Sometimes, when the Marquis was more than usually extravagant in his anticipations of success, or showed a superlative contempt for his foes, Juliette glanced at Barebone over her lace-work, but she rarely took part in the talk when politics were under discussion.
In domestic matters, however, this new chatelaine showed considerable shrewdness.

She was not ignorant of the price of hay, and knew to a cask how much wine was stored in the vault beneath the old chapel.

On these subjects the Marquis good-humouredly followed her advice sometimes.

His word had always been law in the whole neighbourhood.

Was he not the head of one of the oldest families in France?
"But, pardieu, she shows a wisdom quite phenomenal, that little one," the Marquis would tell his friends, with a hearty laugh.