Just as the countess opened her parasol, Michaud came up and told her that the general had left her a widow for probably two days.
"Monsieur Michaud," said the countess, eagerly, "don't deceive me, there is something serious going on.Your wife is frightened, and if there are many persons like Pere Fourchon, this part of the country will be uninhabitable--"
"If it were so, madame," answered Michaud, laughing, "we should not be in the land of the living, for nothing would be easier than to make away with us.The peasant's grumble, that is all.But as to passing from growls to blows, from pilfering to crime, they care too much for life and the free air of the fields.Olympe has been saying something that frightened you, but you know she is in state to be frightened at nothing," he added, drawing his wife's hand under his arm and pressing it to warn her to say no more.
"Cornevin! Juliette!" cried Madame Michaud, who soon saw the head of her old cook at the window."I am going for a little walk; take care of the premises."
Two enormous dogs, who began to bark, proved that the effectiveness of the garrison at the gate of the Avonne was not to be despised.Hearing the dogs, Cornevin, an old Percheron, Olympe's foster-father, came from behind the trees, showing a head such as no other region than La Perche can manufacture.Cornevin was undoubtedly a Chouan in 1794 and 1799.
The whole party accompanied the countess along that one of the six forest avenues which led directly to the gate of Conches, crossing the Silver-spring rivulet.Madame de Montcornet walked in front with Blondet.The abbe and Michaud and his wife talked in a low voice of the revelation that had just been made to the countess of the state of the country.