In 1792 all the furniture of the house had been taken or destroyed, for the pillage of the mansions in town was imitated in the valley.

Each time that the old man went to Troyes he returned with some relic of the former splendor, sometimes a fine carpet for the floor of the salon, at other times part of a dinner service, or a bit of rare old porcelain of either Sevres or Dresden.

During the last six months he had ventured to dig up the family silver, which the cook had buried in the cellar of a little house belonging to him at the end of one of the long faubourgs in Troyes.
That faithful servant, named Durieu, and his wife had followed the fortunes of their young mistress.

Durieu was the factotum of the chateau, and his wife was the housekeeper.

He was helped in the cooking by the sister of Catherine, Laurence's maid, to whom he was teaching his art and who gave promise of becoming an excellent cook.