air, and amidst the wrinkles, his features remained fairly good. It is said that one could discern his youthful beauty, though unfortunately, no one had ever laid eyes upon his visage in its prime. During his lifetime, he was known as a lord with a kind heart, generous and charitable, frequently extending aid to nearby orphans and widows. However, he also possessed a trait that drew criticism - he hardly ever set foot inside the church to worship or invited priests into his castle. To say ''hardly ever'' would be a gross understatement; honestly, there was no record of this lord ever stepping into a church!
"You see, the people of that region were exceptionally devout, to tell the truth, almost - don''t split on me to the Mother - almost bordered on the absurd! Therefore, the Comte''s unconventional behaviour inevitably gave rise to speculations about his lack of faith in the Lord. Coupled with his reclusive nature, rarely seen in public, and his almost nocturnal habits, some even suspected that he worshipped Satan himself. In the eyes of those peasants, such suspicions were enough to outweigh any of the noble deeds performed by this lord."
"He truly was an eccentric man!" commented Anne, the older girl among them, whose religious fanaticism ran relatively deep.
"Now, let''s return to our maid: The beginning of this story is her retelling of her mother''s words. At that time, her mother was still a young peasant girl of fifteen or sixteen. One night, s