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concealment in the bosom of a family。
After she attained her majority Laurence allowed Monsieur d'Hauteserre
to manage her affairs as in the past。 So long as her favorite mare was
well…groomed； her maid Catherine dressed to please her； and Gothard
the little page was suitably clothed； she cared for nothing else。 Her
thoughts were aimed too high to come down to occupations and interests
which in other times than these would doubtless have pleased her。
Dress was a small matter to her mind； moreover her cousins were not
there to see her。 She wore a dark…green habit when she rode； and a
gown of some common woollen stuff with a cape trimmed with braid when
she walked； in the house she was always seen in a silk wrapper。
Gothard； the little groom； a brave and clever lad of fifteen； attended
her wherever she went； and she was nearly always out of doors； riding
or hunting over the farms of Gondreville； without objection being made
by either Michu or the farmers。 She rode admirably well； and her
cleverness in hunting was thought miraculous。 In the country she was
never called anything but 〃Mademoiselle〃 even during the Revolution。
Whoever has read the fine romance of 〃Rob Roy〃 will remember that rare
woman for whose making Walter Scott's imagination abandoned its
customary coldness；Diana Vernon。 The recollection will serve to make
Laurence understood if； to the noble qualities of the Scottish
huntress you add the restrained exaltation of Charlotte Corday；
surpassing； however； the charming vivacity which rendered Diana so
attractive。 The young countess had seen her mother die； the Abbe
d'Hauteserre shot down； the Marquis de Simeuse and his wife executed；
her only brother had died of his wounds； her two cousins serving in
Conde's army might be killed at any moment； and； finally； the fortunes
of the Simeuse and the Cinq…Cygne families had been seized and wasted
by the Republic without being of any benefit to the nation。 Her grave
demeanor； now lapsing into apparent stolidity； can be readily
understood。
Monsieur d'Hauteserre proved an upright and most careful guardian。
Under his administration Cinq…Cygne became a sort of farm。 The good
man； who was far more of a close manager than a knight of the old
nobility； had turned the park and gardens to profit； and used their
two hundred acres of grass and woodland as pasturage for horses and
fuel for the family。 Thanks to his severe economy the countess； on
coming of age； had recovered by his investments in the State funds a
competent fortune。 In 1798 she possessed about twenty thousand francs
a year from those sources； on which； in fact； some dividends were
still due； and twelve thousand francs a year from the rentals at Cinq…
Cygne； which had lately been renewed at a notable increase。 Monsieur
and Madame d'Hauteserre had provided for their old age by the purchase
of an annuity of three thousand francs in the Tontines Lafarge。 That
fragment of their former means did not enable them to live elsewhere
than at Cinq…Cygne； and Laurence's first act on coming to her majority
was to give them the use for life of the wing of the chateau which
they occupied。
The Hauteserres； as niggardly for their ward as they were for
themselves； laid up every year nearly the whole of their annuity for
the benefit of their sons； and kept the young heiress on miserable
fare。 The whole cost of the Cinq…Cygne household never exceeded five
thousand francs a year。 But Laurence； who condescended to no details；
was satisfied。 Her guardian and his wife； unconsciously ruled by the
imperceptible influence of her strong character； which was felt even
in little things； had ended by admiring her whom they had known and
treated as a child；a sufficiently rare feeling。 But in her manner；
her deep voice； her commanding eye； Laurence held that inexplicable
power which rules all men；even when its strength is mere appearance。
To vulgar minds real depth is incomprehensible； it is perhaps for that
reason that the populace is so prone to admire what it cannot
understand。 Monsieur and Madame d'Hauteserre； impressed by the
habitual silence and erratic habits of the young girl； were constantly
expecting some extraordinary thing of her。
Laurence； who did good intelligently and never allowed herself to be
deceived； was held in the utmost respect by the peasantry although she
was an aristocrat。 Her sex； name； and great misfortunes； also the
originality of her present life； contributed to give her authority
over the inhabitants of the valley of Cinq…Cygne。 She was sometimes
absent for two days； attended by Gothard； but neither Monsieur nor
Madame d'Hauteserre questioned her； on her return； as to the reasons
of her absence。 Please observe； however； that there was nothing odd or
eccentric about Laurence。 What she was and what she did was masked； as
it were； by a feminine and even fragile appearance。 Her heart was full
of extreme sensibility； though her head contained a stoical firmness
and the virile gift of resolution。 Her clear…seeing eyes knew not how
to weep； but no one would have imagined that the delicate white wrist
with its tracery of blue veins could defy that of the boldest
horseman。 Her hand； so noble； so flexible； could handle gun or pistol
with the ease of a practised marksman。 She always wore when out of
doors the coquettish little cap with visor and green veil which women
wear on horseback。 Her delicate fair face； thus protected； and her
white throat tied with a black cravat； were never injured by her long
rides in all weathers。
Under the Directory and at the beginning of the Consulate； Laurence
had been able to escape the observation of others； but since the
government had become a more settled thing； the new authorities； the
prefect of the Aube； Malin's friends； and Malin himself had endeavored
to undermine her in the community。 Her preoccupying thought was the
overthrow of Bonaparte； whose ambition and its triumphs excited the
anger of her soul；a cold； deliberate anger。 The obscure and hidden
enemy of a man at the pinnacle of glory； she kept her gaze upon him
from the depths of her valley and her forests； with relentless fixity；
there were times when she thought of killing him in the roads about
Malmaison or Saint…Cloud。 Plans for the execution of this idea may
have been the cause of many of her past actions； but having been
initiated； after the peace of Amiens； into the conspiracy of the men
who expected to make the 18th Brumaire recoil upon the First Consul；
she had thenceforth subordinated her faculties and her hatred to their
vast and well laid scheme； which was to strike at Bonaparte externally
by the vast coalition of Russia； Austria； and Prussia （vanquished at
Austerlitz） and internally by the coalition of men politically opposed
to each other； but united by their common hatred of a man whose death
some of them were meditating； like Laurence herself； without shrinking
from the word assassination。 This young girl； so fragile to the eye；
so powerful to those who knew her well； was at the present moment the
faithful guide and assistant of the exiled gentlemen who came from
England to take part in this deadly enterprise