Adrienne cantered back to the Château more leisurely than she had come, but she was not surprised to meet with a curt reception by her aunt, who for the rest of the day treated her like a naughty child and preserved a frigid silence till bedtime. Then Adrienne apologized for her hasty words, and was forgiven. But when she was alone in her room she said to herself: "I cannot understand Aunt Cecily being so good and generous to the villagers, when to me she appears the most selfish and unsympathetic woman that ever lived! There must be a mistake somewhere." CHAPTER IX A CONTEST OF WILLS ADRIENNE thought a great deal about the English girl and her brother during the next few days. She would have liked to call and make inquiries, but her aunt made incessant demands on her time and attention, and when she mentioned them said rather haughtily: "My dear Adrienne, I am not in the habit of knowing English tourists; they come and go. We have a lot of artists in this neighbourhood, and as a rule they are not in our class of life. I beg of you to put these people out of your thoughts. You went out of your way to help them, and that's an end of it." But there was a certain streak of obstinacy in Adrienne's nature; she had been unaccustomed to control or surveillance. In her uncles' house she was mistress, and there was something in that English girl's face and bearing that made her want to know her. So she bided her time. In the meanwhile she made the acquaintance of the Curé. He came up one morning to ask when the Count would return. As Adrienne was upon the terrace when he arrived, she spoke to him, and told him that they expected the Count back the end of the week. He looked relieved, and then Adrienne asked if there was anything that her aunt could do. He shrugged his shoulders. "She could, but I fear she will not. It is only the sad case of a widow with children who has lost her only means of subsistence." "Ah," said Adrienne with interest, "I know all about her; and now I begin to understand, it is my cousin Guy who is the peasants' benefactor and not my aunt. Why do they think all their help comes from her?" The Curd looked uncomfortable, then he said: "It is his wish; he does it for his father's sake, he does not want the Château to have a bad name. And he also does it for his own sake. He is a very kindhearted man, the Count, though he hides it under a cloak of reserve." "I will tell him about the widow and her cow directly he comes back," said Adrienne; "I heard about it when I was with little Agatha." The priest's round, cheerful face became quite radiant. "You have made acquaintance with her, our little Agatha? She is well worth the knowing. One of the Good God's saints. She lives always on His Threshold." He departed, and Adrienne wisely kept the purpose of his visit a secret from her aunt.