k a walk side by side in a solitary path in the park
and discussed the chances of their situation. M. de Saint-Maixent
brought before the marchioness the enormous injury which this event would
bring them. He then said that even supposing the news to be true, there
were many rocks ahead to be weathered before the succession could be
pronounced secure.

"The child may die," he said at last.

And he uttered some sinister expressions on the slight damage caused by
the loss of a puny creature without mind, interest, or consequence;
nothing, he said, but a bit of ill-organised matter, which only came into
the world to ruin so considerable a person as the marchioness.

"But what is the use of tormenting ourselves?" he went on impatiently;
"the countess is not pregnant, nor can she be."

A gardener working near them overheard this part of the conversation, but
as they walked away from him he could not hear any more.

A few days later, some outriders, sent before him by the count, entered
the chateau, saying that their master and mistress were close at hand.
In fact, they were promptly followed by brakes and travelling-carriages,
and at length the countess's litter was descried, which M. de
Saint-Geran, on horse back, had never lost sight of during the journey.
It was a triumphal reception: all the peasants had left their work, and
filled the air with shouts of welcome; the servants ran to meet their
mistress; the ancient retainers wept for joy at seeing the count so happy
and in the hope that his noble qualities might be perpetuated in his
heir. The marquis and Madame de Bouille did their best to tune up to the
pitch of this hilarity.

The dowager countess, who had arrived at the chateau the same day, unable
to convince herself as to this news, had the pleasure of satisfying her
self respecting it. The count and countess were much beloved in the
Bourbonnais province; this event caused therein a general satisfaction,
particularly in the numerous houses attached to them by consanguinity.
Within a few days of their return, more than twenty ladies of quality
flocked to visit them in great haste, to show the great interest they
took in this pregnancy. All these ladies, on one occasion or another,
convinced themselves as to its genuineness, and many of them, carrying
the subject still further, in a joking manner which pleased the countess,
dubbed themselves prophetesses, and predicted the birth of a boy. The
usual symptom