, by the steward bearing his wand of office.

The worthy censitaire knelt down before the lady, and repeating her name
three times, pronounced the formula of foi et hommage prescribed by the
law, as owing to the lords of the Manor of Tilly.

"My Lady de Tilly! My Lady de Tilly! My Lady de Tilly! I render you
fealty and homage due to you on account of my lands of the Bocage, which
belong to me by virtue of the deed executed by the Sieur Marcel before
the worthy notary Jean Pothier dit Robin, on the day of Palms, 1748,
and I avow my willingness to acquit the seigniorial and feudal cens et
rentes, and all other lawful dues, whensoever payable by me; beseeching
you to be my good liege lady, and to admit me to the said fealty and
homage."

The lady accepted the homage of Sieur Tranchelot, graciously remitted
the lods et ventes,--the fines payable to the seigneur,--gave him the
cup of wine to drink when he rose to his feet, and ordered him to be
generously entertained by her majordomo, and sent back to the Bocage
rejoicing.

So the days passed by in alternation of business and pastime, but all
made a pleasure for the agreeable inmates of the Manor House. Philibert
gave himself up to the delirium of enchantment which the presence of
Amelie threw over him. He never tired of watching the fresh developments
of her gloriously-endowed nature. Her beauty, rare as it was, grew
day by day upon his wonder and admiration, as he saw how fully it
corresponded to the innate grace and nobility of her mind.

She was so fresh of thought, so free from all affectation, so gentle and
winning in all her ways, and, sooth to say, so happy in the admiration
of Philibert, which she was very conscious of now. It darted from his
eyes at every look, although no word of it had yet passed his lips. The
radiance of her spirits flashed like sunbeams through every part of the
old Manor House.

Amelie was carried away in a flood of new emotion; she tried once or
twice to be discreetly angry with herself for admitting so unreservedly
the pleasure she felt in Pierre's admiration; she placed her soul on a
rack of self-questioning torture, an