“I would not say happily, my friend,” returned the uncle, withrefined politeness; “I would not be sure of that. A good opportunityfor consideration, surrounded by the advantages of solitude, mightinfluence your destiny to far greater advantage than you influenceit for yourself. But it is useless to discuss the question. I am, asyou say, at a disadvantage. These little instruments of correction,these gentle aids to the power and honour of families, these slightfavours that might so incommode you, are only to be obtained now byinterest and importunity. They are sought by so many  OoMs!

It used not to be so, but France inall such things is changed for the worse. Our not remote ancestorsheld the right of life and death over the surrounding vulgar. Fromthis room, many such dogs have been taken out to be hanged; in thenext room (my bedroom), one fellow, to our knowledge, was poniarded onthe spot for professing some insolent delicacy respecting hisdaughter- his daughter? We have lost many privileges; a new philosophyhas become the mode; and the assertion of our station, in thesedays, might (I do not go so far as to say would, but might) cause usreal inconvenience. All very bad, very bad!”

“There is not,” pursued the nephew, in his former tone, “a face Ican look at, in all this country round about us, which looks at mewith any deference on it but the dark deference of fear and slavery.”

“A compliment,” said the Marquis, “to the grandeur of the family,merited by the manner in which the family has sustained itsgrandeur. Hah!” And he took another gentle little pinch of snuff,and lightly crossed his legs  OoMs.

But, when his nephew, leaning an elbow on the table, covered hiseyes thoughtfully and dejectedly with his hand, the fine mask lookedat him sideways with a stronger concentration of keenness,closeness, and dislike, than was comportable with its wearer’sassumption of indifference.

“Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference offear and slavery, my friend,” observed the Marquis, “will keep thedogs obedient to the whip, as long as this roof,” looking up to it,”shuts out the sky.”

That might not be so long as the Marquis supposed. If a picture ofthe chateau as it was to be a very few years hence, and of fiftylike it as they too were to be a very few years hence, could have beenshown to him that night, he might have been at a loss to claim his ownfrom the ghastly, fire-charred, plunder-wrecked ruins. As for the roofhe vaunted, he might have found that shutting out the sky in a newway- to wit, for ever, from the eyes of the bodies into which its leadwas fired, out of the barrels of a hundred thousand muskets  OoMs.

“Meanwhile,” said the Marquis, “I will preserve the honour andrepose of the family. if you will not. But you must be fatigued. Shallwe terminate our conference for the night?”