The carriage did not stop; the postilions had orders to speed straight to the chateau, though the horses should die at the journey's end. Blanche did not know how far from Paris was Urbain's house and country, besides, she did not remember ever before being in a carriage, and it seemed to her that in moving so quickly they must have gone a very long way. About an hour after midday they passed through the pretty town of Grandvilliers, where a great number of manufactories afforded work and means to the inhabitants; but they did not stop there, and the carriage, turning to the right, crossed a wide plain and diverged towards a building which could be seen at a little distance, and which was justly called the wonder of the country side. It was the Chateau de Sarcus, of which the elegant facade could be discerned in the distance. Blanche perceived the chateau, but she was far from thinking that her journey would terminate there, though she gazed at that magnificent dwelling and, as the carriage rolled nearer, she could easily distinguish the sculptures and admire the work of artists who had surpassed themselves in order to merit the approbation of that gallant monarch, who patronized the arts as much as he admired beauty. At last they reached the front of the chateau, and the carriage, in place of passing, entered the confines of this handsome domain. "Well, now, what is the matter?" said Blanche trying to open the door. "This is not the place, this cannot be right; Urbain hasn't a big house like this--the coachman is mistaken." However, the carriage stopped in a spacious courtyard. A servant in rich livery opened the door, and with a respectful air offered his hand to help Blanche alight. "Oh, no, I don't wish to get down," said the innocent child, looking at the servant in astonishment, "this is not the place I was coming to; certainly they are mistaken, this is a chateau, it cannot be Urbain's house; besides, he would have been very prompt to meet me." "No, madame, they are not mistaken," answered Germain, the marquis's valet, who had arrived two hours before the carriage, in order that he might give instructions to the house porter, and have rooms prepared for Blanche. "Your journey terminates here, and everything is in readiness to receive you." "Here?" said Blanche, as she lightly stepped from the carriage, and looked around her in surprise, "but where is he?" "He has not yet arrived, madame," said Germain, who had received strict orders to name nobody and to answer the young girl in conformity with the ideas she had formed in regard to her journey. "What, he's not here yet? and I believe he started before me. He hasn't come here directly, then? Oh, I understand! fearing lest he be pursued, he has been obliged to hide and to make some detours." "That's it, I am quite sure," answered the valet, smiling, "and I don't think he can get here before evening." "Poor Urbain, how tiresome to have to wait until this evening."