At last a mere trifle changed the whole current of the young man's existence; for, a week after the conversation in which the Duke had laid bare his scheme to his son, he again referred to it, after their dinner, which they had partaken of at the same table with forty laborers, who had been hired to get in the harvest.
"You need not, my son," began the old gentleman, "go back with the laborers to-day." "But, sir--" "Allow me to continue, if you please.

My confidential conversation with you the other night was merely a preliminary to my telling you that for the future I did not expect you to toil as hard as you had hitherto done, for I wish you to perform a duty less laborious, but more responsible; you will for the future act as farm-bailiff." Norbert looked up suddenly into his father's face.
"For I wish you to become accustomed to independent action, so that at my death your sudden liberty may not intoxicate you." The Duke then rose from his seat, and took a highly finished gun from a cupboard.
"I have been very much pleased with you for some time past," said he, "and this is a sign of my satisfaction.

The gamekeeper has brought in a thoroughly trained dog, which will also be yours.

Shoot as much as you like, and, as you cannot go about without money in your pocket, take this, but be careful of it; for remember that extravagance on your part will procrastinate the day upon which our descendants will resume their proper station in the world." The Duke spoke for some time longer, but his son paid no heed to his words, and was too much astonished to accept the six five-franc pieces which his father tendered to him.
"I suppose," said the Duke at last in angry accents, "that you will have the grace to thank me." "You will find that I am not ungrateful," stammered Norbert, aroused by this reproach.
The Duke turned away impatiently.
"What has the boy got into his head now ?" muttered he.
It was owing to the advice of the priest of Bevron that the Duke had acted as he had done; but this indulgence came too late, for Norbert's detestation of his tyrant was too deeply buried in his heart to be easily eradicated.
A gun was not such a wonderful present after all--a matter of a few francs, perhaps.

Had the Duke offered him the means of a better education, it would be a different matter; but as it was, he would still remain the "Young Savage of Champdoce." However, Norbert took advantage of the permission accorded to him, and rambled daily over the estate with his gun and his dog Bruno, to which he had become very much attached.