THE ELIXIR OF YOUTHFrederic Paschel, a wine merchant who lived in the town of Sylah in the valley of the river Dordogne, was left a widower when his two sons, Gilbert and Benedict, were in their infancy. The younger son, Benedict, was as dutiful as any father could ever have desired; he was amiable and pliable, ready and willing to be molded in the image of his sire as a respectable tradesman. Gilbert, on the other hand, was surly and rebellious; he swore that he would do anything in the world to spare himself the necessity of following in his father’s footsteps.
When asked what he intended to do instead of working in the family business, Gilbert declared his intention of becoming a knight of the realm in the entourage of the Duc de Romanin, whose domain included Sylah and three other sma
