OR THE DESERT ISLAND. 155

-sonduct of their son, whenever he was at the chateau, to
the extreme indulgence of his uncle. If there was a man
in the world whom the young count feared, it was certainly
the Baron D’Ermincourt, and yet the latter was at the
same time so strictly and impartially just, that his nephew
loved him with the most sincere affection, and dreaded
nothing so much as his displeasure.

The happy effects of this salutary fear were visible in
Charles’s conduct on board ship: not once did his uncle
find room to reprimand him for neglect of duty or violation’
of discipline, while there were many occasions on which he
was compelled to praise him; and he regarded his young
lieutenant as an honour to the service and to his family.
The count knew how high he stood in his uncle’s esteem,
and the thought of losing that esteem was indeed terrible.
Certainly he was not obliged to confess all his misdeeds.
It was not necessary that the baron should be informed of
the imposition he had practised upon his father—a single
word to that kind parent would be sufficient to induce him
to bury the whole affair in oblivion. From Merville he
had nothing to apprehend: he knew the generosity of
Philip’s heart; he knew that he would rather, as far ag
was possible, take all the blame of their past quarrel on
himself.

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