"See, there come some more horses! A whole regiment of them. One would think we were living in the old marshal"s time, Madame Bastien."
About twenty-five more horses, of different ages and sizes, all concealed in blankets bearing the marquis"s coat-of-arms, some ridden, some led, began to file through the archway. Their dusty legs and housings indicated that they had just made a long journey. A handsome caleche, drawn by two spirited horses, ended the procession. A handsomely dressed young man alighted from it, and gave some order in English to one of the grooms, who listened, cap in hand.
"Do the horses that just came also belong to M. le marquis, my friend?"
the doctor inquired of a pa.s.sing servant.
"Yes, they are M. le marquis"s racers and brood mares."
"And the gentleman that just got out of the carriage?"
"Is M. Newman, M. le marquis"s trainer."
As the three visitors walked on toward the conservatories, they pa.s.sed a long pa.s.sage in the bas.e.m.e.nt. This pa.s.sage evidently led to the kitchens, for eight or ten cooks and scullions were engaged in unpacking several hogsheads filled with copper cooking utensils so prodigious in size that they seemed to have been made for Gargantua himself. The visitors also viewed, with ever increasing astonishment, the incredible number of servants of every kind.
"Well, Madame Bastien, if any one should tell this young marquis that you and I and a host of other people had only one or two servants to wait on us, and yet were tolerably well served, he would probably laugh in his face," remarked M. Dufour.
"So much pomp and luxury bewilders me," replied Marie. "Why, there is a little town right here in the chateau, and think of all those horses!
You will not want for models after this, Frederick. You are so fond of drawing horses, but up to this time you have had only our venerable cart-horse for a model."
"Really, mother, I had no idea that any one save the king, perhaps, was rich enough to have such an immense number of servants and horses,"
replied Frederick. "Great Heavens! what a host of people and animals to be devoted to the service or pleasure of a single person!"
The words were uttered in an ironical tone, but Madame Bastien did not notice the fact, being so deeply interested as well as amused by what she saw going on around her; nor had she noticed that her son"s features had contracted slightly several times, as if under the influence of some disagreeable impression.
The fact is, though Frederick was not a particularly close observer, he had been struck with the lack of respect shown to his mother and the doctor by this crowd of noisy and busy domestics; some had jostled the visitors as they pa.s.sed, others had rudely obstructed the way, others, surprised at Marie Bastien"s rare beauty, had stared at her with bold, almost insulting curiosity, facts which the young mother in her unconsciousness had entirely failed to notice.
Not so with her son, however, and seeing that his mother, the doctor, and himself were thus treated simply because they had owed their admission to a servant, and sought admission at the servants" entrance, Frederick"s admiration became tinged with a slight bitterness, the bitterness that had caused his ironical comment on the number of persons and horses devoted to the pleasure and service of a single individual.
The sight of the magnificent gardens through which they were obliged to pa.s.s to reach the greenhouses soon made the lad forget his bitterness.
The gardeners were no less numerous than the subordinates in the various other departments, and by inquiring for M. le chef of the gardens and conservatories, the visitors finally ascertained that this important personage was in the main conservatory.
This building, which was circular in form, was two hundred feet in diameter, with a conical roof, the apex of which rose to a height of forty feet. This gigantic conservatory, constructed of iron, with remarkable boldness yet lightness of design, was filled with the most superb exotics. Banana-trees of all sizes and kinds, from the dwarf musa to the paradisiaca, rose to a height of thirty feet, with leaves many of them two yards in length. Here the green fans of the date-palm mingled with the tall stems of the sugar-cane and bamboos, while the clear water in a huge marble basin in the centre of the conservatory reflected all sorts of aquatic plants, among them great arums from India, with enormous round leaves, tall cyperus with their waving plumes, and the lotus of the Nile, with its immense azure flowers so intoxicating in their fragrance. A marvellous variety of vegetation of every shape and kind and colour had been collected here, from the pale mottled green of the begonia, to the richest hues of the maranta, with its wonderful leaves of green velvet underneath and purple satin on top; tall ficus side by side with ferns so delicate that the lace-like foliage seemed to be supported with thin strands of violet silk; here a strelitzia, with a flower that looked like a bird with orange wings and a lapis lazuli crest, vied in splendour with the astrapea, with its enormous cerise pompon, flecked with gold, while in many places the immense leaves of the banana-trees formed a natural arch which so effectually concealed the gla.s.s roof of the rotunda from view that one might have supposed oneself in a tropical forest.
Marie Bastien and Frederick interchanged exclamations of surprise and admiration at every step.
"Ah, Frederick, how delightful it is to see and touch these banana-trees and date-palms, we have read of so often in books of travel," cried Marie.
"Mother, mother, here is the coffee-tree," exclaimed Frederick, in his turn, "and there, that plant with such thick leaves, climbing up that column, is the vanilla."
"Frederick, look at those immense latania leaves. It is easy to understand now that in India five or six leaves are enough to cover a cabin."
"And mother, look, there is the beautiful pa.s.sion-vine Captain Cook speaks of. I recognised it at once by the flowers; they look like little openwork china baskets, and yet you and I used to accuse the poor captain of inventing impossible flowers."
"M. de Pont Brillant must spend most of his time in this enchanted garden when he is at home," Marie Bastien remarked to the superintendent.
"M. le marquis is like the late marquis, his father," replied the gardener. "He doesn"t care much for flowers. He prefers the stable and kennels."
Madame Bastien and her son gazed at each other in amazement.
"Then, why does he have these magnificent conservatories, monsieur?"
inquired the young woman, ingenuously.
"Because every castle must have its conservatories, madame," replied the functionary, proudly. "It is a luxury every self-respecting n.o.bleman owes to himself."
"So it is purely a matter of self-respect," Marie remarked to her son in a whispered aside. "But all jesting aside, in winter, when the days are so short, and the snow is flying, what delightful hours one could spend here, safe from the frost."
At last the doctor was obliged to interfere.
"My dear madame, we shall have to spend at least a couple of days in the conservatory, at this rate," he exclaimed, laughing.
"That is true, doctor," replied Madame Bastien, smiling; then, with a sigh of regret, she added: "Come, let us leave the tropics,--for some other part of the world, I suppose, as you told me this was a land of wonders, M. Dufour."
"You thought I was jesting. Well, you shall see. If you are very good, I will now take you to China."
"To China?"
"Certainly, and after remaining there a quarter of an hour we will make a little excursion to Switzerland."
"And what then, doctor?"
"Well, when there are no more foreign lands to visit, we will inspect all the different eras from the Gothic age down to the days of Louis the Fifteenth, and all in an hour"s time."
"Nothing can surprise me now, doctor," replied Madame Bastien, "for I know for a certainty, now, that we are in fairy-land. Come, Frederick."
And the visitors followed M. le chef of the gardens and conservatories, who smiled rather superciliously at the plebeian amazement of M.
Dufour"s friends. Though the wonders of the conservatory had made Frederick forget his bitter feelings for a time, the lad followed his mother with a less buoyant step than usual, for the bitterness returned as he thought of the young Marquis de Pont Brillant"s indifference to the beauties that would have given such joy and delight and congenial occupation to the many persons capable of appreciating the treasures collected here at such prodigious expense.
CHAPTER IV.
On leaving the immense rotunda which formed the princ.i.p.al conservatory, the head gardener conducted the visitors into other hothouses built on either side of the main structure. One of these, used as a pinery, led to another conservatory devoted entirely to orchids, and, in spite of the humidity and stifling heat, the doctor had considerable difficulty in tearing Marie Bastien and her son away from the spot, so great was their wonder and astonishment at the sight of these beautiful but almost fantastic flowers, some strongly resembling huge b.u.t.terflies in shape and colouring, others, winged insects of the most fantastic appearance.
Here M. Dutilleul"s domain ended, but he was kind enough to express a willingness to conduct our friends through the orangery and grapery.
"I promised you China," the doctor said to his friends, "and here we are in China."
In fact, as they left the orchid house, they found themselves in a gallery, with columns painted a bright green and scarlet, and paved with porcelain blocks which were continued up the low wall that served as a support for the base of the columns. Between these columns stood immense blue, white, and gold vases, containing camellias, peonies, azaleas, and lemon-trees. This gallery, which was enclosed with gla.s.s in winter, led to a small Chinese house which formed the centre of a large winter-garden.
The construction of this house, which had cost infinite care and an immense outlay of money, dated back to the middle of the eighteenth century, when the rage for everything Chinese was at its height, as the famous Chanteloup paG.o.da, a very tall building, constructed entirely of china, testifies.
The Chinese house at Pont Brillant was no whit inferior to M. de Choiseul"s famous "folly." The arrangement of this dwelling, which consisted of several rooms, the hangings, furniture, ornaments, and household utensils, were all strictly authentic, and to complete the illusion, two wonderful wax figures, life-size, stood on either side of the drawing-room door, as if to welcome their visitors, to whom they ever and anon bowed, thanks to some internal mechanism that made them move their eyes from side to side, and alternately raise and incline their heads. The choicest and most curious specimens of lacquer work, richly embroidered stuffs, furniture, china, gold and silver articles, and ivory carvings had been collected in this sort of museum.
"How wonderful!" exclaimed Madame Bastien, examining all these treasures with great curiosity and interest. "See, Frederick, here is a living book in which one can study the customs, habits, and history of this singular country, for here is also a collection of medals, coins, drawings, and ma.n.u.scripts."
"Say, mother!" exclaimed Frederick, "how pleasantly and profitably one could spend the long winter evenings here in reading about China, and comparing, or rather verifying the descriptions in the book with nature, so to speak."
"M. de Pont Brillant must often visit this curious and interesting pavilion, I am sure," said Marie, turning to M. Dutilleul.