"My son," said Manette, with a meaning side look, especially for his benefit, "here is Monsieur de Buxieres, come to take possession of his inheritance." The grand chasserot attempted a silent salutation, and then the young men took a rapid survey of each other. Julien de Buxieres was startled by the unexpected presence of so handsome a young fellow, robust, intelligent, and full of energy, whose large brown eyes gazed at him with a kind of surprised and pitying compassion which was very hard for Julien to bear. He turned uneasily away, making a lame excuse of ordering some wine for his coachman; and while Manette, with an air of martyrdom, brought a glass and a half-empty bottle, Claudet continued his surprised and inquiring examination of the legal heir of Claude de Buxieres. The pale, slight youth, buttoned up in a close-fitting, long frock-coat, which gave him the look of a priest, looked so unlike any of the Buxieres of the elder branch that it seemed quite excusable to hesitate about the relationship. Claudet maliciously took advantage of the fact, and began to interrogate his would-be deposer by pretending to doubt his identity. "Are you certainly Monsieur Julien de Buxieres?" asked he, surveying him suspiciously from head to foot. "Do you take me for an impostor?" exclaimed the young man. "I do not say that," returned Claudet, crossly, "but after all, you do not carry your name written on your face, and, by Jove! as guardian of the seals, I have some responsibility--I want information, that is all!" Angry at having to submit to these inquiries in the presence of the coachman who had brought him from Langres, Julien completely lost control of his temper. "Do you require me to show my papers?" he inquired, in a haughty, ironical tone of voice. Manette, foreseeing a disturbance, hastened to interpose, in her hypocritical, honeyed voice: "Leave off, Claudet, let Monsieur alone. He would not be here, would he, if he hadn't a right? As to asking him to prove his right, that is not our business--it belongs to the justice and the notary. You had better, my son, go over to Auberive, and ask the gentlemen to come to-morrow to raise the seals." At this moment, the cowboy, who had been sent to open the gate, entered the kitchen. "The carriage is in the courtyard," said he, "and Monsieur's boxes are in the hall. Where shall I put them, Madame Sejoumant?" Julien's eyes wandered from Manette to the young boy, with an expression of intense annoyance and fatigue. "Why, truly," said Manette, "as a matter of fact, there is only the room of our deceased master, where the seals have been released. Would Monsieur object to taking up his quarters there?" "I am willing," muttered Julien; "have my luggage carried up there, and give orders for it to be made ready immediately." The housekeeper gave a sign, and the boy and the servant disappeared.