"Oh, nothing!" exclaimed the Baron. "But you are a sensible girl; we
have some little secrets between us, and I may tell you what ruffles
my mind. Some difficulties have arisen since 1830 between the village
authorities of Riceys and me, on account of this very Dent de Vilard,
and I want to settle the matter without your mother's knowing anything
about it, for she is stubborn; she is capable of flinging fire and
flames broadcast, particularly if she should hear that the Mayor of
Riceys, a republican, got up this action as a sop to his people."
Rosalie had presence of mind enough to disguise her delight, so as to
work more effectually on her father.
"What action?" said she.
"Mademoiselle, the people of Riceys," said Modinier, "have long
enjoyed the right of grazing and cutting fodder on their side of the
Dent de Vilard. Now Monsieur Chantonnit, the Maire since 1830,
declares that the whole Dent belongs to his district, and maintains
that a hundred years ago, or more, there was a way through our
grounds. You understand that in that case we should no longer have
them to ourselves. Then this barbarian would end by saying, what the
old men in the village say, that the ground occupied by the lake was
appropriated by the Abbe de Watteville. That would be the end of les
Rouxey; what next?"
"Indeed, my child, between ourselves, it is the truth," said Monsieur
de Watteville simply. "The land is an usurpation, with no title-deed
but lapse of time.
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