The kindly old cure, Abbe Constantin, stopped before the chateau of Longueval to look at posters which proclaimed that the chateau and its surroundings were to be sold at auction either in four pieces, or as a unit. As he walked along by the old estate, he thought of all the delightful days he had spent with the old marchioness and her family. He dreaded the thought of a new owner who might not ask him to dinner twice a week, who might not contribute generously to the poor, who might not attend all the services of his little church. The abbe was too old to desire a change. He walked on to the little house where Madame de Lavardens lived with her son Paul. Paul had not turned out well. His mother gave him a generous allowance to spend every year. After spending his money within three months in Paris, he stayed the rest of the year with his mother in the country. At the de Lavardens home, the abbe learned that Madame de Lavardens was hoping that her agent had secured at least one part of the estate for her. She was awaiting news of the auction, and she invited the abbe to wait with her and her son to hear what had happened. When the agent arrived, he informed them that Mrs. Scott, a wealthy American, had bought the whole estate. The abbe’s heart sank. An American! She would be a Protestant—no doubt a heretic. His hopes for his little church grew weak. No longer would the hothouses of the estate keep his altar full of flowers; no longer would the poor be relieved by the charity of the chateau. With a gloomy heart, he went home to supper. Jean Reynaud, the abbe’s godson, was his guest at supper that night. Jean’s father had been an officer in the same regiment in which the abbe had been chaplain, and the two had been the best of friends. When Jean’s father had been killed, the abbe had taken care of Jean as if he were his own son. The boy had insisted on following his father in a military career. Jean’s kindness was well-known in the area. He gave a yearly income to the destitute families of two men who had been killed on the same day as his father, and he was always performing charitable deeds for the abbe’s poor. On his arrival, Jean set about cutting garden greens for the salad. He was startled when he looked up and saw two beautifully but simply dressed young women who asked to see the abbe. They introduced themselves as Mrs. Scott and The inhabitants of the chateau were still to be a blessing for the town. Jean, overcome by the beauty of the two women, could not decide who was the more handsome. Miss Percival was the younger and more vivacious, but the serene charm of Mrs. Scott was equally attractive.
The women told the abbe the story of their lives, of their poverty as children, of the lawsuit which their dying father had made them promise never to give up, and of the final success of the suit and the millions of dollars that became theirs because of it. Mrs. Scott said that she and her husband intended to spend much time in France at their new home. When the ladies left, the abbe and Jean were profuse in their praise. This meeting was the first of many. The ladies had grown tired of social gaiety during their stay in Paris, and Miss Percival had become disgusted with the great number of men, thirty-four in all, who had proposed marriage to her, for she knew that it was her money, not herself, they were after. The women hoped to spend a quiet few weeks in the chateau, with the abbe and Jean as their only visitors. During the visits, Jean fell in love with Miss Percival. He was upset when Paul de Lavardens insisted on an introduction. Miss Percival knew at once that Paul’s proposal would be number thirty-five. He was polite and made conversation easily, but he did not have the qualities she had come to admire in Jean. The more she saw of Jean the more she liked him, and it was not long before she realized that she was in love with the young officer. At the first ball held at the chateau, Jean’s manner showed Miss Percival that he loved her. He said nothing, however, for he believed that army life would not be a happy one for her. Jean’s regiment went away for twenty days. When he returned, he realized that he loved Miss Percival more than ever. Finally, he decided that his only course was to be transferred to a regiment stationed in another area. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Miss Percival walked in. She apologized for her intrusion but said that she had come to confess to the abbe. She asked Jean not to leave, but to stay and hear her. She announced that she loved Jean and felt sure that he loved her. Jean had to admit that it was true. She said she knew he had not dared to ask her to marry him because of her wealth. Consequently, she was forced to ask him to marry her.