"However," continued Jean, "there's another person whom Monsieur de Boisguilbault dislikes even more than he does me, although he has never tried to injure him. But they will never be on good terms again; and as Monsieur Antoine mentioned the subject to you, I may venture to tell you, monsieur, that in that matter Monsieur de Boisguilbault made many people think that there was a screw loose in his brain. Just fancy that after he had been for twenty years the friend and adviser, almost a father to his neighbor Monsieur Antoine de Châteaubrun, he suddenly turned his back on him and shut his door in his face, without anybody, not even Monsieur Antoine himself, knowing what it was all about. At least the pretext was so absurd that you can't explain it except by thinking that he was cracked. It was for some offence that Monsieur Antoine committed while hunting over the marquis's land. And observe that, ever since he came into the world, Monsieur Antoine had always hunted over Monsieur de Boisguilbault's estates as if they were his own, as they were comrades and good friends; that Monsieur de Boisguilbault, had never in his life touched a gun or shot a piece of game, had never made any objection to his neighbors shooting his game; and lastly that he had never notified Monsieur Antoine that he didn't want him to hunt over his land. The result has been that since that time, that is to say, about twenty years, the two neighbors have never met, never exchanged a word, and Monsieur de Boisguilbault can't bear to hear the name of Châteaubrun. For his part Monsieur Antoine, although it touches him more than he is willing to admit, has persisted in making no advances, and seems to avoid Monsieur de Boisguilbault as carefully as he is avoided by him. As my dismissal from Boisguilbault took place about the same time, I believe that the marquis's anger overflowed on me, or else that, knowing that I was much attached to Monsieur Antoine, he was afraid that I would be bold enough to broach the subject to him and reprove him for his whim. In that respect he made no mistake, for my tongue isn't sluggish and it is certain that I should have made monsieur le marquis hear what I had to say. He preferred to take the initiative; I can't explain his harshness to me in any other way." "Has this man a family?" Emile inquired.