His blue eyes and a large crow-beaked nose gave him an air that was the more threatening because his eyes were placed too close together.

But his large lips, the outline of his face, and the easy good-humor of his manner soon showed that his nature was a kindly one.

Abrupt in speech and decided in tone, he impressed Oscar immensely by the force of his penetration, inspired, no doubt, by the affection which he felt for the boy.

Trained by his mother to magnify the steward, Oscar had always felt himself very small in Moreau's presence; but on reaching Presles a new sensation came over him, as if he expected some harm from this fatherly figure, his only protector.
"Well, my Oscar, you don't look pleased at getting here," said the steward.

"And yet you'll find plenty of amusement; you shall learn to ride on horseback, and shoot, and hunt." "I don't know any of those things," said Oscar, stupidly.
"But I brought you here to learn them." "Mamma told me only to stay two weeks because of Madame Moreau." "Oh! we'll see about that," replied Moreau, rather wounded that his conjugal authority was doubted.
Moreau's youngest son, an active, strapping lad of twelve, here ran up.
"Come," said his father, "take Oscar to your mother." He himself went rapidly along the shortest path to the gamekeeper's house, which was situated between the park and the forest.
The pavilion, or lodge, in which the count had established his steward, was built a few years before the Revolution.