As she passed the kennel, she halted to caress the hounds. Poulet and Pigeon were docile under her hand, and never attempted to fly at and bite her. She and her father were the only persons in the château who had the brutes under perfect control; they feared Foulon, but they loved Madame Plomb. Animals are said to know instinctively those persons who like them. The poor woman exhibited a remarkable sympathy with animals, which they reciprocated. The dogs would never suffer Berthier to approach them without barking and showing their fangs, because he amused himself in teasing and ill-treating them; they slunk into their kennels before Foulon’s cold grey eye, Madame Berthier they saluted with gambols. She patted the dogs, and addressed them by name. ‘Well, Pigeon! well, Poulet! how are you to-day? Are you more reconciled to Gabriel? Ah! when will you learn to love that angel? He fears you; he sets up his back, and his tail becomes terrible to contemplate; and you--you growl at him, and you leap towards him, and I know if you were loose you would devour him. Alas! be reconciled, and love as brethren.’ Turning to Adolphe, who approached, she asked, ‘Have they been good boys lately?’ ‘Madame, their conduct has been superb.’ ‘That is nice, my brave dogs; I am pleased to hear a good account of you.’ ‘Madame, I must except Poulet for one hour. For one hour he misconducted himself; but what is an hour of evil to an age of good? it is a drop in an ocean, madame.’ ‘Did he misconduct himself, Adolphe? How was that?’ ‘Alas! madame, that I should have to blame him; and yet the blame does hardly attach to him,--it rests rather on the staple,--the staple of his chain. It gave way that day that the curé came.’ ‘What curé?’ ‘Ah! madame does not know? Monsieur the Curé of Bernay arrived at the gate, and the brave dog rushed towards him, and would have devoured him, doubtless, but for the rails. The staple, madame, was out; but Gustave and I, assisted by your honoured father, secured the dog once more, and no blood was shed.’ ‘What brought the curé here?’ Adolphe fidgeted his feet, and platted his fingers. ‘Tell me, Adolphe,’ persisted madame, ‘tell me why M. Lindet came to this house. These gates are not usually visited by Religion.’ ‘Madame,’ answered the servant in a low voice, and with hesitation, ‘I think he came here to enquire after the young girl----’ ‘I understand,’ said the lady. ‘Who spoke to him?’ ‘It was M. Foulon, your honoured father, who dismissed him.’ ‘Did the priest seem anxious to obtain information?’ ‘Madame, I believe so; he seemed most anxious.’ ‘Thank you, Adolphe. Open the gate for me; I am going to Bernay.’ ‘Madame will, I am sure, not mention what I have said,’ the man began, nervously. ‘Be satisfied; neither M. Berthier nor M. Foulon shall know that you have mentioned this to me.’ ‘Madame is so good!’ exclaimed the man, throwing open the gate.