But Athalie, having arrangements to make for the entertainment of her guests, and being determined that the dinner should make them amends for the frugality of the breakfast, soon left Monsieur de Cligneval with her husband. La Thomassinière instantly seized the marquis's arm and walked on with him, saying: "Now, let us talk business, monsieur le marquis, for that is my strong point,--business,--especially large affairs, speculations, and--What do you think of my labyrinth?" "Charming!" "And my pond?" "Superb!" "The waterfall is mine, I invented it. Formerly the water used to fall straight down. That was too commonplace! I had rocks arranged zigzag--that's very much prettier." "Yes, it does you credit." "You are very kind. Now I am going to take you into my woods, thence into my fields, where I have some thoroughbred merino sheep. Another invention of mine. Then we will go into my desert; you shall see my deer--ah! they are superb creatures, my deer! almost like stags." "Have you no stags?" "No; I wanted one, but Madame de la Thomassinière declared that it was unnecessary, that we had enough tame beasts. I will take you to my summer-house too; we have enough fine things to see to take up two or three hours." The marquis, who was beginning to be weary of the tête-à-tête, announced that he was fatigued, and as they were then near the grotto where Auguste was seated, they took seats beside him, La Thomassinière having said that he was tired as soon as Monsieur de Cligneval spoke of resting. "I have an estate of this sort," said the marquis, reclining on a mossy bank, "in Bourgogne, a very fertile province. I have another in Berry, where my grandfather owned a very handsome château." "I have three farms in the department of Seine-et-Oise," said La Thomassinière quickly, smoothing his chin; "I own two houses in Paris, and I am on the point of buying a third." "My grandparents were enormously rich!" said the marquis. "I haven't a very clear idea how much I have left! I worry very little about it. When a person has credit and is in favor at court--Why, if I wanted half a dozen offices, I should only have to say the word!" "My credit is unlimited! My paper is eagerly sought after at the Bourse! I am swamped with business. I receive the very best society at my house, and my guests play for infernally high stakes!" "Pardieu! that reminds me that I lost three thousand francs at écarté the day before yesterday," said the marquis carelessly. "I won four thousand two days ago, at the house of a banker, who's a friend of mine," replied La Thomassinière instantly. "Oh! that's a mere trifle! When I play, I do it for the sake of doing something!" said the marquis. "To be sure," said La Thomassinière; "I am not sure that I didn't forget to take the four thousand francs from the table, I pay so little attention to money!" "But a month ago," said the marquis, "I was in a really serious game--the stakes were no less than eighty thousand francs."