midday
Built upon the highest hill of the shore , it frames the broad summit with its lofty walls and its enormous towers ; high slate steeples increase their loftiness , and give to the building that conventual air , that religious form of all our old chateaux , which casts an aspect of gravity over the landscape of most of our provinces . Black and tufted trees surround this ancient mansion , resembling from afar the plumes that encircled the hat of King Henry . At the foot of the hill , connected with the chateau by a narrow path , lies a pretty village , whose white houses seem to have sprung from the golden sand ; a chapel stands halfway up the hill ; the lords descended and the villagers ascended to its altar-the region of equality , situated like a neutral spot between poverty and riches , which have been too often opposed to each other in bitter conflict . Here , one morning in the month of June , 1639 , the bell of the chateau having , as usual , rung at midday , the dinner-hour of the family , occurrences of an unusual kind were passing in this ancient dwelling . The numerous domestics observed that in repeating the morning prayers before the assembled household , the Marechale d'Effiat had spoken with a broken voice and with tears in her eyes , and that she had appeared in a deeper mourning than was customary . The people of the household and the Italians of the Duchesse de Mantua , who had at that time retired for a while to Chaumont , saw with surprise that sudden preparations were being made for departure . The old domestic of the Marechal d'Effiat -LRB- who had been dead six months -RRB- had taken again to his travelling-boots , which he had sworn to abandon forever .