noon
At every step of the road , Gaston swore a new , strong and strange oath , that he was done with Mademoiselle Capello ; that no word or act of hers could ever induce him to return to her , no , not if she made her way from the château of Capello to the Manoir Cheverny on her knees . From reproaching her , he turned to bitterly reviling me , because I had not stuck my sword all the way through his body , instead of only about six inches , on our first acquaintance . To this I made irreverent answers as we rode through the pleasant country . It was barely noon of the summer day when we came within sight of the Manoir Cheverny , and at the same time saw the château of Capello sitting , white and beautiful and stately upon its marble terraces and above its fair gardens and green slopes , like a queen upon her throne . We skirted the domain and entered the pleasure grounds of the Manoir Cheverny , and soon were reposing ourselves in the ancient and comfortable old house . Two or three old servants had been kept in the place , and it was well aired and in good order . Scarce had we sat down to an excellent dinner with good wine , when a letter was brought to Gaston Cheverny .