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diff --git a/40133-8.txt b/40133-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 33cc2f0..0000000 --- a/40133-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16991 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sister Anne (Novels of Paul de Kock, Volume -X), by Charles Paul de Kock - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Sister Anne (Novels of Paul de Kock, Volume X) - -Author: Charles Paul de Kock - -Release Date: July 3, 2012 [EBook #40133] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SISTER ANNE *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Frontispiece; Copyright 1903 by G. Barrie & Sons] - - - _A PREMEDITATED COLLISION_ - - _Frédéric looked up and recognized Dubourg; he was on the point of - laughing outright, when his friend forestalled him by running - toward him, exclaiming: - - "I cannot be mistaken! What a fortunate meeting! It surely is - Monsieur Frédéric de Montreville!"_ - - - - -NOVELS - -BY - -Paul de Kock - -VOLUME X - -SISTER ANNE - -PRINTED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH - -[Illustration: colophon] - -GEORGE BARRIE'S SONS - -THE JEFFERSON PRESS - -BOSTON NEW YORK - -_Copyrighted, 1903-1904, by G. B. & Sons._ - - - - -SISTER ANNE - - - - -I - -A NOCTURNAL WALK.--MY AUNT'S FIVE HUNDRED FRANCS - - -The theatres had long since dismissed their audiences, the shops were -closed, and the cafés were closing. Passers-by were becoming more and -more infrequent, the cabs moved more rapidly, the street lights were -burning, and the gas in the houses was disappearing; the streets of -Paris, like the inhabitants thereof, were about to enjoy their brief -hour of repose. - -But repose, like fine weather, is never universal: when we are enjoying -it in Paris, it may be that people are fighting in some other quarter of -the globe; and while we are revelling in mild and delicious weather, -within a hundred leagues of us a tornado may be destroying the crops, or -a tempest submerging ships. Since peace and fine weather cannot be -universal, let us try to make the most of them while they are in our -possession, and let us not worry as to what sort of weather our -neighbors are having. - -A gentleman, who presumably had no desire to sleep, was walking through -the streets of Paris, which had become almost silent. For more than an -hour, he had been walking on the boulevards, from Rue du Temple to Rue -Poissonničre; occasionally, without any very clear idea as to where he -was going, he strayed into the faubourgs; but he soon stopped, looked -about him, muttered between his teeth: "What the devil am I doing here?" -and returned to the boulevards. - -This gentleman seemed to be in the neighborhood of thirty years of age; -he was of medium height, and rather stout than thin. His face was -neither ugly nor handsome; his round eyes protruded overmuch, and his -nose, while not exactly flat, had neither the nobility of the Grecian -nor the charm of the aquiline type. By way of compensation, he had what -is called expression, and possessed the art of forcing his features to -depict the sentiment which he desired to seem to feel: an art no less -valuable in society than on the stage; for we are actors everywhere, and -there are at court, in the city, in palaces, in salons, in boudoirs, and -even in the servants' hall, people of unexcelled skill in the art of -counterfeiting what they do not feel. - -Our promenader's costume was neither elegant nor shabby. He was dressed -like one who is in the habit of going into society, but not for the -purpose of exhibiting the cut of his coat or the color of his trousers. -His bearing corresponded with his dress; it was not at all pretentious. -You will say, perhaps, that a man does not select so late an hour of the -night to adopt a swagger or a mincing gait; I shall, in that case, have -the honor to reply that I am drawing the portrait of the man as he was -under ordinary circumstances, and that I had made his acquaintance prior -to the moment of his introduction to you. - -Now that you have the means of forming an idea of this individual's -appearance, you will perhaps be curious to know what business detained -him on the boulevards, why he was walking there so late instead of -going home to bed. In order to find out, let us listen to him for a -moment talking to himself as he walks, with both hands in his pockets, -and as unconcernedly as if it were only eight o'clock in the evening. - -"I had a presentiment of what would happen to me. I didn't want to go to -that little Delphine's. If I had stayed away, I should still have my -five hundred francs in my pocket. But little Delphine is such a dear -creature! she wrote me such a sweet little note! Am I still green enough -to fall into such a trap? I, who know the world so well, especially -women! If I had had sense enough to take only three hundred francs with -me, I should have something left; but, no! I must needs play the -millionaire! I played like a fool. That little man who won my money -turned the king very often. Hum! it looks a little shady. But one thing -is certain, and that is that I haven't a sou, and that my landlord -turned me out of his house yesterday because I didn't pay him. For four -paltry louis! the Arab! I was going to pay him yesterday, with the five -hundred francs my old aunt sent me, when little Delphine's invitation -came and upset all my virtuous plans. Poor Dubourg! you are -incorrigible, my friend; and yet, you are beginning to be old enough to -reform." - -At this point, Dubourg--for now we know his name--took his snuff-box -from his pocket, and paused to take a pinch. - -"O my only comfort! my trusty companion!" he continued, gazing at his -snuff-box with an expression that was almost sentimental; "it's very -lucky that you are made of nothing more valuable than horn; if you had -been, I should have parted with you long ago.--But let us reflect a -little. What in the devil am I going to do? I have no employment; they -are so ridiculous in these public offices! I earned only fifteen hundred -francs, so it seemed fair to me that I shouldn't work any more than the -deputy-chief who earned three thousand; strictly speaking, indeed, I -ought to have worked only half as much. Now, as my deputy-chief never -appeared till noon and went away at four o'clock, and passed that time -reading the newspapers, cutting quill pens, chatting with his back to -the stove in winter, and going out to take the air in summer, I saw no -reason why I shouldn't get to the office as late as he did and go away -as early; pass an hour reading the _Moniteur_, three-quarters of an hour -on the _Constitutionnel_, and an hour and a quarter on the _Débats_; -stare at my pen a long while before trimming the nib; look at the work -before me without touching it; turn over a file of papers for an hour, -and then put it back in its place, without the slightest intention of -writing anything on it; and take as much time to go out to buy a roll as -it would have taken me to go from Paris to Saint-Cloud. This conduct, -dictated by a sense of justice, was not to the liking of my superiors; -as they wanted to force me to work hard, so that they need do nothing, -they didn't like it because I presumed to imitate them; they reported me -to the minister, and I was kicked out. To be sure, they offered to take -me back a little later, as a substitute, but I felt that I was unworthy -of such an honor. - -"Then I went into a banking-house. Gad! what a difference! There, my -superiors set the example of working hard. From the head clerk to the -office-boy, everyone came at eight o'clock and stayed till five, then -came back at seven and stayed till ten; and during all that time, not a -minute's rest; writing, or making figures all the time. If by chance a -fellow could venture to say a word, it was only while he was copying a -letter or opening an account. No holidays! Always a mail coming in or -going out. A man couldn't do too much; and if I happened to leave the -office a few minutes before ten, an infernal Dutchman, who had passed -forty-five years of his life over a ledger, would always take out his -watch and say: 'You're in a great hurry to-night!' - -"Faith, I couldn't stand it! That animal life was ruining my health; and -one fine morning, when they lectured me because I went out to get a -glass of beer at a café near by, I took my hat and said good-bye to -banking-houses and business. - -"I tried being a notary, but I was too absent-minded: I mistook a death -certificate for a marriage contract, and a power of attorney for a will; -so I was politely advised to abandon that profession. - -"Then I went into an old solicitor's office. Ah! I was in clover there -for some little time. He had a wife who was past her prime; she was very -fond of walking and driving, and she chose me for her escort. The -husband, who was thus relieved of that duty, was very well pleased to -have me escort her everywhere; I think he would have made me his first -clerk, if I would have agreed to take madame to walk all my life. But I -got tired of having always on my arm a costume _ŕ la_ Pompadour and the -face of a country magistrate. I ceased to be attentive to madame, -monsieur took offence and discharged me. _O tempora! O mores!_ - -"Thereupon I renounced the legal profession; I felt in my heart the -impulses of a noble independence, an intense love of liberty. So I began -to do nothing--a superb profession, within everybody's reach; and a -delightful one when it is supported by investments in the funds. -Unluckily, my name is not inscribed on the books of the State, but only -on those of my tailor, bootmaker, et cetera. I am an orphan; my parents -left me very little, and that little could not last long, especially -with me, who am neither miserly, nor economical, nor prudent, and who -have no desire for money except to have the pleasure of spending it. My -father, an estimable Breton, practised medicine; he ought to have made a -fortune! Probably in his day there weren't enough colds, fevers, and bad -air. He left me nothing but a most honorable name, which, for all my -follies, I shall never suffer to be disgraced, because a man can be a -reprobate and still be honest. - -"When I had spent my modest inheritance, I began to philosophize; I was -tempted to write, as Seneca did, on contempt for wealth. But Seneca had -a fortune of forty millions when he wrote that; so that he was better -acquainted with his subject than I am, without a sou. So, as one should -try to talk of nothing except what one knows about, I concluded not to -talk about wealth, of which I know nothing. - -"Luckily, I still have an old aunt, in the wilds of Bretagne, who has -never married. The dear woman has only a modest fortune, and yet she has -never deserted her nephew. To be sure, I have written her some very -affecting letters. Poor, dear soul! she thinks I am married! Faith! as I -couldn't think of any other possible way of getting money from her, in -my last letter I made myself out, at one stroke, a husband and father; -yes, and the father of triplets! That was what brought the -five-hundred-franc note that I have just lost at écarté. O cursed -écarté! I swore that I wouldn't gamble any more, as I am in hard luck -this month. But how could I resist? I went to little Delphine's, who, -since she left the stage, receives the best people in Paris: artists, -authors, journalists, English, Russian, and Tartar noblemen. Tartars, -yes! indeed, I fancy that little man I played with was something of a -Greek.[A] To pass eighteen times in succession is a little too much! And -that other idiot, who made a point of offering me punch every time I -lost! as if I could drink five hundred francs' worth of it! Ah! my poor -old aunt! if you knew what had become of your money! The worst of it all -is that she won't send me any more for a long time. I can't have the -wife I have taken to my bosom, to touch my aunt's heart, lie in every -month; I have said she was sick twice already; I have credited my -triplets with all the diseases children have, and have given myself -inflammation of the lungs and jaundice. But that sort of thing will be -played out sooner or later. No, my poor aunt, no, I won't pester you any -more. No, I don't propose that you shall deprive yourself any longer of -all the little comforts of life, for your scamp of a nephew. I have -abused your goodness of heart too much. I blush to think how often I -have appealed to it; I feel in my heart a noble pride; and when I think -of your last remittance of five hundred francs! gone in four games! Gad! -it's horrible!" - - [A] Greek, _i.e._, "sharper." - -Dubourg began to walk a little more rapidly; he took his hands from his -pockets, as if he were furious to find nothing in them; but in a moment -he became calm again, resumed his former gait, and once more exclaimed: - -"But what in the deuce am I going to do?" - -At that moment, he passed one of those individuals who wander about the -streets at night, with a bag on their back and a hooked stick in their -hand, and halt in front of places which we avoid during the day. - -"That's a last resort, to be sure," said Dubourg, glancing at the man -with the lantern; "but I confess that I don't as yet feel courageous -enough to employ it; and although a famous author has said: 'It is not -the trade that honors the man, but the man should honor the trade,' I -doubt whether I should be held in high esteem if I should take to that -little hooked stick; even though I possessed with it the wisdom of Cato, -the clemency of Titus, and the virtues of Marcus Aurelius. - -"However, I have some talents of my own, and I am not reduced to that -yet. I love the arts; ah! I adore them! I was born to be an artist. I -don't know how to draw, I cannot play on any instrument, I do not write -poetry with great facility; but, for all that, I love painting, music, -and poetry. If I should go on the stage, I believe I should make a -success of it. But to make one's début at thirty years--that's rather -late in life. And then, the idea of the son of a doctor at Rennes going -on the stage! But why not? Louis XIV did it; he acted before his court; -and if I had been in Racine's place, I certainly would have written some -splendid parts for him, instead of trying to turn aside his inclination. -Our present-day authors wouldn't be so stupid; consequently they are -rich, whereas in Racine's time they were not. - -"But I can't begin to-morrow, and yet I must dine to-morrow: a desperate -plight to be in when one has neither money nor credit. Come, come, -Dubourg! come, my fine fellow, don't be downcast, retain that lightness -of heart, that sang-froid which has never failed you thus far. Remember -that it is a glorious thing to be able to endure misfortune; that it is -in disaster that a brave heart manifests its courage. Oh! yes; it's easy -enough for me to say all this now, while my stomach is still full of -Mademoiselle Delphine's cakes and sweetmeats and punch; but when I am -hungry, I am afraid I shall be a wretched philosopher. - -"In misfortune, one has recourse to one's friends; but one has no -friends when one is unfortunate. But sometimes men aren't so selfish as -they are said to be. Let me think! Frédéric! yes, he alone can be useful -to me. Frédéric is only twenty; he still looks upon the world as a young -man is likely to do at that age, when he has been, up to eighteen, under -his father's eye and under the care of a tutor. Frédéric is -kind-hearted, generous, easily moved--too easily, indeed; but it is not -for me to blame him for following too readily the impulses of his heart. -He has accommodated me several times; but, no matter; I am sure that -he'll do it again, if he can. Let us go to see Frédéric." - -Dubourg mechanically put his hand to his fob, to see what time it was; -then he sighed, and murmured: - -"Unlucky dog that I am! I have never been able to keep one a week. Ah! -my poor aunt! If I only had your five hundred francs!" - -The weather was becoming threatening, and a few drops of rain fell. The -cabs had ceased to break the silence of the night; the street lanterns -cast only a faint and flickering light. - -"It must be very late," said Dubourg, glancing about. "Frédéric lives -with his father, Monsieur le Comte de Montreville. How can I venture to -go there at this time of night? The count is inclined to be strict; he's -not one of your stage fathers, with whom you can do whatever you -choose. On the contrary, they say that he demands the most absolute -obedience from his son, and that his son trembles before him. But I have -no doubt that his severity is exaggerated; at all events, he hardly -knows me. I have been to the house several times, but he has seen me -only once or twice. Frédéric's apartment is in a different wing from -his, so we will try our luck." - -And Dubourg, leaving at last the circle to which he had confined his -steps for so long, walked rapidly toward Rue de Provence, where the -Comte de Montreville's mansion was situated. - -As he drew nearer to Frédéric's abode, his hope of seeing him before the -next day became fainter and fainter. Ought he to turn the whole house -upside down in the middle of the night? If he woke the son, he would -wake the father too; and it was a decidedly ill-advised method of -improving his acquaintance with Monsieur de Montreville, to call at his -house between two and three o'clock in the morning. - -But Dubourg walked on, even while he reflected thus; like a lover, who -has sworn never to see his faithless one again, but who prowls -constantly about her abode and always ends by going in, still repeating: -"I will never see her again!"--At such time, reason speaks, but passion -guides our footsteps. Poor mortals! is it your fault, pray, that passion -so often carries the day? - -As he approached the house, Dubourg's eyes were agreeably surprised by -the appearance of a double row of private carriages, whose lanterns -lighted a large part of the street. He quickened his pace; the carriages -were most numerous in front of the Comte de Montreville's house, and the -courtyard was filled with coupés, landaus, and vis-ŕ-vis. The coachmen -were talking together, the footmen swearing impatiently; servants -hurried to and fro across the courtyard. Lamps on the carriage-stones -and on the broad steps banished the darkness, and delicious strains of -music floated out through the windows of the beautiful salon, -brilliantly lighted by thousands of candles, forming a strong contrast -with the depressing silence that reigned a short distance away. - -Dubourg no longer walked: he ran, he leaped, he flew. The sight of the -lanterns, the noise made by so numerous a company, and the strains of -the contra-dances within, drove from his mind the serious thoughts which -had begun to monopolize it. - -"There's a party going on," he cried, "a ball! Idiot that I am! to -forget that this was Thursday, monsieur le comte's reception day; and -they say he gives delightful parties. Frédéric has invited me several -times; he said he wanted to introduce me to his father. Hum! it rested -only with me to go into the best society, to make acquaintances who -would have given me a boost in the world. But, no; it isn't in my power -to be sensible and leave those damned billiard-tables! Ah! I recognize -that tune; it's by Rossini; a three-step. I danced to it at Vauxhall, -with the stout blonde." - -Dubourg was already in the courtyard, threading his way among carriages, -coachmen, and footmen. No one had paid any attention to him; and, if he -had been suitably dressed, he might have entered the salons, and, -perhaps, have played cards and danced, without attracting the notice of -the host; for at such large functions, it not infrequently happens that -the master of the house fails to see and speak with all of his guests. - -But Dubourg stopped under the windows of the salon on the first floor, -where dancing was in progress. In order to keep in the background, he -had walked away from the brilliantly lighted steps and taken his stand -in the shadow of a huge berlin, whence he could see the ball and -distinguish the dancers. - -He was tempted for a moment to enter the salon; but, upon glancing down -at his dress, he realized that it was not an opportune moment to appear -before monsieur le comte, who was a great stickler for etiquette. His -coat was blue, with metal buttons; he wore high boots and a black -cravat. That was a very suitable costume in which to play écarté and -talk nonsense at Mademoiselle Delphine's, but it would have been -exceedingly out of place at Monsieur de Montreville's reception. - -"Ah! if I had kept my aunt's five hundred francs," he muttered again, as -he turned his eyes from his costume to the ballroom, "I should have -outshone all those fine clothes!" - -As he watched the dancing and eyed the ladies through the windows, most -of which were open because of the heat, Dubourg spied a table with a -green cloth in a smaller salon, at which two middle-aged men had just -taken their seats. They were soon surrounded by onlookers, and the table -was covered with gold. - -In order to obtain a better view of the small salon, Dubourg climbed up -behind the carriage by which he was standing; there he could watch the -game perfectly, and could see the hand of one of the players, who was -sitting with his back to the window. - -"How lucky they are!" he thought; "they are playing écarté. The deuce! -it's a warm old game; at least thirty louis a side! If I still had my -aunt's money, I could bet from here. What am I saying? If I ever touch -cards again, may I be damned! Ah! there's the same hand that I lost my -last game on; and I ought to have won it; I played according to rule. -Well! what the devil is he doing? He's going to ask for cards!" - -And Dubourg, oblivious of the fact that he was on top of a carriage in -the courtyard, shouted: - -"Don't take any cards! Play your hand, play it, I tell you! I'll answer -for the point!" - -The voice surprised the players beyond words. They turned and stared, -and questioned each other. - -"Who was that who undertook to advise me?" demanded the old man whose -turn it was to play. "Has he got more at stake than I have, to give him -the right to talk like that? Why don't you answer, messieurs?" - -"The voice came from the courtyard," said a young man near the window. - -"From the courtyard! from the courtyard! Do you mean to say that those -rascally footmen presume to watch us play and to make remarks?" - -And the old gentleman with the powdered head left his seat and looked -into the courtyard. Dubourg jumped down from the carriage, and the shock -woke the horses; whereupon they began to prance, and tried to run. The -drowsy coachmen rubbed their eyes, thinking that the ball was over; -those who were talking hurried to their seats, and those in the street, -observing the commotion in the courtyard, did the same; while the -coachman and footmen of the carriage on which Dubourg had perched -struggled to pacify the horses. - -Meanwhile, Dubourg had slunk away by the side of the house. - -"It seems that I must always put my foot in it!" he muttered. "Here are -thirty coachmen and as many footmen all stirred up, and a pair of horses -have nearly trampled on me, just because I attempted to advise that old -fellow who doesn't know how to play the game and was going to ask for -cards when he ought to take every trick! That's the last time I'll ever -meddle in other people's business." - -As Dubourg crept along by the wall, he came to a door just as a servant -came out to ascertain the cause of the noise in the courtyard. Dubourg -recognized Frédéric's valet, and instantly accosted him. - -"Where is your master, Germain?" - -"Ah! is it you, monsieur?" said the servant, who had often seen Dubourg -with his young master. "Have you come to the ball?" - -"No, no; I have no desire to dance. Where is your master, I ask you?" - -"Oh! Monsieur Frédéric is dancing. There are some beautiful women -inside, and he's an amateur, you know." - -"The deuce! I would like to speak with him; I have something very -important to say to him, but I don't want to disturb him, or to go into -the salon; I am not dressed." - -"If you wish, monsieur, I will take you to Monsieur Frédéric's -apartment; you can wait there comfortably until he retires." - -"That's a delightful idea of yours, Germain; take me to Frédéric's -apartment at once." - -Germain took a candle and went before Dubourg, who was overjoyed to have -found a place to finish the night. The valet, who had seen his master -display great friendliness to Dubourg, was certain that he would not be -reproved for what he was doing. - -In due time, they arrived at the young man's apartment, which was so far -from the ballroom that the music could barely be heard. - -"Would you like me to tell my master that you are here?" inquired -Germain, as he placed the candle on a table. - -"No, it isn't worth while; I'll read while I am waiting. I am in no -hurry at all now; let him dance as long as he pleases." - -Germain left Dubourg alone; whereupon he stretched himself out in a -luxurious easy-chair and tossed away the book he had taken up. - -"To the devil with reading!" he said, assuming the position best adapted -for a nap; "it's high time for me to rest; I have earned it. Dance, -dance away! How comfortable it is in this chair, especially when one has -been within an ace of sleeping in the street! Here am I installed under -the roof of Monsieur le Comte de Montreville, a most respectable -gentleman, who has at least thirty thousand francs a year, and just one -son, whose friend I am, and whose education I aspire to finish; for they -have stuffed a heap of rubbish into his head, and have neglected to -teach him the most essential thing of all--knowledge of the human heart, -and especially of the female heart. As I am decidedly well posted in -that branch of knowledge, I propose to make something of our dear -Frédéric, and to teach him to know the world; so that he may make his -way, like me." - -While he thus communed with himself, Dubourg began to nod, and before he -had been in the easy-chair five minutes he was sleeping soundly. - - - - -II - -THE COMTE DE MONTREVILLE.--AN EVENING PARTY IN SOCIETY - - -The Comte de Montreville was, at the time that we make his acquaintance, -about sixty years old. The scion of a noble and wealthy family, he had -served in the army, married, and retired from service, and had succeeded -in coming safely through the tempests of the Revolution. - -He was a short, slender man, with a cold, stern face which commanded -respect. He did not lack intelligence, nor was he the slave of a mass of -absurd prejudices of the sort that some old men were trying to make -fashionable, like paniers and curly wigs. Monsieur de Montreville was -not one of those men who insist on retrograding while others go forward; -he followed the general current of the time, and, wise amid a multitude -of fools, he blamed only those who, from a proneness to exaggeration, -from selfishness, or from incapacity, muddied the waters of a stream -which all the efforts of all mankind could not prevent from flowing. - -But the count had been brought up strictly by his father. Accustomed -early in life to unquestioning obedience, he desired his son to be no -less submissive to him. At the age of six, young Frédéric lost his -mother. The count did not choose to marry again; he had a son to inherit -his name, and that was enough for him. He placed Frédéric at one of the -best schools in Paris. At fourteen, the young count, who was endowed -with an unusually fine intellect, had carried off several prizes. His -education was not then completed; but his father, fearing that at that -age he might form some dangerous intimacy, and impelled by his longing -to have him always by his side, in order to accustom him to absolute -obedience, took him away from the school, and gave him a private tutor. - -This tutor, in whose charge the count placed his son, and with whom we -shall soon become very well acquainted, was neither a scholar nor a man -of brains; far from it. But he was entirely at the orders of monsieur le -comte, and would not have taken his pupil out to walk without first -asking the father's permission; that was the reason for his selection, -despite his limited mental qualifications. - -The count was very fond of his son, but he would have been very sorry to -allow the full depth of his affection to appear; he would have -considered that he had forfeited his dignity and his claim to Frédéric's -respect if he had spoken to him in the kindly tone of a dear friend. But -is not our father the first friend that nature gives us? and ought the -respect we owe him to banish confidence and intimacy? - -Frédéric loved his father, but he trembled before him. Accustomed from -childhood never to reply to him, and to obey promptly his lightest word, -he had retained, as he grew to manhood, that habit of passive obedience -and that timidity which made it impossible for him to allow his heart to -speak freely in his father's presence. - -But we must do the Comte de Montreville the justice to say that he did -not abuse his power over his son. When Frédéric was eighteen, and his -education was at an end, the count dismissed the tutor, and, having sent -for the young man to come to him, addressed him thus: - -"I am content with you, Frédéric. You have responded to the pains I have -taken with your education, and I have no reason to complain of your -disposition. But you are approaching the age at which a young man should -study the world for himself. Henceforth, therefore, you are to enjoy -absolute liberty. You will continue to live in the same house with me; -but I will give you the apartment in the wing that looks on the street; -mine is at the end of the courtyard; thus you will be able to go in and -out at any hour without disturbing me. My steward has orders to supply -you with money whenever you ask for it. I know you, and I am sure that -you will not abuse this indulgence. You are at an age when young men are -eager for pleasure; enjoy yourself, indulge in the follies -characteristic of your years; I mean those that lead neither the heart -nor the mind astray. You are easily moved, you adore all women! but this -enthusiasm will vanish and never return. Be more particular about -forming intimacies with men of your age; do not make friends too -hurriedly: one should be more exacting in the choice of a friend than of -a mistress. However, I shall not lose sight of you altogether; I trust -that the principles I have instilled into you will keep you from any -reprehensible excess, and that I shall have no reason to repent of -having given you liberty of action." - -Frédéric, deeply touched by this harangue, would have rushed into his -father's arms; but the count, repressing that affectionate impulse, -which his own heart shared, confined himself to giving him his hand to -press, and added in a voice that trembled slightly: - -"In a few years, I will look to your future; I will see about finding a -suitable wife for you. But the time for that has not come yet; enjoy -your youth, and do not abuse it." - -Having said this, the count hastily left the room, for the conversation -had moved him; he felt tears in his eyes, and it would have distressed -him to allow Frédéric to see them. - -Two years had passed since this interview, during which Frédéric, now -his own master, had followed the first impulse of his heart. Endowed -with an ardent and sensitive nature, Frédéric was certain speedily to -feel the pangs of love. At eighteen, most young men say to themselves: -"I must fall in love," as they say: "I must dance, or gamble, or ride." -But the young count did not treat love so lightly: his inexperienced -heart loved or believed that it loved sincerely, and desired to be -repaid in kind; treachery broke his heart, and he wept bitterly over the -infidelity of a mistress. - -Frédéric had a fine figure, and a most attractive face, dignified and -sweet; his eyes expressed all that his heart felt. But he had not yet -acquired the careless tone and the free and easy manners of the dandies -of the day; he did not sway back and forth as he talked, he did not -smile into mirrors, he did not deal in the airy nothings which are so -popular in salons, and had not the art of looking a woman in the eye to -tell her that she was adorable. And as such cavalierish manners are -fashionable, and as the ladies care for nothing except what is -consecrated by the goddess of fashion, they considered Frédéric rather -sentimental, awkward even, and said to one another: - -"He's not very bad, but he needs to be trained." - -A _petite-maîtresse_ can hardly attach herself to a novice; she may -indulge a fancy for him, but only a reprobate can inspire a _grande -passion_; that is why poor Frédéric was constantly deceived and thrown -over by his mistresses. - -It was at Tortoni's that he had made the acquaintance of Dubourg. On -that day, the philosopher, being in funds, had created an uproar at that -café, where he was entertaining four of his friends. Several strangers, -annoyed by the noise they made, tried to impose silence on them; -Dubourg's only reply was to throw the remains of a bowl of punch at -their heads. They sprang to their feet, shouting and threatening, and -during the quarrel Dubourg's four friends deemed it prudent to disappear -in rapid succession. He, enraged by their cowardly conduct in abandoning -him, was still holding out against his adversaries, when Frédéric -espoused his quarrel and offered to act as his second. Dubourg accepted, -and a duel took place the next day. Dubourg's antagonist was slightly -wounded, and the affair had no more serious results; but it served to -cement the friendship thus formed between Dubourg and Frédéric. The -former, although nearly ten years the young count's senior, was far from -being as reasonable as he; but his unfailing gayety pleased Frédéric, -who often felt the need of his friend's merriment to help him to forget -the infidelities of his charmers. - -Now that we know the Comte de Montreville and his son, let us enter the -salons, where the most brilliant society of the capital was assembled, -because, as Dubourg had said, it was the count's reception day. - -The company was scattered through several rooms, all resplendent with -the light of innumerable candles; here there was dancing, there -card-playing; elsewhere, the guests were chatting, or strolling about, -or standing where they could get a breath of air; the heat was intense -in the cardroom, where it was almost impossible to force one's way -through the crowd of bettors. - -The ladies were remarkable for the elegance, and in some cases for the -singularity, of their toilets. As a general rule, the costumes of the -mothers are even more elaborate than those of the unmarried women. Is it -because they think that their daughters stand less in need of external -attractions? or is it true that coquetry increases as natural charm -decreases? I do not presume to decide the question. It is different with -men: with them, the ball costume, when once established, is soon adopted -by all, and those who desire to distinguish themselves have no other -resource than to dress their hair in some original way, or to devote -their attention to the knot of their cravat; but this last-mentioned -portion of the costume is beginning to be no longer a matter of choice. - -But it was nearly three o'clock, and the party was drawing to a close. -It was the best of all times for the observer to use his faculties; -there were fewer people dancing, the circulation was less impeded, and -the guests who remained ventured to talk and laugh a little. Toward the -close of a ball, informality takes the place of ceremony, and many women -do not begin to be charming until they cease to be affected. Some -persons who had not previously had an opportunity to speak together were -conversing in a corner of the salon. Young men chatted with the pretty -partners, whom they invited from choice rather than necessity. The -ladies smiled more sweetly upon their escorts; people drew nearer -together, they knew one another better. - -Monsieur de Montreville walked about his salons with the amiable manner -of a host who excels in the art of doing the honors. He talked with an -elderly marchioness who was sitting alone on a sofa; he said a -courteous word to a lady who was not dancing; and, on his way to her, -found time to bestow a compliment or two on the young dancers; he saw to -it that the punch was passed around, and the ices; he spent a moment -looking over the écarté table, and if somebody was wanted to take a bet -he was always ready. - -But what was Frédéric doing, leaning against that mantel-shelf? he -seemed to be devoting his whole attention to the dance; but was it -really the quadrille which interested him so deeply? and why, if he was -thinking of nothing but that pretty maiden's agile movements, did he -seem to be suffering? Yes, to the keen observer, his tranquillity was -assumed, the smile which passed over his lips when he was spoken to was -forced and unnatural. Frédéric was preoccupied, but not with the dance. -A few feet away from him a young woman was seated, a young woman not -more than twenty years old, although she had been three years married to -a sexagenarian notary, who was in the cardroom at that moment. - -Madame Dernange was very pretty; her vivacity, the sparkle of her eyes, -her costume, her brilliant intellect, everything about her had a -dazzling effect: she attracted, subjugated, enslaved, with a glance; -but, as she knew the power of her charms, she sought constantly to add -to the number of her adorers. At sixteen, she married Monsieur Dernange, -without the slightest affection for him; but she married him joyfully. -She was impatient to be her own mistress, and to give a free rein to her -penchant for flirtation. - -With a husband nearly sixty, she was very certain of being able to do -just what she chose; and, in fact, Monsieur Dernange left her perfectly -untrammelled. She was seen at all receptions, balls, festivities of -every description. Sometimes her husband escorted her, but generally he -went to bed about the time that his wife left the house; which did not -prevent them from leading a very peaceful life. It is a very simple -matter to live happily with your wife: all you have to do is just to -allow her to do whatever she desires. - -Monsieur Dernange had an abundance of _savoir vivre_; he was enchanted -to have his wife enjoy herself. Many people declared that the young -woman did not abuse his confidence, and it is very possible: she was a -great flirt, but flirts love no one; however, it is not well to trust -them too far. - -Frédéric had not been able to look upon the brilliant Madame Dernange -with an indifferent eye. She had had no difficulty in setting him on -fire with a glance, and with a glance she had realized her triumph. The -young Comte de Montreville was not a conquest to be disdained; Madame -Dernange resolved to fasten him to her chariot, and for that nothing -more was necessary than a glance or two, an occasional smile, a faint -pressure of the hand, and a veiled remark uttered in a voice that seemed -to tremble slightly. And the coquette used all her powers with such art! -She was not in love, and she knew so well how to win love! A person who -loves sincerely has much more difficulty in making an impression than -one who does not love at all; for the latter is able to avail herself of -all her advantages, while the other, striving to appear amiable, is -often only awkward and embarrassed. Ninon said that, and Ninon knew what -she was talking about. - -Poor Frédéric very soon succumbed to that treatment; he believed that -she loved, yes, adored him! and for a few days he lost his head. But at -this party of his father's a young and gorgeous colonel had made his -appearance; he was a man notorious for his _bonnes fortunes_, his -amorous adventures; a man, in a word, whom any woman might be proud to -number among her captives, and Madame Dernange had at once determined to -achieve this new triumph. - -Poor Frédéric! you were utterly forgotten: she no longer gave a thought -to you, but was engrossed by the handsome colonel. Now and again, she -deigned to smile sweetly upon you, it is true; but you were in love, you -were jealous, and you saw that the coquette instantly turned her eyes -upon the man she desired to enslave. - -Several times the young man had approached the scintillating Dernange; -he wished to show her that he had detected her perfidy; but she -contented herself with smiling at him, and saying: - -"What on earth is the matter with you to-night, Monsieur de Montreville? -You have a solemn air which is most amusing." - -How comforting such words are to a jealous lover! Frédéric made no -reply, but walked away with rage in his heart, while the coquette -laughed long and loud at a bright remark made by the colonel, or by some -other of her adorers. - -Frédéric was on pins and needles all the evening; and, toward the close -of the festivities, seeing Madame Dernange on a sofa, on which the -colonel also had taken his seat, he stationed himself a few steps away. -He leaned against a mantel, with his back turned to them, and pretended -to be engrossed by the dance; but he did not lose a word of what was -said on the sofa. The colonel was amiable and gallant; he strove to make -himself agreeable to Madame Dernange, and she put forth all her powers -and played with him with her usual grace. She laughed so heartily, she -was so pretty, so fascinating, when she desired to make a favorable -impression! There was a constant exchange of compliments and clever -retorts, during which poor Frédéric was all on fire. If he had not held -himself in check, he would have insulted the colonel and overwhelmed the -faithless one with reproaches. Luckily, he retained his senses -sufficiently to realize all the impropriety of such a scene, and all the -ridicule it would bring upon him; for in love intrigues the party who -complains, and who is betrayed, is always laughed at. It is said: the -_vanquished_ pay the fine; we might vary this proverb slightly, and thus -make it truer, except in England, where husbands are in the habit of -exacting compensation in money when they are in the position which I -understand by _vanquished_. - -The colonel paid his court in military fashion--that is to say, he made -much progress in a short time. Unluckily, this method is often -successful. Unluckily for timid lovers, that is; or is not she the best -who makes us happy most promptly? Frédéric heard him ask Madame -Dernange's permission to call to pay his respects. The respects of a -colonel of hussars! Frédéric was bathed in cold perspiration at the -thought. The pretty woman made some resistance; she laughed and joked, -and said that he must ask her husband first; then added, with a rippling -laugh: - -"But, no; no, you needn't! Monsieur Dernange will have no objection." - -The colonel was urgent, and he received permission. Frédéric was choking -with rage; he walked hastily away, for he could stand it no longer. He -went into a room which was empty for the moment, a large number of the -guests having already taken their leave. - -He threw himself into an easy-chair. The room was but dimly lighted by -the flickering candles in glass globes; he could abandon himself without -reserve to his feelings. He drew his handkerchief, he was choking; his -eyes were filled with tears. A young man almost always pays with tears -the fees of his apprenticeship in society. In two or three years, he -will laugh at the misfortune that now drives him to despair. After being -deceived, he will deceive in his turn; but he will never again be so -foolish as to fix his fancy on a coquette, and it may be that some -hearts that love him sincerely will be rejected by him, for the innocent -often have to pay for the guilty. But, let us wait: it is possible that -Frédéric will always retain that emotional nature, that constancy in -love, which now cause him to regret the loss of a heart that he never -possessed. - -The words _faithless_, _fickle_, _traitress_, issued from his mouth, -followed by long sighs. For more than half an hour he had been buried in -his reflections. The candles had gone out, the music had ceased. Several -people passed him without attracting his attention, nor was he, sitting -in a dark corner, noticed by them. Some ladies came into the room to get -their shawls, which they had left on a couch not far from Frédéric. But -a familiar voice awoke the echoes in his heart: it was the voice of -Madame Dernange, talking with one of her friends. They seemed in -excellent spirits. - -"What sport I have had!" said the notary's wife. "That colonel is really -very attractive!" - -"But, my dear, did you see the wry face Frédéric made?" - -"Yes, indeed I did, and I was strongly tempted to laugh!" - -"You drove him to despair." - -"What a calamity! That young man is romantic and sentimental enough to -give one the blues; he's an idiot!" - -"Oh! he's a very pretty fellow, my dear; and when he has got rid of that -schoolboy air, and has acquired the tone of fashionable gallantry, -you'll see how popular he will be!" - -"When I choose to amuse myself with him again, I have only to say a -word, to glance at him, and he will be at my feet. But give me my shawl, -which you have had in your hand an hour. The colonel is waiting to -escort me to my carriage." - -When the ladies had gone, Frédéric rose. He found it difficult to -believe his ears. Shame, jealousy, anger, filled his heart, where love -had already ceased to fill any space; for his self-esteem had been -wounded, and wounded self-esteem soon triumphs over love. - -In this frame of mind, Frédéric retired to his apartment; he slammed the -door as he entered, and thereby woke Dubourg with a start. - - - - -III - -TRAVELLING PLANS.--MONSIEUR MÉNARD.--EN ROUTE. - - -"I count four!" cried Dubourg, springing to his feet; while Frédéric, -surprised to find him there, stared at him a moment in silence, then -abandoned himself unreservedly to the pleasure of pouring out his heart -and telling his sorrows to his friend. - -"Ah! my dear Dubourg! it must have been heaven that sent you." - -"No; it was my landlord, who has turned me out of the house." - -"At last I have found a heart which understands mine, which will -appreciate my distress and pity my torments." - -"Have you been betting on the wrong side, too?" - -"The treacherous, fickle creature!" - -"Luck is a woman, my friend; that tells the whole story." - -"Yes, and a very heartless woman, too! If you knew what she dared to say -about me!" - -"What's that! has luck been talking about you?" - -"I am an idiot! Indeed, she is right; I was an idiot to love her! But -it's all over, yes, forever! She thinks that she can bring me to her -feet, enslave me again, with a word and a smile! But, no, I will not be -her dupe again; I know her now!" - -Dubourg rubbed his eyes and looked at Frédéric, who was pacing the floor -with an air of desperation, sometimes stopping to beat his forehead, -sometimes smiling bitterly. - -"Who in the devil are you talking about, my dear fellow?" - -"Why, Madame Dernange, that woman whose heart is as false as her face is -pretty, that coquette whom I have adored for two months, and who, as I -believed, loved me. But, my dear Dubourg, she was making a fool of me." - -"And that surprises you? Ah! my poor Frédéric, what a boy you still -are!" - -"She made me believe that she reciprocated my love; and this evening, a -new-comer, a colonel, has stolen her heart from me, apparently without -much difficulty. I was strongly tempted to insult the fellow and kill -him." - -"Would that have made your Madame Dernange less fickle?" - -"No, of course not; that is what I said to myself." - -"In making love to her, he did what any other man would have done in his -place. You ought not to bear him any grudge for it; on the contrary, you -ought to be grateful to him, for he has taught you to know a woman who -was making a fool of you." - -"I believe you are right," said Frédéric sadly, seating himself in an -easy-chair, while Dubourg, now wide awake, thought it a fitting moment -to deliver a lecture to his friend. - -"Listen to me, my dear Frédéric; I am older than you are, I have seen a -good deal of the world, and I have a large store of experience, although -I still do foolish things. Now, let me tell you that you have an -unfortunate tendency to indulge in sentimental and romantic passions, -which will do you a bad turn some day. You absolutely insist on being -loved, adored, if you will! Damnation! do you mean to pass your life -sighing? Is that the way a young man ought to make love? It isn't that -you are in reality more constant than other men, for this is your -seventh ill-fated passion in the year that I have known you. The great -trouble is that your seven passions have all left you first, whereas you -ought to have taken the initiative. However, you have always found -consolation thus far, and you will this time too, I promise you. But, my -friend, don't, I implore you, take on so seriously for what ought to be -simply a youthful folly. You must have a certain amount of sentiment, to -gratify the ladies, but you mustn't overdo it; because, you see, excess -of sentiment kills sentiment; and what I am saying to you is perfectly -reasonable; I am sure that your father, the count, would agree with me, -if he were here, and that he would be overjoyed to find that you have a -friend who gives you nothing but good advice, and who would give you a -lot more--if he had not lost last night the five hundred francs his poor -aunt sent him." - -Frédéric had not listened very attentively to Dubourg's speech; but he -had grown calmer, because the most violent tempests are always of the -shortest duration, and the young man believed himself to be much more in -love than he really was. - -"How does it happen that I find you here in the middle of the night?" he -asked Dubourg, at last. - -"My dear fellow--what do you suppose?--a succession of unlucky -circumstances. In the first place, my landlord, who is a genuine -_Vulture_; secondly, an evening party at little Delphine's--you know, I -took you there once; but as you must always have a touch of sentiment in -everything, you never went again; and yet, she would have given you -some, for your money, that would have been worth quite as much as Madame -Dernange's. Lastly, I played, and I lost all that I possessed! Really, -I didn't know which way to turn. But I thought of you; I know how loyal -your friendship is. At first, I didn't expect to see you until -to-morrow; but, finding everything in commotion in this house, it -occurred to me that I might wait for you here; and I have had a nap -while your charmer was being spirited away from you." - -"Poor Dubourg!" - -"Yes, very poor, in truth!" - -"Listen; I have an idea." - -"Let's hear it." - -"I am sick of life in Paris." - -"I shall soon be much sicker of it, as I haven't a sou." - -"The sight of all these coquettes makes me ill." - -"Oh! it's sure to do that." - -"I propose to run away from the disloyal hussies." - -"I don't know just where you can go to avoid them." - -"These parties where you talk without saying anything; where you make -acquaintances, but not friends; where you go because you have nothing -else to do, rather than for pleasure,--I am tired of the whole business. -I have been going into society only two years and a half, and I am sick -of it already. This is my plan----" - -"Do you mean to become a hermit?" - -"No; but I mean to leave Paris for some time; I mean to travel, to visit -different countries; in that way, by comparing the manners and customs -of the different peoples, by admiring the wonders and beauties of -nature, a man can best form his mind and his judgment and increase his -store of knowledge; and in that way the heart is made acquainted with -pleasures which it could never know in these worldly gatherings, -inspired by idleness and governed by etiquette." - -"Powerfully argued!" cried Dubourg, rising from his reclining-chair; -"you must travel, my dear fellow, there is nothing better for the young. -But when a man travels alone, he is always bored to death; one can't be -more than half happy when he has no one to whom he can impart the -sentiments inspired by a beautiful landscape, an ancient monument, or an -imposing ruin! Besides, you are too young to run about the world alone; -you need a companion who is wise, well informed, and, above all, -experienced; well, my friend, I offer myself as your mentor." - -"I was about to make the same suggestion, my dear Dubourg." - -"Parbleu! I accept with great pleasure." - -"But is there nothing to keep you in Paris?" - -"Oh! nothing at all, not even a cot-bed." - -"No affair of the heart?" - -"Oh! with respect to affairs of the heart, I am not like you! I will -form attachments as we go along, or, better still, I'll give them up -altogether. My mind is made up; I propose to be virtuous and orderly; -you will be edified by my behavior." - -"Well, then, my dear Dubourg, it is settled that we travel together." - -"There is just one little difficulty left: suppose your father doesn't -want you to travel?" - -"Oh! I don't think that he'll object; I have already mentioned the -subject to him, and he seemed to approve of it." - -"Then everything will go as nicely as possible; but will you tell him -that you are going to take me?" - -"Why not? I shall say that a friend of mine, who is also about to -travel, will be able to accompany me for some time." - -"All right; arrange it as best you can; if necessary, you can present me -to your father, who hardly knows me, and you will see what a dignified -and imposing manner I can assume. Above all things, don't mention little -Delphine, or my aunt, or my supposed marriage, or my triplets." - -"Never fear." - -"As for my family, if it isn't noble, that doesn't prevent its being as -good as the Comte de Montreville's, and very highly esteemed in -Bretagne." - -"Oh! mon Dieu! I know all that." - -"It isn't on your account that I say it, but your father's. So, then, -it's agreed. It is broad daylight now; I have slept enough, but you need -rest. Go to bed; during the day, you can speak to your father, and come -and tell me what he says. I'll expect you at six o'clock, at the Café de -la Rotonde." - -"Agreed." - -"By the way, I forgot! Lend me a dozen louis; I owe you thirty already, -but we will settle up when I get my next remittance from my aunt." - -"That's all right; ought there to be any settling among friends?" - -"Ah! my dear Frédéric, there aren't many friends like you!" - -Dubourg pocketed the twelve louis which Frédéric handed him; then, -leaving his friend to go to bed, he went away from the house, humming a -new couplet, and strolled along the boulevards, as well pleased as if he -had just been appointed to a twelve-thousand-franc office where he would -have nothing to do. - -During the day, Frédéric went to see his father. He trembled slightly -when he appeared before him, and the count, instead of assisting his -son to confide in him, waited silently for him to say what he wanted. - -Having bowed respectfully, Frédéric began his speech, in which he -floundered a little at times, because the count's eyes, fastened on his -face, seemed determined to read his inmost thoughts. He set forth his -project, however, and awaited in fear and trembling his father's reply. -The count seemed to reflect, and did not speak for some minutes. -Frédéric dared not break the silence, and at last the count spoke. - -"You wish to leave Paris, Frédéric?" - -"Yes, monsieur le comte." - -"Are you tired already of its pleasures--balls and parties? It is rather -early for that." - -Frédéric sighed, but made no reply. - -"You haven't told me everything," continued the count, with a sarcastic -smile. "Confess that some disappointment in love----" - -Frédéric blushed, and lowered his eyes; whereupon the count went on, in -a gentler tone: - -"Well, all that sort of thing belongs to your age. Travel; I am willing; -it cannot fail to be useful to you. But if your presence should become -necessary, I trust that nothing would delay your return?" - -"Oh! father, a single word from you, and I will be with you." - -"Very good; I rely upon your word." - -"A friend of mine, a young man named Dubourg, of an old Breton family, -is also making arrangements to travel for some time. If you are willing, -I will join forces with him." - -"No, monsieur; I am not willing. I have heard of this Monsieur Dubourg, -whom you call your friend, and, although I have seen him with you only -two or three times, I know enough of him to be unwilling that he should -be my son's travelling companion. His family is respectable, I know, but -Monsieur Dubourg is a great reprobate, they say." - -"I promise you, father----" - -"Don't interrupt me, monsieur. I cannot prevent your associating in -Paris with such light-headed characters; but when you are to travel for -your instruction, and to mature your judgment, I tell you again that a -Monsieur Dubourg is not a proper person for you to travel with. I don't -propose that you shall take Germain either; that fellow has been -behaving badly for some time. Besides, when you are travelling you -should be able to do without a valet. With your money, you will find -servants enough wherever you stop." - -"Am I to go alone, then, father?" - -"No; you are not twenty-one yet; you are too young to be left to your -own devices. Stay--yes--he's the very man you need: Monsieur Ménard will -go with you." - -"What, monsieur le comte, my tutor?" - -"He hasn't been that for a long time, and he will not go with you in -that capacity, my son, but as a friend, a judicious adviser. Monsieur -Ménard is an educated man, and, in addition to that, is the mildest and -most patient of men. You know him well enough, I think, not to regret -having him for your travelling companion. Monsieur Ménard is not a mere -pedant who will constantly reprove you for enjoying yourself; he is -attached to you, and he will be able, I trust, to prevent the son of the -Comte de Montreville from forgetting what he owes to himself." - -"But, father----" - -"Enough. I will write to Monsieur Ménard; if he accepts, as I think he -will, you can set out to-morrow." - -Frédéric left his father, not overpleased with his choice, although he -knew that Monsieur Ménard was an excellent man. He would have preferred -to travel with Dubourg, whose inexhaustible gayety harmonized perfectly -with his own sentimental disposition; a fact which seems strange, at -first blush, but which is very common: small men love tall women, and -small women large men; loquacious folk like those who say little; -gourmands never dine satisfactorily except with those who are -abstemious; the strong form alliances with the weak; men of genius -select wives who attend strictly to their household duties; female -authors rarely have men of intellect for their husbands; ostentatious -people cannot live comfortably except with those who make no -pretensions; knaves consort with men of probity; the most sentimental -women often love the most frivolous men, and the most loyal of the one -sex will give her heart to the most fickle of the other; lastly, -libertines pursue innocence, and innocence often yields to the -seductions of a ne'er-do-well. Extremes meet, contrasts are drawn -together, and a painter finds his most beautiful effects in the -opposition of light and shadow. - -"Well," said Dubourg, when Frédéric joined him at the appointed place; -"what news?" - -"Why, not very good." - -"Doesn't your father want you to travel?" - -"Oh! yes, he has consented." - -"In that case, I don't see why everything isn't all right." - -"But--he--he isn't willing----" - -"Go on." - -"He isn't willing that I should travel with you." - -"Why not?" - -"Because--he says----" - -"He says---- Well, go on." - -"He says that you are a--reprobate." - -"Why, he has never seen me more than three times!" - -"It seems that somebody has talked to him about you." - -"There are always people who make it their business to slander -innocence. Do you know that, if monsieur le comte were not your father, -I---- Although, after all, he is not far from right. But if he knew how -thoroughly I have reformed! and how I have preached at myself since last -night!--Well, what else?" - -"He suggests as my travelling companion my former tutor, Monsieur -Ménard." - -"The idea of giving a tutor to a young man who is almost twenty-one! -That sort of thing positively makes me ill! No matter; let us allow -monsieur le comte to have his way; we will carry out our plans, all the -same." - -"How?" - -"You won't be sorry to have me travel with you, will you?" - -"Surely not." - -"And I shall not be sorry to leave Paris for a time; that will give my -creditors, who are always at my heels, a chance to rest a bit." - -"But my father?" - -"Don't you worry. Just don't say a word, and I will arrange matters so -that---- By the way, what sort of a man is this tutor?" - -"Oh! he's the best fellow in the world; but he's not a genius." - -"So much the better." - -"He thinks a great deal of a learned man." - -"I'll talk Latin, Greek, English, to him; yes, and Chinese, if he -doesn't understand it." - -"I fancy that he has never travelled, except on the map." - -"I'll tell him that I have been round the world." - -"But it flatters him to be in the company of persons of high rank." - -"I'll assume a rank that will be high enough for him." - -"In heaven's name, what is your scheme?" - -"I'll arrange it all, I tell you; go back to your father, and start off -with your tutor. By the way, get all the money you can, for money is -never a disadvantage when you're travelling; and be sure to let me know -what time you are to start, and in what direction you are going." - -The young men separated, Dubourg having told Frédéric where to send him -word of the time at which he was to start, and having refused to divulge -any of the details of his plan. - -Let us leave them for a moment, while we make the acquaintance of -Monsieur Ménard, of whom the young count has given us only a faint -sketch, and whom it is essential to know before we travel in his -company. - -Monsieur Ménard was a man of about fifty years of age, very short and -stout, and with a very fat face. He had a double chin, which was quite -in harmony with a nose like a huge chestnut. Like Monsieur Tartufe, he -had red ears and a florid complexion. His stomach was beginning to -embarrass him a little, but his short legs, with their enormous calves, -seemed strong enough to support an even heavier bulk. - -Monsieur Ménard had passed almost the whole of his life in teaching -young people; he had retained the mild and benign manners which a tutor -employed in good society always adopts with his pupils. He was not a -great scholar, but he was proud of what he did know, and was by no means -insensible to praise. His narrow intellect had become even more confined -by having no exercise except with children; but Monsieur Ménard was -upright, kindly, and peaceably disposed; his only weakness was a -tendency to feel that his stature was increased when he conversed with a -lord, and his only fault a very pronounced fondness for the pleasures of -the table, which was sometimes the occasion of a slight indisposition; -not that he drank immoderately, but because he returned too often to a -truffled turkey or a salmi of partridges. - -The Comte de Montreville summoned Monsieur Ménard, who hastened to obey -the summons and joyfully accepted the proposition that was made to him. -To travel in a comfortable post chaise with the Comte de Montreville's -son, with that one of his pupils who reflected the greatest credit on -him! that was unexampled good fortune for the excellent tutor, who -happened to be unemployed at the moment. - -The count urged him to have an eye upon Frédéric, but not to thwart his -caprices when it was simply a question of indulging in the follies -characteristic of his years. As he was well pleased with his son's ready -submission in the matter of a travelling companion, he determined to -reward him by allowing him to go wherever he chose. - -Everything being settled between the count and the two travellers, -Monsieur de Montreville handed Monsieur Ménard a considerable sum of -money, which was to be at Frédéric's disposal. - -"Travel in a manner befitting your rank, my son," said the count; "but -do not squander this money foolishly. I have succeeded, by leading -always an orderly, regular life, in saving a considerable fortune in -anticipation of your marriage; but you must not encroach upon your -patrimony. If you need more money, however, Monsieur Ménard will let me -know." - -Frédéric promised to behave himself; but he had just written to Dubourg -that he was to start the next morning, and that he should take the Lyon -road. - -A young man's preparations are soon made. Monsieur Ménard's took a -little longer; like the prudent man he was, he did not take his place in -the carriage until he had bestowed one of Lesage's pâtés in the box, and -a bottle of madeira in his pocket. - -At last, everything was ready. Frédéric was overjoyed to leave Paris and -Madame Dernange. The poor boy fancied that she would regret him, and -that his departure would make her miserable! He was certain to lose all -such illusions after he had travelled a short time. - -The carriage was waiting; the postilion was in the saddle. Frédéric -pressed his father's hand to his heart, Monsieur Ménard bowed six times -to the count and entered the chaise backward in order to have the honor -of continuing to bow. Frédéric jumped into his seat, the postilion -cracked his whip, and they were off for Italy. - - - - -IV - -A NOVEL WAY OF MAKING ACQUAINTANCES.--BARON POTOSKI - - -The two travellers were not far from Paris, when the conversation -between them began to flag; at the outset, Monsieur Ménard expressed to -Frédéric his very great pleasure in being in his company, and Frédéric -thanked him; then they admired the view at several points. But soon the -younger man's thoughts reverted to Madame Dernange and other disloyal -fair ones, and he became pensive and silent; whereupon Monsieur Ménard -turned his attention to the pâté with which he had taken care to supply -himself, and entered upon a conversation with it, which he interrupted -only to say a word or two to the bottle of madeira. - -"I imagine that we shall have a delightful trip," said Frédéric, -emerging from his reverie. - -"I agree with you, monsieur le comte; we have everything requisite for -it," replied Monsieur Ménard, with a smile, making haste to swallow what -he had in his mouth. "If monsieur le comte would like to taste this -pâté--it is delicious." - -"No, thanks, my dear Ménard; I am not hungry yet." - -"As monsieur le comte pleases." - -"Oh! I beg you, no _monsieur le comte_ between ourselves; call me -Frédéric, that is much better." - -"But, monsieur le comte--when we are travelling--at public-houses--it is -well that people should know that they have the honor----" - -"Yes, of course; so that they can make us pay four times the usual -prices. I tell you again that I want to avoid all those ceremonies which -add nothing to the pleasure of a journey." - -"You will at least allow me to call you Monsieur de Montreville; for -monsieur le comte your father might be angry if he knew that you -travelled incognito." - -"By the way, how much money did he give you?" - -"Eight thousand francs, monsieur." - -"Eight thousand francs! that's none too much!" - -"Oh! Monsieur de Montreville, surely it is enough, when we have in -addition a comfortable carriage and good horses. We are not going to the -world's end. And then, you know, your father said that we could ask him -for more, in an emergency." - -"True; besides, we're not going to do anything foolish." - -"And it would be imprudent to carry a larger sum on a journey. We are -going to Italy, and that country is infested with brigands; between Rome -and Naples, especially, they say the highroads are very dangerous. When -we get there, we must take every precaution." - -Frédéric made no reply; he was thinking of Dubourg, and was surprised -that he had heard nothing from him. They were already nine leagues from -Paris, on a very fine road, where it was difficult to imagine any -possible mishap. - -Suddenly the loud cracking of a postilion's whip announced that there -were other travellers behind them. Frédéric looked back, and saw a small -berlin coming up at a gallop. The clatter drew rapidly nearer, -indicating that the berlin was overtaking them and would soon pass them -by. A cloud of dust enveloped them, but the road was so wide that there -was no need for them to turn out. But just as they expected to see the -berlin whirl by, it collided with their carriage; and the shock was so -violent that the post chaise was overturned beside the ditch, into which -Monsieur Ménard was thrown headlong, shrieking at the top of his voice. - -The berlin stopped. The postilion of the chaise reviled the other -postilion, calling him fool and blockhead and drunkard, for running into -him on a road where three carriages could easily pass. The other -postilion limited his reply to a sneering laugh, which inflamed his -confrčre's wrath. Frédéric, who was not injured, went to Monsieur -Ménard, to ascertain what his condition was. He proved to be more -frightened than hurt; he felt himself all over, straightened his wig, -and kept repeating that the fall would certainly upset his digestion. - -Meanwhile, the postilion of the berlin had dismounted; after exchanging -a few words with his passenger, he, hat in hand, approached our -travellers, who were still in the ditch, and, after apologizing for his -awkwardness, said to them that Baron Ladislas Potoski, Palatine of Rava -and Sandomir, requested permission to come in person to inquire for -their welfare, and to offer them such assistance as was in his power. - -When he heard the postilion declaim the name and titles of his -passenger, Monsieur Ménard scrambled out of the ditch, and removed from -under his waistcoat one end of his ruff, which his fall had rumpled. - -"Tell your master that we appreciate his courtesy," said Frédéric; "but -that it is unnecessary for him to put himself out; I think that the -accident will have no serious results." - -"But there's something broken in our chaise," said Monsieur Ménard; "and -we might avail ourselves of Monsieur le Palatine Pota--Poto--Potiouski's -offer, to reach the next village." - -The tutor had not finished speaking, when the soi-disant Polish nobleman -alighted from his berlin and walked toward them, with his hand on his -hip, affecting a most dignified air and carriage. Frédéric looked up and -recognized Dubourg; he was on the point of laughing outright, when his -friend forestalled him by running toward him, exclaiming: - -"I cannot be mistaken! What a fortunate meeting! It surely is Monsieur -Frédéric de Montreville!" - -And he threw his arms about Frédéric, who also feigned surprise and -cried: - -"What! why! it is Monsieur de--Monsieur du----" - -"Baron Potoski!" whispered Dubourg. - -"Monsieur le Baron Potoski!" - -During this recognition, which took place on the edge of the ditch, -Monsieur Ménard outdid himself in salutations, pulling Frédéric gently -by his coat-tails the while, in order to lead him back to the highroad, -which seemed to him a more suitable place for his introduction to the -noble Pole. - -At last, Dubourg turned to Ménard, and said, addressing Frédéric: - -"Have I the honor of seeing monsieur le comte your father?" And he -bestowed upon the tutor the most gracious and most dignified smile -imaginable. - -"No," said Frédéric; "but he has been a second father to me. Allow me to -present Monsieur Ménard, my former tutor." - -"Monsieur Ménard!" said Dubourg, assuming an expression of unfeigned -admiration, and gazing at the tutor as one might gaze at Voltaire. -"What! can it be that this is Monsieur Ménard? Peste! I have often -heard of him; the _primus inter pares_ of tutors! How delighted I am to -make his acquaintance! _Tandem felix_, Monsieur Ménard, since I know -you." - -Monsieur Ménard did not know where he was; this deluge of courtesies and -flattery from the Palatine of Rava and Sandomir so confused and -delighted him, that his profuse salutations would have landed him in the -ditch a second time, had not Frédéric caught him opportunely. - -Dubourg finally put an end to the poor man's embarrassment by taking his -hand and pressing it hard. - -"What a great honor you do me, monsieur le baron," he stammered.--"So -you are acquainted with Baron Potoski?" he added, turning to Frédéric. - -"Acquainted with him!" was the reply, accompanied by a smile; "why, we -are close friends. Dear Dubourg!" - -"What do you say? Dubourg?" cried Ménard. - -"Yes," hastily interposed the pretended baron; "that is the name I went -by at Paris, where I was compelled to maintain the strictest incognito, -being intrusted by my government with a secret and very delicate -mission." - -"I understand, I understand," said Ménard. - -"Continue to call me Dubourg, my dear Frédéric; that was my name when I -first knew you, and it will always be dear to me." - -While Ménard went to inspect the overturned vehicle, Frédéric said to -Dubourg, in an undertone: - -"The method you employed to join me was a little violent, do you know? -You nearly killed poor Ménard and me." - -"It's that blockhead of a postilion's fault: I told him to upset me as -we passed you; but the rascal preferred to upset you. That annoys me -the more, because I expected to get a seat in your carriage, whereas I -must offer to take you in mine, which is a very different matter. Never -mind: let me talk and act. I see already that it will be easy enough to -pull the wool over this poor Ménard's eyes. But be ready to second me, -and back up what I say, when it's necessary. Above all things, don't -forget that I am Baron Potoski, Palatine of Rava and Sandomir. You -nearly spoiled everything by calling me Dubourg; luckily, I found a way -to straighten that out; but don't make any more such blunders, or I -shall be obliged to travel without you, and I assure you I shall not go -very far." - -Ménard returned and announced that one of the axles of the chaise was -broken, and that it could not be repaired before the next morning. - -"Well, messieurs," said Dubourg, "you must do me the honor to ride in my -carriage; we will stop at the first village and pass the night there, -while the local blacksmith repairs your chaise." - -This plan being adopted, they left the postilion to bring the vehicle to -the village, and our three travellers entered the Polish baron's berlin. -It was a wretched old affair, the lining patched and soiled, and so -badly hung that the passengers were jolted terribly. - -Frédéric could not restrain a smile as he stepped into the palatine's -equipage; but Dubourg hastened to say to Monsieur Ménard, who took his -place modestly on the front seat and had not as yet done more than -glance furtively at his surroundings: - -"This carriage is older than we are; it belonged to my grandfather. It -was in this same carriage that he rescued Stanislas Leczinski, when he -was pursued by his rival, Augustus, whose cause was espoused by the -Czar, while Charles XII of Sweden was the protector of Stanislas.--But -you know all that better than I do, Monsieur Ménard, for you are a -scholar." - -"Oh! monsieur le baron." - -"To return to this carriage--all my family revere it as I do; it is a -family carriage. When my father left Cracow, during a period of civil -commotion, this modest berlin contained six millions in gold and jewels; -it was the remnant of his fortune, with which he intended to live in -retirement in Bretagne, where they have delicious milk and butter." - -At this point, Frédéric, who had bitten his lips at the six millions, -began to cough to overcome his desire to laugh, while Monsieur Ménard -looked at the carriage with the utmost respect. - -"You will appreciate, Monsieur Ménard," pursued Dubourg, wiping his -forehead with a silk handkerchief, which he had thrust into his -waistcoat to give himself the aspect of a foreigner, "you will -appreciate that one becomes strongly attached to a carriage which -recalls such honorable memories. I know that it is not modern, and that -it might be hung better; twenty times, my steward has talked of having -it repainted, and of having it newly lined inside, but I always refuse. -This seat, which I now occupy, was once occupied by King Stanislas; that -in which you sit, by a princess of Hungary; and I confess, Monsieur -Ménard, that I am determined not to change this Utrecht velvet, which -has had the honor of supporting those eminent persons." - -"I share your feelings in that respect to the full, monsieur le baron," -said Ménard, who, enchanted as he was to travel with two men of -distinguished rank, was unable to contain himself when he was told that -a princess of Hungary had once sat where he was sitting. "This carriage -must be very dear to you; and I assure you, monsieur le baron, that it -rides very nicely, and that I find it very comfortable----" - -At that moment a vicious jolt threw Monsieur Ménard forward, almost into -his pupil's lap; but he added, clinging to the door: - -"_Ubi plura intent in carmine; non ego paucis offendar maculis._" - -"_Vitam impendere vero_," rejoined Dubourg. - -Frédéric looked out of the door, coughing harder than ever; while -Monsieur Ménard said, with a bow: - -"I never doubted it, monsieur le baron." - -"As I am obliged to remain incognito," said Dubourg, "I have not brought -any of my suite with me, and I confess that I am not inclined to -complain; I detest all the pomp and parade and etiquette which are the -accompaniments of high station. When I travel, I lay it all aside; I am -the man of nature, and I play the part of a simple observer. But, by the -way, my dear Frédéric, I haven't asked you yet where you are going; -would it be presumptuous in me to inquire?" - -"No, indeed, my friend; I am leaving Paris because I found there only -coquettish or heartless women, who do not understand my way of loving." - -"Well, my dear fellow, the trouble is that your way of loving is no -longer fashionable! However, this is mere amorous petulance, I see; you -are still a little romantic, a little sentimental.--We must cure -Frédéric of all such nonsense, eh, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"That doesn't come within my functions, monsieur le baron; besides, we -must overlook a little something; Seneca says, you know: _Non est -magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementić._" - -"That is very true," Dubourg replied; "the greatest men have had their -weak points. Alexander drank too much; Antiochus dressed as Bacchus to -please Cleopatra; Ćneas consulted the Cumćan sibyl; the Emperor -Maximilian died from eating too much melon. So it's not at all -surprising that Frédéric should have a too sensitive heart." - -Monsieur Ménard bowed to monsieur le baron, who had given him a small -specimen of his erudition; which added not a little to the respect he -had already conceived for him. - -"I have no definite plan," said Frédéric; "I intend, however, to visit -the countries which recall interesting events, or which have given birth -to illustrious men. One loves to tread the ground from which the genius -sprang that has outlived so many generations. In all that surrounds us, -we fancy that we recognize the great man who, by his writings, his feats -of arms, or his virtues, made his birthplace famous. In a word, my -friend, we are going, first of all, to Italy." - -"What! can it be? Why, my own purpose, like yours, is to see a little of -the world, in order to add some new light to my poor stock of knowledge. -What a delightful idea! Suppose we make the journey together?" - -"Gladly, my dear baron! it will be most agreeable to me, I assure you." - -"Upon my honor, I am grateful to the chance that led to our meeting! -What an unexpected pleasure to travel with my friend the Comte de -Montreville and the learned Monsieur Ménard, to compare our reflections -concerning the places we visit, to be enlightened by the observations, -the friendship, and the learning of so distinguished a teacher!" - -Ménard outdid himself in reverences, and began to express his thanks; -but Dubourg continued earnestly, giving him no time to reply: - -"What a delight to visit ancient Rome with you--and magnificent Genoa! -to climb with Monsieur Ménard to the summit of Vesuvius, and even to go -down into the crater, if there is no danger! How pleasant to view, in a -friend's company, the tomb of Virgil and the Grotto of the Dog, and to -ascend, with a profound scholar, the Tarpeian rock! What pleasures await -us in Switzerland, the home of William Tell! that cradle of liberty, -whose morals have retained all their purity amid revolutionary tempests! -There we shall receive the most touching hospitality in every village; -we shall eat cheese there, Monsieur Ménard--oh! such cheese! I don't -undertake to say, however, that it's as good as the cheese in Bretagne, -for there's nothing like that; a charming country, Bretagne, studded -with woods, fields, and rich pastures. Ah! what fine cows they have -there, Monsieur Ménard!" - -Frédéric nudged Dubourg, to make him leave Bretagne, whither he -constantly returned with the affection of a native. - -"In Switzerland," he continued, "one often eats cheeses fifteen or -twenty years old; the excellent Helvetians know the secret of keeping -them for an indefinite time." - -"They must be even better than our roquefort," said Ménard, who felt -sure of his ground when eating was the subject of conversation. - -"Oh! I promise you they are; compared with the old Swiss cheeses, our -roquefort is no better than neufchâtel. However, Monsieur Ménard, if -you travel with me, I shall hope to give you cheese to eat more than -once." - -"Ah! monsieur le baron!" - -"We will visit the glaciers, we will ascend the Saint-Gothard, and the -Rigi, which you have to climb on all fours. What magnificent views we -shall have! And when we go down into the canton of Les Grisons, we will -botanize. Monsieur Ménard will gather herbs. We will watch the Swiss -maidens glean; they wear very short skirts--and we shall see some fine -sights!" - -"Well, my dear master, what do you think of our plan?" queried Frédéric. -The former tutor was enchanted with it: to travel with a man of such -high rank, and so learned and agreeable, as Baron Potoski, seemed to him -great good fortune; and although the hard cushions and the jolting of -the berlin made him black and blue in spots, he felt brave enough to -travel a thousand leagues in a carriage which had held King Stanislas, -and in a seat which a princess of Hungary had occupied. - -"Most certainly I see no reason why we should not travel with monsieur -le baron," he said; "and at the first post-office I will write to -monsieur your father and tell him of our fortunate meeting; he cannot -fail to approve our plan." - -"No, no!" cried Dubourg; "on the contrary, you must not write a single -word to monsieur le comte. As I have told you, I am travelling -incognito; I don't want anybody to know where I am. My government -desires to appoint me ambassador to Turkey, but I am not at all desirous -of that distinction. Monsieur le comte might inadvertently let the cat -out of the bag, and all France would soon know my whereabouts; it will -be much better not to say anything." - -"I agree with you," said Frédéric. "What's the use of saying anything -about it to my father? He left me free to go wherever I please, and -asked Monsieur Ménard to go with me as a friend, not as a mentor. -Surely, my father would be exceedingly pleased to know that I am -travelling with monsieur le baron; but in his delight at learning that I -am in such company, he would undoubtedly betray your incognito, and you -would be obliged to leave us." - -"Yes, I understand," said Ménard; "and yet--if----" - -Dubourg, seeing that the tutor still retained some scruples, made haste -to produce his horn snuff-box, which he offered to Frédéric, looking at -him with a meaning expression. - -"Do you recognize this, my dear Frédéric? it's the one I showed you at -Paris." - -"Yes, I recognize it perfectly," said Frédéric, with no idea of -Dubourg's purpose; while Monsieur Ménard glanced at the snuff-box and -waited impatiently for the baron to explain himself. - -"Ah! it's a very precious object in my eyes!" said Dubourg, taking a -pinch of snuff. "You have no suspicion, Monsieur Ménard, to whom this -modest snuff-box belonged?" - -"No, monsieur le baron." - -"Modest as it is, I would not exchange it for one of solid gold. It was -the King of Prussia's snuff-box, Monsieur Ménard." - -"The King of Prussia's?" - -"Yes, monsieur; the great Frederick, who, as you know, was very fond of -snuff and often carried it in his pocket; still, he had snuff-boxes, -which were always very simple, like everything he carried. He himself -gave this one to my father, from whom I had it." - -"Ah! monsieur le baron, if I might dare to crave the honor----" - -And Ménard respectfully put out two fingers to take a pinch of snuff -from the Prussian king's snuff-box, which Dubourg smilingly offered him. - -Ménard took a pinch with becoming humility. He stuffed his nose full of -snuff which he considered delicious, and, when he sneezed, the poor man -fancied that he bore some slight resemblance to the King of Prussia. He -had lost his head completely; the fumes of grandeur mingled with those -of the snuff, and at the third sneeze he cried, saluting Baron Potoski -with renewed deference: - -"It certainly is not necessary to write to monsieur le comte." - - - - -V - -A VILLAGE INN, AND WHAT BEFELL OUR TRAVELLERS THERE - - -At nightfall, our travellers arrived at a village of wretched aspect. -Dubourg ordered his postilion to set them down at the best inn; but as -there was only one in the place, they must needs content themselves with -that. - -The inn in question was rarely patronized by travellers in carriages; -pedestrians were its usual guests. - -Frédéric was disinclined to stop in that wretched hamlet, but Dubourg -insisted upon passing the night there. He had reasons of his own for not -wishing to go farther with his berlin; and as Monsieur Ménard was -hungry, and the remains of his pâté had been left in the post chaise, -he endorsed Dubourg's suggestion. - -The carriage drove into a great yard filled with mud and dungheaps. Half -a score of ducks were splashing in a pool, apparently disputing -possession of it with some geese which waddled majestically around the -banks. Three pigs went grunting into every corner of the enclosure, an -old lame horse was quenching his thirst at a trough, on the edge of -which perched several hens, which laid their eggs in the house, in the -street, or in the yard, as it happened, considering probably that there -was little to choose between those places. Lastly, to complete the -picture, a number of rabbits showed their heads from time to time under -the hedge of a garden which had been turned into a warren; then fled in -alarm at the barking of a huge dog, whose duty it seemed to be to watch -the other beasts. - -There was hardly room for the berlin to pass through a gateway, whose -dilapidated gate had not been closed for a long while. On one side the -wheels sank into a deep rut, on the other they had to pass over a -dungheap; so that, for a moment, Monsieur Ménard feared that the -Palatine of Rava's venerable berlin would be overturned, and himself -with it. But he got off with nothing worse than a fright. On the arrival -of the carriage, the rabbits and pigs fled, the ducks quacked, the geese -and hens flew away, and the dog barked under the travellers' noses; -while a dozen or more of idlers, and as many peasant women, who formed -substantially the whole population of the village, stood about the -gateway to see the occupants of the carriage alight. - -"Where in the devil is he taking us?" said Frédéric, putting his head -out of the window, and instantly drawing it in again; for the wheels -had stirred up the filth which covered the ground and thereby caused it -to emit an odor ill adapted to attract the travellers. - -"Let us hope that we are not in front of the kitchen," said Monsieur -Ménard, holding his nose. - -"Don't be alarmed, messieurs," said Dubourg; "we shall be very -comfortable here; we must not judge by appearances, you know. I have -stopped at this inn, and I remember that they give you excellent rabbit -stews and omelets." - -Although it might seem surprising that a palatine should be fond of such -commonplace dishes, Monsieur Ménard at once considered the yard less -offensive; and, alighting on the heels of Dubourg, who had stepped out -on the dungheap, he looked about on all sides, trying to discover the -kitchen. - -The innkeeper appeared, with his cap over his left ear; he did not -salute the new arrivals, for, being accustomed to entertain only carters -or peasants, who care little for polite manners, he had contracted a -habit of treating all strangers with a certain familiarity; and the -sight of a carriage made little impression on him, because it was not to -such guests that he looked for the support of his establishment. - -He was a little man of fifty years or thereabout, with a slight limp, -and a bloated nose which seemed to denote intemperate habits. - -"Are you going to drink a glass of wine, messieurs?" he said, addressing -Ménard, who still had his nose in the air, trying to catch the scent of -a rabbit stew, and to whom the innkeeper's manner seemed lacking in -respect. - -"Take us to your best room, my good man," said Dubourg; "we are going to -sup and sleep here. Set everyone at work; let the fire blaze and the -spits turn, and serve our supper as soon as may be." - -"Yes," interposed Ménard, tapping the host's shoulder patronizingly; -"and understand, my friend, that you have the honor of entertaining -Monsieur le Comte Frédéric de Montreville, Monsieur le Baron Ladislas -Potoski, Palatine of Rava and Sandomir, and Monsieur Benoît Ménard, -master of arts and eminent professor." - -"I shall never have room enough to put up so many people," said the -innkeeper, while Dubourg reproved Ménard for betraying his incognito and -begged him to be more discreet in future. - -"Holŕ! Goton! Goton!" cried mine host, walking toward the garden; "come -and show these gentlemen into the house, while I look after the horses; -and tell my wife to see about getting supper." - -Mademoiselle Goton appeared; she was a tall, stoutly-built damsel of -twenty, dark, with black eyes, and a sunburned complexion; her features -were irregular, but her retroussé nose and her fine teeth, which she -showed constantly, her mouth being rather large, made her face decidedly -attractive. If, instead of a short stuff skirt, a waist of coarse blue -woollen cloth, and a cotton cap, Goton had worn a dress which set off -her figure; if her skin had been treated with almond paste, and her hair -by a hair-dresser, she would undoubtedly have made many conquests in -Paris. - -"Will you follow me, messieurs?" she said, smiling at the travellers; -for Mademoiselle Goton smiled very often, because it added to her -beauty; and in the smallest village, no less than in the largest city, a -woman always knows how to make the most of her advantages. Lacking a -mirror, a fountain is sufficient to train the simplest-minded. - -Dubourg estimated the servant's qualities at a glance, and, as they -followed her, he said to himself: - -"I will amuse Ménard with the supper, which shall be a good one, if I -can manage it. I can pass the time pleasantly with Mademoiselle Goton. -Ah! if I only could find some sentimental beauty to engage Frédéric's -attention! Failing a new passion, I will talk to him of Madame Dernange -and all his faithless charmers in Paris; that will serve to make his -evening pass quickly." - -The best room in the inn was the one usually occupied by the carters and -peasants. Four itinerant merchants, who had arrived an hour before our -illustrious travellers, were seated at a table, drinking, and discussing -their business affairs. - -The arrival of three new guests in no wise disturbed the four men. They -glanced at them, and continued their conversation. - -"I'll set plates for you here," said Goton, pointing to a table covered -with a glazed cloth. - -"No, no," said Dubourg; "we can't eat our supper here; you may serve us -in one of the rooms where we are to sleep." - -"But this is the eating-room." - -"That may be," said Ménard; "but monsieur le comte and monsieur le -bar--at all events, we don't choose to eat here." - -These words caused the peddlers to raise their heads, and they -scrutinized the travellers, laughing contemptuously among themselves. -Ménard, fearing that he had offended them, and dreading a scene, was -already in the passage, where he waited for the servant to come; while -Dubourg, who was not long-suffering, eyed the four drinkers in his turn. -Frédéric, his mind still engrossed by his memories, paid little heed to -what was taking place. - -"You see, Goton," said one of the four, with a sneering smile, "these -gents are too swell to eat in the same room with us. _Jarni_! we must -take care and not look at 'em too close; it might offend 'em." - -"Nobody spoke to you," said Dubourg; "try not to be too insolent, or you -may be sorry for it." - -"Oho! there's one of 'em who means to show his teeth!" - -"For heaven's sake, monsieur le baron," said Ménard, putting his nose in -at the door, "don't let this go any further! These gentlemen certainly -have no intention of----" - -"Hallo! he's a baron!" exclaimed another of the peddlers; "I took him -for a Swiss liniment-maker, with his silk handkerchief across his -breast." - -"Did you see their carriage?" said a third; "it's an old shack I -wouldn't put my donkey in!" - -"The wretches! to talk so about King Stanislas's berlin!" said Ménard; -but he made the remark in such a low tone that no one suspected that he -had spoken. - -"Once more, hold your peace!" said Dubourg, "or we'll teach you whom you -have to deal with." - -"Indeed!" said the peddlers, brandishing their cudgels; "perhaps we -might teach you something more." - -Frédéric, who had been silent thus far, took a pair of pistols from his -pocket, and, walking toward the table at which the four men were seated, -he said calmly: - -"Messieurs, whatever may be the titles we bear, we are men, and we are -quite able to prove it; we are not accustomed to using clubs, but here -is something that will make matters even between us. Everyone knows how -to fire a pistol. Which of you would like to begin with me?" - -"Yes," said Dubourg, producing in his turn a pair of pistols of heavier -calibre; "and this is for the man who comes forward next." - -At sight of the pistols, the peddlers changed color and dropped their -cudgels; those who presume too far upon their strength to insult those -whom they deem weaker than themselves, generally appear very cowardly -and foolish when confronted by such arguments. - -Goton shrieked when she saw the fire-arms; the innkeeper came limping -into the room, and Monsieur Ménard, proposing to retreat to the end of -the passage, where it was quite dark, collided with the hostess, who was -coming to find out what was happening in the living-room. - -The hostess, whose acquaintance we have not made as yet, was a woman of -fifty, short of stature, and almost as broad as she was tall. Her -corpulence had within a short time increased to such a degree that she -could hardly walk from her desk to the kitchen; even so, she had to make -a judicious and abundant use of flour to keep herself from chafing when -she walked. This difficulty in moving made her very sedentary; she -passed almost all her time in an armchair which the village carpenter -had made for her, of sufficient breadth to admit her enormous bulk. This -mode of life naturally caused her embonpoint to make rapid progress from -day to day. It was beginning to become disquieting, and the innkeeper, -limping as he did, took a long time to walk around his spouse. - -She had heard Goton's outcry and her husband's exclamations, and, -suspecting that something extraordinary was taking place, she had left -her broad armchair and waddled along the corridor leading to the -living-room. As this corridor was narrow, her body closed it -hermetically and rubbed against the partitions on each side; so that it -was impossible for anyone to pass through in the opposite direction, -unless by jumping over her head or crawling between her legs. - -It was this enormous mass with which Monsieur Ménard collided when he -attempted to leave the field of battle, all his youthful vigor being -restored by the sight of the pistols. Despite the violence with which -the tutor hurled himself against her, the hostess did not waver; solid -as a rock, and upheld, too, by the walls of the corridor, the bulky dame -contented herself with crying in a shrill falsetto: - -"What's all this? who is it?" - -Ménard, still dazed by the shock, was determined none the less to force -a passage, and he returned toward the person he had struck, hoping that -she had moved to one side or the other; he turned to the right and ran -his nose against a breast which rivalled that of the Hottentot Venus; he -stepped back and turned to the left, and collided with an arm that would -have darkened a window. - -"Mon Dieu! where am I?" exclaimed poor Ménard, who had no idea of what -he had come in contact with, and, still trying to go forward, lowered -his head like a ram; while the hostess cried, louder than ever: - -"Who is it? what's he trying to do? where does he want to go?" - -Her shrieks attracted the attention of the travellers, peace having been -restored in the living-room, since Frédéric and Dubourg had exhibited -their pistols; the four peddlers had become more amiable and had -mumbled some apologies, with which the young men were content, having no -desire for a quarrel with such adversaries. So general attention was now -directed to the corridor. - -"It's my wife's voice," said the innkeeper; "something very funny must -have happened to make her leave her chair!" - -He hurried out into the passage with Goton, who carried a light; Dubourg -and Frédéric followed them, and they discovered the hostess, who was -shrieking louder than ever, because the sound of approaching footsteps -had increased Ménard's terror; he had resolved to pass at any cost, and, -being unable to force a passage on either side, had dropped on his hands -and knees and tried to crawl between the corpulent dame's legs. But she, -determined that the unknown, whom she believed to be a thief, should not -escape, could devise no better way of detaining him than to sit upon -him; so that she was fairly astride Ménard, when light was thrown on the -scene. - -Goton laughed uproariously, and the innkeeper was petrified with -amazement. Frédéric and Dubourg tried to discover the meaning of that -amusing tableau. - -"I can't stand it any longer," gasped Ménard, in a dying voice. - -"I've got him! he's caught!" exclaimed the hostess triumphantly. - -The poor fellow was so effectively caught, that he would have been -stifled if not rescued. But the innkeeper, jealous of his chaste better -half, whom he regarded as the most beautiful creature to be found within -a hundred leagues, instantly stooped and pulled Ménard from under his -wife's skirts, swearing roundly. - -"You villain! sacrebleu! what was you doing under there? ten thousand -eyes!" - -"Oh! he didn't do any harm, I promise you, ducky!" said the hostess -sweetly, to allay her husband's suspicions; while Ménard, restored at -last to the light of day, struggled to his feet, with wig awry and -distorted features. - -"Look ye, my friend," continued the innkeeper, "you didn't go in there, -sacrebleu! to look for violets, did you?" - -Ménard looked from one to another, with a dazed expression; he had not -fully recovered himself. Dubourg succeeded in adjusting matters to -everybody's satisfaction; he divined why Ménard was trying to get away, -so he dispelled the host's suspicions, and reassured his wife concerning -the quarrel in the living-room. Then he ordered Goton to show them to -their bedrooms; which she did after the landlady had concluded to return -to her armchair and thus uncork the passage. - -The best quarters that they could give our three friends consisted of -two very dirty rooms, with the ceiling rafters exposed, which cats and -spiders seemed in the habit of occupying in company with the guests of -the house. In each room there was a wretched bed, partly surrounded by -blue and white curtains resembling in design the common salad-bowl we -see in the country. Both beds were more than five feet high. - -"These are modest quarters," said Frédéric, with a smile; "but in war -time we must take what comes, and it's the same when we travel, eh, my -dear Ménard?" - -"To be sure; a night is soon passed, and these beds look comfortable." - -"We shall need a ladder to climb into them." - -"I see only two beds, monsieur le comte." - -"Oh! don't worry about me," said Dubourg; "I shall not go to bed; I have -letters to write and despatches to send; and I will finish the night in -a chair." - -"But I don't see any chairs, monsieur le baron." - -"Never mind--a chair or a bench. When a man has slept in camp, he's not -hard to please. But the supper is a long while coming; I'll take a look -at the kitchen." - -Dubourg went downstairs, and Frédéric walked to a window which looked on -the fields. The moon was shining on the village, where the most perfect -quiet reigned. The young man mused upon the contrast between life in -Paris and in that hamlet; he reflected that, at that moment, when the -villagers had all retired, the fashionable inhabitants of the city were -at the play or at social festivities, exhibiting their fine clothes and -jewels, and seeking pleasure. But need one leave the city to find -striking contrasts? In the house where people are dancing on the first -floor, on the second there is mourning for the death of a husband or -father; on the third, a young man is making a passionate declaration of -love to his sweetheart; on the fourth, a drunkard is beating his wife; -on the fifth, a gambler is filling his pockets with gold preparatory to -going out; and under the eaves, a poor girl passes the night in toil to -earn bread for her mother. - -While Frédéric abandoned himself to such reflections, Monsieur Ménard -inspected the beds, and was pained to find that what he had deemed at -first sight so soft and comfortable was but a wretched mattress, and a -straw bed itself nearly four feet thick. - -"What an insane idea it is of these villagers to have such enormous -straw beds!" said Ménard, as he examined the sheets, which scratched his -hand. "And I fancied that I was going to sink into a soft feather-bed! -These are terribly poor sheets! And yet, monsieur le baron says that one -is well taken care of here! I shall go to bed in my drawers. God grant -that the supper may make up for the rest!" - -Dubourg had gone down to speak to his postilion, with whom he settled -his account, ordering him to leave the place before dawn; for he had -only three louis left of the twelve Frédéric had lent him, and he was -not anxious to keep a carriage that he could not pay for. That business -adjusted, he prowled about Mademoiselle Goton, to whom he wished to say -a few words. The servant was inclined to look favorably on Dubourg, -because he had borne himself gallantly with the peddlers; for a -courageous act pleases a country wench no less than a _petite-maîtresse_; -but Goton had to help her master in the kitchen, and then serve the four -men in the living-room, who seemed disposed to pass the night drinking, -and to postpone their departure till daybreak. - -They laughingly toyed with the buxom servant, who had much ado to defend -herself from the familiarities of those gentry; but Goton was accustomed -to fighting with such clowns: she boxed the ears of one and kicked -another; she pinched and scratched, and the fellows found her all the -more seductive. - -Being busily occupied thus in all directions, Goton could do no more -than whisper a word of hope to Dubourg, giving him to understand that -the peddlers would be gone at daybreak, her employers asleep, and -herself more at liberty. This promise delighted our friend; he was -talking with Goton at the foot of the staircase, and gave her a -resounding kiss. The girl ran away; but, on looking up, Dubourg saw -Ménard, who had come out, with a candle in his hand, to ascertain -whether they were likely to have any supper, and was decidedly amazed to -see the Palatine of Rava embracing a dishwasher. - -Dubourg, who was never disconcerted, went to meet him, saying: - -"The Emperor Heliogabalus rewarded the cook who invented a new dish; I -embrace the person who informs me that our supper is ready." - -Ménard asked nothing more; he went back to Frédéric with Dubourg, and -Goton laid the table in one of the rooms. - -"Now to the table, and _vive la gaieté_!" said Dubourg, more at ease -since he was certain that he would soon be rid of his carriage. Ménard -responded to the invitation by a gracious smile, and Frédéric finally -decided to leave the moon and turn his mind to earthly affairs. - -"Let us taste the wine first of all," said Dubourg; "is it the best, my -child?" - -"Yes, monsieur; it's the best, for we haven't got any other." - -"It's a little sour," said Ménard, making a wry face. - -"We have some white that's sweeter," said Goton. - -"Go and get us some of the white, my dear; don't spare anything; you -don't have people like us to supper every day." - -"No, indeed," said Ménard; "and we will hope that the rabbit stew is -made with that understanding." - -Dubourg served the stew; but the innkeeper, disturbed by his wife's -adventure in the corridor, had allowed it to burn, and Goton, being -constantly beset by the four peddlers, had put the onions in too late -and had not grated the bacon. Dubourg vainly insisted on declaring that -it had a delicious odor; Ménard said nothing, because he dared not -contradict monsieur le baron; but his face grew darker with every -mouthful. - -"What infernal kind of a stew is this?" said Frédéric, pushing away the -plate that Dubourg persisted in offering him. "A rabbit that has had -nothing to eat but cabbage, raw onions, and rancid lard; and a -detestable burned taste, in addition." - -"It can't be denied," said Ménard, "that it doesn't come up to what -monsieur le baron told us." - -"What do you expect, messieurs?" said Dubourg; "a cook must make -mistakes sometimes. _Errare humanum est_; isn't that so, Monsieur -Ménard?" - -"A cook ought never _errare_, monsieur le baron." - -"It's partly your fault, too. You disturbed his mind; why in the devil -did you go prowling about under his wife's skirts?" - -"I only wanted to get by, monsieur le baron." - -"Only a husband should take that road, Monsieur Ménard." - -"My intentions were pure, monsieur le baron." - -"I never doubted it; but your position was shockingly equivocal." - -"Monsieur le baron, in the temple of Apollo, the pythonesses, seated on -the sacred tripod, received the prophetic exhalations under their -robes." - -"If my wife had seated herself on that tripod, Monsieur Ménard, I should -have asked for a separation." - -Goton put an end to this conversation by bringing an omelet and white -wine. - -"Were the gentlemen satisfied with the stew?" she asked. - -"It was worse than the devil!" replied Frédéric. - -"It was a total failure," said Ménard. - -"My dear child," added Dubourg, "the rabbits in Bretagne don't smell so -strong of cabbage. They have fine rabbits there; but here you have a -very bad way of bringing them up." - -"It would seem that monsieur le baron has passed a good deal of time in -Bretagne?" said Ménard, respectfully putting out his hand to take a -pinch of snuff from the King of Prussia's snuff-box, which Dubourg -offered him. - -"Yes, Monsieur Ménard; and I admit that I still have a weakness for that -province. I have such delightful recollections of it! Ah! how lovely the -sky is in Bretagne! And the fields--how pretty they are! What rich -pastures, what enchanting groves! You can walk leagues and leagues -without once leaving the leafy thickets and flower-grown paths which -make the fields of Bretagne one endless garden." - -"But Poland, monsieur le baron?" - -"Oh! Poland has its good points, of course. Have you ever been there, -Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I have not had that honor, monsieur le baron." - -"As you are not familiar with the country, I will talk with you often -about it." - -"It must be a very interesting country." - -"Extremely interesting, and extremely picturesque; first of all, we have -the Krapach Mountains, beside which Mont Cenis is no more than a little -hillock." - -"Oh, indeed! they are covered with snow, of course?" - -"Almost all the year. I have a château on the summit of one of those -mountains, where only chamois can keep their footing." - -"But how do you reach your château, monsieur le baron?" - -"I have had a winding staircase constructed inside the mountain; it cost -me a hundred thousand francs, but it's a wonderful piece of work, and -people come hundreds of miles to see it. I trust, Monsieur Ménard, that -I shall have the pleasure of showing it to you, and of entertaining you -for some time at my castle of Krapach. I will give you a glass of a -certain tokay which came to me from Tekely's cellar; and you will tell -me what you think of it." - -"Ah! monsieur le baron, you overpower me. But it must be very cold at -your château, is it not?" - -"It used to be very cold, in truth, in the days of my ancestors; but, -thanks to recent scientific discoveries, I have found a way of modifying -the temperature--a very simple method, which answers my purposes -perfectly." - -"What is it, pray, monsieur le baron?" - -"I have built a gasometer under the château; gas, as you know, makes the -earth very warm; indeed, in some places directly over the pipes, I raise -green peas in January.--What is it, my dear count? drink, drink, or you -will choke!" - -Frédéric had, in fact, much difficulty in listening to this discourse, -which Dubourg delivered with imperturbable gravity, while Ménard -listened with childlike confidence to every word uttered by the baron. - -At that moment, the conversation was interrupted by a violent shock, -followed by an ominous cracking. - -"Mon Dieu!" exclaimed Ménard; "what can that be? This house doesn't seem -to be very solidly built." - -"Can it be that they are firing cannon to celebrate our arrival in the -village?" Dubourg asked Goton, who replied, with a laugh: - -"Oh! no, monsieur; it ain't anything; it's only madame going to bed, -that's all." - -This explanation made the young men laugh; but Ménard was not satisfied -until he was assured that the hostess slept on the same floor; he would -not have consented to pass the night on the floor below a woman who -shook the house whenever she moved; it was quite enough to remain under -the same roof with her. - -The white wine, being a little more palatable than the red, enabled them -to eat an omelet with parsley, which Dubourg tried in vain to make them -think was tarragon. For dessert there was nothing to offer the -travellers except some Géromé cheese, which could have walked to the -table unassisted at need, and the odor of which drove Frédéric from his -seat. He went to bed in the other room, bidding the servant wake him -early in the morning, as he had no desire to prolong his stay at the -inn. Monsieur Ménard deemed it his duty to remain with the baron, who -plied him with bumper after bumper and went into raptures over the taste -of the cheese, which, he said, reminded him of what he had eaten in -Switzerland, thereby putting an end to the ex-tutor's desire to lunch or -sup in a chalet. - -"Yes, Monsieur Ménard," said Dubourg; "if you should go to Gruyčre, a -small Swiss village noted for its cheeses, which are its only source of -wealth, you would smell a league away the chalets in which they are -made. When you have passed a night in one of them, you smell the cheese -for a week, an excellent thing for the lungs. But you must feel the need -of rest, Monsieur Ménard; pray go to bed. I propose to pass the night -writing." - -"Monsieur le baron, I shall never dare to take the liberty--before -you----" - -"Why not, pray? Diogenes went to bed in his tub, before Alexander; and -Crates did not hesitate to show his rump to his fellow citizens." - -"It is you who order me to do it, monsieur le baron." - -"I don't order you to show me your rump, Monsieur Ménard; but I urge you -to go to bed as if I weren't here." - -Fatigue and the white wine combined to make sleep essential to Ménard, -so he did not wait to be urged again; he went behind the flowered -curtains, and prepared to retire. Meanwhile, Dubourg, seated at a table -in a corner of the room, pretended to look over papers and take notes, -but he was really waiting impatiently for the tutor to fall asleep, in -order to give the postilion of the berlin the signal to go; for he was -afraid that Ménard would wake early, and it would be very embarrassing -if the carriage were not then at a safe distance from the village. For -this reason, he was anxious to hasten the postilion's departure. - -The gate was not closed; Goton alone would see what took place; Dubourg -knew how to assure her discretion. - -It was a quarter of an hour since Ménard had disappeared behind the -curtains. Dubourg thought that he must be asleep, and was about to go -downstairs, when he heard a suppressed groan from the direction of the -bed. - -"Aren't you feeling well, Monsieur Ménard?" he asked, partly opening the -curtains. - -What was his surprise to find poor Ménard, in shirt and drawers and a -cotton nightcap, standing beside the bed, and trying in vain to reach -the top with the aid of a chair which was too low to bring his short -legs on a level with the mattress. - -"What, Monsieur Ménard! not in bed yet?" - -"No, monsieur le baron; I have been trying in vain for ten minutes to -climb up into my bed. Isn't it an outrage? I call it making fools of -their guests to give them beds that reach the ceiling! Everybody isn't -six feet tall; and unless one's a giant----" - -"Come, come, don't get excited, Monsieur Ménard; why didn't you call me -to help you?" - -"Oh! monsieur le baron, I shouldn't have presumed to take the liberty." - -"You were wrong, for you can't pass the whole night trying to climb into -bed." - -Without awaiting a reply, Dubourg bade Ménard stand on the chair; then, -placing his hands upon a certain rotund portion of the professor's -anatomy, he put forth all his strength to lift him into the bed. - -"_Sic itur ad astra!_" he said. - -"_Labor improbus omnia vincit_" rejoined Ménard, trying to seize his -bolster. - -"Ouf!" exclaimed Dubourg. - -"I am there, monsieur le baron!" cried Ménard, delighted to be safely in -bed at last. - -"That's very lucky! Good-night!" - -"A thousand thanks, monsieur le baron!" - -When he left the bed, Dubourg was careful to remove the chair that stood -beside it, thus making it certain that Ménard would not rise until he, -Dubourg, chose. This precaution might result in placing the tutor in an -unfortunate position; whether it did so, the sequel will show. - -Ménard had not been in bed five minutes before he was snoring -vociferously. - -"Good! I am safe now," thought Dubourg; and, taking his light, he went -down noiselessly into the innyard. As he passed the living-room, he -glanced in: two of the peddlers were asleep on the table, the others -were still drinking; but everything indicated that they would soon -follow their companions' example. - -Dubourg found his postilion, and, putting a five-franc piece in his -hand, ordered him to start at once. In a very few minutes, the horses -were harnessed, and the noble palatine's berlin was out of the village. - -"But how are you going to manage about going away to-morrow?" queried -Goton, who had just joined Dubourg in the yard. - -"Oh! we have another carriage, an excellent post chaise, which is being -repaired for us; as to what I have just done, I am going to tell you -what you must say; do you understand, Goton?" - -As he spoke, he slipped two five-franc pieces into the girl's pocket; it -was a larger sum than the poor drudge often earned in six months at that -wretched inn, and the sight of the two great coins made her as docile as -a lamb. - -"Oh! that's enough," she said, as Dubourg put his arms about her robust -figure; "that's enough! I'll say whatever you want me to; anyway, that -carriage was yours, and you could do what you please with it. _Jarni!_ -you tickle me! don't pinch so hard! Oh! what a man!" - -"Where is your room, Goton?" - -"My room? I haven't got any room; I sleep in the little barn over there, -with the cow. _Dame!_ I don't have anything but an old straw bed on the -ground, because the missus says there's no use of wearing out sheets. -But it ain't cold there, anyway; Bebelle keeps me warm." - -"Who's Bebelle?" - -"Why, she's our cow. Oh! she's so soft and warm! But how he pinches! -Dieu! what a pincher you are!" - -"Come to your room; we can talk better there; with you, Goton, the barn -becomes a boudoir, and straw, feathers." - -"What's a boudoir?" - -"Come, and I'll tell you." - -"And what about the peddlers?" - -"They don't need you any more; haven't they paid their bills?" - -"Yes. Anyway, master knows 'em." - -"In that case, there's no need of your sitting up any longer." - -"But suppose they should want anything?" - -"Two of them are sound asleep already, and the two others will very soon -be in the same condition. Come, I tell you; it's nonsense to sit up till -daylight for them. You need sleep, Goton." - -The servant was half vanquished. She ceased to resist Dubourg's -arguments, and allowed him to lead her to the cow-barn, which they both -entered, closing the door behind them. The door had no other fastening -than a hook on the outside; but the girl slept there without fear, as -there were no robbers thereabout. - -But one of the peddlers was not asleep; he, too, was engrossed by -thoughts of Goton, and he was waiting for his companions to lose -themselves in slumber before attempting to join the seductive servant. - -This man had noticed that one of the strangers was prowling about Goton, -and it had irritated him; but he had not dared to watch him too closely, -being still held in respect by the recollection of the pistols. - -When all three of his comrades had their heads on the table, he rose -softly and went out to look for Goton, knowing the location of her -bedroom. He took no light, in order not to betray his whereabouts, and -crept stealthily toward the cow-barn. - -He was still some yards away, when he heard two voices saying some very -pretty things to each other; he crept nearer, and grasped the thread of -the conversation distinctly enough; for Dubourg and Goton, thinking -that their only neighbors were animals, were talking together without -restraint. - -The peddler was furious, but how could he be revenged? He had no desire -to pick a quarrel with Dubourg; it would be a waste of time to call the -landlord, for that worthy man and his spouse always locked themselves in -their room to avoid being disturbed; besides, who would dare to assume -the task of getting the hostess out of bed? and, after all, what did it -matter to them that a guest was with their servant? they probably did -not consider themselves responsible for Goton's virtue. - -The peddler determined to play some trick on the amorous couple. He -could think of nothing better than to hook the door on the outside, -which he did very softly, then stole away, delighted with his exploit, -and saying to himself: - -"They won't get out of that place till someone lets 'em out; for the -door's a stout one, and I defy 'em to break it down." - -He joined his companions; day broke ere long, and their business -required the peddlers to leave the inn. They were soon ready, and, as -they shouldered their packs, they listened to their confrčre's story of -the trick he had played on the stranger. They all applauded him, being -overjoyed to be revenged on a man who had refused to be frightened by -their cudgels; and they went their way, laughing at the thought of the -scene that would take place at the inn in the morning. - -During these occurrences, Ménard did not continue in the same tranquil -state in which we left him. The white wine, with which monsieur le baron -had filled his glass so often, produced its due effect. Ménard woke; he -turned over and put out his hand to find the chair, which he expected to -use as a means of descending from his bed; for in such wretched inns -there is never a night table. But to no purpose did he stretch out his -arm and feel about in all directions. He could find no chair! In that -case, how was he to climb down from that bed, which reached to the roof? -yet he felt sure that it was becoming absolutely necessary. He listened, -but could hear nothing; he put aside the curtains--the most profound -darkness reigned in the room. Monsieur le baron must have gone to sleep -in his chair, as he had planned to do; but, in any event, how could he -presume to ask the Palatine of Rava to give him the---- No, he could -never do that! On the other hand, to jump out of bed was to run the risk -of hurting himself, or at least of not being able to get back. It was -most embarrassing, and poor Ménard, sitting up in bed, could not decide -what course to pursue. - -Necessity knows no law, says an old proverb; besides, monsieur le baron -was so kind and good-natured and obliging! This thought emboldened -Ménard; he coughed, gently at first, then a little louder; and finally -he ventured to call, in a low tone: - -"Monsieur le baron--if you are not asleep, may I presume to ask you to -assist me? I am sadly embarrassed, monsieur le baron." - -But at that moment Baron Dubourg was with Goton, busily engaged in -teaching her what a boudoir is, and that a garret, a thicket, a loft, a -cave, a kitchen, a cellar, or a barn may deserve that name when one is -in either of those places with one's love. And Goton understood the -lesson perfectly, because she was quick-witted, and because Dubourg, who -had had some experience, was an excellent teacher. - -"Monsieur le baron must sleep very soundly," thought Ménard. "What a -cursed place this is! this infernal bed, where I can't turn over -without pricking my legs--I believe the mattress is stuffed with oat -straw! Well, no matter what happens, I must try to slide down." - -He had put one of his short legs over the edge of the bed, when he heard -a tremendous uproar in the room; a chair was overturned, a jug that -stood on it fell to the floor and broke, and a number of dark objects -scuttled along the wall and went out through the door. Ménard was stiff -with terror. - -"Monsieur le baron, monsieur le baron!" he called, in a stifled voice; -"is that you?" - -There was no reply. The poor man had not the courage to leave the bed, -but buried his head under the clothes; his fright causing him to lose -all power of restraint, it soon became unnecessary for him to get out, -and he fell asleep without being further disturbed; for it was neither -thieves nor hobgoblins who had caused the tumult in his chamber, but -simply two cats, which, finding the door open, had paid a visit to their -usual place of abode. While fighting over a bit of rabbit, which -monsieur le baron had tossed under the table while declaring that it was -delicious, the beasts had overturned a chair on which was a jug of -water, and the noise had so terrified them that they fled incontinently, -abandoning the subject of controversy. - -Meanwhile, the day had broken. The innkeeper quitted his chaste partner, -who rose at six but was not dressed until nine. Frédéric woke, and so -did Ménard, the latter being very uncomfortable for reasons which you -can guess. Dubourg, having no further instruction to give Goton, desired -to return to his room, and Goton found it harder than usual to leave her -pallet, because Dubourg's lessons had fatigued her. But the pretended -baron tried in vain to leave the shed. For five minutes he pushed and -shook the door, which did not yield. - -"Goton--Goton, did you lock the door?" he asked. - -"Naw! it don't lock," replied the girl, rubbing her eyes. - -"But I can't open it." - -"Push hard." - -"I am pushing as hard as I can, but it won't open." - -"Bah! you city folks haven't got any strength!" said the servant; and -she struck the door a violent blow with her fist, but without effect. - -"_Jarni!_ someone must have hooked it outside." - -"Who in the devil can have played us such a trick?" - -"_Pardi!_ it must have been one of the peddlers--because they had their -eyes on me, don't you see? and perhaps they saw that you was in here." - -"I haven't any desire to pass my day in this shed." - -"I'll milk the cow for you." - -"Much obliged." - -"And you can tell me something." - -"I don't know anything more. This smell of cow and filth goes to my -head." - -"Oh! you said just now that this shed was a little--what d'you call -it?--a pretty little _bouloir_, with me." - -"Oh! there's a great difference between _just now_ and _now_. A place -ceases to be agreeable, Goton, when you are compelled to stay in it. But -it's broad daylight; if that window wasn't so small, we could get out -through it." - -"Oh! you can't do that." - -"Ah! I have an idea! We must make the best of it. Bring that stone here, -Goton; stand on it with me, so that our heads will be near the window, -and then shout as I do." - -"What will I shout?" - -"What I do." - -Dubourg put his face to the round hole over the door, and began to cry -at the top of his voice: - -"Help! thieves! stop the carriage! thieves!" - -"Where's the thieves?" whispered Goton. - -"Will you do what I tell you to?" repeated Dubourg. - -"All right; I'll yell, if it amuses you," rejoined the servant. And her -strong voice, reinforcing Dubourg's, soon aroused the whole household -and a good part of the village. - -The innkeeper ran to the spot as fast as his left leg allowed, it being -two inches shorter than the other. Frédéric came out of his room; Ménard -sat up in bed, and succeeded, with his pupil's aid, in reaching the -floor. He dressed in haste, and went downstairs close on the heels of -Frédéric, who had recognized Dubourg's voice and was more curious than -alarmed, suspecting some new invention on the baron's part. They all -went out into the yard, where they were joined by the neighbors and a -number of laborers on their way to work, who had been attracted by -Dubourg's reiterated shouts of: - -"Thieves! stop the carriage!" - -They looked about, but saw no carriage; whereupon Goton roared: - -"Monsieur le baron's carriage has run off!" - -The shed door was opened at last, and Dubourg rushed out like a madman, -raving and swearing, heedless of the fact that his trousers were stained -with filth. - -"What's the matter, monsieur le baron?" queried Ménard, in dismay. - -"The matter? my berlin--that scoundrel of a postilion! he has run away -and taken it with him--with fifty thousand francs in gold that I had in -one of the pockets!" - -"Oh! mon Dieu!" - -"My father's berlin! the equipage of the Potoskis! It isn't the money -that I regret--but a berlin in which the Princess of Hungary---- Ah! my -friends, scour the country in all directions--follow every road--a -hundred louis to the man who brings it back!" - -"A hundred louis to the man who brings back the carriage!" said Goton. - -"They will be very smart if they overtake it," said Dubourg, in an -undertone; "it must be near to Paris now." - -"But how did you come to be locked into the shed with Goton?" inquired -the innkeeper. - -"I should think you might guess that. I heard a noise in the yard during -the night; I came downstairs softly and found my rascal harnessing the -horses, intending to make his escape while we were asleep. Unluckily, I -had no weapons, and the postilion is a much stronger man than I am. I -attempted to go to call you, but the villain seized me, and, despite my -resistance, forced me into the barn, where this girl was sleeping, and -locked us in there. We began at once to shout for help; but you sleep -like dead men." - -"Yes, yes, that's how it was!" said Goton, understanding now why Dubourg -had told her to shout _thieves_. - -"You must go to monsieur le maire," said Ménard; "you must have the -police ordered out.--There's a mayor here, of course?" - -"Yes, monsieur; the wine merchant; but he'll have to send to the next -village for the police, and that will take two hours." - -"Don't be disturbed, my dear Ménard," said Frédéric, with a smile, "we -have a comfortable post chaise to take the place of monsieur le baron's -berlin." - -"But fifty thousand francs in gold, monsieur le comte!" - -"Oh! it isn't the loss of the money that distresses me," said Dubourg; -"my fortune can stand that loss. Luckily, I still have fifteen thousand -francs in my wallet, to pay my expenses for some little time; but I -especially regret my wardrobe; there was a great trunk under the -carriage, full of clothes and linen." - -"Certainly," observed Frédéric, with a mischievous glance at Dubourg and -Goton, "you need a change of clothing now; you must have fallen while -you were in the barn." - -Dubourg looked at him with an expression that signified: "I don't know -why you need have called attention to that!" as he replied: - -"I certainly didn't go in like a lamb; ask Goton how the rascal handled -me!" - -"Oh! yes," said the servant, "he threw you down more'n four times." - -"At all events, my friend, my wardrobe is at your service," said -Frédéric. - -"And mine too, monsieur le baron," added Ménard, bowing to Dubourg; and -he went back to his room to finish dressing, the baron having promised -to go and lodge a complaint with the mayor. - -Frédéric's postilion came at last to inform the travellers that the -chaise was ready. Ménard came down from his room, thanking heaven that -they were to leave that inn, which had been so disastrous to them. Goton -came down behind him, and whispered to Dubourg: - -"One of your friends ain't very well brought up; a man of his age do -such things as that! If my little brother did it, he'd get a licking." - -In two words, Dubourg learned what had happened; he could not help -laughing at the catastrophe, for which he was responsible; while Ménard -glared angrily at the servant, who put out her tongue at him, shrugged -her shoulders, and followed him about, saying in an undertone: - -"For shame! what a dirty trick! a man fifty years old! who ain't learned -to be clean!" - -The carriage awaited the travellers, and they took their seats with much -satisfaction: Dubourg, overjoyed to be rid of his berlin; Ménard, -impatient to leave Goton and the inn, for which he had conceived an -intense aversion; and Frédéric, because he was much more comfortable in -the roomy, well-hung post chaise than in monsieur le baron's wretched -berlin. - -Ménard sighed once or twice for the seat that the Princess of Hungary -had occupied; but he still had to console him the King of Prussia's -snuff-box, and the prospect of drinking tokay from Tekely's cellar. - - - - -VI - -THE LITTLE WOOD - - -Our travellers reached the next village without mishap, and stopped -there to breakfast. Ménard admired the tranquillity with which their -noble companion bore the twofold loss of his carriage and his fifty -thousand francs. - -"I am a philosopher, Monsieur Ménard," said Dubourg; "and I care little -for money; indeed, I think that I should prefer mediocrity to a too -exalted station: _Magna servitus est magna fortuna_." - -"You are no ordinary man, my dear Dubourg," said Frédéric; "there are so -many people whose philosophy does not outlast their prosperity, like -the coward who boasts of his courage when the danger has passed." - -"I certainly am not ambitious," rejoined Ménard; "and I know how to bow -to circumstances; but I consider that it requires great strength of mind -to give up without regret a good table and a good bed; and when I say a -good bed, I don't mean a high one." - -Dubourg observed that when they had breakfasted it was Monsieur Ménard -who paid the bill. - -"Don't you carry the purse?" he asked Frédéric, in an undertone. - -"No; my father gave the funds to Ménard." - -"The devil! that's a nuisance. What will he think, when he sees that I -never pay?" - -"Why, after your saying that you had been robbed, did you add that you -still had fifteen thousand francs in your pocket?" - -"Oh! why, why! because I wanted to play the great man, and not let your -companion imagine that you would pay my expenses." - -"I don't dare to ask Ménard for the money; I should be afraid of hurting -his feelings." - -"Never fear; I'll undertake to make him turn it over of his own motion." - -"How?" - -"You will see." - -"When you hold the purse-strings, don't play the swell too much; -remember that we shall not have any more for a long while." - -"Can it be that you believe that I am still a rattle-head and gambler, -as I was in Paris? No, my dear Frédéric, I am too well pleased to be -travelling with you, to make a fool of myself; I tell you again, I mean -to be a second Mentor." - -"Yes; your performance in the cow-barn is a very promising beginning." - -"Oh! but I had to invent some lie to account for the berlin." - -"And that made it necessary to lock yourself in there with Mademoiselle -Goton! you ne'er-do-well!" - -"Bah! don't make yourself out such a Cato! If Mademoiselle Goton had had -melancholy eyes and a sentimental cast of countenance, you would have -gone with her to pasture the cows." - -"Well, at all events, I beg you not to do so much gasconading with poor -Ménard, who believes every word; for, to remove any possible suspicion -from his mind, I have taken pains to tell him that I know your family -intimately, and that you are highly esteemed in Paris." - -"You have done very well. I only tell him as much as I think necessary -to carry out my part; you don't seem to remember that I call myself a -Polish nobleman." - -"That's the reason, I suppose, that you talk about nothing but -Bretagne!" - -The travellers resumed their journey. Before reaching the town where -they proposed to pass the night, they had to ride through a dense -forest; and Dubourg, who had his scheme all prepared, began operations -by giving a serious turn to the conversation, for he was well aware that -one's frame of mind adds to or takes from the size of objects, and that -in real life, as on the stage, one must know how to prepare and lead up -to situations, in order that they may produce the greatest effect. - -"I know nothing more delightful than travelling," said Dubourg; "why is -it that one's pleasure must always be lessened by the thought that some -unfortunate accident may upset all one's plans?" - -"It is so with all the pleasures of life," rejoined Frédéric; "can you -name one upon which we can rely for the morrow? It is a great joy to be -loved by the woman you adore; but when you feel sure that you are not -indifferent to her, when you rely on her heart and her oaths, some young -Adonis appears, who fascinates her; some handsome soldier, who turns her -head; some scintillating wit, who charms her mind--and that woman, -faithful until then, betrays you at the very moment that you feel most -confident of her love. Alas! the happiness of our whole future often -depends only upon some trivial circumstance, and crumbles and falls like -a house built of cards." - -"Monsieur de Montreville talks very wisely," said Ménard; "we are often -sadly disappointed in our hopes; how many times have I dined at a famous -restaurant, when the soup was a failure!" - -"A philosopher endures such disasters, in fortune, in love, or in -pleasure," said Dubourg; "but there are things against which even -philosophy cannot prevail; as, for instance, being attacked and murdered -by brigands on the highroad." - -These words made Ménard shudder; his face lengthened, his expression -became anxious, and he turned to Dubourg, whose features wore a gloomy -look in which there was nothing reassuring. - -"Such affairs are, in truth, very unpleasant for travellers. They say, -monsieur le baron, that travelling is very dangerous in Italy. You have -travelled so much, that you can probably tell us." - -"Unquestionably there are brigands in Italy, Monsieur Ménard. The -peculiarity of that country is that the roads are most dangerous at -noon, for no one but the brigands dares to face the hot sun at that -time of day. However, if there are highway robbers in the Apennines and -in Germany and England, unfortunately there's no lack of them in France. -It's quite as dangerous now to travel in France." - -"What! in France, monsieur le baron? I thought that the roads were -perfectly safe." - -"Then you don't read the papers, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"Very rarely." - -"If you did, you would see that the forests of Sénart, Bondy, -Fontainebleau, and even Villers-Cotterets, all have their bands of -robbers." - -"Mon Dieu!" - -"Unfortunately, the villains are becoming more savage day by day. They -used to content themselves with robbing you, but now they beat you with -clubs, and you're lucky if you leave their hands alive." - -"The deuce! the deuce! if I had known this!" muttered Ménard, looking -about him uneasily. They were just entering the wood. - -"Oh! don't be alarmed, Monsieur Ménard," continued Dubourg; "ordinarily, -the robbers confine their attentions to the one who has the money; he -has to pay for the others: they tie him to a tree and strip him as bare -as a worm, to make sure that he has nothing hidden in his clothing." - -"That does not quiet my apprehensions at all, monsieur le baron; for, as -it happens, I have charge of the money for our journey." - -"Oh! if I had known that, I wouldn't have told you. I thought that -Frédéric---- But in that case you must sell your life dearly. You are -armed, of course?" - -"I never use weapons, monsieur le baron." - -"Then you must learn to use them; at this moment, we are driving through -a forest where three friends of mine were killed." - -"What's that! in this wood? It does seem very dense." - -And Ménard glanced fearfully to right and left. It was beginning to grow -dark, and that fact added to his terror. - -"Drive at full speed, postilion!" he cried, in a trembling voice. - -But the postilion, who had received his instructions from Dubourg, did -not quicken his pace. Frédéric said nothing, but seemed lost in thought, -and Dubourg took his pistols from his pocket and examined them -carefully, glancing into the woods from time to time. - -"Parbleu! Monsieur Ménard," he said, taking from his pocket a shabby -green wallet, in which he had placed his last restaurant bill to make it -appear well filled, "this contains my whole fortune for the moment. The -fifteen thousand francs which I now have for my travelling expenses are -in this wallet; as you have been obliging enough to take charge of -Frédéric's funds, I am sure that you will consent to be my cashier, too; -there is no need of having two of us to pay our hotel bills; it's much -better that you should do it all." - -As he spoke, he handed Ménard the wallet; that worthy looked at it, -considering what it was best to do; although flattered by that mark of -confidence, he was not tempted to accept it. - -At that moment, they heard a shrill whistle in the woods. - -"Ah! what does that mean?" exclaimed Dubourg, glancing about with a -terrified expression. - -"Perhaps we are going to be attacked, monsieur le baron." - -"Faith! I am afraid of it." - -"And Monsieur Frédéric is asleep; pray wake him." - -Frédéric, pretending to be fast asleep, was an amused listener. - -"There's no need of that.--Take these, Monsieur Ménard," said Dubourg, -handing the tutor his wallet and his pistols; "they are loaded." - -"Keep them, keep them, in heaven's name, monsieur le baron. I can't take -this wallet. On the contrary, if you were willing, you would be much -better able than I to take care of these." - -And poor Ménard produced in one hand his wallet, and in the other a -purse filled with gold, and fixed his eyes upon Dubourg with a suppliant -expression. - -"Really," said the latter, "I don't know if I ought to undertake---- -Perhaps Frédéric will be offended if----" - -"Oh! no, no, monsieur le baron; I am sure that he will approve of my -action." - -"Here are four men with rifles coming toward us," said the postilion. - -"Great God! we are lost!" cried Ménard. - -"Give them to me, quickly," said Dubourg, taking the wallet and the -purse; "I see that this is a matter for me to attend to." - -Ménard hid under the seat; the postilion shouted and swore, and lashed -his horses; Dubourg leaned out of the chaise and fired both his pistols -in the air; Frédéric pretended to wake up; the carriage flew like the -wind, and in five minutes they were out of the wood. - -"We are safe!" said Dubourg, assisting Ménard to rise. - -"Really, monsieur le baron?" - -"We are out of the woods; there's no more danger. We had a narrow -escape, eh, Frédéric?" - -"And the robbers, monsieur le baron?" - -"I killed two of them." - -"I saw the other two run away," said Frédéric. - -"Ah! monsieur le baron, how lucky we were to have you with us!" - -They arrived in due time at their destination. Dubourg was delighted to -be the treasurer of the party, and he inaugurated his functions by -giving the postilion a gold piece for whistling in the forest. - - - - -VII - -DUBOURG CONTINUES TO PLAY THE GREAT MAN.--HIS METHOD OF MANAGING THE -TREASURY - - -Dubourg had never had in his possession so large a sum of money as that -which Ménard had intrusted to him. Young men, as a general rule, are not -in the habit of hoarding money, and Dubourg, who was devoted to cards -and pleasure and good cheer, thinking only of the present, oblivious of -the past, and never worrying about the future, had not the faintest idea -of economy. - -When he was a clerk in a government office, his salary was always so -largely hypothecated that he never received more than a third of it, and -that third never lasted more than three days, during which period, to be -sure, Dubourg lived like the chief of a bureau. - -In the banking-house, being compelled to work hard, he took his revenge -by ordering dainty breakfasts brought to the office; and his accounts at -cafés and restaurants consumed a large part of the amount the cashier -paid him at the month's end. - -At the notary's, he had contracted, with the other young men in the -office, the deplorable habit of playing écarté. It was worse than ever -there: the month's pay vanished in one evening, and he was in luck when -he did not pledge the next month's as well. - -In the employ of the solicitor, being constantly abroad with the lady -whom his employer intrusted to him, he lost the habit of working; he -passed his time in dissipation, and strove to follow the fashions and -rival the young dandies of the capital. During that period, his tailor, -his bootmaker, and his stableman had divided his income. - -When his kind old aunt sent him money, it was never a large amount. The -largest was the five hundred francs which he had extorted by the fable -of his marriage and his triplets; we have seen what use he made of that. - -Eight thousand francs--for the amount was almost untouched--was, in -Dubourg's eyes, a fortune of which he would never see the end. To be -sure, it did not belong to him, strictly speaking; but he could direct -the spending of it; he could do exactly as he pleased, for he was -certain of not being called upon for an accounting. He did not propose -to appropriate a single sou, but he did propose to put it to such use as -would do honor to him to whom it belonged, and he was not sorry to be -able to enjoy it with him. - -He ordered a delicious supper, which was served in their apartments, the -finest in the house. - -When he saw all the dishes with which the table was laden, Frédéric -exclaimed: - -"Why, are you mad, Dubourg?"--for he continued to call him by that name -before Ménard, who had become accustomed to it--"here is supper enough -for ten!" - -"I have an excellent appetite, my dear Frédéric, and am disposed to do -full honor to it; I'll wager that Monsieur Ménard will second me." - -"With the very greatest pleasure, monsieur le baron; that affair in the -woods made a hole in my stomach." - -"But you surely have condemned all the other guests of the house to a -bread and water diet." - -"Faith! they may eat what they can find; it seems to me natural that we -should make up to ourselves for the miserable meal we had last night at -that horrible inn." - -"I quite agree with monsieur le baron; we are sadly in need of restoring -our strength." - -"But----" - -"What the devil! do you want to travel like wolves? and eat at table -d'hôte like paltry pedestrians? A man should support his rank, my -friend, and I judge, from the feeling, that my stomach isn't inclined to -backslide." - -"Monsieur le baron talks very judiciously; you must support your rank," -said Ménard, accepting a chicken wing which Dubourg offered him; "that -is your father's wish, you know, Monsieur Frédéric." - -"Yes, my friend," said Dubourg, filling his glass with the oldest wine -that the cellar of the inn contained; "I think you should certainly -yield to your father's wish; and, on my word, all things considered, I -don't see why I should retain my incognito any longer. We're a long way -from Paris. I am done with it; I resume my titles, and I propose to be -treated with the honors that are due me." - -"Oh! Dubourg, Dubourg! you will get us into some scrape," said Frédéric, -in an undertone; but his friend paid no heed; he was excited by the -wine, and he had never felt in such high spirits. He drank glass after -glass, while Ménard, with a glutton's delight, helped himself to -mushroom pie, the odor of which tickled his olfactory nerve. - -"What do you think of my plan, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"That has always been my wish, as you know, monsieur le baron." - -"It is settled; I am baron, palatine, et cetera; and we will make it -manifest wherever we go." - -"Certainly, monsieur le baron; the nobility of your manners will always -cause you to be recognized for what you are." - -"Bravo, Monsieur Ménard! spoken like a true boon companion! But as to -Frédéric, he is unworthy to sit at our table. A little more of this -hare, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"With pleasure, monsieur le baron." - -"We must be philosophical--when we can't help it; but true philosophy -consists in making the most of life, in enjoying one's self whenever the -opportunity offers. _Dulce est desipere in loco_, says Horace. Eh, -Monsieur Ménard?" - -"Yes, monsieur le baron; but Juvenal advises infrequent indulgence in -pleasures: _Voluptatis commendat rarior usus_." - -"Juvenal probably had a weak stomach." - -"That is very possible, monsieur le baron." - -"Another glass, Monsieur Ménard; to the memory of Anacreon, Epicurus, -Horace, and all good livers!" - -"We forget Lucullus, monsieur le baron." - -"True; another bumper, to Lucullus!" - -By dint of drinking to the memory of the ancients, the two were -beginning to lose all memory of the present. - -"Faith!" cried Dubourg, rising from the table; "I defy all the palatines -of Rava, Cracow, and Krapach to eat a better supper!" - -"Take care what you are saying, you infernal babbler!" muttered -Frédéric. - -"Never you fear," retorted Dubourg, speaking louder than ever; "I'll -answer for everything, I tell you; and Papa Ménard is a man whom I -esteem and love, and whose eyes I will close with pheasants or -truffles." - -Luckily, Ménard was in such a condition that he could not distinguish -clearly what was being said. Bewildered by the frequent libations in -which he had indulged with his noble companion, he left the table to go -to his room. He felt his way along the walls till he reached his bed, -which he had ordered to be made very low. He retired, well pleased with -the feast he had enjoyed and with the baron's manner of doing the honors -of the table; he considered that he had done exceedingly well to intrust -the financial arrangements to him, for he himself would not have dared -to order so delicious a repast; and he foresaw that the baron, who -seemed to be both a gourmand and an epicure, would continue to feed them -on the fat of the land, as he had abandoned his incognito. In a word, -Ménard was delighted with their travelling companion, and he fell asleep -musing upon the pleasures and the honor which he should enjoy on that -journey. - -On the following day, Frédéric attempted to talk prudence to Dubourg, -who instantly retorted: - -"Do you want to take the funds? Do so, give such orders as you please; -it's your right. But, absorbed as you always are in melancholy -reflections, you won't feed us decently; and when you are travelling -for pleasure, it seems to me that food is a most essential thing to look -out for." - -"But be reasonable, at least." - -"Oh! you are greatly to be pitied, aren't you, for having two men with -you to keep you amused--one by his wit, the other by the way he puts -himself outside of a partridge." - -"But what's the meaning of this idea of playing the great man before -everybody?" - -"Because we shall have more sport. Besides, you are a count; I must be a -baron at least, in order to travel on equal terms with you." - -"But the money will go much faster." - -"Bah! we shan't see the end of it for a long while yet; and then, you -have a father, and I an aunt." - -"I advise you to rely on them!" - -"At all events, you see that your mentor approves of my method." - -"Parbleu! you make him tipsy, and he doesn't know what he's saying." - -"Don't worry; I'll answer for everything." - -When they resumed their journey, the horses, which belonged to Frédéric, -went like the wind. Ménard was slightly dazed by the rapid motion, but -he said to himself: "These nobles always travel at full speed;" and -clung to the door to keep from falling. - -At every inn, they were treated with the greatest respect, as men of -high rank. Everywhere they had the best rooms, the daintiest dishes, the -oldest wines. And Ménard was delighted, enchanted, because he believed -that monsieur le baron had put his fifteen thousand francs with the sum -he had handed him, and because he judged him to be too large-hearted -and generous to give a thought to the difference between their -contributions. - -In due time, our travellers reached Lyon, having paused on the way only -to admire an occasional view and to give their horses time to breathe. -But they proposed to pass several days in that city. Young Montreville -was very glad of an opportunity to see it and its suburbs, and, above -all, to visit the shores of the Rhône; and his two companions consented, -with pleasure, to tarry some time in a city where they could live as -well as in Paris. - -They alighted at one of the best hotels. The noise made by Dubourg, the -distinguished aspect of Frédéric, and the pains that Ménard took to -repeat again and again: "You have the honor of entertaining Monsieur le -Baron Potoski, Palatine of Rava, and the young Comte de Montreville," -attracted universal attention and consideration to the young men, who -seemed disposed to spend money freely, which is the best of -recommendations at a hotel. - -They were quartered in a superb suite on the first floor. Their meals -were served in their rooms, and everything had to be of the best. -Dubourg was the one who gave all the orders; Frédéric interfered with -none of the details, beyond saying to his friend: - -"Be careful what you do." - -Whereupon Dubourg would reply: "Never fear," with such confidence that -the young count finally allowed him to do as he pleased, without -remonstrance. - -As for Ménard, he was more enthusiastic than ever about the baron, to -whom he was indebted for such an agreeable life. Frédéric often went out -alone to walk along the bank of the Rhône; fascinated by the beautiful -landscape he discovered, he sometimes did not return to the hotel until -night or the following day. Dubourg, like those liars who end by -believing in their own false-hoods, had so identified himself with the -part he was playing, that he would have struck anyone who expressed a -doubt as to his rank; he amused himself, during his friend's absences, -by displaying his magnificence in the city. Leaning nonchalantly on -Ménard's arm, who, with his hat on the back of his head, the better to -see and be seen, carried himself very straight, walked with much -precision, and strove to assume an air that was both dignified and -affable, when he went out with monsieur le baron--Dubourg walked all -over the city, with a huge three-cornered hat, adorned with a black -plume and a steel buckle, which he wore after the style of one of -Moličre's marquises. To be sure, the rest of his costume hardly -corresponded with his hat; but it was no longer fashionable to wear -embroidered coats for walking, and Dubourg had confined himself to -having silver tassels attached to his military boots, considering that -there was a something Polish about them. He left his coat open, because -that gave him a more careless air, and he made frequent use of a huge -eyeglass hanging from his neck by a pink ribbon. - -His extraordinary garb attracted every eye. Some took him for an -Englishman, some for a Russian or a Prussian; but if some curious -individual stopped and looked after him with a smile on his face, -Dubourg would flash a glance at him that put an end to any inclination -to laugh at his expense, and conveyed the impression that the stranger, -whoever he might be, was not of a disposition to endure being laughed -at. - -But it was necessary to be in the neighborhood of our two friends only a -very short time to ascertain the identity of the gentleman in the plumed -hat, who sauntered along so gracefully with his glass at his eye; for -Monsieur Ménard talked very loud, especially when he saw that someone -was noticing them, and never failed to emphasize the "Baron Potoski," or -"Monsieur le Palatine," when he addressed his companion; sometimes, -indeed, he went so far as to call him "Monseigneur de Rava et de -Sandomir." - -They had been in Lyon a week. Frédéric had not begun to tire of visiting -the beautiful suburbs of the city, but Dubourg was beginning to tire of -exhibiting himself in the public streets, arm in arm with Ménard. They -had been to all the places of resort, all the theatres, and all the -cafés; everywhere, Dubourg played the great nobleman, and Ménard -unwittingly acted as his accomplice; for the poor fellow was entirely -honest, and deemed himself highly honored to promenade with his pupil's -noble friend, who was always able to produce an apt quotation and -bewildered him by his anecdotes of travel in the four quarters of the -globe. - -For several days, Dubourg had been urging Frédéric to leave Lyon, and he -always postponed their departure to the next day, when one morning -Dubourg received a letter which put an end to his desire to go away. -This letter was addressed to _Monsieur le Baron Potoski, Seigneur -Polonais_. Dubourg read the superscription twice. Who could have written -to him, and by that name? He asked the landlady who had brought the -letter, and was told that it was a servant in livery, who requested that -it be delivered to monsieur le baron in person. - -Dubourg hastened to break the seal, and read as follows: - - "Monsieur le Baron Potoski is invited to pass this evening with - Madame la Marquise de Versac, who will be delighted to entertain - the noble stranger, at his pleasure, during his stay in Lyon." - -The marchioness's address was at the foot of the note, which Dubourg -reread several times, and which diffused an odor of musk and amber -through his room. - -"The devil!" said Dubourg to himself; "an invitation from a marchioness! -This is decidedly flattering! But how does she know me? Parbleu! a man -very soon becomes known when he lives with a certain amount of style. -Besides, people must be beginning to talk about me, after I've paraded -the streets for a week with Ménard, like a white bear." - -Dubourg summoned the landlady again, and asked her if she knew Madame la -Marquise de Versac. - -"The Marquise de Versac? I don't know her personally, but I know her -very well by name. It's one of the oldest and richest families in the -city, and I know madame la marquise has a magnificent country house on -the river, four leagues from Lyon." - -Dubourg asked no more questions; he was in raptures. He dismissed the -landlady, and began to pace the floor, saying to himself: - -"I shall certainly accept madame la marquise's invitation; the -acquaintance cannot fail to be exceedingly agreeable to me, and, who -knows? perhaps I may find there some baroness or viscountess whose head -I can turn; who will marry me, and endow me with estates and châteaux! -Well, what would there be so surprising in that? I am young, not -bad-looking; I have a certain style, which must have attracted Madame la -Marquise de Versac. But, deuce take me! what if she herself---- Ah! I -forgot to ask about that." - -Dubourg rang again, and the landlady reappeared. - -"I beg your pardon, my dear hostess," he said; "but I have reasons for -wishing to know if Madame la Marquise de Versac is married." - -"She is still a widow, I think, monsieur; it's only three years since -Monsieur de Versac died, and since then I haven't heard----" - -"Very good, very good, madame," said Dubourg, dismissing her again; and -he capered about the room, looking at himself in the mirror, and saying: - -"She's a widow! there's no doubt about her being a widow still, or the -invitation would be in her husband's name. Now, this becomes -interesting: a very rich young widow, who has a magnificent country -house, and who writes me that she will be charmed to entertain me! for -that's what it says. Let's read it again: yes, 'delighted to entertain -you.'--It seems to me that that almost amounts to a declaration. You -shall entertain me, charming creature! I promise you. By the way, I -forgot to ask if she was charming, but it can't be otherwise; at all -events, I don't care so much for beauty, now; I am reasonable, I am more -attracted by solid advantages. This very evening she shall see the noble -stranger. But, damnation! when she finds out that the palatine is only a -humble bourgeois! After all, I am an honest Breton, and an honest -Breton's as good as any other man; besides, we haven't come to that yet. -I must begin by captivating her. When a woman is fascinated, does she -recognize ranks and distances? Love equalizes everything: the lord of -the thunder loved simple mortals, and the shepherd Paris had it in his -power to lie with the loveliest goddesses in Olympus. To lie with Madame -de Versac, I'll give her all the apples she wants." - -Ménard made his appearance while Dubourg was strutting about his -bedroom, trying to assume a courtly air. As soon as he caught sight of -the tutor, he thrust the letter into his face, crying: - -"_Tolle, lege_, my dear Ménard." - -Ménard recoiled, because the odor of musk exhaled by the letter made him -ill. - -"Doesn't that smell rather like a marchioness, eh?" said Dubourg, -inhaling the perfume ecstatically. "Well, Ménard, what do you say to -this letter?" - -"I see nothing surprising in it, monsieur le baron; you must be -accustomed to receive similar ones wherever you go." - -"True, you are right, Ménard; I don't mean to imply that I am surprised; -I say that the note is well turned, eh?" - -"Very well turned, monsieur le baron." - -"It was evidently written by a woman who knows her man, wasn't it?" - -"Certainly, monsieur le baron, she must know him." - -"But I mean that it doesn't resemble such notes as--as little Delphine -had the presumption to write me." - -"Who was this Delphine, monsieur le baron?" - -"Oh! she was a little countess, on Boulevard du Temple, whose receptions -used to be attended by a large number of noblemen of my stamp." - -"Monsieur le baron will accept Madame la Marquise de Versac's -invitation, of course?" - -"Accept it? most assuredly. Let us dine at once, Monsieur Ménard, so -that I need think of nothing but dressing. Where's Frédéric?" - -"Admiring some new view, no doubt; he told me that he should not return -till evening; I think he intends to leave Lyon to-morrow." - -"To-morrow! Oh! we'll see about that; we have all the time there is, and -we're very comfortable here, aren't we, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"Very, monsieur le baron; but, you know, we are traveling for----" - -"I know that we shouldn't leave a city till we know it thoroughly, and -Frédéric can't know this city yet, as he's always in the suburbs. You -must persuade him of that, Monsieur Ménard." - -"I will do my utmost, monsieur le baron." - -Dubourg ate little dinner; he was too much engrossed by thoughts of his -evening to have any appetite; a child does not eat, when his father has -promised to take him to the play. We are big children; the anticipation -of a new pleasure always produces the same effect on us. - -Dubourg deliberated concerning his toilet. If he had had time, he would -have ordered a dress-coat; but he must needs be content with one of -Frédéric's, who was much more slender than he, so that he could never -button it. Should he go in top-boots? That would be rather too informal, -his hostess being a marchioness. But he had no trousers; Frédéric's were -too small for him, and it was not the same with them as with a coat, -which one is always at liberty to leave unbuttoned. Ménard would lend -him a pair, but they would be too large; so he decided to go in boots; -he was a foreigner, a Pole, that fact would be his excuse; moreover, -his silver tassels pleased him immensely. - -At eight o'clock, Dubourg had been dressed more than an hour, and was -pacing the floor of his room, his plumed hat under his arm, practising -dignified bows, graceful smiles, and a noble bearing. He had put the -whole contents of his treasury in his pocket, and, having no watch, he -thought for a moment of taking his steel loop from his hat and placing -it in his fob; but it might be recognized as having been on his hat, so -he contented himself with a red ribbon, of which he showed only the end. -The clock struck nine at last, the hour at which one may decently appear -in society; a carriage was waiting; he entered it, and gave the driver -the address indicated on the note. - -The carriage stopped in a lonely street, before a house of poor -appearance. Dubourg alighted. A lackey, there being no concierge, stood -at the door of the house, apparently posted there as a sentinel; and he -lost no time in ushering Dubourg up a dirty staircase, at the foot of -which were two lamps that seemed surprised to be there. But Dubourg was -going over in his mind the sentence he had prepared for his salutation -to the marchioness, and he did not notice the uncleanness of the house. - -The servant opened a door on the first floor and entered an anteroom, -wherein the eye sought in vain any article of furniture; although it was -dimly lighted, the spots of grease on the walls and the soiled, -discolored floor could be plainly seen. But the servant led Dubourg -through this room at a rapid pace, and, opening another door into the -salon, announced in a loud tone: - -"Monsieur le Baron Potoski!" - -At that name, there was a great commotion in the salon, and a lady rose -and rushed forward to meet Dubourg, expressing in the most cordial terms -her pleasure in receiving him as her guest. - -Dubourg answered whatever came into his head; he walked into the room, -saluting to right and left, and dropped into a chair beside the Marquise -de Versac, whom he then took occasion to scrutinize. He saw that he had -been wise not to indulge his imagination in advance. The mistress of the -house was a woman who seemed to be fully forty-five years of age, -despite the care with which she had blackened her eyebrows, reddened her -lips, and whitened her complexion. She was fashionably dressed, but her -gown, which had a long train, seemed to embarrass her; her head was -overladen with flowers and ribbons, and a triple necklace of pearls -embellished a long, yellow neck, rising pitifully above a pair of -fleshless shoulders, which the marchioness was barbarous enough to -expose to all eyes, as if they were pleasing to the sight. - -Dubourg did not stop to examine all that; he remembered what his -landlady had said to him, and tried to think the marchioness charming. -While she addressed him in the most flattering terms, he cast a glance -about the salon. - -An antiquated chandelier, suspended from the ceiling, lighted the room, -which was very large; the hangings must once have been handsome, but -were beginning to show too many signs of age. The floor was covered with -an immense rug, which was never made for a salon. The covering of the -furniture was of two colors: there was a blue ottoman and yellow chairs; -and the latter were not alike. In default of a clock, there was an -enormous jar of flowers in the centre of the mantel, and a number of -candlesticks on either side. Several card-tables of different sizes -completed the furnishing of that salon, which seemed to Dubourg to be -quite as venerable as Madame de Versac's family. - -Having examined the room, Dubourg turned his attention to the company. -There were only three ladies besides the marchioness. One, who seemed to -be about sixty years old, and who was called the baroness, talked -incessantly of her estates, her châteaux, her property, and her -servants; she talked so loud that there was not a moment's silence. A -young woman, who was rather pretty, but seemed rather awkward, and did -not open her mouth except to laugh or to say _yes_ or _no_, was called -the Vicomtesse de Fairfignan; while the third, who was apparently about -thirty years old, and whom they called Madame de Grandcourt, was half -reclining on the ottoman, evidently disposed to flirt; for she cast -languorous glances at all the men, and made abundant use of her eyes, -which had been handsome, but were so encircled with black that her -eyebrows seemed to extend all the way round. - -There were seven or eight men in the company; all of them seemed to be -counts, or barons, or chevaliers, but not one of them, either in dress -or bearing, gave any sign of wealth or rank. Monsieur le chevalier had a -frock-coat, the sleeves of which were so short that they were far from -reaching his wrists; and when he drew his handkerchief, he took great -care to turn his back and conceal it from the company. - -The count wore torn lace wristbands, and a ruff stained with liquor and -tobacco. He seemed to take great satisfaction in displaying his hands, -which were covered with huge rings with red and yellow stones; but the -blackness of the hands themselves produced a curious effect beside the -wristbands and the jewels. - -The baron, who had his hair powdered, and seemed much embarrassed by his -queue, which kept getting inside his collar, wore a new black coat and -an old pair of nankeen trousers, over which dangled charms in the shape -of fruit and shells. - -The other men were dressed in the same style. - -"Sacrebleu!" thought Dubourg, astounded by the aspect of all those noble -personages; "if my landlady hadn't told me what she did about the -Marquise de Versac, I should imagine that I was at an old-clothes -dealer's, with a parcel of counts from Rue Vide-Gousset." - -Meanwhile, the conversation did not flag. Everybody talked and laughed -at once. They manifested the greatest consideration for Baron Potoski; -the marchioness overwhelmed him with attentions, the old baroness -invited him to visit her in the country, the viscountess smiled upon -him, and Madame de Grandcourt flashed glances at him the meaning whereof -was not at all equivocal, while the men applauded everything he said. -Dubourg was flattered by these attentions, for the shrewdest and -cleverest men generally allow themselves to be cajoled by anything that -flatters their self-esteem. - -Punch, liqueurs, and sweetmeats were served, and the whole company -pounced upon them. The old baroness drank like a porter, the viscountess -stuffed herself with cakes, and the languorous Grandcourt swallowed two -glasses of punch in rapid succession, exclaiming that it was not strong -enough. - -Dubourg imitated his neighbors; he helped himself to punch, and -complimented Madame de Versac on the liveliness of her company. - -"Oh! we don't stand on ceremony," she replied; "what's the use of -tedious formalities between people who are all as good as one another?" - -"True, you are right; I like this sort of thing," said Dubourg, -beginning already to feel the effects of the punch. "Etiquette is a -burden that people of sense should leave at the door." - -"Ah! Monsieur de Potoski, you talk like Baręme!" said the old baroness, -returning to the punch. "You are a palatine of the old stock." - -"Not very old, madame." - -"But the best, at all events," said Madame de Versac, resting her foot -lightly on Dubourg's; whereupon he turned and tried to gaze tenderly at -her, at the same time passing his hand behind the marchioness, who -allowed him to take liberties without seeming to notice it, which -Dubourg considered very patrician behavior. - -"For my part, I like to talk nonsense," said the young viscountess, who -was beginning to venture upon a sentence or two, now that she had eaten. -"It makes me tired when[B] everyone's sober-faced." - - [B] "_Ousqu'on_ est serieux," instead of _quand on_, etc. - -The viscountess's _ousqu'on_ made Dubourg wince; Madame de Versac -noticed it, and made haste to whisper to him: - -"She's a German; she speaks with a strong accent." - -"But aren't you going to give us something to do this evening, madame la -marquise?" said the chevalier, pulling at his sleeves to lengthen them. - -"That's so, my love," said the baroness; "why don't we play cards?" - -"Ah! yes, let us do something," said Madame de Grandcourt, rolling her -eyes seductively; "I must always be doing something." - -"Perhaps Monsieur de Potoski does not play?" said the marchioness, -turning to Dubourg. - -"I beg your pardon, madame; I shall be very glad to play." - -"In that case, I will start the tables. You are sure that you care to -play, baron?" - -"With great pleasure, madame," said Dubourg, overjoyed to have an excuse -for removing his hand, which he was tired of holding behind Madame de -Versac's back. - -Several games of écarté were begun. The chevalier proposed a game of -_creps_ for the ladies; whereupon Dubourg said to himself: - -"It seems that the ladies of the best society have tastes very different -from their sisters of the bourgeoisie; perhaps madame la marquise is -fond of _biribi_ too." - -Monsieur de Potoski found himself at an écarté table with the count, -whose lace cuffs did not prevent his dealing the cards with rare skill. -The game soon became animated. A tall, thin gentleman, who stood near -Dubourg, bet rolls of twenty-five louis on his game, which he placed on -the table without unrolling them, and which passed rapidly into the -count's pockets, the tall man, whose threadbare costume might have led -one to take him for an unfortunate petitioner for alms, seeming to pay -no heed whatever to his loss. - -"These men play a very noble game," said Dubourg to himself; and, not -choosing to be outdone by the person who was betting on him, he doubled -his stakes, and his money passed into the hands with the lace cuffs. But -the punch circulated freely; to please Madame de Grandcourt, it had -been made much stronger; the company began to get excited and the game -became animated. - -Madame de Versac seated herself beside Dubourg. - -"I mean to bring Monsieur de Potoski good luck," she said, sitting close -against him, and showing a row of teeth set like a wild boar's tusks. - -"I trust that you will change the luck, madame!" observed Dubourg, who -had already lost more than a thousand francs, which he was determined to -win back. Madame la marquise made no other reply than to place her foot -lovingly on his. With each game that Dubourg lost, she bore down a -little heavier, and tried to make him forget his bad luck by saying -sweet things to him; but Dubourg did not listen. - -"I hope to see you often, Monsieur de Potoski." - -"Yes, madame.--Ten louis more, this time." - -"I am a bold player," said the count; "I'll take whatever you bet." - -"Yes, of course, monsieur le comte will give you your revenge," said the -marchioness, "if you lose to-night." - -"If I lose!" muttered Dubourg; "I should say so! almost two thousand -francs! What a breach in my cash-box!" - -"You must come to my country house on the Rhône, my dear Potoski. I -insist on your coming." - -"Yes, madame la marquise; yes, most certainly.--The king is always in -the other hand! it's the most extraordinary thing!" - -"We will walk in my park." - -"Beaten again!" - -"We will enjoy the fresh, cool breezes in the evening." - -"It's stifling here!" - -"Pray take something." - -"I should be glad to take back just what I have lost." - -"Do you remain long in Lyon?" - -"The devil take me if I know!" - -And Dubourg, who had lost three thousand francs, and was tired of -feeling madame la marquise's foot on his, rose abruptly and walked about -the room. - -Madame de Grandcourt was stretched out on a long chair in a corner. A -short man with whiskers and moustache sat on a stool almost at her feet; -he had passed one arm about his charmer's waist, and the hand of the -other was screened from view by the folds of a faded satin gown. - -The old baroness and the young viscountess were playing _creps_ with the -chevalier. The faces of the ladies were much flushed; the baroness had a -glass of punch before her, and was gazing with glassy eyes at the dice, -shrieking and disputing over a ten-sou piece which she would not admit -that she had lost. The viscountess had recovered the use of her tongue -by eating sweetmeats, and she indulged in frequent solecisms which must -have opened Dubourg's eyes if he had been himself; but he was not; his -losses had disturbed his mental balance, already shaken by the punch and -liqueurs. He strode about the salon, looking without seeing, listening -without hearing the marchioness's compliments, and passing his hand -across his forehead as if to tranquillize his thoughts. He tried to go -away, but returned again and again to the card-tables, saying to -himself: - -"I absolutely must win back my three thousand francs!" - -He took a seat at the _creps_ table and called to the count, who was -talking in a corner with the man in the threadbare coat who staked rolls -of louis which no one saw. - -"Monsieur," said Dubourg, raising his voice, "I trust that you will not -refuse to give me my revenge at this game, at which I may perhaps have -better luck." - -"With great pleasure," replied the count with the lace cuffs. - -He hastened to the _creps_ table, which the viscountess and baroness -instantly quitted; indeed, they soon left the salon, as did Madame de -Grandcourt; but Dubourg was too intent upon his game to observe the -disappearance of the ladies. - -All the men formed a circle about the _creps_ table. Dubourg was allowed -to choose whether he would punt or be banker. He chose the latter, and -madame la marquise, seated close beside him, took pains always to pick -up the dice and the box and hand them to him. Dubourg lost; he no longer -knew what he was doing; he threw dice and dice-box on the floor. Someone -proposed _trente-et-un_, and he accepted; that finished him; in less -than half an hour, the rest of the contents of his cash-box vanished. He -felt in all his pockets, in his fob--not a sou! he had lost everything, -and the money was not his! He did not speak, but paced the floor for -some moments, pale and haggard, biting his lips, clenching his fists, -and uttering a fierce oath from time to time. The candles began to go -out; the counts and chevaliers whispered together and seemed -embarrassed; the marchioness withdrew to a corner of the salon, not -deeming the moment favorable for treading on Monsieur de Potoski's foot. - -At last, Dubourg, throwing off his depression, seemed to have determined -upon his course. He went to get his hat, which he had placed under a -chair, and left the room, slamming the door violently behind him; he -passed through the anteroom, where four tall fellows, only one of whom -was in livery, were busily drinking, opened the door into the hall, and -started downstairs. Not until he was halfway down, and attempted to put -on his hat, did he discover that he had a wretched tile, without band or -lining, which someone had substituted for his fine hat with a plume. - -"By heaven, this is too much!" he exclaimed, turning back; "not content -with having filched my money, they propose to filch my hat too! Ah! my -worthy counts and chevaliers, we'll see about that!" - -Dubourg rang the bell violently; no one came. He rang again, and beat -the door with his hands and feet, until at last it was opened. - -"What do you want?" demanded the servant in livery. - -"What do I want? I want my hat, which your chevalier of -I-don't-know-what has taken instead of his own miserable tile." - -"There's no hat of yours here." - -"What's that, you blackguard! you dare to tell me that?" - -"Hold your tongue, monsieur! don't make so much noise in the house; -madame la marquise don't like it." - -"Go to the devil with your madame la marquise, who lets people pinch her -wantonly so as to fleece them! I insist on going in; I'll find a way to -get back my hat." - -"You cannot go in! Help, my friends! Here's a man who means to make -trouble!" - -The three others ran to his assistance. They seized Dubourg by the -shoulders; he struggled and fought to no purpose, being the weaker -party. They forced him down the stairs, yelling and calling them curs -and thieves, as well as their employers. The four tall rascals made no -reply, but pushed him into the street and shut the door in his face. - -"Ah! the villains!" he cried, rearranging his clothes, which he had come -near losing with all the rest in the struggle he had had. "Ah! the -scoundrels! What a fine evening I have had, to be sure! Ouf! I've a good -mind to stone the house and break the windows. But, no, I think I'll -call--probably the watch will pass before long." - -He stood in the street a moment, undecided as to what he should do. But -it was very late, the street was deserted, and by remaining there he ran -the risk of being arrested himself; he reflected that he was a stranger -in the city, and that he had assumed a title which did not belong to -him. All these reasons led him to decide to wait until morning before he -sought to obtain justice at the hands of madame la marquise. Meanwhile, -it behooved him to find the way back to his hotel. - -But how could he show his face before Frédéric and Ménard, after losing -all the money they had intrusted to him? He had nothing left, and they -owed a considerable sum at their hotel. - -Dubourg tore his hair and beat his breast as he strode through the -streets of Lyon. At last he arrived at the hotel, and addressed himself -in the following words: - -"Whatever happens, I must end by making the best of it. Even if I should -pass the night chastising myself in the street, it wouldn't bring back a -sou to my purse. So I may as well go to bed; to-morrow, we'll see about -getting out of the scrape." - - - - -VIII - -BEHOLD HER! - - -Frédéric, when he returned to the hotel during the evening, found Ménard -seated alone before the remains of a chicken with which the quondam -tutor had passed a part of the time since Dubourg's departure. Surprised -not to find the latter, the young count inquired of Ménard as to his -whereabouts, and was told that monsieur le baron had gone to pass the -evening with one of the leading families of the city, from whom he had -received an invitation. - -It seemed very strange to Frédéric that Dubourg should receive -invitations at Lyon, where he knew nobody, and he feared that this -"leading family" might be an invention of his friend. However, he was -careful not to convey his suspicions to Ménard, but simply informed him -that he proposed to resume his journey the next day. - -"Monsieur le baron isn't in such a hurry as he was," said Ménard; "he is -very well pleased with Lyon." - -"Why, only this morning he urged me to leave the place!" - -"This invitation seems to have changed his views." - -"Monsieur le baron may do as he pleases, but we shall start to-morrow." - -Ménard made no reply, but went to bed, considering that his pupil was -taking great liberties with such a man as the palatine; and Frédéric -did the same, although he was somewhat disturbed by Dubourg's absence. - -Early the next morning, Ménard and the young count met in the room where -they were accustomed to meet for breakfast. But Dubourg did not appear. - -"Can it be that he stayed out all night?" asked Frédéric. - -"I beg your pardon, monsieur," said one of the servants of the hotel; -"monsieur le baron came in about three o'clock this morning; he seemed -very tired, and he is still in bed." - -"What folly to sit up all night when we were to start to-day! But where -in the devil has he been?--Go and tell him that we are waiting for him." - -After some time, the servant returned and announced that monsieur le -baron was sick and could not rise. - -"The rascal must have been drunk last night," thought Frédéric; and, -followed by Ménard, who began by rubbing his nose and temples with -vinegar to ward off contagion, he went to Dubourg's bedroom. They found -him in bed; he had pulled his nightcap over his eyes and tied his -handkerchief over it, and his face wore such a piteous expression, that -one would have thought that he had been confined to his bed in agony for -three months. - -Ménard halted in the middle of the room and held a smelling-bottle to -his nose, saying in an undertone to Frédéric. - -"Mon Dieu! how he has changed!" - -"What's the matter with you, in heaven's name, my poor Dubourg?" said -Frédéric, taking the hand of the sick man, who had employed every known -means to give himself an attack of fever. - -"Alas! my dear friend, I feel very ill." - -"How did it come on?" - -"Ah! it was brought on by something that happened--a terrible adventure; -the shock of it was the cause of my illness." - -"You must see a doctor, first of all." - -"I will go for one, and an apothecary too," said Ménard, who was anxious -for an excuse to go out into the open air. - -"No, no, my dear Monsieur Ménard," Dubourg interposed, in a faint voice; -"I don't like doctors; we have plenty of time. Hippocrates himself said: -_Vita brevis, ars longa, experientia fallax_." - -"Very true, monsieur le baron; but the same Hippocrates says in another -place----" - -"Oh! for heaven's sake, drop Hippocrates!" cried Frédéric, fancying that -he could read in Dubourg's eyes that he was not so ill as he chose to -appear. "As you won't have a doctor, do at least tell us the cause of -your illness, this terrible adventure----" - -"Yes," said Ménard, taking pains to seat himself as far as possible from -the bed, where he could get the air from the hall. "Let us know if it -might become contagious." - -Dubourg sat up in bed; he raised his eyes heaven-ward, uttered two or -three plaintive groans, pulled his nightcap still further over his eyes, -and began his tale in a most heartrending tone. - -"The excellent Ménard has undoubtedly told you that I received yesterday -an invitation to one of the first houses in the city. At all events, -that is what our landlady assured me--otherwise----" - -"Yes, he told me that--what next? explain yourself!" said Frédéric, -impatient at Dubourg's roundabout way of reaching the facts. - -"Gently! I am in no condition to go so fast, my dear Frédéric.--Well, I -started out in a cab last night, after making a careful toilet." - -"Yes; I noticed that you took one of my coats." - -"You know perfectly well that I lost my wardrobe with my berlin." - -"Well?" - -"By some fatality, it happened that I put the purse containing the whole -of our fortune in the pocket of your coat." - -"Ah! this begins to look bad," whispered Frédéric, while Ménard, even -more disturbed than he, began to draw his chair nearer. - -"Well? go on." - -"Well, monsieur le baron?" - -"Well, my dear and noble friends, on leaving that brilliant society, -where, to tell the truth, I stayed rather late, I found no carriage at -the door. I was alone, in a street that I did not know. Suddenly four -cutthroats leaped upon me. Alas! I had no weapons, but I defended myself -like a lion. But all in vain! They beat me and threw me down, and the -worst of it is that they robbed me of all the money I had about me." - -"Great God! and you had our funds?" cried Ménard. - -"I did." - -"And your own fifteen thousand francs?" - -"Everything--every sou, I tell you. There is nothing left, except what -you two have about you. They took everything, even my superb hat, with -its steel buckle worth sixty francs." - -"What a catastrophe! what are we to do?" exclaimed Ménard, who was -terribly distressed to think that, after living like lords, they were -reduced to living by their wits. - -Frédéric said nothing; he was suspicious of Dubourg's tale; and that -worthy, perceiving his incredulity, tried to overcome it by crying every -minute: - -"What a fatality! to be attacked and robbed! Such things happen to -nobody but me!" - -"Indeed, monsieur le baron, you do seem to be unlucky," said Ménard, -remembering the theft of the berlin. - -"With whom did you pass the evening?" inquired Frédéric. - -"With Madame la Marquise de Versac." - -"With Madame de Versac! That's very extraordinary, for I saw her -yesterday at her country house." - -"You saw her! What do you mean? Do you know her?" cried Dubourg, in a -voice that did not at all resemble an invalid's. - -"Madame de Versac came to my father's house several times, when she was -in Paris last year. In the summer, she lives at her country house. I saw -her there yesterday, I tell you, and she reproved me gently for not -coming there to stay with her; she certainly did not come back to the -city." - -"Great God! what do I hear? How old is this marchioness?" - -"Not over twenty-eight; her town house is on Place Bellecour." - -"Ten thousand cigars! that was a contraband marchioness! What an -infernal fool, not to have discovered it!" - -Dubourg jumped up and down in his bed, rolled himself up in the -bedclothes, snatched off his nightcap and threw it on the floor, while -Ménard cried: - -"Monsieur le baron is mad; I am going to fetch an apothecary!" - -The tutor left the room, and Frédéric was not sorry, for it gave him an -opportunity to have an explanation with Dubourg; but for several minutes -he absolutely refused to keep still; he was in a frenzy at the -recollection of the soi-disant counts and chevaliers. He dressed in hot -haste, swearing that he would find his baron with the watch-charms, his -threadbare chevalier, and his blackleg with lace cuffs; that he would -break the baroness's remaining teeth, beat the viscountess, and -horsewhip madame la marquise. - -At last, Frédéric succeeded in making himself heard. - -"So you gambled last night, you wretch, did you? and that is where our -funds have gone?" - -"Ah! my friend, beat me, kill me! I know that I am a good-for-naught. -But, really, you would have done the same in my place. When a person -assumes a respectable name---- For my part, I went there in all -confidence, hoping to make an advantageous match. I heard people all -about me talking of nothing but 'my estates, my châteaux, my servants, -my millions'--as I would say 'my cane' or 'my hat.' And then, they dazed -me with attentions and liqueurs. Still, I ought to have noticed that -there was a suspicious look to it all; but what can you expect? -Unluckily, I am not accustomed to good society. I took the pressure of -one woman's foot for patrician manners, and another woman's blunders in -grammar for a German accent. We played cards,--I confess that I love -cards,--and they stripped me of everything, even to my hat! But they -haven't seen the end of it!" - -"Where are you going?" said Frédéric, trying to detain his friend, who -had taken his shocking old hat as if to go out. - -"Let me go, let me go! I am going to hunt up my blacklegs, and -perhaps---- Wait here for me." - -Dubourg opened the door just as Ménard returned with an apothecary's -clerk, who had a sedative potion in each hand. - -Dubourg roughly pushed the tutor aside when he tried to stop him, and -descended the stairs four at a time, while the tutor collided with the -apothecary, who fell to the floor with his potions. - -"We must send somebody after him," said Ménard, thinking that Dubourg -was in a high fever. Frédéric had some difficulty in inducing him to -dismiss the apothecary, by assuring him that the baron was very much -better. - -Dubourg betook himself to the residence of his false marchioness, whose -address he had retained. He was obliged to go on foot, and he no longer -assumed the air of a great noble. The eyeglass would have accorded but -ill with the wretched tile, which was not half large enough for him. But -at that time he was thinking exclusively of his money, not at all of his -costume. When he reached the house he had visited the night before, -which he readily recognized from having scrutinized it carefully in the -night, he entered the hall, the door of which was open, went upstairs, -and looked and listened, but neither saw anybody nor heard a sound. He -rang at the door of the apartment from which he had been ejected so -roughly, but no one answered the bell. He rang again and again, with -increasing violence, until the bell-pull came off in his hand, but the -door remained closed. - -"Open, you rascals, you blacklegs! or I'll go for a magistrate," cried -Dubourg, putting his mouth to the keyhole. Finally an old woman appeared -on the landing above and asked him why he was making such an uproar. - -"I want to speak with the people who live here on the first floor," he -replied. - -"There's no one living there now, monsieur; it was let furnished to a -woman who went away this morning before daybreak." - -Dubourg was petrified. He realized that he could not hope to recover his -money. He returned slowly and dejectedly to the hotel, and joined -Frédéric and Ménard with an expression of utter dismay. - -"Well, what about the robbers?" inquired Frédéric. - -"Ah! my friend, they have fled." - -"I was sure of it." - -"But you have entered a complaint with the magistrate, surely, monsieur -le baron?" - -"I have done all that there was to do, Monsieur Ménard; but I fancy that -we may say good-bye to our money." - -"In that case, what are we going to do?" - -"That is what we must consider.--How much money have you, Monsieur -Ménard?" - -"Not more than two louis." - -"And you, Frédéric?" - -"I have about ten." - -"That isn't enough to pay our landlord, for we must owe him at least -three hundred francs." - -"What! hasn't he been paid?" - -"Who ever heard of making people of our sort pay in advance?" - -"But think how extravagant we have been!" - -"We had to live; and what difference does it make whether we owe one -hundred francs or three hundred, as we can't pay?" - -"However, we cannot leave this hotel without settling our account, and -we cannot continue our journey without money." - -"That would be rather difficult, to be sure," said Ménard. - -"I see but one way to get any," said Dubourg, "and that is to apply to -Monsieur le Comte de Montreville. He certainly won't leave his son in -straits." - -"Ask monsieur le comte for money, when it isn't three weeks since we -left Paris! What will he think?" murmured Ménard, with a sigh.--"What if -monsieur le baron should write to his steward at Rava or Krapach?" - -"Why, I would write in a moment, but it's so far!--It would take at -least two months to get an answer, because at this time of year the -mails are greatly delayed by avalanches." - -"What, monsieur le baron, in summer?" - -"Summer is the season when the snow melts. Pardieu! if it was winter, -they could make half the distance on snow-shoes. We couldn't wait all -that time in this inn; we must have money at once." - -"My dear Ménard," said Frédéric, "you really must apply to my father." - -"Well, I will write him what has happened to monsieur le baron----" - -"No, no; you are the one he gave the money to, and you are the one who -was robbed; it's useless to mention me. Just imagine that you were the -one who was robbed last night." - -"Come, my dear Ménard, write my father a most pathetic letter." - -"The deuce! that's a very hard task." - -"I'll dictate to you, if you choose," said Dubourg. - -"You will oblige me very much, monsieur le baron." - -So Ménard took the pen, and Dubourg dictated the following letter: - - "MONSIEUR LE COMTE: - - "I have the honor to inform you of our safe arrival at Lyon, where - I was attacked at night, as I was returning to our hotel, and - robbed of all that we possessed; which places us in a very - embarrassing position, from which we beg you to extricate us as - soon as possible. Monsieur your son is as well as Esculapius - himself; the journey seems to have done him a vast amount of good. - He bids me offer you his most respectful homage." - -Ménard signed this letter, to which Dubourg desired Frédéric to add a -few affectionate words. But Frédéric had never lied to his father, and -he preferred to write nothing rather than to try to deceive him. - -The letter was mailed, and they had no choice but to await the reply. -Luckily, their landlord did not seem at all disturbed. Moreover, -Frédéric had a chaise and horses, which, at need, would bring more than -enough to pay their bill; that fact set his mind at rest, but he none -the less urged his companions to spend less on the table. Dubourg, -however, did not agree with him; he thought that such a course might -arouse suspicions of their plight, and Ménard was once more of monsieur -le baron's opinion. - -Frédéric resumed his wanderings; but Dubourg abandoned his street -promenades with Ménard; after parading his fashionable costume and -playing the wealthy palatine on the public thoroughfares of Lyon, he did -not care to show himself in a shabby hat and with a long face; he was -convinced that people would divine that he was penniless: there are so -many men who owe their self-confidence and their assurance entirely to -the money they have in their pockets, which alone gives them aplomb in -society. - -Dubourg passed his days talking philosophy with Ménard, who was no -philosopher, but listened attentively to the baron, whom he considered a -man of profound learning, though he was no longer so overjoyed to have -him for a travelling companion, because, when he recalled their -adventures, from the time that the palatine had overturned them into a -ditch, it seemed to him that Monsieur de Potoski carried about with him -a monumental ill luck, of which they had already felt the effects. - -After ten days, they received a reply from the count; it was addressed -to Monsieur Ménard, but it was Frédéric who, with a trembling hand, -broke the seal. - -"See what there is enclosed, first," said Dubourg. - -They found a draft on a Lyon banker for six thousand francs. - -"Good! here's something to help us endure papa's reproaches," said -Dubourg; "now let's read his letter." - -Monsieur de Montreville wrote to Ménard these few words only: - - "I place no sort of credence in your fable of robbers, but I am - very glad to forgive my son's first escapade; I trust, however, - that it will make him more prudent. I send you some money, but do - not rely upon the like indulgence again." - -"He didn't believe us," said Frédéric. - -"I am very much afraid that he is angry," said Ménard. - -"Oh! don't be alarmed; he'll cool down. Hereafter, we will travel like -three little pasteboard Cupids; we will be virtuous, orderly; in short, -true philosophers--which need not interfere with our living well, -because that is necessary for our health; eh, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"_Credo equidem_, monsieur le baron." - -"But no more pomp and parade; I resume my incognito." - -"What, monsieur le baron!" - -"Yes, Monsieur Ménard; at all events, with six thousand francs we -couldn't play the grandee very long--I mean, live up to our rank." - -"But, monsieur le baron, when you have received answers from Rava and -Krapach?" - -"Oh! then it will be different; but I fear we shall not have them for a -long time. As to the funds, I think that we had better let Frédéric take -charge of them. He is calm and cool, and that is what we need in a -cashier." - -"It's a great pity," muttered Ménard; "we lived so handsomely when -monsieur le baron paid the bills!" - -All their plans being made, they paid their hotel bill; it amounted to -eight hundred and fifty francs for the three weeks they had passed -there, so that the count's remittance was seriously impaired at the -outset; but meanwhile they had been lodged and fed like lords. Dubourg's -only sentiment was regret at their inability to continue the same mode -of life; Ménard sighed as he thought of the delicious repasts they had -enjoyed; and Frédéric observed to Dubourg, in an undertone: - -"My friend, if we had continued to go so fast, we shouldn't have gone -very far." - -Monsieur le comte's horses were sold, and they arranged with a -stable-keeper to journey from Lyon. - -"These two halts have cost you dear, monsieur le baron," said Ménard; "a -berlin and fifty thousand francs the first time, and fifteen thousand -the second! A man could not travel long at that price!" - -"My mind is at rest now, Monsieur Ménard; I defy anyone to rob me. -Socrates found his house large enough to receive his friends, and I -shall find my purse full enough so long as Frédéric pays for me." - -Ménard had no reply to make to that; the comparison did not seem to him -a happy one. - -Instead of taking the road to Turin, Frédéric gave orders to drive -toward Grenoble; he desired to visit that city and its suburbs, -especially the Carthusian monastery, whose wild aspect astounds and -almost terrifies the traveller. Dubourg was in no hurry to reach Italy; -it mattered little to him in which direction they went. Moreover, since -his last misadventure, he did not presume to offer his advice. As for -Ménard, he was always ready to yield to Frédéric's wishes, but the name -of the Carthusian monastery made him shudder; he was afraid that his -former pupil would want to take up his quarters in some hermitage, and -he felt no sort of inclination for a frugal life. - -As they drew near the banks of the Isčre, the country became more -picturesque, more mountainous, and more impressive. The fields were -interspersed with thickets; the brooks, after trickling across a plain, -plunged in foamy cascades over steep cliffs. How different the scene -from the noisy suburbs of Paris and the lovely landscapes of the Rhône -valley! The picture was more serious, more majestic perhaps, disposing -the mind to pleasant reverie, and wafting one's thoughts far from the -turmoil of great cities. - -"What a beautiful country this is!" said Frédéric; "I find here an -indefinable charm which fascinates my heart as well as my eyes. How -pleasant it is to drive along these shady roads!" - -"And dream of Madame Dernange, I suppose?" - -"Oh! no, Dubourg; she has been out of my thoughts for a long while, I -assure you, as have all the rest of the coquettes I knew in Paris." - -"Well, what do you dream about, then, in your long, solitary walks?" - -"Alas! I don't know; I dream of a being I have never seen, a woman who -is lovely, sweet-tempered, loving, and, above all, faithful!" - -"And you look for her on the banks of a brook?" - -"I don't look for her; I am waiting for chance to bring us together." - -"If chance should wait for thirty years or so, you would both be a -trifle mature." - -"Oh! Dubourg, how irritating you are! you have no idea of love!" - -"Love, my friend, is a doll that everyone dresses according to his own -fancy;--isn't that so, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I cannot answer from experience, monsieur le baron." - -In due time they arrived at Grenoble, where they dismissed their driver. -Their arrangements there were not the same as at Lyon; but although the -hotel was less palatial, they had an excellent table; poultry was -abundant, and the wine very good. Monsieur Ménard and Dubourg made the -best of it. - -On the day following their arrival, Frédéric and his companions started -off to visit the Carthusian monastery. Dubourg, having ceased to play -the grand seigneur, was quite as willing to accompany his friend as to -remain with Ménard, and the latter decided to go along, although he was -a poor walker, and Frédéric, the better to enjoy the country, proposed -to go on foot. - -The monastery, which they reached after half a day's walk, first appears -to the visitor surrounded by mountains covered with firs, by fertile -valleys and rich pasture lands. Approaching by Fourvoyerie, you follow a -road hewn out of the solid rock, with a rushing mountain stream on the -left, and a perpendicular cliff sixty feet high on the right. One -inevitably feels an unfamiliar sensation, a blending of wonder and -alarm, at sight of that wild landscape. - -They stopped to examine the peak called L'Aiguille, which towers above -the gate of the Grande Chartreuse. Frédéric was lost in admiration, -Dubourg looked calmly at the rock, and Ménard sighed; but the hospitable -welcome they received at the Chartreuse revived the poor tutor's -spirits; while he agreed that there were many superb views in that -region, he felt that he preferred his little fourth-floor room on Rue -Bétisy to the most picturesque cell in the monastery, where, moreover, -fast-days were very numerous. It is not given to everybody to appreciate -the beauties of nature; and it was with extreme delight that Ménard -started to return to Grenoble, although Frédéric proposed that they -should sleep at the Chartreuse to avoid overtiring themselves. Ménard -declared that he was not tired, and that the walk of five leagues had no -terrors for him; so they set out, after dinner. - -The sun was just setting and our travellers were still four leagues from -Grenoble, because Frédéric paused every instant to call his friends' -attention to a valley, a windmill, or a lovely view. Every time that -Frédéric stopped, Ménard sat down on the turf, and they had much -difficulty in inducing him to rise again. The worthy man was not a -great walker, but he summoned all his courage and took the liberty of -clinging to the arm of monsieur le baron, who was the most good-natured -fellow in the world when he was not putting on the airs of a palatine. - -Frédéric's attention was attracted by strains of rustic music. - -"Come," he said, "let us go down in this direction; I see some villagers -dancing below; let us enjoy the picture of their merrymaking." - -"Come on," said Dubourg; "there are probably some pretty girls among the -dancers." - -"Let us go," said Ménard; "we shall have a chance to rest and refresh -ourselves." - -They descended a hill into a valley bordered by oaks and firs, where -there were assembled the people of a small village which could be seen -farther up the valley. It was the local saint's day, and the peasants -were celebrating it by dancing. The orchestra consisted of a bagpipe and -tambourine, but that was quite enough for their purpose. Happiness shone -on every face; the girls wore their best gowns, and the coquettish -costume of the village maidens of that province makes them most -attractive, as a general rule. The older people were seated a little -apart, chatting together and drinking, while their children danced. - -Ménard seated himself at a table, and called for refreshments. Dubourg -prowled about the dancers, making sweet speeches to the prettiest -peasants; while Frédéric, after watching the picture for some time, -walked away from the dance, along the bank of a stream which wound in -and out among the willows on the edge of a dense forest. - -He had walked so far that the notes of the bagpipe hardly reached his -ears, and was about to return to his companions, when, on turning his -head, he espied, within a few paces, a young girl seated on the bank, -looking toward the valley with a bewitchingly sweet expression, and -smiling at the dance, which she could see in the distance; but there was -in her smile a tinge of melancholy which seemed to be a natural part of -it. She was apparently fifteen or sixteen years of age. Her garments -indicated poverty, but her charms made one overlook them. Beautiful fair -hair played in curls about her innocent brow, her features were refined -and delicate, her mouth graceful and smiling, and her soft blue eyes -wore a pathetic expression of gentle melancholy which harmonized with -the pallor of her complexion. - -Frédéric stopped and gazed at the young woman; he could not tire of -contemplating her. Why was she there, alone by the brook, while her -companions were making merry and dancing? Why that melancholy -expression? It was only a moment since Frédéric's eyes had fallen upon -her, and his interest was already awakened; he longed to know all about -her; it seemed to him that his heart already shared her sorrows. - -At that moment, several couples passed along the path on their way to -the dance. Frédéric accosted a peasant woman, and said, pointing to the -girl sitting by the brook: - -"Pray, who is that pretty child, and why doesn't she join in your -sports?" - -The villagers stopped and replied, with a compassionate glance at the -girl: - -"Oh! monsieur, the poor dear don't dance! That's Sister Anne." - -Frédéric, surprised, expected some further explanation; but they went on -toward the dance, repeating sadly: - -"That's Sister Anne." - - - - -IX - -WHAT WAS SHE DOING THERE?--THE VILLAGE DANCE - - -The peasants had gone, but Frédéric remained on the path among the -willows, where the last rays of the sun cast but a feeble light. He was -still gazing at the girl, who did not see him because, being no longer -able to see the dance, she had let her head fall on her breast, and her -eyes were fixed on the water flowing at her feet. - -What did those women mean by those words: "Poor dear, she don't dance. -That's Sister Anne"? - -Frédéric was deeply impressed by the tone of commiseration in which this -was said. The villagers seemed to pity the lovely child, and to consider -it perfectly natural that she should take no part in her companions' -pleasures. - -What grief, what possible cause, could keep that pretty girl away from -those scenes of merrymaking? Although her charming features wore an -expression of gentle melancholy, she did not seem to be agitated by any -recent sorrow; on the contrary, she seemed placid and calm; she smiled -at the brook which rippled at her feet, and her soul was evidently as -pure as the water in which her face was reflected. - -The girl was, as it were, wrapped in mystery, and Frédéric longed to -solve that mystery. Anything that concerned Sister Anne was no longer a -matter of indifference to him. He walked toward her very softly; he was -close beside her, and she did not raise her eyes. - -"How is this?" said Frédéric, in a trembling voice; "you do not imitate -your companions? They are dancing within a few yards, and you stay by -yourself in this lonely spot?" - -At the sound of Frédéric's voice, the girl turned her head and started -back in alarm; but, in a moment, reassured by his gentle tone, she -became calm again, and simply rose and moved away from the brook. - -"Have you some trouble, some profound sorrow? Can it be that you, young -as you are, are already acquainted with unhappiness? If it were in my -power to lighten your burden, I should consider myself very fortunate." - -The girl glanced at him with an expression in which melancholy -resignation was blended with gratitude. She fastened her lovely eyes on -his for a moment, then, with a graceful courtesy, started to walk away. -He took her hand and gently detained her. She seemed surprised, yes, -frightened, and withdrew her hand from the young man's, who was already -pressing it. - -"You are going away," said Frédéric, "without answering me, without -deigning to say a word to me?" - -The girl's eyes became even more expressive, as if animated by -indescribable pain; in a moment, they were filled with tears, which -trickled down her almost colorless cheeks. - -"Great heaven! you weep! can it be that I am the cause?" cried Frédéric, -seizing the poor child's hand again. She made a sign, as if to say that -it was not his fault. A faint smile broke through her tears; but she -withdrew her hand again, and, darting into the thickest part of the -wood, as light of foot as a fawn, she speedily disappeared. - -He took a few steps in the same direction; but it was quite dark, and he -could not see where she went. So he returned to the stream and stopped -at the place where she had been sitting. - -Frédéric could not as yet fully realize his feelings, but he was -conscious of a sentiment for that girl more tender, more intense, and at -the same time much more delicious to his heart, than any of his previous -passions. When he lost sight of her, his heart beat violently; it seemed -to him already that she was something to him. What grace, what charms! -But why that melancholy and that silence? They called her Sister Anne: -what was the significance of that title of _Sister_? Did she belong to -some religious order? But, no; her costume did not indicate anything of -that kind, and she was free to go where she chose. But there was an air -of mystery about her. - -"Lovely girl!" thought Frédéric, looking toward the forest in which she -had vanished; "I propose to find out all about you; I propose to see you -again and to allay your grief. I feel that I love you already; yes, I -love you; not as I loved all those coquettes who deceived me, but as you -deserve to be loved; for I read sincerity and innocence in your eyes. -Ah! how happy I should be, if you should come to love me some day!" - -But it had grown quite dark; it was time for him to join his companions. -Frédéric regretfully left the willow-bordered path where he had seen -Sister Anne; but as he returned to the valley, he said to himself: - -"I will see her again; I absolutely must! I won't mention her to -Dubourg; he would laugh at me; he believes that all women are alike; he -has no conception of love.--Poor child! I will soon find out why you -don't take part in your comrades' sports." - -The dancing had become very spirited; the villagers abandoned themselves -with zest to the pastime; joy and happiness were depicted on every face. -The songs of the drinkers blended with the music of the bagpipe and -tambourine. The young men squeezed their sweethearts' hands as they -danced, the maidens smiled sweetly at their lovers, the mothers at their -little ones, and the old men at their bottles. Each smiled at what he -loved best, as if in gratitude for the pleasure it afforded him. - -Ménard, who had seated himself between two sturdy drinkers, listened -calmly to the gossip of the neighborhood, eating a salad the while, and -clinking glasses with his neighbors; for pride is unknown in the -village, and Ménard never exhibited that sentiment inopportunely--that -is to say, he knew enough to make it subordinate to his appetite. - -Dubourg, forgetting his titles of nobility, had joined in the dance. He -was capering about with a pretty brunette, with bright eyes, a retroussé -nose, and an exceedingly shapely leg. The peasant girl was not at all -intimidated by her elegant partner; on the contrary, she kept saying to -him: - -"Come, why don't you dance? you don't move at all!" - -Dubourg performed his dainty little Parisian steps, which are so highly -esteemed in the salons of the capital; but to the villagers that was -nothing more than walking, and the girl said again and again: - -"Can't you dance better'n that? What kind of dancing do you call that? -Come, you must kick up your heels, or I'll take another partner!" - -Thereupon Dubourg, who did not want her to take another partner, made a -telegraph of his arms and legs, and kept them in motion incessantly. -Ménard, watching his performance from his table, said to his neighbors: - -"There's monsieur le baron dancing a polonaise with your young women! -Look, my boys, that's the way they dance at Cracow, and on the Krapach -Mountains! How dignified it is! how graceful! What pretty steps he takes -_per fas et nefas_!" - -Ménard's neighbors opened their eyes to their fullest extent, -understanding nothing of what he said. But Dubourg's partner was -content, and he, seeing that she was inclined to look favorably on him, -ventured to steal a kiss; but she instantly retorted by boxing his ears, -for the village damsels of the suburbs of Grenoble do not resemble the -Gotons of the suburbs of Paris. - -Frédéric stood near the dancers, but paid no heed to the animated -picture before his eyes. He fancied himself still in the lonely path, -and saw, in his imagination, the girl sitting beside the stream. - -Dubourg joined him, having left his partner because he saw that he would -have nothing but his capers and prancing for his pains, and because the -cuffing the peasant had given him had cooled his ardor for the dance. - -"Where on earth have you been?" he asked; "you left us at just the wrong -time." - -"I have been taking a walk." - -"What a tireless walker you are! But it seems to me that it's time for -us to walk to Grenoble, which is still four leagues away." - -They joined Ménard, who complimented Dubourg on his dancing. Frédéric -inquired the shortest way to Grenoble, and a young villager offered to -guide them part of the way; but Ménard did not seem capable of walking -four leagues, and even Dubourg was dismayed by the distance. The -villager suggested his farm horse, on condition that they should ride -him at a footpace. The suggestion was gratefully accepted by Dubourg and -Ménard; the latter rode behind, clinging fast to the baron. Frédéric -went on foot with their guide. - -The weather was superb, and the fields were bathed in moonlight. The -forests of fir rose majestically on their left hand, and the smith's -hammer alone broke the silence of the night. As they passed a forge, a -bright glare would efface for a moment the moon's bluish light, and cast -a reddish gleam over the landscape. The voices of the workmen blending -with the clang of the hammer inspired Dubourg to say to Ménard: - -"Do you hear the Cyclops forging Jupiter's thunderbolts?" - -And Ménard replied: - -"Not for all the gold of Peru would I venture among those people alone, -at night." - -And he dug his heels into their charger, which did not quicken its pace. -Dubourg and the tutor were a little behind the others, because the road -was very stony and the horse could make but slow progress. The guide was -a boy of twelve, ingenuous and frank like most mountaineers. - -"What is this village we are leaving?" Frédéric asked him. - -"Vizille, monsieur; it's the prettiest village round Grenoble." - -"Do you live here?" - -"Yes, monsieur; I was born here." - -"Do you know----" - -Before completing his question, Frédéric turned to see if his companions -could hear him; but they were more than fifty yards behind. Dubourg was -talking about Bretagne, and describing to Ménard how the people lived -there. Frédéric saw that he could talk with their guide without any fear -of being overheard. - -"Do you know a young girl in the village, who is called Sister Anne?" - -"Sister Anne? oh! yes, monsieur; of course I know her. She don't live -just in the village, but her cottage ain't far away. Poor Sister Anne! -who is there that don't know her, hereabouts?" - -"Why, you, too, seem to pity her? Is she so very unfortunate, pray?" - -"_Dam'_! of course I pity her; her story is very sad." - -"Do you know it?" - -"Yes, monsieur; my mother's told it to me more than once; everybody in -our village knows it." - -"Tell me the story; tell me all you know about Sister Anne; speak, my -friend, and be sure not to forget anything." - -As he spoke, Frédéric put a silver coin in the boy's hand; he was much -surprised to be paid for such a simple thing, and artlessly began his -story, of which Frédéric, walking close beside him, did not lose a -word. - - - - -X - -SISTER ANNE'S STORY - - -"Sister Anne's mother was a lady named Clotilde, who was sweet and -pretty, so they say. She belonged to a rich family, and wasn't brought -up like a peasant girl; she knew ever so much, but she and her husband -came and lived in our village. Folks said it was a love match, and that -Clotilde chose to have her lover and a cottage instead of the fine house -she could have had with another husband. - -"Clotilde and her husband lived happily for some time in our village; -they had a daughter first, little Anne, who was as pretty as her -mother--but you've seen her, haven't you, monsieur? - -"Four years after, they had another child, a boy; and they were very -glad, and the little girl never left her little brother. But, before -long, the poor things had lots of trouble: a big storm beat down their -crops, so they lost them; and poor Clotilde was taken sick. Then her -husband couldn't see any other way to support his wife and children but -to enlist. So he sold himself as a substitute, gave all the money to -Clotilde, and went away. - -"'Take good care of our poor children,' he says to her. - -"Clotilde felt so bad to have her husband go away that she couldn't do -anything for a long time, and little Anne took the whole care of her -brother, because she loved him with all her heart. Her mother used to -say to her: - -"'Take good care of your brother; perhaps he won't have anybody but you -to support him before long.' - -"A whole year passed. Clotilde's husband used to write often at first, -but all of a sudden his letters stopped. There had been a battle--for in -those days they were fighting all the time. - -"Poor Clotilde's husband was killed. The folks in the neighborhood heard -of it, but no one was brave enough to tell her; and Clotilde kept -expecting to hear from him long after he was dead. - -"Every day, the poor woman used to go to the top of a hill, where you -can see the road a long way in the direction of Grenoble; that was the -way she expected to see her husband come. She often passed whole days -sitting at the foot of a tree, looking at the road where she saw her -dear husband the last time. - -"When anybody saw Clotilde there, they'd try to comfort her by talking -about her children, but she'd say in a sad voice: - -"'Anne is with her brother; she never leaves him; she'll be a second -mother to him.' - -"You see, the little girl was only seven years old, but she surprised -the whole village by her intelligence and her loving care of her -brother. The poor little fellow didn't see anybody but her most of the -day, but he always had all he wanted. His Sister Anne dressed him, put -him to sleep, played with him, and tried to guess what he was going to -want; so her name, Sister Anne, was the first word he ever spoke, and -everybody in the village called her that, and spoke of her as a model of -sisterly affection; she has gone by that name ever since. - -"One day, Clotilde went out as usual, to go where she always used to go, -and left Sister Anne with her brother. Their mother didn't come back at -the usual time. The little boy kept on playing, but his sister kept -looking out into the fields and saying: - -"'Why don't mamma come?' - -"When the night came, Clotilde hadn't come home. If Anne had been alone, -she would have gone to the village and all around, to ask if anyone had -seen her mother. But she couldn't leave her brother; he was a treasure -that had been given to her to take care of, and she couldn't think of -leaving him for an instant. At last, the poor girl decided to put her -brother to bed, for he was only three years old and needed his sleep; -then she sat down by his bed to wait for their mother. Every minute she -suffered more and more; she couldn't help crying, and she kept saying to -herself: - -"'Why don't mamma come? O mon Dieu! she can't have deserted us!' - -"To make it all the harder for her, a terrible storm came up. The -thunder made a frightful uproar, and Sister Anne was awfully afraid of -it; so she put her head into her brother's cradle and called to her -mother to come and save them. - -"All of a sudden, there was a frightful crash that startled the whole -village. Sister Anne was dazed by it, and didn't dare to open her eyes -for some time. But when she did open them, and looked around, the -cottage was filled with thick smoke. The poor girl looked to see where -it could come from. The smoke got thicker every minute. Anne ran toward -the window, but couldn't get to it on account of the flames. The -lightning had struck the roof and set it on fire, and the two poor -children were surrounded by flames on all sides. - -"Then the girl thought of nothing but her brother; she took him out of -the cradle and ran all around the room, shrieking at the top of her -voice. But the danger was increasing all the time, and she lost her -strength; the smoke suffocated her; she tried to keep on calling, but -she couldn't. - -"Everybody in the village ran to the cottage, of course, monsieur. They -couldn't save the house, but they must save the children, anyway. They -succeeded, by taking great risks, in getting into Sister Anne's room. -They found her with her brother under their mother's bed; she was -holding him tight against her breast, trying to save him from death; but -it was no use; the poor little fellow was dead! Sister Anne had only -fainted, and they succeeded in bringing her back to life.--But just -imagine how surprised and grieved everybody was, monsieur, when they -found that the terrible shock had made her dumb!--She opened her mouth, -but could only make a sort of low, moaning noise. Since then, the poor -girl has never spoken a word!" - -"Great God!" cried Frédéric; "poor child! so that is the cause of the -melancholy expression of her lovely face!" - -"Yes, monsieur," resumed the boy; "Sister Anne is dumb; all that has -been done since then to make her able to speak hasn't done any good. The -city doctors said that the horrible fright, and her agony at seeing her -brother die and not being able to save him, had taken away the power of -speech, and that the same kind of shock might give it back to her, -perhaps, but nothing else could. But the poor little girl still had a -heart to feel her sorrow; she succeeded in making people understand all -she had suffered. For ever so many years, she mourned for her brother -and her mother; for poor Clotilde gave way to her grief the same night -that was so fatal to her children, and they found her dead on top of -the mountain, at the foot of the tree. - -"The burning of the little cottage deprived Anne of her only place of -shelter. But everybody in the village subscribed to help her; and a good -woman named Marguerite, who lives in a little cabin in the woods, near -the valley, took her in and adopted her. Marguerite was poor, too; but -with the money collected from the richest people in the village, Anne -bought a cow and a number of goats. - -"For several years, she didn't seem able to do any kind of work. She -passed her days sitting on the bank of a brook, or in the woods; she -didn't listen to what anyone said to her, and couldn't seem to do -anything but grieve for her father and mother and brother; but she got -partly over her grief in time, and now she's more calm and resigned; she -seems to appreciate what people do for her; she works like any country -girl, and shows the greatest respect for Marguerite, who is very old and -never leaves her cabin. Sister Anne is sweet and good and tender-hearted -now, as she always used to be. She even smiles sometimes, but her smile -is always sad. If she sees a little boy of her brother's age, it makes -her excited and unhappy, and her eyes fill with tears. If you've seen -her, monsieur, you know how pretty she is. She's sixteen now; even if -she can't talk, she can make herself understood; her gestures mean so -much, and her eyes speak so plain! We all understand her as easy as can -be. But, for all that, it's a great pity she can't talk; for all the -women say it would do her a lot of good." - -"Poor child!" said Frédéric; "yes, it is a great pity, indeed! How soft -and sweet her voice would be! how I would have liked to hear it! But her -misfortune makes her even more interesting in my eyes.--And you say -that she lives in the woods?" - -"Yes, monsieur; but it's easy enough to find old Marguerite's cabin. If -you take the path to the left from the one where the willows are, you'll -come to a clearing; then go down a low hill, and the cabin is in front -of you." - -"Very good, my boy; thank you." - -"But here you are at Grenoble; you don't need me any more, do you, -monsieur?" - -"No, my boy; here, take this with the other, for your trouble." - -"Thank you very much, monsieur; if you ever need anyone in the village -to help you, my name's Julien, and I'd be glad to work for you." - -"Very well; I will remember." - -The two horsemen dismounted; the young guide took their place, doffed -his cap to the travellers, and rode away at a footpace. Frédéric, musing -upon all that he had heard, walked in silence beside his two companions, -who, as they entered Grenoble, were discussing the proper way to serve a -_canard aux olives_--a discussion in which they had been engaged for -some time, Dubourg insisting upon the method in vogue in Bretagne, and -Ménard immovable in the principles he had learned from the _Cuisinier -Royal_. - -On reaching the inn, they retired to take the rest of which they stood -in need after so tiresome a day. But Frédéric could not sleep; the dumb -girl's face was constantly in his thoughts; he thought of her -misfortune, of the pathetic story he had heard, and he said to himself: - -"How dearly she loved her brother! What a loving heart! How she will -love, when love makes itself known to her! What pleasure to awaken love -in her heart! to read in her lovely eyes, which fill the place so well -of the organ she has lost!" - -This thought kept Frédéric busy all night. At daybreak, he rose, and, -leaving his companions to enjoy the repose which he could not obtain, -left the inn, ordered a horse, and galloped away toward Vizille. - - - - -XI - -A DAY IN THE WOODS - - -Love is the god who most agreeably employs our leisure; he scoffs at -distances and disarranges time. A lover is never bored, even when he is -not favored. Memories, schemes, hopes, afford constant occupation to a -loving heart. Love is the god of all countries and of all classes; he -finds his way into the humble cottage as well as into the palace. Love -is as sweet on the heather as on the softest cushions; indeed, some -persons go so far as to maintain that love is truer in the country than -in the city; it ought, at all events, to be more natural there. The -mountaineer, the woodchopper, the ploughman, may not devote his time to -the fine arts, to financial schemes, to political intrigues; but -everybody is at liberty to love, luckily for the human race. Some -author, I know not who, has said with much truth: "The happiest time of -a man's life is that which he spends paying court to his mistress." - -What a pity it is that this time is so short! It is probably to renew -their happiness that men change mistresses so often. Women do not treat -love so lightly. It is their life's history, while with us it is only a -romance. - -Frédéric soon arrived at the valley where there was dancing the night -before, and which was now as peaceful and quiet as the whole -neighborhood. A few laboring men passed, on their way to work; here and -there, a peasant could be seen in the fields. In the country, the -evening's enjoyment does not impair the morrow's toil; the good people -find their diversion in talking over the pleasures of the holiday, which -will not return for a year; but the time will pass quickly to them: they -know so well how to employ it. - -Frédéric rode toward the little, willow-lined path; there he dismounted, -tied his horse to a tree, and plunged into the woods. He looked for the -maid on the bank of the stream, but she was not at the place where he -had seen her the night before. So he went farther into the woods, -recalled what his guide had told him, and took the path to the left. -Everything was peaceful and calm; the dark foliage of the firs almost -excluded the daylight. At last he came to a clearing, descended a hill, -and saw a wretched cabin before him. The wood of which it was built had -rotted in several places, and the thatched roof threatened to fall in. -There was a small garden at the right, surrounded by a picket fence, a -part of which had fallen. - -Frédéric's heart ached at the aspect of the place, which was eloquent of -utter poverty and of a lack of the prime necessities of life. - -"And this is where she lives," he said to himself; "where she has lived, -in poverty and solitude, ever since she was seven years old! Poor child! -When your sublime self-sacrifice, when the catastrophe which resulted -from it, deserved the homage of all mankind, you had only this wretched -hut in which to weep for your brother and parents, and were fortunate -not to be left without a shelter and without bread!" - -He leaned against a tree and gazed at the cabin; his heart was so full -that he could not go forward; he could only sigh and say to himself: - -"She is there!" - -Several minutes passed. Suddenly, the door of the cabin was thrown open, -and a girl appeared in the doorway and looked out into the woods. It was -she! The depressing aspect of that wild spot, the gloomy woods, the -dilapidated cabin, all vanished! The girl's presence instantly made her -surroundings beautiful.--The woman we love wields a tremendous power; -she communicates her fascination to everything about her: by her side, -the darkest cavern causes no fear, the wildest spot on earth seems a -paradise. - -Sister Anne went back into the cabin, and soon came out again with four -goats, her whole flock. There was a cow in the little garden; she patted -her as she passed, as if promising to return soon. Then, driving her -goats toward a hillside where there was an abundance of grass, the dumb -girl walked slowly behind them, with her head bent forward, raising it -only to see that her goats did not go astray. - -Frédéric had retained his position against the tree, which concealed him -almost entirely, and watched every movement of Sister Anne. When she -went toward the hill, he followed her noiselessly; he longed to be by -her side, to speak to her; but he was afraid of startling her if he -appeared too abruptly. She seemed so shy and timid: suppose she should -run away from him again! - -But she seated herself on a green mound, and took from her little basket -a piece of bread and some figs; she was about to breakfast. Frédéric -drew nearer and nearer, until he stood close beside her; and when she -turned her head to look after one of her goats, she saw before her again -the young man of the previous evening. - -The girl made a movement which seemed to be due rather to surprise than -alarm; indeed, there was nothing about Frédéric to inspire fear; as he -stood before her, himself anxious and trembling, his glance was gentle -and timid; his whole aspect and manner bore witness to the tender -interest she aroused in him. - -As she seemed disposed to rise and go away, Frédéric said to her: - -"Do not fly from me, I entreat you, sweet girl; I should be very unhappy -if I caused you the slightest fear." - -The child smiled, and gave him to understand, by shaking her head -gently, that she had no such feeling. - -"I saw you last night by the brook," said Frédéric, walking toward her. -Sister Anne looked at him, then lowered her eyes, smiling again, as if -to say that she remembered him. - -"What! you remember me? And you, sweet girl, have not been out of my -thoughts for one moment. How could I fail to be impressed by the sight -of such lovely features and such charms of person and of manner?" - -The girl listened in surprise; all that he said was entirely strange to -her ears. He sat down on the turf, a few feet away from her. This action -seemed to surprise her still more; she looked at him again, with -something like alarm, but the sentiment expressed in his eyes soon set -her heart at rest. She looked at the ground, but it was easy to read on -her ingenuous features that she was waiting curiously for him to speak -again. - -"When I saw you yesterday, I felt the deepest interest in you. But how -that interest has grown since I learned---- Poor child! Ah! I know of -your sad plight! I know all the misfortunes that have been heaped upon -you." - -The dumb girl's features became more expressive than ever; a -heartrending memory seemed to agitate her. She groaned, raised her eyes -to heaven, then turned them on the ground once more as a flood of tears -poured from them. - -Frédéric went to her side; he put one arm lightly about her, and took -her hand, which he placed upon his heart. - -"I have revived your grief," he said; "pray forgive me. Would to heaven -that I could, on the contrary, help you to forget it by making you -happy! Poor child! let me wipe away your tears. From this moment, you -are no longer alone on earth; you have a friend, there is a heart that -beats in answer to yours, a heart that will beat for you alone, so long -as it lives. Anne, dear friend, give me leave to love you, to share your -grief, your suffering, to think constantly of you, to see you every -day--oh! do not deny me this favor, or I shall be much unhappier than -you are!" - -Frédéric spoke with great animation; love excited him and made his voice -sweeter than ever, his glance more seductive. The dumb girl listened to -him at first with surprise; an unfamiliar sentiment disturbed her; she -tried to withdraw her hand, but she had not the strength. Frédéric had -ceased to speak, and she continued to listen. - -But soon the remembrance of her condition, of her misfortune, destroyed -the spell that was upon her. She looked at Frédéric with a melancholy -expression, and, with a much bitterer glance at herself, withdrew her -hand and pushed him away, shaking her head as if to say: - -"No, you cannot love me; I am too unfortunate." - -Frédéric understood her; he put her hand to his heart again, and said, -pointing to the cabin: - -"With you, I should be happy living here in these woods." - -At that moment, they heard the sound of a little bell. It was a signal -which notified Anne that old Marguerite had risen. She hastily called -her goats together and prepared to return to the cabin. - -"Will you come back?" asked Frédéric; "oh! do let me see you again -to-day!" - -She pointed to the sun, whose beams were just beginning to shine through -the foliage, then rested her head on the back of her hand. - -"When the sun goes to rest, you will go to the brook?" - -Sister Anne made an affirmative gesture, then hastened back to the -cabin, driving her goats before her. But she turned her head before she -went in, and looked back to the place where she had left Frédéric, -smiled at him, and disappeared. That glance and smile enraptured the -young lover; he had already ceased to be a stranger to Sister Anne; that -thought filled his heart with joy. It needs so little to make one happy, -in love! - -Frédéric went back to the place where he had left his horse; but, on the -way, he asked himself whether he should go to Grenoble and return at -night. It seemed to him more natural to remain in the village, to take a -light lunch there, and then to wander about in the neighborhood of the -cabin, which, even now, he found it so hard to leave. He cared little -what his fellow travellers might think or say. They must end by -accustoming themselves to his absences, for Frédéric had a feeling that -he would come often to Vizille, or, rather, that he would rarely go to -Grenoble. She whom he loved dwelt in those woods; Sister Anne was all in -all to him; he no longer thought of the future, his station in life, or -his father's plans; he saw only her, he had no wish to live except for -her. To be sure, his love dated only from the night before, and he was -only twenty-one. - -In the village, whither he went to rest and breakfast, he talked about -Sister Anne; and everyone seemed to take pleasure in praising her -virtue, her sweet nature, her tender heart; but they generally added: - -"The poor girl is greatly to be pitied; she stands a good chance of -spending her life in that miserable hut; for what man would ever marry -an unfortunate mute?" - -Frédéric smiled and held his peace; but he was thinking that he had seen -in Paris many women resplendent with beauty, charm, and talents, and -that he preferred the dumb girl of the forest to them all. - -He found in the village such refreshment as he required; he saw that his -horse was bountifully fed; then, mounting him again, he rode back to the -woods, where he fastened him to a tree near the stream, then bent his -steps toward the lonely cabin. - -The sun had performed but half his journey; but Frédéric hoped that, if -he prowled about the little house, he might see Sister Anne, which would -make it easier for him to wait patiently until evening. - -As he approached the garden fence, which was only four feet high, he had -no difficulty in taking in at a glance the whole extent of the garden. -It was small, but they had made the most that could be made of it. -Several fruit trees, a few grapevines, vegetables, and flowers, were -growing together in that contracted space, where nature was at liberty -to follow all her caprices. - -As he looked about, Frédéric saw an old woman seated under a fig-tree. -She was evidently very old, but her venerable face was the mirror of a -calm and peaceful soul. He gazed at her for some time with profound -respect; it was she who had adopted Anne, who had filled her mother's -place. - -The good old woman's face lighted up as the dumb girl approached her, -carrying a wooden bowl filled with milk, which she placed on -Marguerite's knees. The old woman patted her cheek, saying: - -"That is nice, my girl, my dear child. Sit down here by my side. You -know how I like to look at you while I am eating." - -The girl at once sat down in front of Marguerite; she seemed to be on -the alert to anticipate her lightest wish, and more than once she raised -her withered hand and kissed it respectfully. - -Frédéric did not stir; he could have passed hours watching that picture. - -The old woman, after she had finished her meal of milk and fruit, rose, -and with Sister Anne's assistance walked two or three times about the -garden. Frédéric concealed himself when they passed, but he noticed that -the girl glanced into the woods, as if looking for someone. Could that -glance be for him! Ah! if so, how fortunate he would be! his heart dared -to conceive the hope. He was tempted to enter the garden, to throw -himself at the dumb girl's feet; but Marguerite's presence held him -back. - -At last they returned to the cabin, and Frédéric left the spot from -which he could look into the garden. He wandered about the woods for -some time. Everything brought the orphan's face before him; every tree, -every bush spoke of her. Had she not lived in those woods nine long -years? Her feet had trodden every foot of turf, and doubtless her eyes -had rested on everything that surrounded her. - -He walked slowly back to the brook, and sat down on the spot where he -had first seen Sister Anne. It might be a long while before she came. -Frédéric took his notebook and pencil from his pocket, and wrote--what? -Poetry for Sister Anne; for is not every lover a poet? and are not poets -more eloquent when they are lovers? We have the lines Tibullus wrote for -Delia; Ovid immortalized Julia; Orpheus enchanted the Shades while -seeking Eurydice; it was love that tuned Anacreon's lyre, love that -inspired Sappho; Lesbia's charms aroused Catullus's poetic ardor, and -Cynthia's imparted delicacy and passion to the flowing verses of -Propertius. Does not Petrarch owe a large part of his renown to Laura? -without her, he might have been a poet; but would he have sung of love? -To you, Eucharis and Eléonore, we owe the moving elegies of Bertin and -Parny's charming verses. - -Time passes very swiftly when we are writing poetry for her we love. -Frédéric was still leaning over his notebook and writing busily, when he -heard a faint sound; he turned his head and saw Sister Anne behind him, -watching him with deep interest. She blushed when he detected her, but -Frédéric set her mind at rest, and, bidding her sit down beside him, -read what he had written. - -Sister Anne had no idea what poetry was; but she understood Frédéric's -meaning in what he read. The heart is the key to an unsophisticated -woman's mind; the opposite is true of women of worldly training. - -The girl was already less shy and embarrassed in Frédéric's presence; at -sixteen, one is quick to make acquaintances, especially when one has no -knowledge of the customs of society or of its laws. Frédéric was so -gentle and kind and sympathetic! he pitied her, he talked of her sad -story, and the poor orphan was surprised to find that there was somebody -besides old Marguerite who was interested in her destiny. The village -people always manifested much sympathy and pity for her; but there is in -that sentiment something distressing to its object. But that was not -what she read in Frédéric's eyes. He talked to her with deep interest -and looked at her with affection, and she was already beginning to feel -less unhappy. - -But the approach of night found them still seated by the stream. They -had been there two hours, to their great surprise. Anne rose and pointed -to Frédéric's horse; then turned her eyes anxiously toward the village, -the woods, and the mountains, and lastly upon Frédéric himself. - -"I am going to Grenoble," he said; "I am staying there now with two -friends, who may be alarmed by my long absence. But I will come again -to-morrow, I will come every day. Do you think that I could pass a -single day without seeing you?" - -The girl smiled, and seemed more content; she went with him to where his -horse was waiting; he pressed her soft hand to his lips, and finally -made up his mind to return to the city. Sister Anne went to the edge of -the woods, in order to follow him with her eyes as far as the twilight -permitted. Not until she could no longer hear his horse's step, did she -return slowly to the cabin, pensive and dreamy, surprised by the -unfamiliar sensations of which she was conscious, but which she could -not understand. - - - - -XII - -HOW A MAN LOVES AT TWENTY - - -"Where in the devil have you been?" Dubourg inquired of Frédéric, who -arrived at the inn just as his two companions were sitting down to -supper. - -"I have been--riding about the neighborhood." - -"What a mania you have for travelling about the country! Are you going -to lead the same kind of life here as at Lyon?" - -"Possibly." - -"That will be amusing for us! At Lyon, we could at least vary our -amusements a little, see people----" - -"Yes, the Marquise de Versac, and others, eh?" - -"But here! why, we know the city by heart already. If one could make an -acquaintance or two, obtain an introduction to a few houses--but when a -man has no money, he doesn't dare to show his face anywhere, for it -gives one an awkward manner that betrays one at once. If it's absolutely -necessary, in every place we stop, for you to know the history of every -tree, every stone, and every view, and to pause in rapt contemplation -beside every brook, why, we shan't get to Italy for ten years! and your -life won't be long enough for you to see half of Europe." - -"I must say," observed Ménard, "that monsieur le baron's remarks seem to -me most judicious. We move about as rapidly as a tortoise, _si parva -licet componere magnis_." - -"I could forgive you for making a minute examination of Naples or -Florence; there are monuments there which one cannot contemplate too -long. Gaze in admiration at the Coliseum or the Basilica of Saint Peter -at Rome; walk on Mount Pausilippus or Vesuvius, and I shall not be -surprised; but what do you find so extraordinary in this province? It is -picturesque and romantic, I agree; but we shall find some much more -remarkable views on our journey. Wait, before going into ecstasies, -until you are on the glaciers of Mont Blanc, or on some peak of the -Apennines; and don't stand a whole day in admiration before an old -mulberry-tree overhanging a tiny stream; for there are trees, shrubbery, -turf, and fountains everywhere--except in the African desert; and we are -not going so far as that." - -"My friend," said Frédéric, with a smile, "I have found here what one -would seek in vain elsewhere; and that, to my mind, is of more value -than all the wonders of the world." - -With that, Frédéric went to his room and to bed, paying no heed to -Dubourg, who called after him: - -"For heaven's sake, tell us what you've found?--What in the devil can he -have found, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I am trying to think, monsieur le baron." - -"Gad! I wonder if it's the wallet that was stolen from me at Lyon." - -"Or your berlin, monsieur le baron." - -"My berlin! of course, that's all spent before now--that is to say, that -rascal of a postilion has probably sold it to get money for drink." - -"True, that is probable. What a pity! such a venerable carriage!" - -"But what can he have found that's so delightful?" - -"Perhaps it's a method of keeping eggs fresh on a journey." - -"Bah! as if Frédéric ever gave a thought to such things!" - -"But it would be a most valuable discovery, monsieur le baron. Somebody -gave me a receipt for it once, and also one for making milk punch, but I -was unlucky enough to lose them while moving." - -"It is plain that we shall not find out what he has found, unless he -chooses to tell us." - -"I will go and think about it while I sleep, monsieur le baron." - -"And I will go to sleep thinking about it, Monsieur Ménard." - -Early the next morning, Frédéric again set out for the village. He rode -down into the valley, left his horse in a field where the grass was as -high as his knees, and walked rapidly along the path toward the woods; -in a moment he was on the hillside with Sister Anne, who had already -driven her little flock to pasture. - -A deep flush overspread the girl's cheeks at sight of Frédéric; she -smiled, and offered him her hand with a friendly air. She had begun to -be impatient at his non-arrival; "Will he not come again?" she had said -to herself, and had kept her eyes fastened on the path from the valley. -She had known him only two days; but in a heart so affectionate and pure -as hers, love is certain to make rapid progress. Was it, then, love that -she already felt for the young stranger? Poor child! I am afraid so; and -was it not natural? was she not at an age when love blends with all our -other sentiments? and Frédéric was well adapted to inspire it. - -"I am late," he said, "for my horse did not share my impatience; dear -friend, I am so happy with you! I would like never to leave you." - -Anne gazed earnestly at him for a long while; she sighed, pointed to the -road leading to the city, then glanced at her cabin, as if to say: - -"We shall always be separated." - -"Leave that cabin, agree to come with me," cried Frédéric, eagerly; "and -we will never part." - -The girl rose with a gesture of dismay, and, pointing again to the -cabin, imitated old Marguerite's tottering steps; then shook her head -emphatically, while her eyes shone with a divine expression which said -to Frédéric: - -"No, I will never leave her." - -"Oh! forgive me; I am wrong, I can see it now; your heart cannot be -ungrateful; forgive me! love led me astray." - -The dumb girl bore him no ill-will; she returned to her seat by his -side, and a charming smile lighted up her features. Her beautiful hair, -fluttering in the wind, caressed Frédéric's face, and she laughed as she -drew it away. But he passed an arm about her waist, and held that lovely -head against his heart. His eyes exchanged tender glances with Sister -Anne's; his lips touched her cheeks, and the pretty dumb girl's sweet -breath mingled with the air he breathed; are not such moments the -sweetest in love, the happiest in life? - -They passed thus a great part of the day. Frédéric remained in the -woods, where Sister Anne brought him fruit and milk, so that he need not -go to the village. Already the girl dreaded to have him leave her. She -ran again and again to the cabin to see if Marguerite needed her; but -the good old woman slept much of the day, and Sister Anne soon ran back -to her new friend. - -Toward evening, she remained longer with her adopted mother. Meanwhile, -Frédéric went down to the stream and waited for her there, his notebook -making the time pass quickly. When the girl surprised him writing, she -heaved a profound sigh, and, looking sadly down at herself, seemed to -say: - -"I don't know anything; I never shall know anything." - -"I will be your teacher," said Frédéric, in reply to her unspoken -thoughts; "I will teach you to speak on paper." - -At nightfall, the young man left his friend, who accompanied him sadly -to his horse, and whose eyes said: - -"Until to-morrow!" - -A week passed away. Every morning at daybreak Frédéric left Grenoble, -and rode to Vizille on the first horse he found in the inn stable. He -passed the whole day with Sister Anne, and left her at nightfall. - -When he was away from the dumb girl, Frédéric barely existed, and Sister -Anne was no longer happy except when she was with him. Love had taken -possession of her heart, without any resistance from her; it had made -its appearance embellished by so many charms! why should she repel that -sentiment which made her happy? Frédéric possessed every element of -seduction; he kept telling her that he loved her and would love her all -his life; she did not for one moment doubt his oaths; she did not know -what inconstancy was. Why should he lie to her? She abandoned herself to -the joy of loving. Her mouth could utter no loving words, but her eyes -told him all that was taking place in her heart, and a single one of her -glances was equal to the most loving protestations. - -Frédéric tried to teach her to write, but love constantly interfered -with the lessons he gave her. Seated by her side, pressing her to his -heart, with full liberty to gaze at leisure on her lovely features, her -intoxicating eyes--he stopped, and forgot what he was about to show her. -She looked at him and smiled, and the lesson was forgotten. Frédéric -strained her to his heart, his passions were aroused--but one is timid -with innocence, especially when one loves sincerely. - -But the most timid passion grows bold in time; the habit of seeing each -other, of being together, of displaying their mutual affection, drew -them closer together every day. They were always alone in the forest, -and the forest is a very dangerous place for innocence. Could they long -resist their hearts, the flame that consumed them? Frédéric became -daring, and Sister Anne gave herself to him without regret, without -remorse, for it seemed natural to her to make the man happy whom she was -sure that she should love all her life. - -In the transports of passion, Frédéric determined not to leave his -sweetheart in order to go to Grenoble to sleep. The eight leagues, going -and coming, kept them apart a few moments longer, and compelled him to -leave her a few moments earlier. - -"No," he said, "I do not propose to go away from you any more, not for -an hour, not for a minute. When I cannot see you, why, I will sleep in -the woods, on the grass, near your cabin. As if I could be uncomfortable -there!" - -The lovely girl threw her arms about her lover's neck, kissed him, did a -thousand foolish things; her every gesture was eloquent of her -happiness. He would not leave her any more; therefore she would be happy -every minute. The poor child believed that it was possible. Suddenly, -as if struck by a new idea, she led Frédéric to the cabin and pointed to -a window; it was in the room where old Marguerite slept, and close -beside it was another window, in the dumb girl's room; she led Frédéric -there, laid her head on the back of her hand, drew him to her, and gazed -passionately into his face. The young man understood her; he pressed her -to his heart, and cried: - -"Yes, I will sleep with you, always by your side! Ah! how happy we shall -be!" - -Thus did the child of nature soon discover what would forward her love; -for to love ardently requires neither art nor study; the heart is the -best master. Several times, Sister Anne manifested a wish to present -Frédéric to her adopted mother; she could not understand why he avoided -her, until he said: - -"Marguerite would not leave you so entirely at liberty, if she knew that -you saw me every day; on the contrary, she would tell you that you must -avoid me and not speak to me." - -These words were enough to prevent Anne from returning to the subject. -Forbid her to see Frédéric! order her to avoid him! why, that would be -condemning her to weep all her life. She felt that she would not have -the strength to obey; so it was much better to conceal her happiness -from Marguerite. The good old woman was growing weaker every day; she -rarely left her chair, where she dozed a great part of the time; so that -it was very easy to conceal the truth from her. - -The night succeeded that day on which Frédéric had won the sweetest of -all triumphs and had known the intoxication of a genuine passion. But -the approach of darkness did not drive him forth from the woods; on the -contrary, it was to increase his happiness tenfold. - -He did not give a thought to his companions, to their anxiety about him, -or to their embarrassing position since he had all the money; he did not -remember that he had a horse belonging to the inn; he had no thought for -anything on earth but Sister Anne. Not even the memory of his father -interfered to mar his happiness. The present was all in all to him; -Sister Anne engrossed his heart and mind; he had never known a woman who -could be compared with her. Could he find elsewhere in the world so much -beauty, grace, innocence, and love? Her misfortune made her even dearer -to him. Frédéric was very romantic, and he did not look upon love so -lightly as most young men of his years; so that his conduct should -appear less extraordinary to us. And then, too, the dumb girl was so -pretty! In the first transports of love, a cabin, a forest, a desert, is -what all lovers desire; but this intoxication is of short duration. Will -Frédéric be more constant? - -In the path by the stream, where they sat together so often, he waited -until old Marguerite should fall asleep. Then Sister Anne was to steal -out of the cabin and come for her lover. - -Frédéric tied his horse to an old ruined hovel, where a woodcutter had -once lived, and which he used as a stable. - -The moon was shining brightly; it was reflected in the limpid water of -the brook and made the sparse clearings in the wood as light as day. -Frédéric listened intently for his sweetheart's footstep! The time -seemed very long; every minute robbed love of a sigh. He tried to look -beneath the black firs and distinguish the cabin. At last he heard a -faint sound: it was she. He could not see her, but his heart told him -that she was near. As light of foot as a fawn, as swift as the hunter's -arrow, as beautiful as happiness, the dumb girl sped through the paths -of that forest, whose every corner she knew. In an instant, she was -beside her lover, who kissed her on the forehead and could not forbear -to gaze long and lovingly at her. He was proud of his good fortune; the -time and place, the joy that shone on her features, the mystery that -surrounded them--all seemed to make Sister Anne lovelier than ever. Her -hair, carelessly caught up so that a part of it played about her neck; -her shapely figure, which a light gown veiled without concealing; and -her eyes, so sweet and so overflowing with love, renewed Frédéric's -transports. - -"Come, come," he said; "lead me!" - -The girl took his arm and led him through the dense woods. They soon -reached and entered the humble cabin, which had become in his eyes the -most delicious retreat. He shared Sister Anne's bed; how could he envy -those who sleep in palaces? Happy lovers! let us leave them to enjoy -their happiness. - - - - -XIII - -DUBOURG PLAYS THE GRAND SEIGNEUR ONCE MORE.--NEW ACQUAINTANCES - - -On the day following Frédéric's first absence, Monsieur Ménard, having -risen early, burst into Dubourg's chamber, crying with a triumphant air: - -"I have found it, monsieur le baron; I am certain that I have found it." - -"Found what?" said Dubourg, who was just awake; "your receipt for -keeping eggs fresh?" - -"No; but what it was that charmed monsieur le comte so yesterday; that -wonderful place where he passed the day." - -"Bah! you say you know where he was?" - -"Yes! I would stake my head on it!" - -"Tell me, then." - -"It was the Château de Bayard, which must be in this neighborhood, in -the valley of Grésivaudan." - -"The Château de Bayard? Faith! it's quite possible; however, we'll ask -him at breakfast." - -But Frédéric did not appear at breakfast. Dubourg summoned one of the -servants. - -"Has our companion gone away already?" - -"Yes, monsieur, at daybreak; he took the first horse that was ready, and -went off at a gallop." - -"Gone again! and left us here, perhaps for the whole day!" - -"I am convinced that it's the Château de Bayard that has turned his -head." - -"Hum! I'm very much afraid myself that it's some more modern marvel. -However, as we have nothing better to do, let's go and see the ruins of -this château, and we can look for Frédéric there; what do you say, -Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I agree with you perfectly, monsieur le baron; but perhaps we shall do -well to carry a pâté or a chicken, for we probably shall not be able to -get a dinner at the château." - -"You speak like the grammar, Monsieur Ménard; we will provide ourselves -with supplies; it may not be very chivalrous, but it is prudent. -Besides, we are travelling as amateur troubadours simply; and, however -beautiful a view may be, however imposing a ruin, we belong to that -class of small-minded mortals who must dine every day. Ah! Monsieur -Ménard, we are not romantic! It was very lucky for us that we were not -born in the days of Amadis and the four sons of Aymon." - -"Faith! that is true, monsieur le baron; for they didn't know how to -truffle a chicken in those days, or cook _filets de sole au gratin_." - -Dubourg inquired the way to the valley of Grésivaudan, Monsieur Ménard -filled his pockets with provisions, and our travellers set forth. They -were told that it was a short three leagues to the Château de Bayard; -but Ménard suggested a halt every half-hour. The baron invariably -complied, and produced a bottle of the best wine he had been able to -find at their inn; Ménard spread his provisions on the turf, on a large -sheet of paper, and the travellers renewed their strength. When Dubourg -caught sight of some tempting fruit, he would climb the tree to obtain -some for dessert; and finally he cut a number of branches and, by -spreading his handkerchief over them, constructed a little tent, so -that they could dine in the shade. - -"One would hardly suspect that the man who does this is a noble -palatine!" cried Ménard. - -"Why not, pray?" rejoined Dubourg; "the Princess Nausicaa made her own -lye; Augustus's daughters spun their father's robes; Dionysius the -Younger was a school teacher at Corinth; the son of Perseus, King of -Macedonia, was a carpenter at Rome, as Peter the Great was in Holland; -so it doesn't seem to me that I derogate from my rank by making a tent -in Dauphiné." - -Monsieur Ménard, having nothing to reply, simply bowed, murmuring: - -"_Variant sententić._" - -At last, our two travellers discovered the ruins of the Château de -Bayard, of which only the four towers remain standing; but they did not -find Frédéric gazing in veneration upon them. - -"Well, do you see him, Monsieur Ménard?" said Dubourg. - -"The château?" - -"No; Frédéric." - -"Not yet, monsieur le baron; but let us sit down and rest; unluckily, I -am afraid that this is the last halt that will refresh us much, as our -provisions are near the end, and we have only a quarter of a bottle -left." - -"We shall find plenty of springs, Monsieur Ménard." - -"But they won't be like those of Cana in Galilee, monsieur le baron." - -"Meanwhile, let's finish the bottle and this chicken. We are very well -placed here to enjoy the landscape. This is a charming valley. See, -Monsieur Ménard, what a picturesque effect these mountains make on our -right; they're covered with snow, and that reminds me of Mount Krapach. -See, the snow never melts up there." - -"I see, monsieur le baron, that this is our last wing; and I shudder to -think of the walk back." - -"We'll go into some house--or a mill; there are plenty of those in this -region." - -"Do you mean that you have any money, monsieur le baron?" - -"Not a sou; and you?" - -"No more." - -"The devil! this becomes embarrassing. Think of Frédéric carrying the -cash-box off with him, and leaving us in the lurch, without stopping to -think what will become of us! I am aware that we may live on at the inn, -where we have an open account; but it isn't pleasant to be tied down to -an inn while my gentleman is travelling about the country." - -"One thing is certain, monsieur le baron, and that is that walking gives -one an appetite." - -"Morbleu! I am beginning to find this travelling decidedly monotonous; -and if I wasn't afraid of my creditors----" - -"Your creditors, monsieur le baron?" - -"I mean, if I hadn't the creditors of my government to settle with--that -is to say, if---- But, hush! I see somebody--probably people who have -come to inspect these ruins. They must live in the neighborhood, for -they don't look as if they had taken a long walk." - -Ménard looked up and saw a man and woman at their left, walking slowly -toward the château. The tutor hastily thrust the bottle and napkin into -his pocket, then he rose and joined Dubourg, who was walking toward the -new arrivals with a graceful swagger which reminded Ménard of their -promenades in the streets of Lyon. - -"It seems that monsieur le baron proposes to lay aside his incognito -again," he said to himself. Whereupon, he straightened the ends of his -ruff and assumed a more dignified bearing. - -Dubourg had replaced by a very simple round hat the shabby tile which -had been left for him at the false Marquise de Versac's, but he had -retained the little silver tassels on his boots; above all, he had -retained the power to impart to his features an expression befitting the -part he proposed to play. When he approached the couple examining the -ruins, one would have judged from his manners, his voice, his language, -and the way in which he looked about, that he was some foreign nobleman. - -The gentleman and lady whom Dubourg seemed disposed to join were dressed -in a style that indicated comfortable circumstances, but which smelt of -the province and of a decided tendency to ostentation. The gentleman, -who seemed to be about fifty years old, wore his hair powdered, and -carried his hat in his hand in order not to disarrange his carefully -curled locks; he had a black coat and trousers, and boots with tops -which fell below the calf; he carried a cane, with which he pointed out -the various objects of interest to his companion; and one could read on -his face extreme self-satisfaction and contentment, heightened by an -important air which, doubtless, he felt in duty bound to maintain. - -The lady on his arm was at least forty years old. She had evidently been -comely in the past, but she made the mistake of trying to appear only -twenty; for, despite her mincing manners, her infantile speech, the -curls behind her ear, and those that peeped out from beneath her hat, -and a manner which she strove to render giddy and kittenish, one could -readily see that she had passed her majority. - -Dubourg walked toward the château, apparently without noticing the -strangers further than to bow to them; he made a pretence of continuing -his conversation with Ménard, speaking so loudly that he could be heard -at some distance. - -"This château reminds me of my grandfather's in the neighborhood of -Sandomir. You know, my dear Ménard, the one where we endured such a long -and bloody siege?" - -Ménard opened his eyes as he met Dubourg's, but he instantly replied: - -"Yes, monsieur le baron, I know." - -"That tower yonder," continued Dubourg, "is very like the one on the -western side of my castle of Krapach. I can imagine that I am still in -the room where the Prince of Bulgaria slept, when he came to break bread -with my father. Ah! my dear Ménard, I hope soon to give you some of that -famous tokay I have told you of." - -"Tekely's tokay, monsieur le baron?" - -"The same; it has been a hundred and twenty-four years in bottle!" - -The gentleman and lady heard every word spoken by Dubourg, who kept on -toward the château, pretending to examine it, but taking care not to go -too far away from them. - -While Dubourg was speaking, the gentleman listened intently; his face -soon assumed an expression of respectful consideration; he nudged his -wife,--for his companion was his wife,--and, pointing to Dubourg, -motioned to her to walk a little faster to overtake the illustrious -foreigner. - -At the foot of one of the towers, they found themselves in close -proximity to our two travellers, who were just about to enter the ruins. -Dubourg stopped, to allow the lady to go first; her husband paid him the -same attention, and even bowed low to Ménard. These ceremonies duly -performed, they entered into conversation. - -"Does monsieur visit our country as an observer?" the husband asked -Dubourg. - -"Yes, monsieur; I am travelling--for my pleasure--with a friend of mine, -the Comte de Montreville, of whom you may have heard, and Monsieur -Ménard, a distinguished professor of literature and a Hellenist of the -first order, who improvises poetry like an angel--especially at -dessert." - -The gentleman bowed to Ménard, who looked like an idiot when Dubourg -said that he improvised readily, but he was very careful not to -contradict him, none the less. - -"Do you live in this province, monsieur?" queried Dubourg. - -"Yes, monsieur," the lady replied, with a gracious smile. "We live two -leagues and a half from here, at Allevard, where my husband bought a -superb estate when he retired from the wine trade." - -At this point, the gentleman nudged his wife, but she continued, -apparently without noticing the hint: - -"A trade we carried on for our pleasure, for my husband has always had a -very handsome fortune; but one must do something." - -"What do you say, madame? For my own part, I have a great esteem for -trade, especially the wine trade. Certainly Noah didn't plant the vine -with the idea that we should eat nothing but dried grapes. Gideon, a -Hebrew captain, threshed his own grain, Saul was a cowherd, David a -shepherd, Cincinnatus ploughed his own fields, Pope Sixtus V kept pigs, -and Urban IV was once a cobbler; so I can see nothing surprising in the -fact that your husband once sold wine." - -"Surely not, monsieur," said the husband, bowing low to Dubourg.--"He's -a noble philosopher," he whispered to his wife. - -"But since we retired," continued the lady, "we associate with only the -best people in the province: the mayor and his clerk, and landowners who -are electors--aristocratic people. We lead a delightful life; my husband -is almost the lord of the district." - -"I certainly am looked upon in that light," added the husband, leaning -on his cane. "It was in my power to be sub-prefect; but I should have -had to move, and I am attached to my present home. We are so highly -considered there! I entertain all the best people at dinner; we -cultivate music and the arts--I am learning the violin just now; I have -had a cabinet organ sent from Paris. My wife will play it; she has a -fine ear." - -"Pardieu!" said Dubourg; "talking of ear, Monsieur Ménard here has one -of the finest bassos I know? As for myself, I play all instruments." - -"Ah! monsieur," said the lady, with a smirk, "what a pleasure it would -be to hear you! We have lots of amateur musicians at Allevard: monsieur -le maire plays the bass-viol, and one of our neighbors is very strong on -the hunting-horn. If monsieur should remain any length of time in this -vicinity, we should be charmed to entertain him." - -This invitation was accompanied by a very tender smile; Dubourg replied -with an expressive glance, and the husband, well pleased, meekly lowered -his eyes, while Ménard looked at his companion to find out what he was -to say. - -"Faith! madame," rejoined Dubourg, after their exchange of glances had -lasted for some minutes, during which the husband contemplated the -swallows, "it may be that my friends and I will remain some time at -Grenoble. Monsieur le Comte de Montreville has a very pronounced liking -for the banks of the Isčre, and I am too fond of him to go away without -him. We are like Orestes and Pylades, except that we are never seen -together; and although we are expected at the court of Sardinia, and I -have promised to pass the winter at the court of Bulgaria, it is -possible, as I say, that our sojourn in this province may be prolonged -for some time;--isn't that so, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I think as you do, monsieur le baron," said Ménard; whereupon the lady -whispered to her husband: - -"How affable he is for a baron!" - -And the husband replied: - -"He is affable just because he is a baron." - -"Especially," continued Ménard, who had assumed a more important air -since he had learned that their new acquaintance was a former dealer in -wines, "especially as Monsieur le Comte de Montreville, my pupil, is of -an exceedingly romantic turn." - -"Ah! he is like me! he is just like me!" said the lady, with a sigh -addressed to Dubourg; "I care for nothing but the romantic. I am mad -over ghosts and elves--am I not, Monsieur Chambertin?" - -"Yes, my wife has always been very fond of spirits," Monsieur Chambertin -replied, with a smile. - -"She had no lack of them with you," rejoined Dubourg. - -"True, I had them all the way from twenty-four degrees to seventy." - -"If madame should ever come to Poland," said Dubourg, "I trust that she -will not fail to pass a few days at my castle of Krapach. She will see -phantoms of all colors there; it's not so cheerful a place of residence -as my castle at Cracow, but I would not part with it for two millions! -And yet, it brings me nothing but snow; but I have my reasons for being -attached to it--eh, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"Peste! I should say so! a castle where you have entertained----" - -"Hush, be still, Ménard; that doesn't interest Monsieur and Madame -Chambertin." - -"I beg your pardon," said Chambertin, bowing once more; "we are too -flattered to make the acquaintance of a Polish nobleman--for I think -that monsieur le baron is a Pole?" - -"From my birth," replied Dubourg, turning his head away so that Ménard -might have an opportunity to say to them in an undertone: - -"Monsieur le Baron Ladislas Potoski, Palatine of Rava and Sandomir." - -When he heard those titles, the former wine merchant was like one -stupefied; he dared not take a step forward or back, while Madame -Chambertin twisted her mouth in every conceivable way, and did her -utmost to do away with it altogether, in order to seduce the Palatine of -Rava. - -"Did you come here to see the ruins?" queried Dubourg, after giving his -name and titles time to produce their due effect. - -"Yes," replied Monsieur Chambertin; "we have not seen them yet, and one -should be acquainted with his neighborhood. This Bayard must have had a -very fine château, to judge by what is left of it; but he was a very -good sort of man." - -"He was a chevalier, wasn't he, my dear?" said Madame Chambertin, in a -mincing tone. - -"Yes, my love; a chevalier of the time of Louis XIV." - -At that, Monsieur Ménard coughed and glanced slyly at Dubourg. - -"I like to see antiquities," continued Chambertin, "ancient monuments; -they're interesting when one has a certain amount of education. Is -monsieur le baron here for the same purpose?" - -"Faith! we were in a decidedly bad humor when we met you," said Dubourg; -"we walked here from Grenoble, as we were told that it was a short three -leagues, and I didn't care to wear out my horses in this mountainous -country; but I hoped to find some decent inn hereabout, where we could -dine; or at least some means of getting to the nearest village; I -offered some peasants as much as six gold pieces to obtain a horse for -me, and not one of the knaves moved.--Isn't that so, Ménard?" - -"It is quite true, monsieur le baron, that we couldn't find anything at -all." - -"Ah! my dear," whispered Madame Chambertin to her husband, "what a happy -idea! what a chance!" - -"I will seize it!" he replied; and he planted himself in front of -Dubourg, with his feet in the third position.--"Monsieur le baron, if I -wasn't afraid of presuming too far, if you would deign to accept a plain -country gentleman's dinner, Madame Chambertin and I would be overjoyed -to have at our table a distinguished nobleman and a professor of -literature. My cabriolet is waiting for us close by, with Lunel, my -jockey; we shall be at Allevard in an hour, and my cabriolet will take -monsieur le baron to Grenoble this evening." - -"Really, Monsieur de Chambertin, you are too kind," replied Dubourg, -with a bow. - -"He called me _De_ Chambertin!" said the ex-tradesman to his wife. - -"I heard him." - -"Do you suppose he means to make me a knight?" - -"I believe he's quite capable of making you something." - -"I am almost tempted to accept your invitation," said Dubourg; "it will -afford me the pleasure of becoming better acquainted with some most -delightful people.--What do you say, my dear Ménard? Will it make -Montreville anxious? Do you think that we might accept Monsieur de -Chambertin's invitation to dinner?" - -"Yes, certainly we may, monsieur le baron," replied Ménard, who was so -excited by the prospect that he took from his pocket the paper napkin in -which the carcass of the chicken was wrapped, and wiped his face with -it, thinking that it was his handkerchief, and oblivious to the fact -that he was besmearing himself with chicken jelly; but Monsieur and -Madame Chambertin were in the seventh heaven and saw nothing of all -that. To take home with them to dinner a great Polish nobleman, a -palatine! who had put a _de_ before monsieur's name, and who made eyes -at madame--that was quite enough to turn their heads. - -"The cabriolet will never hold four," said madame. - -"Don't be alarmed, my dear; I will take Lunel's pony, and he will ride -behind. Whenever monsieur le baron chooses----" - -"Faith! let us go," said Dubourg; and he added in an undertone, as he -offered the lady his hand: "All the ruins in the world could not prevail -against you!" - -They left the château, Dubourg with Madame Chambertin on his arm, while -her husband ran ahead, and Ménard followed, trying to discover the -source of the smell of chicken which pursued him everywhere. - -At a turn in the path, they discovered the cabriolet, in charge of a -little man of about his master's years, who looked more like a butler -than a jockey; beside him was an animal which, judging from its size and -ears, was halfway between a horse and an ass. Madame Chambertin entered -the carriage with her two guests. - -"Give me your nag, Lunel," said Monsieur Chambertin. - -"And what am I to do, monsieur?" - -"Get up behind the carriage." - -"You know very well, monsieur, that I can't hold on there." - -"Then you shall walk. The idiot! not to have learned yet to hold on -behind a carriage!" - -As he spoke, Monsieur Chambertin mounted the beast, and belabored him -with his cane in default of a crop. - -"Excuse me, if I ride ahead," he called to Dubourg; "but I have some -orders to give." - -"Oh! no ceremony for us, I beg you, Monsieur de Chambertin!" was the -reply. - -But the host was already far away; when he heard himself called _De_ -Chambertin again, he took the bit in his teeth. - -Dubourg took the reins and drove, which did not prevent him from making -many very gallant speeches to Madame Chambertin en route, or from -motioning to Ménard to wipe his face. Lunel ran behind the cabriolet, -consigning to the devil the strangers who were responsible for his -master's taking his nag. - -In due time they arrived at Allevard, a pretty village, through which -flowed a mountain stream of considerable size that furnished power for a -large number of windmills, iron foundries, and factories. Monsieur -Chambertin's estate was on the right, just at the entrance to the -village; it was a beautiful house, built according to modern ideas, and, -as Madame Chambertin said, almost a château. - -As they drove into a spacious courtyard shaded by tall lindens, Dubourg -secretly felicitated himself on the chance meeting, and began to think -that Madame Chambertin still possessed a very attractive figure and very -bright eyes. As for Ménard, he had visions of a well-furnished kitchen, -and he concluded that a man who owned such a charming estate deserved -some consideration, although he was neither baron nor palatine. - -Madame Chambertin escorted the strangers into a pretty salon on the -ground floor, which looked on a beautiful garden behind the house. -Everything indicated wealth, profusion, and absence of taste. There were -two clocks on the mantel, another on a console, a fourth on a desk. The -furniture was costly, the floor covered with rich rugs, the walls -overloaded with pictures, and three chandeliers hung from the ceiling. - -"This is my small summer salon," said Madame Chambertin, modestly. "If I -had known that I was to have the honor of entertaining monsieur le -baron, I would have had my large winter salon thrown open, where three -sets can dance a quadrille without interfering with one another." - -"We have more room than we need, madame; and I should be very sorry to -cause you any inconvenience; this salon is perfectly charming; -everything here shows the touch of the goddess of this blest abode." - -"Ah! monsieur le baron--to be sure, I did arrange it. My husband wanted -to put another clock in this corner, but he can do without it." - -"It would be very difficult not to know what time it is here." - -"This is rather a tasty rug, don't you think? I have a still finer one -in my winter salon. You must use them a great deal in Poland, monsieur -le baron?" - -"Oh! we have carpets six inches thick in Poland; you sink into them as -you walk, just as you do into a feather-bed. I hope to have the honor of -sending you a specimen." - -"Oh! monsieur le baron!" - -At that moment, Monsieur Chambertin appeared, with such guests as he had -been able to collect in a hurry, to dine with a great noble at his -table. He had found only four persons at liberty: a former village -notary and his wife, who were just about to sit down to their own -repast, when their neighbor rushed in, greatly excited, and told them of -the acquaintances he had made, and that he was to have the honor of -entertaining at his house the noble foreigner and the professor of -belles-lettres. - -At that news, followed by an invitation to dine with the great man, -Monsieur Bidault--such was the ex-notary's name--summoned his maid, and -said: - -"Clear the table, Marianne; put the pâté in the sideboard, the chicken -in the pantry, and the fish in the cellar, and keep them all for -to-morrow; we dine with my neighbor." - -And Madame Bidault ran to her mirror, crying: - -"Quick, Marianne! my gown with orange blossoms, my straw hat, my lace -collerette; I can't appear in négligé before those gentlemen.--Aren't -you going to dress, Monsieur Bidault?" - -"Oh! I'll just put on my nut-brown coat, that's all.--Be sure that the -fish is kept where it's cool, Marianne." - -"Marianne, do fetch my dress." - -Monsieur Chambertin hurried away to seek other guests, urging Monsieur -and Madame Bidault not to be late. Poor Marianne, harried on every side, -did not know which way to turn: she carried the straw hat to the cellar, -and ran to her mistress with the platter of fish in her hand. At last, -after twenty minutes of running hither and thither, the husband and wife -were in condition to appear before the illustrious stranger. Monsieur -Bidault, who had taken to writing poetry since he gave up his office, -looked forward with pleasure to a discussion of the poetic art with the -man of letters; and Madame Bidault, who prided herself upon having more -style than anyone else in the neighborhood, was enchanted to exhibit her -_savoir vivre_ before a grand seigneur. - -On leaving the Bidaults, Monsieur Chambertin went to the mayor's; but -the mayor was in the fields overlooking his laborers, and would not -return till evening. Then he hurried to the notary, Bidault's successor; -but the notary was hunting, and his wife was in the midst of making -preserves, which she could not leave. - -But the time was getting short, so Chambertin had recourse to an -ex-apothecary of Lyon, who had retired from business and bought a -pleasant little house at Allevard. He was not a very distinguished -individual to place before a palatine; but as there was no time to -choose, he had to be content with what he could get; besides, Monsieur -Fondant talked very little, so he was not likely to say foolish things. - -So Chambertin burst in upon him, and, having no time to explain himself -at length, said hurriedly: - -"My dear Fondant, I have a noble palatine, from Poland, at my house; -he's going to dine with me; I want you, come! and a man of letters, -who's a Hellenist incognito. Make haste! they are distinguished men of -the first rank; we dine in half an hour." - -And he was gone. He thought that he might perhaps get his friend -Frossard, the ironmaster, one of the richest landholders of the -neighborhood. He hurried to his house and found him in the act of -dining; he had already eaten his soup and beef, when Chambertin entered -the dining-room, bathed in perspiration, and called to him from the -doorway: - -"Stop, Frossard, stop! not another mouthful!" - -"What does this mean?" rejoined the ironmaster, holding his long knife -in the air over a fat chicken he was preparing to carve; "not another -mouthful! I fully expect to have a word to say to the thighs and wings; -I won't leave anything but the carcass." - -"Stop, I tell you, my friend! you must come to dine with me." - -"Not to-day; it's too late, as you see." - -"You must." - -"I have eaten a third of my dinner already." - -"That won't make any difference." - -"I am very much afraid it will." - -"I have two noblemen to dine with me, one a literary man." - -"What do I care?" - -"From Poland--Cracow--a baron--a scholar!" - -"Well, what of it? that's no reason why I shouldn't eat my dinner." - -"I want you to have the honor of dining with them." - -"So long as I have a good dinner, my dear man, it matters little to me -whether I dine with a baron or a miller." - -"Come, come, Frossard, my friend, have a little more elevation in your -ideas." - -"My chicken is getting cold." - -"You shall have some delicious hare _piqué_ at my house; I also have a -certain pâté de foie gras, which has just been sent to me from -Strasbourg." - -"Ah! the traitor will succeed in tempting me." - -"We will have some of my old pomard, and some of that Saint-Péray you're -so fond of." - -"It is impossible to resist you." - -"Will you come?" - -"Yes; but not for your noblemen and your scholars; I don't know anything -about them. I'll come for the hare and the pomard, which I know all -about." - -Monsieur Fondant was the first to arrive; but, being naturally timid, -and more embarrassed than usual at the thought of appearing before two -strangers, whom he supposed to be princes from the few words his -neighbor had let fall, the ex-apothecary remained in the reception-room -adjoining the salon where Madame Chambertin was talking with her guests; -lacking courage to present himself alone, he waited for the other guests -to arrive, so that he might steal in behind them. - -Monsieur and Madame Bidault came at last, and so did the corpulent -Frossard. Monsieur Chambertin, who had been giving orders to his cook, -hurried forward to greet his guests. He found Monsieur Fondant in the -reception-room, and, throwing open the door of the salon, presented -Madame Bidault to monsieur le baron. During the exchange of salutations -between the ex-notary and his wife and our two travellers, Frossard, who -did not stand so much on ceremony, pushed Fondant, who seemed inclined -to remain in the reception-room, before him; and Madame Chambertin, -having made her company welcome, disappeared to give a moment's -attention to her toilet. - -"Monsieur le baron," said Chambertin, "I have got together a few -friends, who, like myself, are overjoyed to have----" - -"Faith! my dear man," said Frossard, dropping into an easy-chair, and -interrupting his host without ceremony, "you came just in time; if I had -put my knife into the chicken, I wouldn't have left it." - -"That dear Frossard must have his joke," said Monsieur Bidault, slapping -the ironmaster's leg, while his better half sat very stiffly in a chair -facing Dubourg, who, half reclining on a couch, resembled a sultan -passing his slaves in review; while Ménard, at a little distance, -admired the ironmaster's appearance of robust health and the respectful -bearing of Monsieur Fondant, who had seated himself near a window so as -to be almost hidden by the curtain. - -"If I had known earlier that I was to entertain monsieur le baron," said -Chambertin, "I would have arranged a little soirée musicale--a little -party; but I flatter myself that I shall be better prepared another -time." - -"You confuse me, Monsieur de Chambertin. Really, I shall not be able to -leave this part of the country; and yet we are expected at the court of -Bulgaria--as you know, Monsieur Ménard." - -At these words, Madame Bidault drew herself up and pressed her lips -together; Chambertin glanced at his neighbors with an expression that -said: "What did I tell you?" while Monsieur Fondant disappeared -altogether behind the hangings. - -"In truth," continued Dubourg, "I am much pleased with this -neighborhood, and the delightful people I meet here make it even more -attractive." - -At that compliment, everybody rose and bowed; a similar manoeuvre was -executed behind the curtains. - -"But I thought that I saw Monsieur Fondant," said the ironmaster; "what -in the deuce has become of him?" - -"I am here, monsieur," said the ex-apothecary, in a hoarse voice, -showing his face from behind the curtains. - -"What are you doing there, a mile away from us all? Come out here, -Monsieur Fondant. What's the news from Lyon? what do you hear there?" - -Monsieur Fondant blushed to the ears, for he saw that the strangers were -looking at him. He drew his handkerchief, blew his nose, moved his chair -forward and back, and stammered at last, speaking through his nose to -give himself confidence: - -"How hot it is to-day!" - -Luckily, Madame Chambertin returned, and her presence gave a different -turn to the conversation. She had put on a thin muslin waist, trimmed -with lace; she wore no hair other than her own, which was not very -becoming, but she had donned her diamond ear-rings and a superb pearl -necklace, which made her very seductive in the eyes of Dubourg, who went -to meet her, and, as he offered her his hand, tenderly squeezed the ends -of her fingers; to which she replied by a half-smile accompanied by a -stifled sigh. - -Monsieur Bidault had joined Ménard, whom he judged to be the man of -letters, and repeated divers sentences from the _Perfect Notary_, -accompanied by verses from the _Almanach des Muses_. Ménard, who, in his -endeavor to copy Dubourg, sometimes assumed his self-sufficient tone, -smiled patronizingly at Monsieur Bidault as he replied emphatically: -"_Studia adolescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant_;" and Monsieur -Bidault, who had forgotten Cicero when he was learning the Codes, -replied by offering him a pinch of snuff. - -Lunel, who had donned a short English jacket, in which he resembled a -Limousin, announced that dinner was served. - -Everybody rose; Dubourg offered his hand to Madame Chambertin, Frossard -to Madame Bidault, and the others followed, Monsieur Fondant bringing up -the rear. - -They passed into a very handsome dining-room, where a sumptuous feast -was spread. Ménard observed with satisfaction that there were four -_hors-d'oeuvre_, which always indicates a well-arranged dinner. -Monsieur le baron was seated between Madame Bidault and Madame -Chambertin; but his face was generally turned toward the latter, and the -deep flush which from time to time overspread the cheeks of the hostess -might have raised a presumption that her illustrious guest was talking -to her under the table as well. - -Ménard was between Messieurs Bidault and Fondant, the former of whom -interlarded his conversation with insipid rhymes, while the other -contented himself with filling his neighbor's glass. Ménard turned -toward the ex-apothecary more frequently than toward the ex-notary. - -At the second course, Dubourg, beginning to be convivially inclined, for -he had done full honor to his host's pomard, began to talk recklessly -about his châteaux, his vast estates, Poland and Bretagne; he confounded -the customs of Rennes with those of Cracow, and the products of his -native province with the snowstorms on the Krapach Mountains. But the -company, listening with rapt attention to what he said, simply opened -their eyes and ears the wider. The corpulent Frossard had a fellow -feeling for the baron because he drank his wine without water, and -looked upon Ménard as a scholar of distinction because he discoursed -learnedly upon the method of cooking every dish. Monsieur Bidault was -delighted to have an opportunity of displaying his poetic talent; his -wife considered herself a beauty because Dubourg told her that she had a -look of Mademoiselle de Scudéri. Monsieur Fondant was more at his ease -because nobody paid any attention to him. Monsieur Chambertin was in -ecstasy because he had a nobleman at his table; and Madame Chambertin -rolled her eyes because the aforesaid nobleman frequently touched her -knee with his under the table. - -About nine o'clock in the evening, they made an effort to adjourn to the -salon. Everybody had striven to hold his own with monsieur le baron, -some from love of drinking, others for courtesy's sake, so that no one -was quite firm on his legs; the ladies alone were able to stand erect, -for they rarely lose their heads at table. - -Amid the Bacchic fumes, Dubourg retained sufficient presence of mind to -realize that they were six leagues from Grenoble, and that it was time -to return thither. Monsieur Chambertin proposed to keep them overnight; -but if they remained, they must do what the others did; Monsieur Bidault -and the ironmaster had already taken a pack of cards, and Dubourg, who -found it difficult to resist the attraction of the gaming-table, felt -that he would cut a very foolish figure with no money in his pocket. -The better plan, therefore, was to go, and come again. Monsieur Frossard -challenged him to a game at backgammon in the near future, and Dubourg, -who considered himself very strong at that game, hoped to recoup a part -of his losses at the hands of the blacklegs at Lyon. - -Ménard was so comfortable at Monsieur Chambertin's that he would have -been glad to sleep there, and Madame Chambertin, who may have had some -hidden purpose, tried to detain the young palatine. But he had his -reasons for not yielding; and, seeing that his persuasions were of no -avail, Monsieur Chambertin ordered Lunel to be ready with the cabriolet -to drive monsieur le baron and his friend to Grenoble. - -Dubourg took leave of his hosts, promising to return very soon and pass -several days with them. This promise allayed their regret at his -departure. - -"Remember, monsieur le baron, that I rely on your word," said Monsieur -Chambertin, with a low bow. - -"We shall expect you," added madame, with a glance that said all that -was necessary. - -Dubourg replied by placing his foot on her husband's foot, which he -mistook for hers, and cordially shook hands with his host, calling him -his dear friend De Chambertin. - -Lunel and the cabriolet were waiting; Dubourg and Ménard took their -seats and started for Grenoble. - -The swaying of the carriage soon put Ménard to sleep; and Dubourg, -having no one else to talk to, communed with himself: - -"This acquaintance will be very agreeable to me, and will vary the -monotony of our stay at Grenoble. Those excellent people think I am a -nobleman; there's no great harm in that, and it may well be that I have -the air of one. Madame Chambertin still has a vivacious glance; her -husband has excellent wine and an excellent table. That big ironmaster's -as rich as Croesus, and it seems that he likes a little game. Morbleu! -if only I was still cashier! what a chance to repair our losses! I am -sure that he hasn't an idea of backgammon. Such a man as that wouldn't -notice a loss of five or six thousand francs. And Frédéric goes off and -leaves us without a sou; passes his time no one knows where. I simply -must find out what he does every day; I must watch over him, as poor -Ménard here doesn't dare to say a word to him. A fine guardian monsieur -le comte sent with him!" - -It was very late when they reached Grenoble. Ménard woke up to alight -from the carriage. When Dubourg saw old Lunel before him, hat in hand, -he instinctively felt in his pockets; but finding nothing in any of -them, he put his hand under Lunel's chin and patted his cheek, saying: - -"All right, Lunel; good-night, my fine fellow! I am content with you." - -Whereupon the old groom turned on his heel, and muttered all the way -home: - -"That was a fine _pourboire_ the Pole gave me!" - - - - -XIV - -A VISIT TO THE FOREST - - -When Dubourg and Ménard woke on the morning after their dinner at -Allevard, Frédéric had been gone a long while. - -"We will wait till to-night," said Dubourg, "and then we will speak to -him." - -"Yes, monsieur le baron," said Ménard; "you will speak to him." - -But we have seen that Frédéric remained with Sister Anne very late every -day, until he had decided to remain with her altogether. It was four -leagues from Grenoble to Vizille; the horse Frédéric took in the -morning, at random, went but little better in the evening, although he -had rested all day; for inn horses are rarely good saddle horses. So -that the beast sometimes took three hours to return from Vizille; and -Frédéric did not urge him, for he was not then on his way to Sister -Anne. - -So that he returned very late, and Dubourg, after playing piquet with -Ménard,--it was the only game the ex-tutor knew,--had ended by falling -asleep over the cards; for, as neither of them had any money, they could -only play on credit, so that the game never became exciting, although -Ménard had at his service the King of Prussia's snuff-box, and took a -pinch every two or three minutes, to give himself some resemblance to -the great Frederick. - -Seeing Dubourg yawn, Ménard suggested that they go to bed; and they -postponed their conversation with Frédéric until the next day. But the -next day also passed without affording them a sight of him. - -Several other days passed in the same way. Dubourg's impatience -increased; he was very desirous to return to Allevard, to follow up his -conquest, and to play backgammon with the ironmaster. Monsieur Ménard, -on his side, was no less desirous to drink some more of Monsieur -Chambertin's pomard, and to sit beside Monsieur Fondant, who filled his -glass so handily. - -But they could not afford to walk to Allevard; it was essential that -they should make their appearance there in a style befitting the rank -they had assumed; above all things, they must have money in their -pockets, if they wished to cut a figure at the card-table. Ménard was -not convinced of the necessity of that; but as monsieur le baron thought -that it was indispensable, of course he agreed with him. - -"So that we absolutely must see Frédéric." - -"Parbleu!" said Dubourg; "we'll wait till to-night; and to keep from -going to sleep, we'll drink punch all night, if need be; what do you -say, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I agree with you entirely, monsieur le baron, provided that we have -some cake to go with the punch." - -"We will have four cakes; we will play piquet for them, and Frédéric -shall pay the bill." - -In the evening, a huge bowl of punch was brought, and a plate laden with -cakes. They began their game, and drank often to avoid falling asleep, -thereby putting themselves to sleep rather earlier than usual. After -they had drunk half a bowl each and eaten six or eight tarts and cakes, -their heads fell forward. - -"I am _capot_," said Dubourg. - -"Show your hand," added Ménard. - -They woke at daybreak, intensely disgusted to have fallen asleep; but, -at all events, Frédéric could not have gone away so early, and they -would find him at last. Dubourg called and shouted, but no one answered. -He went down into the innyard and asked about his friend. - -"He didn't come in last night," said the hostler. - -"Didn't come in!" cried Dubourg; "are you sure?" - -"Yes, monsieur; neither him nor the horse." - -"The devil!" ejaculated Dubourg; "this begins to be alarming. To stay -out all night--it's very strange." - -He went up to tell Ménard, and that gentleman, after reflecting for -fifteen minutes, inquired: - -"What do you think about it, monsieur le baron?" - -"Morbleu! that's what I ask you, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I don't dare to form any opinion, monsieur le baron--that's my -opinion." - -"It's very much like Brid'oison's." - -They passed the day waiting for Frédéric, who did not appear. Dubourg -was anxious about his friend, Ménard trembled for his pupil, and the -innkeeper would have been disturbed about his horse if he had not had -the carriage for security. - -The next morning, at daybreak, Dubourg appeared at Ménard's bedside, -with his hat on his head, and said: - -"Come, we must find Frédéric." - -"Let us find him, monsieur le baron." - -"To find him, we must look for him." - -"That is what I was thinking, monsieur le baron." - -"That doesn't seem to prevent your lying quietly in bed." - -"I am awaiting your final opinion." - -"My opinion is that we should start at once. That young man has a face -and figure so far from commonplace that we must be able to learn which -way he went; he can't be lost!" - -"We must hope not, for what would monsieur le comte his father say to -me?" - -"Get up, then, and come with me." - -Ménard dressed and breakfasted, and accompanied Dubourg, who ordered -saddles placed on two venerable farm horses, which the innkeeper -intrusted to them with a bad grace, because their account was beginning -to exceed the value of their carriage. At last they were mounted; Ménard -warned his companion that he could not ride faster than a walk, and -Dubourg replied that when one is making a search he does not travel -rapidly. - -When they left the inn, they inquired and were told which direction -Frédéric had taken. All along the road, people had noticed the young -horseman who passed every morning, urging his horse to his utmost speed, -and returned very slowly in the evening. Dubourg soon learned beyond -question that Frédéric rode to Vizille every day. - -"What does he go there for?" queried Dubourg. - -"He has probably found some charming view." - -"I think it's more likely to be some charming face." - -"What! monsieur le baron, you think----" - -"Why, yes; Frédéric isn't fool enough to stare at nothing but trees and -mountains all day. He was in search of a heart that would sympathize -with his, a nature as loving as his own--in a word, a woman who would -take his fancy; and who knows that he hasn't found some artless, -simple-minded peasant girl who has turned his head?" - -"For my part, I'll wager that he spends his time looking at the Grande -Chartreuse." - -"Consider, Monsieur Ménard, that Frédéric is only twenty-one." - -"Remember, monsieur le baron, that women have deceived him many times, -and that he left Paris to avoid them." - -"Is that any reason why he should never love another woman? Indeed, -Monsieur Ménard, when a man runs away from a thing, it's because he -feels that he couldn't resist it long." - -"Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife, monsieur le baron; but it was not for -fear of giving way to her." - -"Joseph allowed himself to be seduced at last, Monsieur Ménard, for his -posterity peopled Canaan." - -Arguing thus, they arrived at Vizille. They inquired about Frédéric in -the village; but the villagers, being busily employed, had paid little -attention to the young man, who had dined at the inn only twice; for we -have seen that he dined in the woods on what Sister Anne brought him. -They had seen him several times, to be sure, but they had not noticed in -which direction he went, or what he did in the village. So Dubourg and -his companion left Vizille, knowing little more than when they arrived. - -"All is lost!" cried Ménard, from time to time; "my pupil must have been -eaten by wolves or killed by highwaymen, or else he has fallen over a -precipice while watching a sunset! Poor Frédéric! so gentle, amiable, -and well-informed! there is nothing left for me but to weep for you! - - "'Qualis populea moerens Philomela sub umbra - Amissos queritur foetus!'" - -"Oh! no, Monsieur Ménard; Frédéric hasn't been killed or eaten. There's -no question here of a resemblance to Philomela weeping for her children; -what we have to do is to find out where the young man has gone. Ah! look -yonder--there's an animal who could give us some information about him, -I fancy." - -On leaving the village, they had gone down into the valley, and were now -on the outskirts of the forest, where Frédéric's horse was wandering at -will along the paths leading into the valley. - -"That's his horse," said Ménard. "I know him by that white spot; I've -seen him in the innyard; it's Frédéric's horse. And he's alone, without -a rider. An additional proof, monsieur le baron, that the young man has -fallen a victim to his imprudence. The horse undoubtedly threw him; my -pupil is dead; he probably tried to climb one of these mountains; it was -dark and he couldn't see the road at his feet. All is lost!" - -"I believe, on the contrary, that Frédéric is in these woods, and that -he left his horse here so that he could go where he chose. Let us adopt -the same method in looking for him; but let's be more prudent than he, -and tie our horses to one of these firs." - -They dismounted, and entered the woods, Ménard still holding his -handkerchief to his eyes, because he believed that Frédéric was dead or -wounded, and Dubourg marching ahead and peering intently in every -direction. Ere long he came quickly back to the tutor, with a triumphant -air, and said, pointing to a grassy mound: - -"Look! see if my presentiments misled me? there's the marvel of nature -that Frédéric comes here to admire." - -Ménard looked in the direction indicated, and saw, beneath a spreading -tree, his pupil lying carelessly on the grass, holding in his arms a -lovely girl, whose head rested against her lover's breast, and whose -arms were about his neck. - -"You were right, monsieur le baron," said Ménard, after a moment of -speechless surprise; "that isn't the Chartreuse! it is more modern." - -"That looks to me to be a lovely girl." - -"And to me also, monsieur le baron." - -"That sly dog of a Frédéric! It was decidedly clever of him to find such -a pretty face in this desert. Do you still think that he shuns the -ladies, Monsieur Ménard?" - -"It doesn't look like it at this moment." - -"Pshaw! Monsieur Ménard, Frédéric, although rather sentimental, is made -like other men; but we must go and offer him our respects." - -"That will disturb him, monsieur le baron." - -"Parbleu! as he passes all his days here, he has time enough to make -love." - -Dubourg and Ménard walked toward the lovers; at the sound of their -footsteps, Frédéric turned and saw them. The girl raised her eyes, and, -at sight of the two strangers, pressed closer to Frédéric; and hiding -her face against her lover's breast, seemed from that vantage-ground to -defy all dangers. - -"Bravo! my dear Frédéric, bravo!" laughed Dubourg. "I understand now why -you get up so early. Upon my word, your conquest is a charming creature, -and that little shy manner adds to the piquancy of her features." - -The dumb girl, after a swift glance at Dubourg, turned her eyes again -toward Frédéric, as if to ask him what it all meant. - -Frédéric rose and the girl did the same, clinging to her lover and -gazing uneasily at the two strangers; she seemed to fear that they had -come to take him from her; but Frédéric reassured her, then kissed her -affectionately, and bade her go and wait for him in Marguerite's garden. -It was hard for Sister Anne to obey, for she dreaded to leave him; but -again Frédéric promised to join her in a moment. The girl pointed to the -strangers, and her eyes said: - -"You won't go away with them?" - -He embraced her again, whereupon she became calmer, and at last went -away, not without turning her head many times to look fondly at Frédéric -and sadly at the strangers. - -"Very pretty, very pretty, on my word!" said Dubourg, looking after her. - -"If her speech resembles her plumage," murmured Ménard, between his -teeth, "she is the phoenix of the denizens of this forest." - -"Why have you come here, messieurs?" demanded Frédéric, angrily. - -"Why have we come? parbleu! to look for you, who desert us and leave us -penniless at an inn, to come to make love here in the woods with a -peasant girl, who is very pretty, I agree, but who ought not to make you -forget your friend and your venerable tutor." - -Frédéric made no reply, but seemed to be absorbed in thought. - -"Monsieur le comte," said Ménard, coming forward with an air of profound -respect, "certainly it is lawful for every man to be susceptible to -female charms; Adam was with Eve,--to be sure, he had no chance to be -with any other woman,--Abraham with Hagar, David with Bathsheba, Samson -with Delilah; and when such a man as Samson succumbed, how can we, who -are not Samsons, be expected to resist? But still, monsieur le comte, -_est modus in rebus_; you should not, for the sake of a new attachment, -forget all that you owe to yourself, and descend from the rank in which -destiny has placed you. Now, monsieur le comte your father did not allow -you to take this journey for the purpose of living in the woods like a -savage; whence I conclude----" - -"My dear Monsieur Ménard," said Frédéric, emerging at last from his -reverie, but making no reply to his tutor's harangue, "I have something -of great importance to say to monsieur le baron; I cannot say it before -anyone else, so oblige me by taking a turn up the valley; we will join -you very soon." - -"I cannot refuse you anything, monsieur le comte; I await your coming, -with confidence."--And Ménard left the woods, saying to himself: "My -sermon has had a good effect; the young man realizes his wrong-doing; he -will mend his ways and return to us like the prodigal son, with a white -staff in one hand and his horse's rein in the other." - -Ménard was no sooner out of sight, than Frédéric walked quickly to -Dubourg's side. - -"Why did you bring our mentor here? why have you tracked me to this -forest? am I no longer the master of my actions?" - -"In the first place, the mentor is not a very alarming person; secondly, -we were bound to find out what had become of you, as we heard nothing -from you; and, lastly, could I believe that, for an amourette, you would -become an Orlando Furioso?" - -"An amourette! No, Dubourg; this is a genuine passion, and one that will -last forever. I have never loved so passionately! I have never met a -woman more worthy of my love. Ah! Dubourg, if you knew that sweet -child's heart! she is an utter stranger to all the deceits and -hypocrisies of the world; her heart is as pure and beautiful as her -features. Ah! my friend, not in Paris, not in the brilliant salons of -the capital, could I find a woman who would love me so dearly." - -"Nonsense! but you are excited, and I see that it will be hard for me to -make you listen to reason. This girl seemed to me to be very pretty, -indeed, and I agree that she's a phoenix; but, after all, what do you -propose to do? surely you don't intend to pass your life in these -woods?" - -"I don't intend to leave Sister Anne." - -"Very good; then bring your Sister Anne along; let her come with us; -make a baroness of her, if you choose, for the benefit of poor Ménard; -I'll undertake to arrange it all; but leave these old fir-trees, under -which you'll turn into an orang-outang in time." - -"That isn't possible. In yonder cabin there is an excellent old woman, -who has taken care of her ever since she was a child; she can't desert -her." - -"The deuce! so you have a whole family on your hands!" - -"Go, Dubourg; return to Grenoble with Ménard; I will join you there in a -few days, but I cannot leave her now." - -"Return to Grenoble, eh? Do you imagine that I enjoy myself there, with -your tutor, when I can't show my face anywhere?" - -"Oh! I forgot. Take this wallet; it contains our fortune; take it, and -do what you please with it. I have a few louis, that's all I need." - -"Really, my dear Frédéric, you are mad! to think of living in the woods -and making love all day with your little villager!" - -"Ah! she's no ordinary woman. If you knew--poor child! But, no, I won't -tell you anything; you can't understand my heart. Adieu, Dubourg!" - -"You insist upon it? All right, I'll take the cash-box, and leave you. I -know what men are, I have had more experience than you have: within a -fortnight, you'll have had enough of this kind of life, and you'll come -back to us." - -"Yes, if Sister Anne will come with me." - -"You will come without her, I am perfectly sure. Au revoir! make love at -your ease; make it all day and all night; in short, make so much of it, -that a fortnight hence you'll have had more than enough." - -And Dubourg, having put the wallet in his pocket, hastened down into the -valley, where he found Ménard sitting quietly by their horses. - -"To horse!" he exclaimed joyfully; "make haste!" - -"What's that? to horse? But I don't see monsieur le comte." - -"Because he has stayed with his Dulcinea." - -"He stays, and we go?" - -"To be sure; for, having no passions in the forest, we might be bored -here." - -"But, monsieur le baron, I don't understand this at all." - -"Monsieur Ménard, I am acting like a man who knows the human heart, -especially that of a young man. If we had undertaken to thwart his -wishes, Frédéric would have been quite capable of doing some insane -thing. Instead of that, let us allow him to follow his inclination. I -will answer for it that, in a fortnight at the latest, his love, being -satisfied, will have calmed down, and he will have recovered his senses. -There is no passion deep enough to stand a tęte-ŕ-tęte of three -consecutive weeks. Love is a fire which goes out of itself, because it -never has sense enough to be sparing of its fuel." - -"Faith! monsieur le baron, I begin to think that you are right." - -"To horse, then, Monsieur Ménard, and _vive la gaieté_! To-morrow, I -will take you to dine with our friend Chambertin." - -"Really, monsieur le baron?" - -"And I promise you that we'll make an entry into the village that will -cause a sensation." - -"I don't understand you, monsieur le baron; but you arrange things so -well, that I rely on you." - -And Ménard, overjoyed at the prospect of going to Monsieur Chambertin's -the next day, dug his heels into his horse's sides for the first time in -his life,--to be sure, he had no spurs,--and trotted along at Dubourg's -side. - -"Still, it's a great pity that my pupil has made this new acquaintance," -he said; "a woman sometimes makes a man commit many follies! Cato said -that wisdom and common sense were incompatible with a woman's mind." - -"Oh! probably Cato was unlucky in love, Monsieur Ménard." - -"Saint Bernard calls woman the _organum diaboli_." - -"But Confucius declares that a woman's mind is the masterpiece of the -Creator." - -"Juvenal says that the thought of vengeance has more attraction for a -woman than for a man." - -"Which proves, Monsieur Ménard, that she bears some resemblance to the -gods." - -"And Origen says: 'Woman is the key to sin.'" - -"I had always supposed that she was only the lock." - -"Agnčs Sorel enfeebled the courage of Charles VII." - -"And another woman restored it." - -"Joanna of Naples caused her husband to be strangled." - -"Jeanne Hachette saved Beauvais." - -"On the whole, monsieur le baron, it seems to be about an even thing." - -Let us leave our two friends to return to Grenoble, discussing the -nature of womankind,--a discussion which might lead them very far, and -leave them without any additional knowledge of the subject; for a -learned man has said that a woman's heart has as many varying moods as -there are grains of sand on the seashore (and he must have been learned, -indeed, to know the number of the latter),--and let us return to -Frédéric. - -He breathed more freely when Dubourg had left him, and ere long he heard -the steps of the horses which bore his companions away. Thereupon, as -well pleased as Crates, who cried, after throwing all his money into the -sea: "Now I am free!" he felt more at liberty to abandon himself to his -passion for the dumb girl, since he was rid of Dubourg and Ménard; and -he hurried away to the cabin. Frédéric did not look beyond the present; -he did not reflect; for he was twenty-one years old, and he was -passionately in love! - -Sister Anne was in the garden, trembling from head to foot; old -Marguerite was asleep, and the girl could abandon herself without -restraint to the sentiments which agitated her. The presence of those -two men who knew Frédéric caused her a disquietude which became more -painful with every minute that passed. To live without her friend seemed -impossible to her now. Love was life itself to that heart of flame which -had not learned, in that forest solitude, to control its passions. Her -loving heart had flown to meet him who had said to her: "I love you." -But when she gave herself to him, Sister Anne bound herself forever. -Frédéric had taught her to know happiness; he had revivified her heart, -withered by misfortune. When she finds that she has the power to please, -a woman is born again. What would become of her, if she must renounce -that hope at sixteen? Frédéric was all in all to her; and until that -moment love had seemed to her the summit of earthly happiness. But there -is no lasting happiness, especially in love. Only a few short days of -bliss had passed, and already the poor child was beginning to know the -suffering which that sentiment brings in its train. - -At last, Frédéric appeared. She did not run--she flew into his arms; she -cast her eyes about; he was alone, and her heart was more at ease. - -"No," said her lover, kissing her; "I will not leave you. Where could I -find a lovelier woman--one more faithful or more worthy to be loved? -What do I care what they say? what do I care for a world to which no tie -binds me? I am perfectly happy here. My father himself could not induce -me to give you up!" - -Another kiss on the girl's sweet lips sealed the promise he had made. -The night with its darkness brought even sweeter moments, for the lovers -shared the same couch; and in the arms of her who lavished the most -loving caresses upon him, Frédéric repeated his vow: - -"No, I will never leave you!" - -But after a week, the days passed less swiftly for our lover; the poor -girl's fond caresses no longer sufficed to occupy the time; he felt that -he must have some occupation, that one cannot dream one's whole life -away beside a mountain stream. - -After another week, he went down into the valley, mounted the horse, -which he had kept, and took several short rides in the neighborhood, to -procure some provisions that they required, as he told Sister Anne; -although he had done well enough without them at the beginning of his -sojourn in the woods. - -After another week, he began to gaze longingly in the direction of -Grenoble. He was surprised that Dubourg did not return to inquire as to -his welfare, and that Ménard too had forgotten him. Indeed, I believe -that in his heart he was offended. Did he no longer love Sister Anne? -Oh! yes, he loved her still. But time!--And, as Dubourg had well said, -there is no love strong enough to stand a tęte-ŕ-tęte of three weeks. - -But let us not anticipate; let us leave him with the dumb girl, who -loves him as dearly as on the first day, because--oh! ask some woman -why!--and let us return to Dubourg, who once more has the funds for the -journey at his disposal. - - - - -XV - -FĘTE, DINNER PARTY, FIREWORKS, SURPRISE - - -On arriving at Grenoble, Dubourg ordered dinner, and the usual repast, -common to all the guests, was served to them. - -"What kind of a dinner is this? we must have something different to eat, -and, above all, some different wines," said Dubourg, beginning to make -an uproar because he had money in his pocket. - -The host appeared, and informed the gentlemen that their account was -already quite large, because, in addition to their board and lodging, -their young companion had foundered all the horses belonging to the inn -by overriding them. Dubourg's only reply was to take a five-hundred-franc -note from his pocket and give it to the innkeeper, saying, with all the -sang-froid of true grandeur: - -"Take your pay out of this." - -The host opened his eyes; his pinched nostrils expanded; his mouth, in -his efforts to give it an amiable expression, split from ear to ear; he -tied himself up in apologetic phrases, and ended by saying that he would -at once make up his account, but that he hoped that the gentlemen would -not leave him, and, if agreeable to them, he would give them muscatel -with their dinner. - -When he had gone, Monsieur Ménard, whose expression was almost as -comical as the innkeeper's, said to Dubourg: - -"Have you received funds from Poland, monsieur le baron?" - -"Why, yes, to be sure, Monsieur Ménard. Parbleu! Money isn't apt to be -scarce long, with me." - -"But I didn't see the courier who----" - -"You must have been asleep when he arrived. The main point is that we -can go anywhere now, and not have to stand by, like misers, and watch -other people play, which is not noble at all. To begin with, we will go -to see our friend Chambertin to-morrow; but, in my judgment, we had -better send a messenger to give him notice of our proposed visit, so -that he may entertain us as we deserve. What do you think about it, -Monsieur Ménard?" - -"I think that cannot fail to have a good effect, monsieur le baron." - -"Then find me a scullery boy, and dress him in your flannel waistcoat -and my morning cap, to give him an English look. Meanwhile, I will go -and write my letter." - -Ménard went out to look for a boy to be transformed into an English -jockey, while Dubourg composed the following epistle: - - "Baron Ladislas Potoski, Palatine of Rava, etc., etc., has the - honor to inform his honorable friend De Chambertin d 'Allevard that - he will visit his château to-morrow, accompanied by Professor - Ménard. Baron Potoski kisses the hand of Madame de Chambertin - d'Allevard." - -They handed the letter to the scullery boy disguised as a courier, who, -in consideration of a five-franc piece, went off at once to deliver it -at its address. - -Monsieur and Madame Chambertin were about to retire when the messenger -arrived. It was half-past nine o'clock; and in the country, when one -does not cultivate letters, or music, or painting, or one's garden, the -evenings seem interminable. Monsieur Chambertin had played the violin, -and madame had sung a new romanza; then they had talked of the noble -Pole, whom they despaired of seeing again; and monsieur had said: "I am -amazed; he gave me his word that he would come." And madame had added, -with a sigh: "It surprises me much more than you." - -The noise made by the messenger caused Monsieur Chambertin to pause as -he was about putting his legs under the bedclothes. He did not continue, -although his wife said to him: "Do get into bed; the servants are there -to answer the bell." But who could have come so late? - -Someone knocked at the bedroom door; it proved to be Lunel, who -announced through the keyhole a message from Monsieur le Baron de -Potoski. - -At that name, Monsieur Chambertin, who still held his leg in the air, -ready to thrust it into bed, abruptly withdrew it and, losing his -balance, rolled on the floor; while Madame Chambertin sat up in bed, and -called loudly for a mirror to arrange her hair. Her husband rose -meanwhile, and ran to get his dressing-gown, calling to Lunel: - -"I am coming, Lunel; I am coming right away!" - -"Give it to me instantly, monsieur," cried Madame Chambertin; "I am in a -hurry, I shall never have time." - -Monsieur Chambertin handed his wife something that she had not asked -for, and ran to open the door. Lunel entered, followed by the jockey, -while Madame Chambertin, furious at her husband's mistake, drew her -bed-curtains together with a jerk, that she might not be seen in an -equivocal position. - -Monsieur Chambertin took the letter and read it; at each word, his face -became more radiant; he could not contain himself, but called out to his -wife: - -"The baron is coming! He calls me De Chambertin d'Allevard! He kisses -your hand, wife!" - -And Chambertin ran to open the curtains, and came in collision with the -object he had handed madame by mistake. - -"Take care, monsieur!" said she; "what on earth are you doing?" - -"D'Allevard, wife!" cried Chambertin, seizing the article in question -and strutting about the room with it. "D'Allevard--just as if I were the -lord of the district; indeed I am--almost--and I hope that, thanks to -the baron, I shall soon be so altogether!" - -"Put that down, monsieur; put it down somewhere!" madame cried to her -husband, who was so excited that he had no idea what he was doing. She -then ordered Lunel to give the messenger something to eat and drink, -and said to the latter that his master and his friend would be received -with the honors they deserved. - -When the messenger had gone, Chambertin threw himself into an armchair, -and madame replaced her head on the pillow; but the letter they had -received made it impossible for them to think of sleep. Monsieur -Chambertin read it again. He was especially flattered by the title -_D'Allevard_. - -"It's the name of the village," said madame. - -"True; but by putting it after my name, it ennobles me." - -"You know perfectly well, monsieur, that that's what everybody does in -Paris; aren't there two of our neighbors who call themselves by the name -of their town: Monsieur Gérard de Villers-Cotterets, and Monsieur Leroux -d'Ermenonville? Six months ago, I told you you ought to call yourself -Chambertin d'Allevard; but you never listen to me." - -"My dear love, now that monsieur le baron has given me that title, I -certainly shall not give it up; and I shall never sign my name any other -way. To-morrow, wife, I give a party." - -"I trust so, monsieur." - -"Dinner, ball, concert, and fireworks. I believe no fireworks have ever -been seen in the neighborhood, and they'll produce a tremendous effect. -I shall invite all the best people among our neighbors." - -"I'll have my hair dressed _ŕ la_ Ferronničre; that's very becoming to -me." - -"I'll have the whole estate illuminated." - -"My dress with a train----" - -"With colored lanterns." - -"A pale blue girdle." - -"Lamps in the courtyard----" - -"My cherry-colored slippers." - -"The largest I can find." - -"A scarf." - -"Festoons of flowers." - -"My pearl necklace." - -"And a fusillade!" - -The landlord made up his account so that it came to just five hundred -francs, and monsieur le baron was entitled to no change. Any other than -Dubourg would have contested the charge of three hundred francs for -laming three or four wretched horses which were too old to draw the -plough; but he did not enjoy scrutinizing accounts; he contented himself -with ordering a neat tilbury for the morrow, and two of the landlord's -servants to represent his suite. - -Dubourg then took cognizance of the contents of his cash-box; he found -himself the possessor of forty-five hundred francs; that was more than -he needed to win ten times as much. He trusted that the local -ironmasters would make up the sum that the chevalier and the count with -lace cuffs had filched from him. - -The next day, about noon, Dubourg and Ménard prepared for their visit to -Allevard, where they planned to arrive for dinner. As the innkeeper had -been unable to find a tilbury in the city, his guests were obliged to be -content with a yellow char-ŕ-bancs with two seats. Dubourg and Ménard -took their places on the first seat, and on the second they planted two -little scullery boys, swaddled in jackets and trousers taken from -different persons, and having on their heads old hunting-caps which came -down to their noses and gave them a decidedly foreign aspect. Dubourg -expressly enjoined upon them to pretend not to understand French, but -to confine themselves to making signs, so that they might pass for two -young Poles; and they solemnly promised to obey. - -They set out, Dubourg driving; but although he had asked the host for -his best horses, he could not succeed in inducing them to gallop; he had -to be content with a very moderate trot, which necessarily delayed their -arrival. Ménard was afraid that they would dine without them, and -Dubourg was in despair because he could not enter Monsieur Chambertin's -domain with the speed of a locomotive. - -It was half-past five when at last they descried the roofs of Allevard. -Dubourg exhausted himself trying to increase the speed of his horses. As -they drew near Monsieur Chambertin's house, in front of which there was -a large number of people, he said to Ménard: - -"Poke them with your cane, so that we may drive up at a decent trot at -least." - -As Ménard put out his arm to comply, they heard a great outcry of: "Here -they are! here they are!" Four musket-shots followed in rapid -succession, two violins and a clarinet executed the overture to _La -Caravane_; and the two nags, frightened by the reports and the music, -shied and dragged the char-ŕ-bancs up a hillside to the right of the -road, instead of keeping on toward the house. - -"This is charming, delightful!" cried Dubourg; while Ménard, who was -afraid of being overturned, exclaimed: - -"Take care, monsieur le baron; our horses are running away!" - -And Monsieur Chambertin, who had been waiting to illuminate since two -o'clock, said to his guests: - -"See how well monsieur le baron drives; he went up that hill on purpose -to give us a specimen of his talent." - -But, when coming down the hill again, the horses went much faster, and -at every instant the fragile carriage nearly overturned as it passed -over the stones or sank into ruts; Ménard trembled with fear, the two -jockeys cried out, and Dubourg said to them: - -"Be still, you rascals! I told you not to talk French; don't be afraid, -I'll answer for everything." - -The carriage went like the wind; luckily, they were then headed toward -the house; but instead of passing through the main gateway, the coursers -ran full tilt at the wall. The shock was so violent that the two jockeys -were thrown out on the grass. Dubourg jumped out, crying: "I will answer -for everything!" Ménard alone remained in his seat, as if he were glued -to it. - -No one was injured. Dubourg went forward laughing to salute the company, -declaring that that was the usual way of alighting from a carriage in -Poland. Ménard, proud of having retained his seat, joined the party, -displaying his ruff; and the two scullions pointed to their buttocks, -without a word, when Lunel asked them if they were hurt. - -Dubourg was welcomed most cordially. Monsieur Chambertin was in the -seventh heaven, for the baron pressed his hand and called him his dear -friend; Madame Chambertin was no less gratified, the illustrious -stranger having whispered as he saluted her: "You have not been out of -my mind one moment." And all the guests seemed overjoyed to be in the -company of a great noble, who did not put on airs at all, and made -everybody feel at ease. - -Monsieur Chambertin had got together some forty persons: all the wealthy -landowners of the neighborhood, the mayor, the notary, the clerk of the -peace, ironmasters, and a few friends from Paris and Lyon--in short, -all those whom he deemed worthy to meet monsieur le baron. - -They took their places at the table, Dubourg in the seat of honor at -madame's right, and Ménard, to his great delight, beside Monsieur -Fondant, who talked no more than before, but was very attentive to him -in the way of filling his glass and passing him food. - -"I hope," said Chambertin, "that monsieur le baron will give us a few -days, and Monsieur Ménard as well." - -"Yes," said Dubourg, "we have arranged to pass several days in this -delightful spot." - -As he spoke, he touched Madame Chambertin's knee with his own, whereupon -she swallowed a chicken bone to cover an imprudent sigh. Ménard bowed, -and Chambertin rejoined: - -"I have but one regret, and that is that you did not bring your friend -the Comte de--the Comte du--you know whom I mean." - -"Oh! he's an original," said Dubourg; "he shuns society. I left him my -berlin and my servants, and brought only my two little Poles." - -"Ah! they are Poles, are they? They are dapper little fellows; I took -them for Cossacks." - -At that moment, Lunel appeared and informed Dubourg that his servants -were raising the deuce in the kitchen and refused to answer any -questions. - -"Parbleu! I should think so! they don't understand French." - -"Allow the baron's people to do as they choose," said Chambertin, "and -try to understand their signs." - -"Very pretty signs they are," muttered Lunel; "they don't do anything -but stick their fingers in the sauces and wipe 'em on their breeches!" - -The high spirits of Dubourg and the learned Ménard enlivened the whole -company. They talked and laughed and ate and drank. But whenever Dubourg -spoke, Chambertin looked about and said: - -"Sh! let us listen to monsieur le baron." - -At dessert, Monsieur Bidault proposed to sing; but Dubourg observed that -in good society it was no longer fashionable to sing, and Chambertin -imposed silence on the ex-notary. - -"Singing isn't fashionable," he said; "what were you thinking about?" - -But the corpulent Frossard was in the habit of singing, and he was not -at all abashed by what Chambertin said; whereupon the host, seeing that -he could not prevent him from singing his drinking-song, requested the -company to walk into the adjoining room, where the concert was about to -begin, hoping that the ironmaster's ditty would pass for an aria. - -A lady and gentleman regaled the company with a piece for harp and -piano, with thirty-six variations. The mayor took his 'cello, and the -notary a violin; a horn was presented to Dubourg, who had said that he -played on all instruments, but who now declared that he could play only -the English horn, and passed the instrument to Ménard, forcing him into -a seat in front of a music stand. The tutor stared at him in amazement, -but he whispered in his ear: - -"Just blow into it, and don't look embarrassed." - -Ménard, who had not spared his host's wine at dinner, was not afraid of -anything; he took the horn and put the mouthpiece to his lips, blowing -with all his might and rolling his eyes. They began a trio, Dubourg -beating time. Whenever it was the horn's turn, not a sound was heard, -because, try as hard as he would, Ménard could not find the mouthpiece; -but Dubourg seemed content, and said, turning toward the company: - -"I have never heard such sweet music! no one would believe that it was a -horn!" - -Everybody applauded, and Ménard, after it was all over, said to himself: - -"I knew how to play the horn, and I never suspected it!" - -The concert came to an end at last; Dubourg suggested a game, and the -tables were soon arranged. Backgammon is not often played in a salon, -but Dubourg said that they played nothing else at the Polish court; -whereupon Monsieur Chambertin instantly produced a board, and declared -that within a week he would have four in his salon. Dubourg and Frossard -took their places, and Chambertin watched them play, although he did not -understand the game at all. - -Dubourg was in luck; he urged his adversary to increase the stakes, and -tried to taunt him into doing so. He had won some twenty louis, when -there was a tremendous report in the garden. - -Cries of: "It's the fireworks!" arose on all sides, and everybody -hurried into the garden. - -"To the devil with the fireworks!" exclaimed Dubourg; "the dice are just -beginning to fall well for me!" - -But he tried in vain to detain the ironmaster, who was determined to see -the fireworks; so Dubourg concluded to do as everybody else did. - -He left the salon. The fireworks were at the end of the garden, and -Dubourg fell in with Madame Chambertin, who was coming to see what -monsieur le baron was doing, and, it may be, to seek an opportunity for -a tęte-ŕ-tęte. Dubourg offered her his arm; he was in excellent -spirits, and, as he recalled the conversation under the table and the -stifled sighs, he reflected that he was to pass several days in the -house, and that he ought to show himself worthy of the welcome he had -received. These considerations led him to take a path which did not lead -to the place where the other guests were. - -"Where are you taking me, pray?" madame asked, now and then. But Dubourg -replied: - -"I don't know at all, but let us go on." - -They soon came to a small summer-house, which was not lighted and had -but one window, a little farther from the ground than an ordinary -ground-floor window. Dubourg opened the door, pushed Madame Chambertin -in, and entered behind her, taking care to close the door. - -Meanwhile, Monsieur Chambertin, who had provided the fireworks expressly -for his friend the baron, was looking for him in the glare of a -Bengal-light; as he did not see him, he ran hither and thither, crying: - -"Come, monsieur le baron, come, I entreat you! Two pieces have been set -off already, and they're just lighting the first transparency!" - -Dubourg, who was probably not thinking of the transparency at that -moment, heard Chambertin's voice, and called to him from the interior of -the summer-house: - -"I am here, I can see very well; don't worry about me; your good wife is -obliging enough to explain the fireworks to me." - -"What! I don't see you at the window." - -"Because madame is afraid of the rocket-sticks; but we can see very -well." - -"Ah! that's good! I am delighted that you have a good place," said -Chambertin, standing under the window. "I arranged the display myself; -did you see the sun?" - -"No, but I smelt it; it smelt something like the moon." - -"Look at these little serpents; what perpetual motion! they go very -well, don't they?" - -"Wonderfully well." - -"Pray explain the transparency to monsieur le baron, wife." - -"Oh! monsieur le baron grasps it all very quickly," replied Madame -Chambertin, in a voice upon which the smoke seemed to have had a serious -effect. - -"Look out! there goes the bouquet!" - -The bouquet exploded amid applause and shouts of _bravo_! The company -returned to the house, enchanted by the display, and Madame Chambertin -came out of the summer-house with monsieur le baron. - -"The bouquet was fine," said Chambertin, rubbing his hands. - -"I am still a little dazed by it," said madame, tremulously. - -"It was worthy of the lord of this domain," added Dubourg. - -"Upon my word," said Chambertin, "I believe I am almost that." - -"You are altogether, my dear friend; it is I who say it." - -"When a man of your eminence assures me of it, monsieur le baron, I can -no longer doubt it." - -But it was after eleven o'clock, and that is unduly late in the country. -Those of the guests who lived at some distance entered their carriages; -those who lived in the village ordered their servants to light their -lanterns; they took leave of Monsieur and Madame Chambertin, -congratulating them on the magnificence of their party; they bowed -deferentially to monsieur le baron, and departed to their respective -abodes. Thereupon Monsieur Chambertin, thinking that his illustrious -friend must long for repose, and seeing that the learned Ménard had -fallen asleep in the salon, ordered the servants to escort those -gentlemen to their rooms. - -The finest apartment on the first floor had been prepared for the young -nobleman, and a pretty room on the second for the professor, who, if he -had been nothing more than that, would probably have been relegated to -the attic, but who was treated with the highest consideration because he -was the baron's friend and companion. - -The whole household had retired. Ménard was already snoring like one of -the blessed, which means that the blessed do not have bad dreams. -Dubourg stretched himself out luxuriously in a soft bed, surrounded by -rich silk curtains with gold fringe and tassels, and said to himself: - -"Gad! it's mighty amusing to play the baron! these people overwhelm me -with attentions, and fly to meet my lightest wish! And all because they -think me a palatine! If I had introduced myself as plain Monsieur -Dubourg of Rennes, they would have told me to go my way; and yet this -other name hasn't made a different man of me. But all men have their -share of madness--a little more or a little less. Instead of trying to -cure it, which would be very noble, no doubt, but which strikes me as -rather too difficult, one must flatter their mania to make one's self -agreeable to them. This Chambertin is an ass, who, after trading in wine -two-thirds of his days, is trying to play the grandee and to ape the -airs of the nobility during the last third. What do I care for his -idiocy? he is delighted to entertain a baron, and I will play the baron -as long as I enjoy myself here. His wife is very willing that I should -make love to her, and I'll do it as long as I haven't anything better to -do; and it is more than probable that I shan't find anything better as -long as I am in her house, because a coquettish woman who has seen her -best days never invites any pretty girls who may rob her of attentions." - -Reflecting thus, Dubourg was beginning to doze, when he heard a great -uproar in the courtyard,--outcries, oaths, and roars of laughter,--and, -in the midst of it, he fancied that he recognized the voice of one of -his jockeys. He rose, partly dressed himself, and opened the window -looking on the courtyard. He saw a number of servants assembled there, -and old Lunel fighting for a chicken with one of the little Poles, while -the other was shrieking and weeping in a corner. - -The two scullions, faithful to the orders Dubourg had given them, had -replied only by signs to the other servants; but Lunel, who was Monsieur -Chambertin's steward, valet, and groom, all in one, was very ill -disposed toward the baron's servants, as well as toward their master, -whom he had driven to Grenoble, and from whom he had received no other -_pourboire_ than a tap on the cheek. The two boys had bruised themselves -behind, when they were thrown out of the carriage; that was why, when -trying to make themselves understood by signs, they frequently put their -hands to the injured part: a gesture which seemed to Lunel most -insulting, and he was convinced that the young Poles intended to make -sport of him. - -To be revenged on them, he had taken them up to a small room under the -eaves, and left them there, supperless. The little fellows did not go to -bed, thinking all the time that food would be brought to them, or that -they would be called to supper. At last, tired of waiting, they went -downstairs. Everybody had retired except Lunel, who was sitting up -because he suspected that the baron's servants would not remain quiet. - -The little fellows, spurred on by hunger, got scent of the store-closet, -which was in the kitchen; and as one of the kitchen windows was open, -they easily crawled in, and, making a hole in the canvas door of the -closet, one of them seized a chicken which had not been touched, the -other the carcass of a hare which still had some meat on it. They were -about to fly with their booty when Lunel discovered them; he shouted -_thief!_ and struck at them with a whip with which he had armed himself. -The scullions ran to the window and climbed through; one fell and -bruised his nose; the other, being less awkward, was running off with -his chicken, when Lunel overtook him and tried to wrest it from him. -Thereupon a struggle began. - -"You shan't have it!" cried the boy. - -"Oho! you little rascal! you can talk French now, can you? I'll teach -you to make insulting signs to me!" - -Meanwhile, the one who had fallen cried: - -"I've broke my nose; it's that old dodger's fault for not giving us any -supper!" - -It was at this crisis that Dubourg appeared at his window. All the -servants had come down into the courtyard; and Monsieur Chambertin also -appeared on his balcony, in his robe de chambre. - -"What's the meaning of all this noise?" he demanded. - -"Those are my little Poles." - -"Yes, your Poles, who talk French now," retorted Lunel; "I caught 'em -stealing in the store-closet." - -"He didn't give us any supper," said the boys, "and he was waiting for -us in a corner with a whip." - -"A miracle!" cried Dubourg; "they have spoken! they understand! That -whip seems to have taught them more quickly than any schooling!--Come, -my young friends, come up here and let me hear you speak French, and you -shall have some supper." - -"And you, knave," shouted Monsieur Chambertin to his servant, "if you -presume to lay a finger on monsieur le baron's Poles again, I'll have -you horsewhipped, and discharge you!" - -"They're no more Poles than I am a Turk!" muttered Lunel, as he walked -away. - -The jockeys went up to their master's apartments, with the chicken and -the hare they had rescued from the battle; the servants returned to bed, -and Monsieur Chambertin resumed his place beside his wife, who was -dreaming that she was in the summer-house, and that they were about to -set off a petard. - -Dubourg concluded that it would be imprudent to keep with him two young -imps who would surely get into further mischief. So, early the next -morning, he gave them each three francs and sent them back to Grenoble, -to the great contentment of Lunel, who did not like Poles. - -The following days passed quietly; a few friends came to share Monsieur -Chambertin's pleasure and to listen to all the fables Dubourg chose to -tell them concerning his estates, his châteaux, his family, and his -duties at the court of Poland. Ménard did not say much, but he ate and -drank vigorously, and cited a Latin author now and then; so that the -company, not understanding him, regarded him with renewed respect. - -Dubourg gambled every evening, but only for small stakes. Frossard was -absent, Monsieur Chambertin never got excited over the game, and Dubourg -began to think that he would not double his capital. But the host's -birthday was approaching, and on that occasion the house was to be -turned topsy-turvy once more. Some very wealthy friends from Paris were -expected, who would play as high as monsieur le baron wished. It was -Madame Chambertin who had invited them, for she did everything that she -could to detain the agreeable guest; and she said to her husband every -day: - -"You don't realize all the honor Monsieur de Potoski does you by paying -you a visit; you have no conception of it!" - -"I assure you, my dear love, that I am very proud of it, and that I will -do all that I can to keep him." - -"You will do well, monsieur; for his going would leave a great void in -my life. He is a man who would be very hard to replace. He is noble to -his finger-tips." - -But everything was in commotion at Monsieur Chambertin's, where great -preparations were being made for the approaching function, of which the -charming stranger was again to be the hero. Monsieur Chambertin seemed -determined to outdo himself; he sent for workmen, whom he employed with -a great show of mystery in the garden, and they seemed always to be in -the neighborhood of the summer-house. He was preparing a surprise for -his guest; and as his last fireworks were talked about all over the -neighborhood, he determined that the renown of his next display should -reach to Lyon. - -The great day came at last, and many guests arrived. Monsieur Chambertin -was immensely pleased with the surprise he had arranged for the baron, -and would not even take his wife into his confidence. The former wine -merchant's circle was augmented by new faces. A sumptuous banquet was -served; the dishes were exquisite, the wines delicious, and Dubourg did -the honors of the table almost unassisted, because whenever he called -his host "my friend D'Allevard," he was certain to turn his head. - -"Twice happy the day that I met you!" he whispered to madame. - -"What do you say? twice?" she replied, with a sigh; "oh! that is not -enough! say rather four, or five, or six times!" - -"Let us call it seven, and stop at that!" said Dubourg. - -The dinner came to an end. Monsieur Chambertin had but one regret--that -his friend Durosey, whom he had been expecting from Paris for several -days, had not arrived. Every time that he heard friend Durosey's name, -Dubourg said to himself: - -"I used to know someone of that name in Paris; but where in the devil -did I know him?" - -He asked Chambertin who this Monsieur Durosey might be. - -"He's a wholesale merchant, who has just retired from business with -twenty thousand francs a year." - -"In that case," thought Dubourg, "it can't be the man I knew, for I -never associated with wholesale merchants." - -They returned to the salon, where a rich landowner, who was very fond of -écarté, seemed inclined to try his luck against monsieur le baron, when -Lunel announced that Monsieur Durosey had arrived. Chambertin was -delighted; he left the room, and soon returned with his friend, whom he -introduced to the assembled company. Dubourg glanced at the new-comer -and recognized the former keeper of a restaurant in Paris, to whom he -owed a matter of four hundred francs, which had been standing two years, -and which he had not found himself in a position to pay. Monsieur -Chambertin, through vanity, had represented him as a wholesale merchant -instead of a retired restaurant keeper. - -The meeting was exceedingly disagreeable to Dubourg, but he did not lose -his head; and when Chambertin came forward with Durosey, saying: "I -present you to Monsieur le Baron de Potoski, a Polish palatine," Dubourg -bowed and smirked, blinking his eyes, twisting his mouth, and making -such grimaces that it was improbable that his creditor could recognize -him. - -Monsieur Durosey did not stop in front of Dubourg, who felt more at ease -and resumed his game more tranquilly. From time to time, however, he -glanced about the salon, and when he met his former entertainer's eye he -fancied that the latter was scrutinizing him carefully; whereupon he -resumed his facial contortions and grimacing, and tried to affect a sort -of Saint Vitus's dance by constantly twisting his nose and mouth toward -his left ear. - -But his creditor's presence annoyed and embarrassed him; he could not -pay attention to his game, he lost his head completely, and his money -slowly but surely passed into his adversary's possession. Dubourg -suggested doubling, then trebling, the stakes; the rich squire agreed, -for he could not refuse monsieur le baron. A large part of the company -stood about the table, which was covered with five-hundred-franc notes; -and Monsieur Durosey planted himself exactly in front of Dubourg, who -could not raise his eyes without meeting his creditor's, and who, to -fill his cup to the brim, had the worst possible luck. In half an hour, -the travelling fund had passed into other hands, and Dubourg rose, -saying that he was going to get some more money. - -But as he was looking about for his friend Chambertin, to borrow a few -thousand francs, with which he hoped to recover what he had lost,--for a -gambler continues to hope until he is on his death-bed,--the former -restaurant keeper, who had not lost sight of him, joined him in a window -recess. It was impossible to avoid him. - -"How is Monsieur Dubourg?" he asked, with a roguish air. - -"Dubourg? what do you mean by Dubourg?" replied the pretended baron, -working his nose and mouth more violently than ever. - -"Oh! I have the honor to recognize monsieur," retorted the creditor, in -a louder tone; "but I didn't know that he was a Polish baron----" - -"Hush! not another word, my dear Monsieur Durosey," said Dubourg, seeing -that it was impossible to hoodwink his interlocutor. "I didn't recognize -you at first, but now I place you perfectly. I am delighted to see you." - -"The same with me, monsieur. You seem to be in very comfortable -circumstances now, staking five hundred francs at once at écarté, and I -trust that you will pay me the four hundred francs you----" - -"Yes, yes, with great pleasure; I will give them to you this very -evening. When I left Paris, I forgot that trifling debt." - -"But I called on monsieur more than twenty times when he lived on the -fifth floor on Rue d'Enfer, and again on Rue de----" - -"Hush! I know all about that; silence, Monsieur Durosey! Since then, I -have come into my property, and my titles--I will pay you in a moment." - -"Oh! in that case, monsieur le baron may be assured that this will -remain a secret between us." - -Dubourg walked away from Monsieur Durosey and once more looked about for -Chambertin, when that gentleman entered the salon, crying: - -"Come into the garden, everybody; we are going to set off the -fireworks." - -"I have a favor to ask of you," said Dubourg, walking up to him. - -"After the fireworks, monsieur le baron, I shall be entirely at your -service. Be good enough to go to the summer-house; I flatter myself that -you will be able to see as well there as you did before; my wife will -take you there." - -And Chambertin hurried away, with a mischievous air, while Dubourg said -to himself: - -"Parbleu! it's decidedly amusing that he should send me to the -summer-house with his wife." - -He went into the garden and found Madame Chambertin, who remembered the -last pyrotechnic display and was waiting for monsieur le baron for the -second performance. Madame asked nothing better than to go again to the -little summer-house, where they could see so well, and where they had -such comfortable seats; which latter would be most essential, as she had -urged her husband to make the display last as long as possible. - -Bombs were set off, and rockets, and transparencies. But when the moment -arrived for the closing piece, Monsieur Chambertin said to the company -assembled in the garden: - -"Turn toward the summer-house, and look at what comes next; that's where -the surprise is to be." - -Everybody turned in that direction, Monsieur Chambertin gave the signal, -the walls of the summer-house fell away as if by magic, leaving the roof -supported by four pillars, and a lighted match instantly set fire to -four Bengal-lights, which had been secretly placed inside, together with -a transparency on which were these words: _To Baron Potoski, from his -grateful friend Chambertin_. - -This was the surprise which Monsieur Chambertin had been mysteriously -preparing for several days; but he did not expect the surprise that his -friend the baron had in reserve for him: the explosion and the -demolition of the summer-house had taken place so suddenly, that the -couple inside had not even had time to cease their conversation, and it -seemed to all the company to be exceedingly animated. - -The men laughed, the ladies bit their lips to avoid imitating them. -Ménard, who was in the rear of the crowd, called out: - -"Pray explain the transparency!" - -And Monsieur Chambertin was struck dumb. - -All this was the affair of a minute; Dubourg required no longer time to -realize what remained for him to do. He had not a sou, he had found a -creditor, he could expect nothing from his friend Chambertin except a -horsewhipping or a sword-thrust; so it behooved him to leave the house -instanter. - -The Bengal-lights had gone out; Madame Chambertin had fainted, which was -the best thing that she could do. Dubourg took advantage of the smoke -which succeeded the bright light; he jumped down into the garden, lost -himself in the crowd about the summer-house, seized Ménard, who came -running after him, dragged him into a dark path, and ordered him to hold -his tongue at the risk of being murdered. - -At the end of the path was a little gate leading into the fields; -Dubourg opened it and pushed Ménard through, who had no idea where he -was, and fancied that their friend Chambertin's house had caught fire. -His companion locked the little gate and threw away the key. - -"Come," he said, "forward at the double-quick! We have drunk the cup of -pleasure, now we must put ourselves on a strict diet; it will do us -good. Now is the time for us to say: _Non est beatus qui cupida -possidet, sed qui negata non cupit._" - -"Amen!" said Ménard, as he trotted along by his side. - - - - -XVI - -THE IMPROMPTU ACTORS.--AN EVENT WHICH CHANGED THE WHOLE FACE OF AFFAIRS - - -After they had run for more than a league, as if they were pursued, -Ménard, utterly exhausted, stopped, declared that he could hold out no -longer, and dropped on the turf. Dubourg thought that they could safely -halt for a while, so he seated himself beside his companion. - -"Will you kindly tell me now, monsieur le baron," said Ménard, when he -had recovered his breath, "why we are running away like thieves from our -friend Chambertin's, where we were overwhelmed with attentions, -luxuriously quartered, and fed like epicures; where, in a word, we were -treated with the regard we deserve?" - -"My dear Monsieur Ménard, the jug that goes often to the well ends by -being broken or filled, as you choose; and in this case I rather think -both things have happened." - -"What jug are you talking about? what have you broken? I don't -understand you, monsieur le baron." - -"So I see, and I will explain my meaning in another way. Did you notice -that man they called Durosey, who didn't arrive at friend Chambertin's -until this evening?" - -"Yes, monsieur le baron." - -"Do you know who that man is?" - -"I heard it said that he was a retired merchant." - -"Yes, he represented himself as such, the better to deceive me, no -doubt. Did you notice what a forbidding face he had?" - -"I noticed that he looked at you very often, monsieur le baron, with -close attention." - -"Parbleu! I should say as much; and he recognized me. Monsieur Ménard, -that man is nothing else than a disguised Turkish spy, who has been sent -in pursuit of me." - -"Is it possible?" - -"It is well known that I have pleaded the cause of the Greeks at several -courts, and induced more than one prince to take up arms in their -behalf. The Turks have sworn to have my life; this man is one of their -agents, whom I recognized because I have often seen him at -Constantinople; his presence is always followed by some disaster to me; -I am sure that Monsieur Chambertin's house was surrounded by his -confederates. They would have kidnapped me during the night,--and you -too, because it is known that you are travelling with me,--and within a -fortnight our two heads would have adorned the Castle of the Seven -Towers, flanked by a horse's tail, the symbol of the Grand Turk's -might. Tell me, now, whether I was wise to fly!" - -"Mon Dieu!" said Ménard, looking behind him; "I believe that my strength -has come back. Suppose we go on?" - -"No, don't be alarmed, Monsieur Ménard; the rascals have lost our trail -and won't dare to follow us." - -"But how does it happen that Monsieur Chambertin receives as a -guest----" - -"Oh! my poor Ménard, you don't know mankind! With a dozen cashmere -shawls, a collection of pastilles, a box of little bottles of attar of -rose, you can make people do whatever you choose. However, I don't -accuse Chambertin; he may very well have been deceived; but, just as the -fireworks went off, I noticed several evil-looking men; and I at once -determined to fly." - -"You acted very wisely. But our carriage?" - -"I certainly shall not go after it." - -"Nor I. But what about our landlord at Grenoble, who owns it?" - -"He has our post chaise to pay for it." - -"But what are we to travel with hereafter?" - -"With our legs, I fancy. Indeed, when one hasn't a sou to pay for -horses, there's no use in having a post chaise." - -"What's that, monsieur le baron? you haven't any money?" - -"No, my dear Ménard; I lost all that I possessed, this evening. That -Turk's presence confused me; I didn't know what I was doing, and I -played like a fool." - -"That was well done! Luckily, my pupil, Monsieur Frédéric de -Montreville, has the money for our journey, and the only thing for us to -do is to go and find him." - -"How can we possibly rely on Frédéric's having any money. He has just -made a new acquaintance, and new acquaintances, Monsieur Ménard, are -always very expensive; we play the open-handed lover, we deny our -charmer nothing. I am sure that that girl is making him spend money like -water! At his age, a young man doesn't know the value of money, and has -no idea of economy." - -"But, monsieur le baron, I don't quite see how they could spend much -money, living in the woods." - -"You don't see? well, I do! It's first one thing, then another--no end -to the whims. You don't suppose that they have stayed in their little -cabin this whole month, do you? I can safely tell you, now, that -Frédéric proposed to hire an apartment for the girl." - -"But, monsieur le baron, did you not point out to him----" - -"He's old enough to do as he pleases. However, don't get excited; I'll -see him. I'll go alone first, so as not to anger him, and, if he is -willing to listen to me, I'll bring him back. But, meanwhile, we must -live. How much money have you?" - -"About thirty francs." - -"That isn't much; but if we are economical, it will last us some time; -we shall have to live very sparingly; but that will do us good. These -big dinners overheat our blood; it's very unhealthy to eat five or six -rich dishes and drink several kinds of wine every day." - -"Still, monsieur le baron, I am inclined to think that we were both -getting fat at Monsieur Chambertin's." - -"True; but that would have turned out badly for us; simple fare will -check this tendency to corpulence. The pleasures of Capua enervated the -Carthaginians; and Monsieur Chambertin's table would probably have -produced the same effect on us, and I should have been distressed. I -really must resume my incognito." - -"Ah! I agree with you this time, monsieur le baron; for if those Turks -should find you----" - -"That's the reason why I think it wouldn't be prudent to return to -Grenoble, where I might be arrested--I should say, kidnapped by those -cutthroats. Besides, having no money, we should be ill received by our -host, who would claim, I dare swear, that his carriage is worth more -than ours. We will avoid passing through the town, and with your thirty -francs we will take lodgings in some little village." - -"But when that's all gone, monsieur le baron?" - -"Parbleu! then we'll see; there's no use of worrying beforehand. -Frédéric can write to his father." - -"I am afraid monsieur le comte will be angry----" - -"I will write to my aunt." - -"To your aunt, monsieur le baron?" - -"I should say, to my steward. At all events, we will find some way out -of it. Besides, suppose we should groan and moan--would that help -matters at all? So let us make the best of it. Come, it's a superb -night, and we have had a good rest--let's push on. Faith! there's -nothing like travelling on foot, if you want to admire the landscape. -Come, my dear Ménard, summon your courage! Since we have been together, -we have had lots of ups and downs; have you ever seen me mope?" - -"Ah! monsieur le baron, everybody isn't as philosophical as you are." - -"I will train you. Think of the misfortunes of Marius, Hannibal, Prince -Edward; of the poverty of the grand-daughter of Henri IV; of the woes of -Marguerite of Anjou; and of all the other people who have found -themselves in much more difficult positions than ours--and complain -again, if you dare!" - -The travellers resumed their journey. Dubourg was a curious sight in his -full dress, starched ruff, and thin pumps, walking beside Ménard, who -wore silk short-clothes, black stockings, and buckled shoes, and who was -compelled, in that costume, to climb hills, jump ditches, and plod along -over ground that, at the best, was very uneven. Luckily, they had taken -their hats when they went out to see the fireworks, otherwise they would -have had to traverse Dauphiné as if they were calling on their -neighbors. - -At daybreak, they stopped at a peasant's house and obtained breakfast. -Dubourg ordered an omelet and some native wine. They ate their repast -under an arbor, surrounded by domestic animals who came to keep them -company. - -"How pleasant it is in the open air!" said Dubourg; "are all the gilded -halls and antechambers on earth equal to this open country--to the -perfect liberty which is ours at this moment?" - -"It is certain," rejoined Ménard, driving away a big cat that persisted -in putting its paws in his plate, "it is certain that we are entirely at -liberty here,--that there is no suspicion of restraint---- Well, well, -here's the dog now, trying to get my bread!" - -"Well, Monsieur Ménard, every creature must live. In the time of our -first parents, these innocent beasts shared their masters' meals; the -lion ate from the hand of man, and the tiger gambolled at his feet." - -"You must agree, monsieur le baron, that those animals have changed -greatly in their disposition." - -"Never mind; I love everything that recalls those days of innocence. -When I look at this hen walking on our table, and this duck splashing in -the mud at our feet, I fancy that I am living in the Age of Gold. Not -until I feel in my pocket do I realize the delusion." - -Unluckily, the eggs in the omelet were not fresh, and the wine was sour; -Ménard made a wry face at every mouthful and every swallow, while -Dubourg said: - -"I know of no healthier food than an omelet. Whatever country you travel -in, wherever you may be, if there are eggs, you have an omelet! -Everybody knows how to make it; it's a universal dish, the dish of -nature." - -"If only the eggs were fresh!" - -"Faith! this little taste of straw isn't unpleasant; at need, it will -take the place of tarragon. And this wine--at all events, I'll guarantee -that it won't do us any harm." - -"It's infernally sour!" - -"A proof that it's unadulterated." - -Despite all that Dubourg could say to make Ménard approve of the -breakfast, the tutor said, as they left the table: - -"I think that we must go to hunt up Monsieur Frédéric de Montreville." - -And Dubourg said to himself: - -"He'll receive me cordially, when he knows that I have broken the bank -again in less than a month! How in the devil am I to get out of the -scrape? And how am I going to ask him for anything, when he gave it all -to me? I can't go and preach to him--that isn't in my line. Indeed, I -think that I shall have to induce Ménard to come and live in the woods -with me; we will become hermits, and I won't play écarté any more." - -The travellers made a détour round Grenoble, without entering the city. -They halted in a small village, and Ménard spoke again of joining -Frédéric. Dubourg lost his patience, and told him that he would go alone -to Vizille to see what he could learn. He left the village, walked as -far as a small patch of forest, lay down on the grass, slept there all -day, and at night returned to Ménard, holding his handkerchief to his -eyes and sighing as if his heart were broken. - -"Well, well! what in heaven's name has happened to him?" inquired the -tutor, anxiously. - -"The ingrate! the harebrained fool!" - -"Speak, monsieur le baron, I entreat you!" - -"I suspected that he would do some insane thing. He has gone off with -his fair one. They left the forest a fortnight ago." - -"Great heaven! what will monsieur le comte say? what answer shall I make -him, when he asks me what I have done with his son?" - -"You must tell him that you lost him." - -"Do you believe, monsieur le baron, that such an answer will satisfy -him?" - -"Then you can tell him that he lost himself. But be calm, my dear -Ménard. I promise you that we will find Frédéric again. I have friends -in all the courts of Europe; the young man will be restored to us." - -This promise pacified poor Ménard to some extent, and Dubourg continued: - -"Before we consider what to do about him, let us think of ourselves, for -our position is not very splendid. We shall not find resources in this -wretched village; let us go to the nearest town; and, above all things, -my dear Ménard, do try to get rid of that heart-broken look, which will -inspire an exceedingly unfavorable opinion of us in every inn at which -we stop." - -The travellers resumed their journey, and at nightfall arrived at -Voreppe, a small town about two leagues from Grenoble. Dubourg inquired -for the best inn, and went thither with his companion. They entered the -common-room, Dubourg with his head in the air and a determined bearing, -Ménard with downcast eyes and a very modest mien. - -Several guests were talking together in the room, awaiting the supper -hour. - -"Will the gentlemen eat at the table d'hôte?" the servant inquired. - -"Yes, of course," replied Dubourg; "we like company--don't we, my -friend?" - -"Yes, monsieur le ba--yes, my friend," said Ménard, being reminded by a -blow from his friend's elbow that there was to be no more mention of -barons. - -Dubourg listened to what the other guests were saying, but the -conversation was far from interesting; the tradesmen discussed business, -the townspeople talked gossip, and Dubourg failed to discover any -Chambertin to dazzle. He paced the floor of the common-room, jingling -the few copper coins which he still had in his pocket, and halting now -and then in front of Ménard to offer him a pinch of snuff; and Ménard, -for all his depression, looked with unabated respect on the snuff-box -which was held out to him. - -Suddenly a little man of some fifty years of age, in a cinnamon-colored -coat, green breeches, cavalry boots, and a cap with a visor that might -at need serve as an umbrella, entered the room, with the air of one full -of business, and said in a very loud tone: - -"They won't come! they can't come! and my performance has fallen -through. I am desperate! my mind is going!" - -The little man threw himself into a chair, and was instantly surrounded -by all the gossips and guests of the inn. - -"What is it, Monsieur Floridor?" queried the hostess; "have your actors -gone back on you?" - -"Yes, the most necessary and most important ones of the lot: the _jeune -premier_, and the noble father, two talented actors, who would have -completed my troupe. The _jeune premier_ was to come from Cambrai, where -he has played such parts as Colin and Elleviou for twenty years; he is a -man of the most charming, consummate talent. I saw him a month ago, in -_Sargine, or Love's Pupil_, for he has been playing the _ingénus_ and -young lovers for some years. Ah! how delighted I was! an affecting -voice, and a superb figure! a little taller than I am. And in tragic -parts--such fire! such spirit! I wept when I saw him do _Tartufe_. As -for the noble father, he is a most invaluable actor. For thirty years he -has been the delight of Beaugency, and I saw him act at Doyen's, in -Paris, with marvellous success. He takes all sorts of parts--kings, -fathers, tyrants, Cassandras--he can handle anything. He made a -specialty of the _noble fathers'_ rôles only because he lost his teeth, -which does not prevent his displaying plenty of _bite_ in his diction." - -"And why ain't they coming?" - -"Why, indeed! Because Colin has an attack of catarrh, forsooth! and the -noble father, having had a row in a wine shop, is locked up for a -fortnight. Such things never happen to anybody but me. After taking so -much pains to make a pretty theatre out of the old stable, and -succeeding too--for I flatter myself that our theatre is charming: an -orchestra, pit, three boxes, and a gallery--all on the same level, and -tastefully decorated! I would have left the Grenoble theatre out of -sight! The people of this town would have been so delighted! They know -a good thing when they see it, at Voreppe, and, although there's never -been a theatre here, I am sure I should have made a lot of money! I had -already let one box to the justice of the peace, who is admitted gratis -with his family; and the principal men of the town had sent me word that -perhaps they would come!" - -The little man paused at last to take breath and wipe his face. Dubourg, -who had not lost a word of what he said, seated himself in a corner, -evidently meditating some new plan. - -"It is annoying, sure enough," said the innkeeper; "I've ordered a new -dress for my daughter to wear to the play." - -"Annoying, do you say!" repeated Floridor, twisting about on his chair -like one possessed; "why, it is enough to drive one to despair! I would -give a hundred francs if I could replace my two actors, and a hundred -francs is quite a sum, it's equal to one evening's receipts; but, no -matter, I would sacrifice it to be able to open my theatre." - -These words were overheard by Dubourg, who still held aloof, however, -and seemed to pay no heed to what was being said. - -"Ah!" said one of the servants; "I wish I knew how to act! it would just -suit me to be able to earn a hundred francs." - -"I had engaged my two artists for a month, at sixty francs each," said -Floridor; "that's pretty high, but we have to pay for real talent." - -"Can't you get anybody to take their places?" - -"Who, pray? I have made a _tyrant_ of the wigmaker, and a _confidant_ of -the carpenter's apprentice, who has a magnificent voice. I have -persuaded the constable's wife to play the princesses, and I have made -an _ingénue_ of the cooper's widow; those are all I've been able to find -in the town; but they do very well, they're jewels. As for myself, I act -when it's necessary; but, as I have to prompt too, I can't take any long -rôles. I have a well-supplied wardrobe: three Spanish costumes, with -which the last rope-dancer paid his bill at the wine shop; an old -lawyer's gown to make tunics with; two otter-skin caps to serve for -turbans, and some curtains I bought at Grenoble to make into cloaks. We -were to have opened day after to-morrow, with _Phčdre_ and _Le Devin du -Village_. In _Phčdre_, the carpenter was to do Aricie, because we have -only two women; but he's a nice-looking boy, with no beard, and he'd -have done very well. As for the other two _confidants_, Ismčne and -Panope, I intended to declaim their rôles from the prompter's box. We -should have given _Le Devin du Village_ without music, but that makes it -all the prettier; the actors speak instead of singing, and it goes very -well; I've seen it given so in many places. What a success we would have -had! My Colin was to do Hippolyte; and my noble father would have been -magnificent as Thésée. The wigmaker was cast for Théramčne; the fellow -has his lines at his tongue's end, he doesn't shave a customer that he -doesn't recite 'em; and Hippolyte must needs have the catarrh, and -Thésée get into a row at a wine shop! How am I to get out of the scrape? -Oh! if some great actor from Paris or some foreign country would happen -to stop here--one of those men who travel so much! But they never come -to Voreppe!" - -"Supper is served, messieurs," said the maid-servant. - -"Your trouble won't interfere with your supper, I take it, Monsieur -Floridor," said a tradesman. - -"No, indeed. I shall eat my supper as a matter of habit, but I have no -appetite. This calamity has cut off my arms and legs." - -"But not his tongue," observed Ménard, in an undertone, as he prepared -to take his place at the table; when Dubourg, stalking majestically -forward, halted in front of him and declaimed, waving his right arm -about as if he were trying to swim: - - "'Oui, puisque je retrouve un ami so fidčle, - Ma fortune va prendre une face nouvelle; - Et déjŕ mon courroux semble s'ętre adouci - Depuis qu'elle a pris soin de nous rejoindre ici.'"[C] - - [C] Aye, since I find a friend so leal and true, - Methinks my fortune speedily will change; - Even now my wrath seems sensibly allayed, - Since she hath taken steps to join us here. - -Ménard stared at Dubourg in dismay. - -"You have found him?" he said; "who? my pupil? is he going to join us -here?" - -Dubourg trod on Ménard's foot, for he saw that Floridor, instead of -taking his seat at the table, had stopped and was listening to him. He -seized the tutor's arm, and cried: - - "'Est-ce toi, chčre Élise? O jour trois fois heureux! - Que béni soit le ciel, qui te rend ŕ mes voeux, - Toi qui, de Benjamin comme moi descendue, - Fus de mes premiers ans la compagne assidue.'"[D] - - [D] Is it thou, O dear Élise? Thrice happy day! - Thank heaven, which doth restore thee to my prayers, - Thee, who, like me, from Benjamin descended, - Wast of my early years the comrade true. - -"Delicious! delicious!" cried Floridor, clapping his hands, while Ménard -rolled his eyes about in amazement, looking for this Élise whom -monsieur le baron addressed; and as he saw no one but the maid-servant, -he asked her if her name was Élise. - -"Is monsieur an actor?" inquired Floridor, walking toward Dubourg, cap -in hand. - -"I, monsieur!" he replied, pretending to be surprised and annoyed -because he had been overheard. "I--I assure you, monsieur--what ground -have you for such an opinion?" he demanded, in a gruff voice, like a -villain of melodrama. - -"What ground!" cried the little man, delighted beyond words, and seizing -Dubourg's hand. "Ah! monsieur, you betrayed yourself just now without -knowing it; but even without that I should have recognized you. That -voice, that carriage, those noble and majestic attitudes! None but an -actor of the first rank combines all these; and you are such a one; it -is useless for you to deny it." - -"I see," said Dubourg, smiling with an air of mock modesty, "that it is -difficult to conceal anything from you. But my companion and I had fully -resolved to retain our incognito." - -"Your companion!" cried the little man, leaping for joy; "can it be that -monsieur is an actor, too?" - -"Unexcelled in tearful rôles, superb in tragedy, and absolutely natural -in comedy," said Dubourg, while Ménard listened with the air of one -listening to a language he does not understand. But Floridor did not -allow him to remain in that benumbed condition; he threw his arms about -Dubourg's neck, he threw his arms about Ménard's neck, and would have -done the same by the maid if somebody had not stopped him. - -"They are sent by heaven!" he cried, rushing about the room like a -madman. "I shall open my theatre! we will play _Phčdre_, we will make -the whole town weep with _Le Devin du Village_!--Master innkeeper, a -bottle of your best wine. I have the honor of inviting to supper the two -artists who are travelling incognito." - -"What does this mean?" Ménard asked Dubourg, in an undertone. - -"It means that we are the two first actors to the King of Poland, that -yonder little magpie has already invited us to supper, and that he is -going to do a great deal more for us; further, that you must support -what I say, and try not to look like an idiot." - -"What, monsieur le baron--you and I pass ourselves off as actors?" - -"Actors are built like other men, Monsieur Ménard; Roscius was admitted -to the presence of Sylla, Garrick is buried beside the kings of England, -Moličre was an actor, and none the less a great man; and two of the -great authors of our own time have acted, and sacrificed none of their -merit by so doing." - -"But, monsieur le baron, I have never acted." - -"Nor have I; but that doesn't alarm me." - -"But suppose it should become known, what will people say?" - -"It won't become known, as we are incognito." - -"But I have no memory; I shall never be able to remember a rôle." - -"They'll prompt you." - -"But I am very timid, and I shall never dare to appear in public." - -"When you are rouged and powdered, you'll be as bold as a page." - -"I shall be execrable." - -"We'll make him pay us a high price, and everybody will think we are -superb." - -"But----" - -"Morbleu! there's enough _buts_. Just remember that it's only for three -or four days; it's a little joke that will have no unpleasant -consequences, and will give us the means of waiting for another -remittance. Furthermore, when a man like myself, a Polish nobleman, an -elector palatine, decides to do such a thing, I consider it very strange -that a mere plebeian should presume to remonstrate with him. You will -act with me, or I abandon you to the wrath of the Comte de Montreville, -whose son you will never be able to find without assistance." - -"I'll do it, monsieur le baron." - -"That's very lucky for you!" - -During this little dialogue, Monsieur Floridor had rushed into the next -house, where the wigmaker lived, to tell him that two great actors, -whose names he did not know as yet, but who were sure to be overflowing -with talent, because they were travelling incognito, had arrived at the -Soleil d'Or, and that he proposed to do his utmost to engage them to -appear two or three times in the town. The wigmaker abandoned the town -clerk's wife's hair, which he was engaged in curling, and hurried off to -carry the news to all his customers; the customers told their neighbors, -and the word was passed from house to house, as in the game of scandal. -The town of Voreppe being rather small, all the townspeople knew before -sundown that they had within their walls two dramatic geniuses who were -travelling incognito. - -Monsieur Floridor returned, and they took their places at the table. -Dubourg seated Ménard at his side, so that he could whisper his replies -to him, and the manager took his seat on Dubourg's other side. All the -other guests treated the travellers with marked consideration, because -they saw that Floridor did, and because we often do what we see others -do, without very well knowing why. - -The little manager talked incessantly, Dubourg from time to time -declaimed such passages as came to his mind, and Ménard concentrated his -attention upon his plate. - -"May I not know," said Floridor, "with whom I have the honor of -supping?" - -"We did not intend to make ourselves known," said Dubourg; "but, after -the flattering attentions with which you have honored us, it is -difficult to conceal anything from you. You see in us the two first -actors of Cracow, who are taking advantage of a furlough to travel in -France and perfect ourselves in the French tongue, in which all our -plays are given in Poland; so that our theatre is frequented only by the -most distinguished people of the country--like the Bouffons in Paris." - -"I understand, I understand! and what parts do you play?" - -"Everything, from pantomime to grand opera. My comrade here, Wolowitz, -is the Fleury of Poland, and I make bold to say that I am the Talma. Ah! -if you should see us together in _Les Chasseurs et la Laitičre_! but you -don't give opera here, do you?" - -"Pardon me: opéra-comique, without music, to be sure, because we have no -orchestra as yet; but if you will deign to accede to our prayers, how -happy our town will be to see two such artists as you!" - -"It is true that we are terribly popular in Poland! Why, when we play -anywhere, they always throw us something--it never fails.--Do you -remember Smolensk, Wolowitz? We had given _Le Déserteur_ and _Le Chien -de Montargis_. You played the assassin. I say, do you remember the -sensation we produced there?" - -Wolowitz did not reply, because he had not yet learned his name; but -Dubourg kicked him, under the table, and made him raise his head, -whereupon he replied, still eating: - -"Yes, monsieur le baron." - -"You see, he continues to call me the _baron_," said Dubourg; "he -imagines he is still on the stage." - -Another kick informed Ménard that he had made a blunder, and he muttered -in Dubourg's ear: - -"Tell me your name, then; you can't expect me to guess it." - -"When people saw on the bill-board: _Boleslas and Wolowitz_," continued -Dubourg, with a glance at Ménard, "the theatre was always crowded to -suffocation, and we staggered under the wreaths that were thrown to us." - -"Oh! you'll get some here," said Floridor; "we will throw 'em to you. -I've had a dozen made on purpose to have thrown on my actors' heads. You -shall have verses too--quatrains; I've got all those things." - -"You are right; they always have a good effect, they flatter the artist -and dazzle the audience." - -"Ah! Monsieur Boleslas, may I hope that you and your companion will -consent to give us a few performances?" - -Dubourg did not consent at once; they had made a vow, he said, not to -act in any French theatre. Floridor urged them, implored them, and -ordered a fresh bottle of wine. Ménard was touched by the supper and the -little manager's compliments, and when they left the table he was ready -to promise to play any part he was asked to take; but Dubourg did not -yield so readily, because he desired to obtain a high price. Floridor -did not leave his side, he was ready to kneel at his feet; he would -make any sacrifice, he said, to open his theatre with such notable -artists, and he finally offered them a hundred francs for four -performances, which was a fabulous sum for acting in a stable. Dubourg -surrendered, declaring that he did it solely to oblige him. - -The little man was beside himself with joy; he instantly prepared three -posters, which would be displayed in the town on the morrow, announcing -to the people thereof that Messieurs Boleslas and Wolowitz, famous -Polish actors, were to appear at their theatre. - -"We should like to open with _Phčdre_ or _Le Devin du Village_," said -Floridor. - -"Oh! bless my soul! it's a matter of indifference to us," replied -Dubourg; "whatever you choose." - -"Then we will begin with that." - -"Very well, I will do Phčdre." - -"Phčdre? do you mean to say that you play female parts too?" - -"Oh, no! I meant Hippolyte. Wolowitz will make a glorious Thésée." - -"Very good. For the _Devin_ I only need a Colin." - -"I'll undertake it. In four days we will be ready." - -"Four days--that's rather too long." - -"We must have a little rest." - -"All right, four days it is. You will be announced to-morrow. Have you -any wardrobe?" - -"No; for we had no idea of acting." - -"No matter; I will see that you have costumes." - -With that, Floridor left our friends, and they went to bed, Dubourg -laughing over this latest adventure, and Ménard murmuring: - -"If monsieur le baron does it, why shouldn't I do it?" - -When he woke the next morning, poor Ménard could not believe that he was -really going to play Thésée; but Dubourg appeared, book in hand, and -gave him his rôle, which the little manager had already sent, with the -information that there would be a rehearsal at noon. - -"Bah!" said Dubourg; "there aren't a hundred lines in your part. What's -that to you, who have learned Horace and Virgil and so many other -authors by heart?" - -"That's all very well; but I have passed my life learning them, while I -have only three days to commit this to memory." - -"Don't be afraid, I'll answer for everything; besides, there's a -prompter." - -"That's true; I must depend on him." - -"As long as you know your first speech, that's all that's necessary." - -"Oh! as to that, I'm not at all alarmed: - - "'La fortune ŕ mes voeux cesse d'ętre opposée, - Madame, et dans vos bras met----'" - -"Bravo! you say it like an angel." - -"It's the curse that bothers me." - -"See that you gesticulate enough, and it will be all right." - -At midday, Monsieur Floridor came to escort them to the theatre, where -the rest of the troupe was waiting for them. The aspect of the little -hall, which they reached through a dovecote, where the box-office was -located, amused Dubourg mightily, while Ménard collided with two old -hogsheads which did duty as mountains. - -The troupe manifested the greatest respect for the two new-comers, who -rehearsed book in hand. Dubourg did not say a word that the others did -not exclaim: - -"How well that was declaimed! what talent!" - -It was the same with Ménard; and the tutor, bewildered by the applause -that was lavished upon him, was persuaded that he possessed a hitherto -unsuspected talent for acting. - -"Do you take snuff while you are acting?" queried Floridor. - -"Why not? I take the part of a king, and the King of Prussia took snuff; -witness that box, which----" - -"In Poland," interposed Dubourg, "we take as much of it as we please on -the stage; it's a recognized thing; indeed, it's a matter of tradition -in many rôles." - -"How glad I am!" said the constable's wife, who played Phčdre; "I didn't -dare to take it when I was the princess." - -"In that case," said the carpenter's apprentice, "I'll put a little quid -in my mouth when I play Aricie, as Monsieur Boleslas deigns to allow -it." - -"Whatever you please; great artists indulge in innumerable whims." - -"_Non est magnum ingenium, sine mixtura dementić_," observed Ménard. - -"Do you hear him? that's Polish," said the manager to his troupe. - -Three days were occupied with rehearsals; at last, the day of the -performance arrived. Ménard knew only his first speech by heart; but he -knew that very well, and Dubourg had told him that that was enough. The -latter did not know a word of his part, but he was not at all disturbed. -On the morning of the performance, he took care to secure the hundred -francs which Floridor had agreed to pay, saying that it was the custom -in Poland. The little manager counted out the sum, and Dubourg put it in -his pocket. - -The costumes they were to wear in _Phčdre_ were brought to the inn. - -"Don't we dress at the theatre?" Dubourg asked the manager. - -"We have no dressing-rooms, so everybody dresses at home; but the -weather is fine, and there's no inconvenience in that." - -"Do you mean that I must walk through the town dressed as Hippolyte?" - -"The theatre is only a few steps from the inn, and you can play the part -in boots, as Hippolyte is a hunter." - -"True." - -"In default of a bow, which we haven't, you will carry an old musket, -which I have had brought here for you; the ramrod will represent the -arrows." - -"That will do very well." - -"As for the wig, I think you will be pleased; as Hippolyte must have -hair falling over his neck, I have prepared a Louis XIV wig, which will -fill the bill perfectly." - -The manager took his leave, and Dubourg was assisted to dress by Ménard, -who, as he did not appear till the third act, had plenty of time for his -own toilet. Dubourg retained his black trousers, in which were the -hundred francs; he thought it best to have the money about him, in case -of accident. Over them he drew a very large pair of nankeen trousers, -donned a white piqué waistcoat, and threw over his shoulders an ample -cloak covered with rabbit skins, representing the skin of a tiger; then -he put on his wig, daubed his face with rouge, took the musket in one -hand and his handkerchief in the other, and betook himself to the -theatre, urging Ménard to make haste, so that he would not be late for -his _entrée_. - -The auditorium was full, which meant receipts of about eighty francs. -Floridor was in ecstasies; he ran to and fro from the prompter's box to -the stage, in full view of the audience; for there was no passage under -the stage, and the sheet which did duty as a curtain was hung on a rod -and drawn aside, like the curtain of a magic lantern. - -Dubourg arrived, bathed in perspiration, because the cloak covered with -rabbit skins was very heavy and the wig was immense. The actors uttered -a cry of admiration when he appeared. - -"How handsome he is!" could be heard on all sides; "how well he -represents Hippolyte!" - -"Ah! I shall play Phčdre by inspiration!" exclaimed the constable's -wife, with a passionate glance at Dubourg. But as Phčdre had a slight -squint, and an enormous nose covered with snuff, Hippolyte did not -return that amorous glance. He drew the curtain aside to look into the -hall; when his face appeared, shouts arose on all sides; the ladies -thought he was a lion. Thereupon Floridor came forth from his box, and -addressed the audience thus: - -"I told you that you would be pleased, enchanted!"--and he applauded -with all his might, the spectators followed suit, and Dubourg bowed with -majestic dignity, then retired behind the curtain. - -Everybody was ready. Phčdre had a gown _ŕ la_ Mary Stuart, a mob-cap, -and was covered with _mouches_ to the end of her nose. OEnone, to give -herself a malignant aspect, was dressed in red and black, because -Dubourg had told her that such a costume indicated a woman of character. -The carpenter, on the contrary, had sacrificed a nascent whisker in -order to represent Aricie; he was dressed in a white cambric gown, with -a garland of roses in his hair, and he imitated a woman's voice -reasonably well, although he constantly chewed tobacco. - -The wigmaker, who was cast for the part of Théramčne, wore a François I -wig and a Spanish costume, with his National Guards sabre for a sword. -The rôles of the other two confidants were to be read by Floridor from -the prompter's box. Only Thésée was missing, and he did not appear; but -he was not to come on till the third act. - -"Let us begin, the audience is growing restive," said the manager; "we -mustn't keep them waiting any longer. Thésée will certainly be on hand -for the third act." - -"It is undoubtedly his costume that detains him," said Dubourg; "he's -very particular about having his costume just what it should be, and he -never puts in a pin except in the way tradition demands." - -The manager, who was also prompter, stage manager, and scene shifter, -struck the traditional three blows, then drew the curtain, which at -first disclosed only half of the stage; but with the assistance of two -spectators, who came on the stage, he succeeded in drawing it entirely -aside. Thereupon he went down into his box, with a candlestick in his -hand, and the play began. - -When Dubourg stalked upon the stage, majestically enveloped in his -cloak, the audience emitted a murmur of surprise, which was not -precisely admiration; for, with his huge wig, the rouge trickling down -his cheeks, and his old musket over his shoulder, Dubourg was far from -attractive to look upon. Judging from the head they had seen a moment -before, they had expected to see a magnificent man of lofty stature; -but, on the contrary, the cloak seemed to crush him, and Théramčne, -being very tall, made him appear even shorter than he was. - -"He's a Pole," said the spectators. - -"He's terribly ugly," said the young women; "but he is said to have -great talent." - -Dubourg rolled his eyes in terrifying fashion, to give character to his -face; while the unlucky Théramčne, whose head touched the flies, was -obliged to stoop, so that his wig should not sweep the spiders' webs -from the ceiling of the palace. - -Dubourg, who was not at all timid, shouted his lines like a deaf man, -and gesticulated so wildly that, before the end of the first scene, -Théramčne had been struck twice by him. At the third blow, the wigmaker -began to lose his temper, and muttered between his teeth: - -"Sacrebleu! look out what you're doing! if you go on like this, I shall -be like a baked apple before the end of the play." - -But the audience were delighted with his spirited acting; they applauded -and cried _bravo_! Dubourg continued as he had begun, but not without -alarming one woman in the pit who, being singularly affected by his -contortions, left the place. - -The first act went very well; but the audience manifested some little -surprise when, instead of seeing Panope appear, they heard the prompter -reading the rôle in his box; but, as it was not long, they let it pass, -especially as Floridor, turning toward the pit, explained: - -"Messieurs, the rôles of confidants are almost always given in this way -in towns of the third order." - -But Thésée had not arrived. - -"What in the devil can he be doing at the inn?" said Dubourg; "do you -suppose he can't put on his costume?" - -"Impossible!" said the manager; "I sent him a superb yellow tunic, and -trousers of the same stuff; for his diadem he has a turban of the same -color, that I use in _Mahomet_." - -"Oho! so Thésée will be all yellow, eh?" - -"That's traditional, and tradition is never wrong. But let's go on with -the second act; we must hope that he will turn up." - -They began the second act, which did not go so well as the first. -Aricie, in a moment of passion, spat her tobacco into Hippolyte's face, -whereupon the latter kicked her viciously just as her lover said to her: - - "'Modérez des bontés dont l'excčs m'embarrasse!'"[E] - - [E] Be not so kind to me; your excessive kindness embarrasses me. - -"That will teach you to be more careful," said Dubourg. - -"If I wasn't a woman, I'd answer you in another way," retorted the -carpenter, shaking his fist at him. - -"I advise you to keep quiet!" - -Floridor hurried from his box to reconcile Hippolyte and Aricie; he -succeeded at last in pacifying them, and the performance continued. But, -a moment later, Dubourg, being on the stage with Phčdre, waited for the -prompter to give him his cue; but the cue did not come, because the -prompter could not see. - -"Snuffers!" he cried; "give me some snuffers!" - -"What a stupid!" said Phčdre, and she stooped and took the candle, and -gracefully snuffed it with her fingers. "There, my boy, that's the way -we do when we have any instinct." And she replaced the candlestick in -the box. - -This little interlude was not agreeable to the audience, who had already -begun to murmur at the quarrel between Hippolyte and the princess; and -one enthusiast, who was more exacting than the rest because he had -occasionally attended the theatre at Grenoble, threw a raw potato, -which struck Phčdre in the left eye. The constable's wife finished the -scene in tears, and the second act came to an end at the same time, with -indications that a storm was brewing. - -Floridor, who came out of his box after each act, ran on to the stage to -console Phčdre, who declared that she would not act any more. He tried -to restore the courage of his actors by assuring them that the later -acts would make amends for everything; he relied especially on the début -of Thésée, who had not yet appeared, and to whom he looked to produce a -prodigious effect. But Thésée did not arrive, and the anxiety became -general. - -"What can have happened to him? I'll run back to the inn," said Dubourg, -"for his delay begins to surprise me; I'll bring him back with me at -once." - -"Make haste!" cried Floridor; "for if we keep the audience waiting, -everything will be hopelessly ruined." - -Let us see why Ménard, who was so scrupulously exact in everything he -had to do, had not arrived at the theatre. After Dubourg left him, he -turned his attention to his toilet; and that was no small matter to a -man who had never been to a ball, had never disguised himself, and had -worn the same costume for thirty years. Ménard scrutinized the tunic, -the Turkish trousers, and the turban, in every part; he had some -difficulty in making up his mind to put on those yellow garments and to -besmear his _venerable_ cheeks with rouge; he had to remind himself -constantly of Roscius, Garrick, and Moličre, else he would have -abandoned the idea of acting. But he had promised, his word was pledged; -monsieur le baron, a noble Pole, set the example, and he must needs -adapt himself to circumstances. - -After an infinitude of trouble, he succeeded at last in arraying himself -in the costume of Thésée. He looked at himself in the mirror, smiled at -himself, and concluded that he looked very well; he kindled his own -ardor by reflecting that he was about to represent the King of Athens, -repeated his lines to himself, especially his first speech, then left -his room to go to the theatre, saying to himself: - -"Thus the Fates decree!" - -At that very moment, a traveller had arrived at the inn in a comfortable -carriage. Everything about him denoted a man of wealth and of high rank. -The innkeeper made haste to ask what he desired, and the traveller, who -was a short, thin, old man, stern of face, inquired curtly what -travellers had recently passed through the town, and, on receiving the -landlord's reply, exclaimed: - -"Shall I never learn what has become of them?" - -"Will monsieur have supper?" inquired the innkeeper. - -"No; I am not hungry. Let my horses be fed. I may go away again very -soon. Give me a room where I can rest quietly for a few moments." - -The traveller's tone did not invite conversation. The innkeeper at once -took a light and escorted the new arrival to the stairs. As they were -going up, they came face to face with Ménard, who was descending with -majestic mien, declaiming: - - "'La fortune ŕ mes voeux cesse d'ętre opposée, - Madame, et dans mes bras met----'" - -The little old man raised his eyes when he heard Ménard's voice; he -gazed at him for some time in surprise, and exclaimed at last: - -"Can it be possible that it is Monsieur Ménard whom I see in such a -costume as this!" - -Ménard looked at the traveller, and was transfixed with amazement when -he recognized the Comte de Montreville, Frédéric's father, whose eyes -gleamed with anger, and who, taking Thésée by the arm, marched him back -abruptly to his room, planted himself in front of him, and began sternly -to question him. - -"What does all this mean, Monsieur Ménard? what is the meaning of that -turban on your head, and this yellow costume that makes you look like an -escaped lunatic?" - -"Monsieur le comte, yellow is not a color to be scorned; in China, the -marks of highest distinction consist of yellow waistcoats and peacocks' -feathers." - -"Morbleu! monsieur, never mind the Chinese, but answer my question: why -do I find you rigged out like this?" - -"Because I am to play Thésée this evening, monsieur le comte." - -"You, play Thésée!" - -"Yes, monsieur le comte; in _Phčdre_, which is to be given at the local -theatre." - -"What! monsieur le précepteur, you propose to act?" - -"Why not, monsieur le comte? circumstances---- Besides, Roscius was -entertained by Sylla, Garrick is buried at Westminster, and Moličre----" - -"Do you consider yourself on a level with those men, monsieur? Do you -suppose that I sent you with my son, with the idea of your being an -actor? Was it with that end in view that you undertook this journey? Did -you think, as well as Frédéric, that you could deceive me for long? In a -fortnight, you spent the eight thousand francs I handed you----" - -"We didn't spend them, monsieur le comte----" - -"Silence, monsieur! I was willing to forgive that first escapade; I sent -you more money, and I learned that, instead of continuing your journey, -you had remained at Grenoble, and that my son was making the tour of -Europe in Dauphiné." - -"It's a superb country, monsieur le comte." - -"I left Paris; I was determined to find out for myself what detained you -in this neighborhood. I went to Grenoble, and failed to find you; I -sought you in vain in that vicinity. And at last I find you here, in -this absurd costume! I did not expect this, I admit.--But my son--where -is he? is he acting, also?" - -"No, monsieur le comte." - -"Where is he, then?--speak!" - -"He is lost, monsieur le comte." - -"Lost! What do you mean? Answer me, monsieur!" - -"That is to say, monsieur le comte, he has gone astray." - -"Remember, monsieur, that I intrusted my son to you." - -"We will find him, monsieur le comte. Monsieur le Baron Potoski is going -to send couriers to all the European courts." - -"Who is this Baron Potoski?" - -"He's a Polish nobleman, a very intelligent young man, Palatine of Rava -and Sandomir, who has a magnificent castle in the Krapach Mountains, -which he heats with gas." - -"Upon my word, Monsieur Ménard, I believe they have made you an absolute -idiot!" - -"No, monsieur le comte; I know what I am saying, and I am telling the -simple truth." - -"Where did you find this baron?" - -"We found him on the road, near Paris; he overturned our carriage, by -the way, and I was thrown into a ditch. But monsieur your son recognized -Baron Potoski as one of his friends; so we joined him in King -Stanislas's berlin, where I sat in the seat once occupied by the -Princess of Hungary; and we have travelled with the baron ever since." - -The Comte de Montreville paced the floor, stamping angrily, and looking -up at the ceiling in despair. Ménard cowered in a corner, with his -turban in his hand, afraid to move. After making the circuit of the room -three or four times, the count returned to him. - -"What has become of this baron?" - -"He is playing Hippolyte, monsieur le comte; he is on the stage at this -moment, and---- But, stay, here he is himself, monsieur le comte." - -At this moment, in fact, Dubourg rushed into the room, crying: - -"Come on, Thésée; we're waiting for you, to begin the third act." - -But he stopped short when he saw the count, who exclaimed: - -"I was sure of it! It's that scamp Dubourg!" - -Ménard opened his eyes at that, and Dubourg contented himself with -bowing low to Frédéric's father. - -"Come, Monsieur Ménard, follow me," continued the count; "take off that -costume, which you should never have put on, and let us leave this place -at once." - -The unhappy tutor did not wait for the order to be repeated; in an -instant, he had cast aside the tunic and trousers; then he resumed his -own clothes, took his hat, and stood humbly before the count, who said -to Dubourg: - -"As for you, monsieur, whose company has been so profitable to my son, -remember that if I do not find Frédéric soon, my wrath will fall on -you.--Come, Monsieur Ménard." - -A moment later, the count and the tutor were in the carriage, from which -the horses had not been taken; and they drove rapidly away from the inn -toward Grenoble, where the count hoped to obtain news of his son. - -Meanwhile, Dubourg, somewhat bewildered by what had taken place, -considered what was likely to happen to him; the audience was waiting -for Thésée, without whom the play could not go on, and the good people -of Voreppe seemed disposed to be unamiable when they were dissatisfied. -On the other hand, he had received from the manager his own pay and -Ménard's; and now that Ménard had gone, how was their agreement to be -kept? - -While he reflected, a confused noise arose in the street. Dubourg ran to -the window and saw Floridor approaching with several of the spectators, -who were swearing and making a great uproar, declaring that the two -Poles should act or they would thrash them. - -"They will act," cried Floridor; "they will act, messieurs; I paid them -in advance." - -Dubourg realized the danger that threatened him; he hesitated whether he -should give back the money, whether he should excuse himself by -disclosing his colleague's departure, or whether he should leave the -manager to settle with his audience. The last plan was the most -agreeable to him; he was afraid of being beaten, even if he did return -the money; moreover, he considered that his performance of Hippolyte was -well worth what he had received. So he ran to another window, looking on -the open country, and, hearing the crowd enter the innyard, he no longer -wavered; he jumped down into the sorrel, picked himself up, wrapped -himself in his cloak, and ran across the fields as if the whole town -were at his heels. - -The count and Ménard soon arrived at Grenoble, and alighted at the inn -where our three travellers had sojourned, and which the tutor had -pointed out to the count at his request. On the way, he had questioned -Ménard closely concerning his son, and the replies he obtained satisfied -him that it was nothing more than an amourette which detained Frédéric -in that neighborhood; so that he was a little more at ease, having no -doubt that his presence would suffice to bring his son to his senses. - -When they reached the inn, Ménard had a scene with the landlord on the -subject of the char-ŕ-bancs which had been let to him and Dubourg. The -landlord also spoke of Dubourg, saying that a creditor of the pretended -Baron Potoski had come to Grenoble in search of him, and was now on his -trail, meaning to have him arrested. - -Poor Ménard had nothing to say; he was utterly overwhelmed when he -learned that the man whom he had believed to be a Polish nobleman had -done nothing but make sport of him ever since they had travelled -together. The Comte de Montreville put an end to the innkeeper's talk by -paying him what he demanded. They slept at Grenoble, the count proposing -to go with Ménard the next day to the place where he had said that he -last saw Frédéric. - -But the next morning, as they were preparing to start, Ménard uttered a -joyful exclamation, saying: - -"Here he is, monsieur le comte; the lamb returns to the fold, the son to -his father. Here is your son; let us kill the fatted calf!" - -Frédéric was, in fact, entering the innyard at that moment, but he was -very far from suspecting that he would find his father there. - -The count hastened downstairs, followed by Ménard; he walked toward his -son, with a stern expression, and the young man hung his head and seemed -stricken dumb when he saw who was before him. - -"I have found you at last, monsieur," said the count; "I have heard of -your behavior, I have seen your boon companion, I have learned that your -travels have been confined to a miserable village and a forest near by, -where you consider, doubtless, that you have acquired sufficient -knowledge of the world. But I will abstain from reproaching you; I -deserve reproach myself for giving you such a companion as monsieur. Let -us forget it all, and return to Paris." - -These last words went to Frédéric's heart; he had endured bravely his -father's reproaches, but now he became confused, seemed to be deeply -distressed, glanced behind him, and stammered a request for a delay of a -day or two. But the count pretended not to hear, and said in a harsh -tone: - -"I am waiting for you, my son." - -The carriage was ready; what was he to do? How could he disobey his -father? Frédéric trembled with agitation; he was still hesitating; but -the count took him by the hand and led him toward the carriage, and he -dared not resist. He had had no time for reflection before he was -already at some distance from Grenoble. He put his head out of the -window and gazed in the direction of Vizille; he heaved a profound sigh, -his eyes filled with tears, as he thought of Sister Anne, and he said to -himself again and again: - -"Poor child! what will she think?" - - - - -XVII - -THE JOYS OF LOVE LAST BUT A MOMENT, THE SORROWS OF LOVE ENDURE THROUGH -LIFE - - -Why does the love of a month bear so little resemblance to the love of a -day? why is the love of a year still less passionate than that of a -month? why are we so indifferent to the enjoyment of that which we -possess without any obstacles, and why does our enjoyment sometimes -cease altogether when we possess what we have ardently desired? It is -because everything passes away in this world, where we ourselves are -simply birds of passage; it is because men who are greedy of pleasure -are always seeking new forms of pleasure, and to many of them love is -simply a diversion. But you will say to me, perhaps: "I have been -married three years, and I love my wife as dearly as I did the first -day;" or: "My lover has adored me for six months, and he is more in love -than ever." I have no doubt of it; there are exceptions to every rule, -and everyone can invoke them in his favor; and, furthermore, I do not -say that love vanishes; I mean simply that it changes its hue; and, -unhappily, the last variations have not the splendor, the lustre, the -charm, of the original color. - -Frédéric still loved the pretty mute, beyond question; but he had been -living with her in the woods for three weeks, and it began to seem a -little monotonous to him. The great fault of lovers is to yield too -freely to the intoxication of passion in the first days of their -happiness. They are like those gluttons who go to the table with a -tremendous appetite, and who eat so fast that they are filled to -repletion before the repast is half served. - -Sister Anne felt none of this ennui; she was happier and more loving -with Frédéric than ever. As a general rule, women love more truly than -men, and, moreover, the unfortunate orphan was no ordinary woman; to -her, Frédéric was the whole earth, the universe. Since she had known -him, her intelligence had awakened, her mind had developed; she had -learned to think, to reflect, to form desires, to fear, and to hope; a -thousand new sensations had made her heart beat fast. Before she knew -what love was, her life had been only a dream, but Frédéric had roused -her from it. - -When she saw that he was depressed and preoccupied, she redoubled her -attentions and caresses; she would lead him into the woods, and hide -behind a bush or a clump of trees; then, suddenly appearing, would rush -into his arms; and her childlike grace heightened the sweet expression -of her features. - -When night came, they returned to the garden of the cottage. Sister -Anne, alert and light of foot, prepared in a twinkling their evening -meal, which they ate as soon as old Marguerite had gone to bed. The dumb -girl gathered fruit, brought milk and rye bread, then seated herself -beside Frédéric, close against him, and selected for him what seemed to -her the finest and best morsels. When her lover spoke, she listened in -rapture; one could see that Frédéric's words echoed in her heart. Once -he sang a love song, and the girl listened without moving a muscle, as -if she feared to lose a note, then motioned to him to sing it again. -Since then, her greatest joy had been to hear him sing; he had a sweet -and flexible voice, and she would gladly have passed the whole day -listening to him. - -Thus did Sister Anne seek to enchain the man she loved. It was not the -tactics of a coquette--it was love, pure and simple, and nothing else; -whereas in the manoeuvres of a coquette there is not the faintest -trace of that sentiment. - -Why, then, fools that we are, do we allow ourselves to be caught in the -nets of the one, and repay with cold disdain the sincere love of the -other? Because the coquette has the art to keep us in suspense; when she -sees that we are well caught, she plays the cruel; if we seem a little -cool, she excites us by giving us some cause of jealousy; if we seem -overconfident, her mockery arouses our fears; if we are disgusted and -ready to turn our back, she becomes tender, sentimental, passionate, and -with a word brings us back to her feet. These constant changes do not -give the heart time to grow cold. I was on the point of comparing us men -to the epicures whose appetites are sharpened by a variety of dishes, -but I refrain; you would think that I had studied the art of love in the -_Cuisinier Royal_. - -For several days, Frédéric had taken to making short excursions in the -neighborhood. Sister Anne was alarmed at first; but he was away only a -little while, and her fears vanished. Frédéric was beginning to think of -the future, of his father. What would the Comte de Montreville say, if -he knew that his son was living in the woods with a village girl? That -question frequently disturbed Frédéric's repose, and as the days passed -it recurred with increasing frequency. - -Sometimes he said to himself: - -"If father should see her, it would be impossible for him not to love -her. But would he accept her as his son's wife? No, that is not to be -expected; the Comte de Montreville is not in the least romantic; he is -proud; he loves wealth, because he knows that money always adds to the -estimation in which one is held; so there is no hope that he will allow -his son to marry a penniless village girl." - -To be sure, he could act without his father's consent; but, in that -case, he must renounce his fortune, turn his talents to account, and -work for his living; in any event, he must leave the woods, for he was -beginning to realize that it is absurd for a young man to turn his back -on the world at twenty-one; that men are made for society; and that the -being in love with a pretty woman is no reason for burying one's self -alive with her in the depths of a forest. - -These arguments assumed greater force from day to day; especially when -he was away from Sister Anne, he abandoned himself to such reflections, -and his absences became longer every day. The poor child groaned in -secret; she counted the minutes that she spent without her lover; she -ran down into the valley to watch for his coming, and she pouted--oh! so -sadly!--when he had been long absent; but she was so overjoyed to see -him again, that her dejection soon passed away; she forgot all her -anxieties when she held him to her heart. - -A month had passed. Dubourg and Ménard had not returned to inquire -concerning his plans, and he was greatly surprised. He did not know, as -we do, that his two travelling companions were at that time installed -under their friend Chambertin's roof, where that surprise in the way of -fireworks was being prepared, which disclosed to their host what you -already know, but what he did not know, even after the event, so they -say, because his wife convinced him that he had seen nothing but fire. - -So that Frédéric was at a loss to understand the indifference of his -friends, especially of Ménard. - -"Something new must have happened to them," he said to himself. "Dubourg -has probably performed some further crazy exploit. I did wrong to trust -him with all the money I possessed." - -The invariable result of his reflections was that he must go to -Grenoble, to find out what those gentlemen were doing. But to join them -after saying to Dubourg that he would never leave those woods again, -that he had abandoned forever a false and wicked world, all of whose -pleasures were not equal to the tranquil life of a cottage--that was -most embarrassing, and that was why Frédéric could not make up his mind -to go to the town; for a man often chooses to persevere in an act of -folly rather than admit that he is wrong. - -Meanwhile, Frédéric's absolute idleness had become a heavy burden to -him; with the best will in the world, one cannot talk twenty-four hours -at a stretch to a pretty woman, and the poor girl was unhappy because -she saw that her lover was melancholy and often sighed. At last, one -fine evening, Frédéric, finding that he could endure it no longer, said -to her: - -"To-morrow, at daybreak, I shall go to Grenoble, to learn something -about my friends." - -As if struck by an unforeseen blow, the girl did not move for an -instant, then her bosom heaved, and two streams of tears gushed from her -eyes. She pointed to the road to the town, then to herself, as if to -say: - -"And me? are you going to leave me?" - -The poor child was unable, in order to detain her lover, to resort to -the sweet, loving words and entreaties which it is so hard to resist. -But how expressive her gestures were, and how eloquent her eyes! one had -but to glance at them to read all her thoughts. - -"I will return," said Frédéric, "I promise you; I will return, and I -shall never love anyone but you." - -These words at once allayed Sister Anne's grief, for she did not doubt -her lover's word. Remember, mesdames, that Sister Anne did not know the -world--a very painful knowledge sometimes, since it teaches us to -renounce the illusions of the heart. - -The evening passed sadly enough; for, although she did not doubt that he -would return soon, the idea of her friend's departure was very cruel to -that glowing heart, upon which love had bestowed an unalloyed happiness -which she had thought would endure to the end of her life. Frédéric did -all that he could to comfort her; but by giving fresh proofs of his love -a man inspires greater love than ever. Surely, then, that is not the -best way to lessen the pain of a separation; but it is the way that is -usually employed. - -The dawn was a gloomy one in the eyes of the young orphan. Can that be a -pleasant day which is to part us from all that we love best? Frédéric -climbed the hill to the road, holding the poor girl's trembling hand in -his. There, having repeated his promises and bade her a most -affectionate farewell, he rode away and vanished from his sweetheart's -sight. - -A heavy weight settled down upon the girl's heart. She could not see -Frédéric, but still she stood there, still she sought him with her eyes. -Suddenly she turned them upon her immediate surroundings; a groan -escaped her, and she fell on her knees at the foot of an old oak, which -she kissed with profound respect. Poor child! she was on the very spot -where her mother had died while waiting for her father! She recognized -the spot, and, clasping her hands, prayed fervently, and commended -herself to her mother. - -Sister Anne was in the habit of going several times a year to pray by -the old oak, near which the unhappy Clotilde had breathed her last; but -she had never been there with Frédéric. On that day they had climbed -that hill, over which ran the road to the town, and Sister Anne, -absorbed by her grief, had not noticed it. - -Poor child! what melancholy presentiment oppresses your heart? You think -of your mother's fate, and say to yourself: - -"Shall I be as unhappy as she was?" - -But she must needs return to the cabin; old Marguerite might need her -attention. She walked slowly down the hillside, sighing as she looked -back at the old oak. There he had parted from her, and there, as her -mother had done, she would come every day to await his return. - -She returned to her cabin, her goats, and her woods; she resumed her -ordinary habits and occupations. But everything was changed in her eyes; -the woods seemed gloomy to her; wherever she went, she was oppressed by -ennui. Her garden no longer had any charm for her, her home was like a -desert. Frédéric embellished everything, and Frédéric was not there! -Before she knew him, her eyes looked with pleasure upon things that she -now viewed with indifference; and yet, the things themselves had not -changed; but she had lost peace of mind and repose, and nothing looked -to her as it did before. - -Frédéric had not said how many days he would be absent, and the girl -hoped to see him soon; she did not dream that he had found his father -at Grenoble, and that the Comte de Montreville was at that moment taking -his son with him to Paris. - -Each day, Sister Anne went to the hilltop with her goats, and her eyes -were constantly fixed on the road to the town; she sought Frédéric -there, even as poor Clotilde had sought her husband. She amused herself -by tracing her lover's name on the ground with a stick; that was all -that he had taught her, but she had practised writing the name so often -with him that she had succeeded in writing it legibly. - -Several days passed, and Frédéric did not return. Sister Anne still -hoped, because she could not believe that her lover would break his -promise; and every morning, as she went up the hill, she said to -herself: - -"To-day I shall certainly come down with him." - -Vain hope! she must needs return alone once more to her cabin, to that -abode whence repose had fled since love had crossed the threshold. - -But a new sentiment diverted her thoughts from her sorrow. Sister Anne -bore within her a pledge of her love for Frédéric; she was enceinte, but -had not yet tried to understand the change that she observed in herself. -In her simplicity, it had not occurred to her that she might be a -mother; but that thought suddenly came into her mind. Thereupon an -unfamiliar joy took possession of her heart; she abandoned herself in -ecstasy to that newborn hope. She would have a child--a child by -Frédéric! It seemed to her that he must love her more than ever. The -thought filled her heart with joy. To be a mother! what bliss! and what -pleasure to be able to tell Frédéric! The girl leaped and ran about -through the woods; in her excitement, she did innumerable foolish -things; she looked at herself in the brook and in the fountain; she was -proud to be a mother, and would have been glad that people should see it -when they looked at her. - -Poor child! whose every action manifests your perfect innocence--enjoy -to the utmost this sentiment newborn in your heart! That, at all events, -will never grow less. - -But the days passed, and Frédéric did not return. Sister Anne was -certain that she was to be a mother, and she could not tell her lover -the joyful news! There can be no pleasure without pain; hers was -poisoned by the anxiety she felt at the non-appearance of the being whom -she adored; and every day the old oak was a silent witness of her sighs -and her tears. - - - - -XVIII - -THE GREAT BEAST - - -We left Dubourg running across the fields to escape Monsieur Floridor, -the angry audience, and the raw potatoes of which Phčdre had received a -specimen in the eye; we must not forget that his flight was so sudden -that he had no time to change his costume, that his head was still -buried under the huge Louis XIV wig, which fell in great curls over his -neck and shoulders, and that his body was enveloped in the cloak covered -with rabbit skins. - -For an hour he ran at full speed, crossing highroads, jumping ditches, -stumbling through fields of wheat and tracts of ploughed land, with no -idea where he was or whither he was going, for the reader will remember -that these things happened late in the evening; consequently, it was -dark, and, as it was raining, there was no moon to light his path. - -He paused at last and listened; he heard nothing to indicate that he was -pursued. The most profound silence reigned all about him; he tried to -look about and find out where he was; he no longer was afraid of being -caught, and he felt the need of rest. It was the middle of autumn, the -evenings were beginning to be cool, and our fugitive was not at all -desirous to pass the night in the open air, unprotected from the rain; -to be sure, his wig took the place of a hat, and his cloak was as good -as an umbrella; but they would be drenched in time, and then he would be -very uncomfortable; so that it was most advisable to seek a place of -shelter. - -He knew by the feeling that he was walking over vegetables, and soon his -path was barred by a tall hedge; but as his cloak protected him from the -thorns, he climbed over, leaving two or three rabbit skins and two curls -from his wig in the bushes, and found himself at last on the other side, -uncertain whether he would be any better off there. But various -fruit-trees, pots of flowers, and a trellis, led him to think that he -was in a garden. He walked on, holding his hands in front of him, and -came to a wall; then he found that he was under a roof, where his -progress was arrested by bundles of hay and straw: he was in a shed -which was evidently used to store fodder. - -"Parbleu!" he said to himself; "I have found all that I need for a -comfortable night; I am sheltered from the rain, so I'll just lie down -on this straw, wrap myself in my cloak, and sleep. To-morrow, we will -consider our future plans." - -Dubourg was soon ready for the night; he was exceedingly comfortable -under the shed, and, after blessing the chance to which he owed that -shelter, he fell sound asleep. - -The shed in which he lay was at the end of a garden belonging to a very -pretty little cottage, occupied by a farmer named Bertrand, who had -married, seven years before, a pretty damsel of his village, a fresh, -wide-awake young woman known as La Belle Claudine; she had already -presented Monsieur Bertrand with two bouncing children, and hoped that -the end was not yet. - -In the country, everyone rises early. At daybreak, Fanfan and Marie, the -farmer's two children, one five years old and the other four, having had -their porridge, went out as usual to run about and play in the garden. -Happening to pass near the shed, what did they see on the straw? Imagine -Azor in _Beauty and the Beast_, and you will have an idea of the aspect -of Dubourg, whose face was entirely hidden by a profusion of -reddish-brown curls, which fell over his breast, while his whole body -was covered by the cloak, which counterfeited some other animal if not -the tiger; fancy, therefore, the fright of those children when they saw -that shapeless mass. - -Little Marie dropped the slice of bread and butter she held in her hand; -while the little boy opened his mouth and could not close it again, -being almost petrified by fear. - -"Oh! oh! brother, do you see?" said little Marie at last, clinging to -him and pointing to the object stretched out on the straw. - -"Oh! oh! what a horrid beast!" said Fanfan, running behind his sister. - -Then they ran at full speed to the house, uttering piercing shrieks -which did not wake Dubourg, because the fatigue of the preceding night -made his sleep very sound. - -Bertrand had just kissed his Claudine, preparatory to going into the -fields to work, when the two frightened, screaming children appeared. - -"What's the matter?" said their papa; "why don't you speak, you -rascals?" - -The children were so panic-stricken that they could not speak -coherently. At last, they cried in unison: - -"Over there--under the shed--a great big beast all covered with hair--on -the straw--with a black head and a red mane; he's bigger'n our donkey! -He's a horrid-looking thing!" - -"Can you make anything of all that?" Bertrand asked his wife. - -"They said something about a big beast, goodman." - -"_Morgué!_ there's only us in the house; how could it get in? Perhaps -it's neighbor Gervais's bull, or Dame Catherine's donkey." - -"No, papa, no; it's all gray and red. Oh! it's awful-looking!" - -"The devil! what does it mean?" - -"Has it got any tail?" inquired Claudine. - -"I don't know 'bout that, mamma; he looked as if he was asleep, and we -ran right away." - -"You must go and see what it is, goodman." - -"Yes, yes; I must go and see." - -But Bertrand, who was not naturally brave, had already begun to quake, -and, as a matter of prudence, went to get his gun, which was loaded with -salt. Claudine took a broom, the children seized sticks, and they -marched toward the shed. The little ones went first, because at that -age, although frightened, a child delights in anything out of the -ordinary, and the slightest event is a pleasure. Bertrand walked beside -his wife, who kept pushing him to make him go ahead. The nearer they -came to the shed, the more slowly they walked; they had ordered the -children to make no noise, because it was better to view the beast -asleep than awake. - -At last they stood in front of the little building, and the children -said, their voices trembling with fear and excitement: - -"There--look, in there!" - -Bertrand and Claudine thrust their heads forward, saw the horrifying -object, and dared not advance; the husband turned pale and drew closer -to his wife, who motioned to the children not to go any nearer. - -"Let's go and call help," said Bertrand at last, in a choking voice. - -"S'pose you fire at it, goodman." - -"I guess not! my gun's only loaded with salt; that wouldn't kill him, -but would just wake him up, and he'd be mad and go for us." - -"Ah! you're right, you mustn't fire; let's run to the village. Come, -children. Great God! I hope he won't wake up!" - -Bertrand had already started; he ran, as if the beast were after him, to -the village, which was only a gunshot from his house, and he was soon -joined by Claudine. They both told everybody they met what they had -found in their garden. As fear always magnifies objects, the beast they -had seen became as large as a bull; and as events are always exaggerated -by passing from mouth to mouth, because everyone adds a little to what -he hears, the beast was transformed from a bull to a camel, then into a -lion, then into an elephant; nor would it have stopped there if they had -been able to think of any larger animal. - -The one undoubted fact was that there was an extraordinary creature in -Bertrand's garden, and in a moment that news had put the whole village -in a ferment. The people assembled, and took counsel together; the women -went to fetch their husbands from the fields, and the mothers brought -their little ones into the house and forbade them to go out. They called -on the mayor, who, like his constituents, was an honest peasant, and who -declared that he knew no more about beasts than did the other -inhabitants of his bailiwick. But there was a certain Latouche in the -village, who had once been a customs clerk at the barrier in Paris, and -who set up for a wit, a joker, and a scholar. They hunted up Latouche, -who was at work on a process of making preserves without sugar, and told -him of the event which had upset the equilibrium of the whole village. - -Latouche listened gravely, passed his hand under his chin, required -every detail to be repeated several times, made a pretence of reflecting -long and profoundly, and said at last: - -"We must go and see what it is." - -"That is true, he's quite right," said all those who heard him; "let's -go and see the beast." - -"When I have seen it," said Latouche, "I will tell you at once what it -is, and to what genus it belongs; I ought to know about such things; I -studied botany once, and my cousin was under-porter at the Museum of -Natural History." - -The whole village made ready to visit Bertrand's garden. Everyone took -such weapon as he could find; even the women took hoes or rakes, because -the beast might be dangerous. The mayor joined the villagers, and -Latouche, who was the only man in the place who had a gun in working -order,--for Bertrand's would carry nothing heavier than salt,--Latouche -undertook to lead the march and to direct all the operations that were -to take place. - -They left the village; men, women, boys, and girls plodded along, -discussing the adventure. But the nearer they came to Bertrand's house, -the less inclined they were to talk; and soon, as a result of the -general terror, the silence became general. They marched in closer -order, and everyone tried to gather courage from the glance of his -neighbor. - -Latouche walked ahead, with his gun over his shoulder, arranging his -forces as if it were a matter of surprising a hostile camp. As they drew -near the garden hedge, Bertrand uttered an exclamation and dodged behind -a large rock. - -"There it is!" he cried. - -Instantly the whole body of peasants executed a retrograde movement, and -Latouche darted into the centre of his battalion; but soon, hearing no -sound, they moved forward again, looking for the object which had -frightened Bertrand. It was a red cat, which had glided under the hedge. - -"Morbleu! Bertrand," said Latouche, hastily resuming his place as -leader, "do you know that you're terribly chicken-hearted? it's shameful -for a man of your years to have so little courage!" - -"Yes, that's true enough," said Claudine; "he ain't brave a bit, and I -often tell him so." - -"The idea of calling out and spreading an alarm just for a cat!" - -"_Dame!_ Monsieur Latouche, I saw something crawling, and I -thought----" - -"Perhaps it was some foolish thing like that that made him turn the -whole village upside down, and interrupt the chemical experiment I was -making." - -"Oh, no! that wasn't anything foolish! you'll soon see that it was worth -the trouble; here we are, close to the shed; just go through this little -gate and you'll be right there." - -"No; let's go in by the house, and examine the creature first at a -distance." - -Latouche's advice was followed: they went through Bertrand's house into -the garden. As they approached the shed, the bravest turned pale, -several women dared not go any farther, and Latouche, who resembled -those persons who sing to dissemble their fear, issued precautionary -orders on this side and that, but found an excuse for abandoning his -position at the head of the procession. - -"There it is! there it is!" exclaimed several of the villagers, pointing -to Dubourg, who was still in the same position, because he was in a -heavy sleep. Terror was depicted on every face, but it was blended with -curiosity; everyone stretched out his neck, or stooped forward, or -leaned against his neighbor. Latouche instantly ordered a halt, and one -could hear on all sides: - -"Oh! what a horrid beast! oh! how ugly! What a head! what a body! I -can't see any eyes. No, nor any paws." - -"Hush! hush!" said Latouche; "don't talk so loud, you may wake him up. -Wait till I examine him. Neighbors, did you ever hear of the famous -beast that ravaged Gévaudan?" - -"No, no!" said the villagers. - -"Well, this one looks to me very much like him. You don't see this -monster's feet, because he has them folded under him, like the Turks; -as for his eyes, they are turned toward the straw, luckily for us; for -the eyes of such creatures often emit a deadly poison. The more I look -at that skin and that mane--yes, it's a sea-lion, that must have found -its way here from Normandie." - -"A sea-lion!" repeated the peasants; "are they ugly?" - -"Parbleu! they eat a man as if he was an oyster." - -"Oh! mon Dieu! What shall we do? how shall we catch him?" - -"Perhaps he's dead," said Claudine; "he ain't changed his position since -this morning." - -"Dead? where's the man who'll go and find out?" - -"What if you should give him a shot?" suggested the mayor. - -"To fire at him is taking a great risk; the bullet often glances off of -their skin." - -"Aim at his ear." - -"I should have to see it, first." - -"No matter," said the mayor; "we must capture the animal, dead or alive; -take good aim, and fire; and we, that is I myself and the bravest men -here, will guard you with our hoes; and, _morgué!_ if he comes at us, -we'll give him a warm reception." - -The mayor's speech revived the courage of the villagers; they formed in -line and stood with upraised hoes, ready to strike. Latouche finally -decided to fire, although he was not at all eager to do so. He stood -behind the line, passed the barrel of his gun between two peasants, -spent five minutes taking aim, and at last pulled the trigger--and the -gun missed fire, luckily for Dubourg, who had no suspicion of the danger -he had escaped. - -The mayor was in despair, Latouche refused to try again, and the -peasants made no motion. Suddenly our sleeper turned over, with a yawn -which everybody took for a roar. Instantly the most courageous dropped -their weapons and fled, pushing and crowding one another, and listening -to nothing but their fright; the boys tumbled over the girls, the women -dragged their husbands away, Latouche climbed a tree, the mayor was -thrown down by Bertrand, the most agile leaped the hedge, the heaviest -slipped and fell when they tried to run. Claudine fell flat, as did -several of her neighbors, and, in the confusion, all the women, young -and old, were more on exhibition than they were in the habit of being in -public; but no one paid any heed to them; the most seductive objects do -not stop fugitives, for in great crises we do not give a thought to such -trifles. - -But Dubourg was now fully awake; he rubbed his eyes, and, first of all, -snatched off his wig, which prevented his seeing, then removed his -cloak, in which he was stifling. He stood up, for he heard shouts, cries -of terror, words that he did not understand--in short, an uproar, the -cause of which he was very far from suspecting. He left the shed and -went out into the garden, where he was thunderstruck by the scene before -his eyes. There was ample ground for amazement; but as he saw some very -pleasing details amid the chaos, he walked on, saying to himself: - -"I don't know what insect has stung all these people, but they have a -strange way of receiving travellers in this country; one ought to have -little difficulty in making acquaintances." - -The boldest of the villagers, hearing no repetition of the roaring, -gradually turned his head; he saw Dubourg's features, which were in no -wise alarming when they were no longer surrounded by that infernal wig. - -"Well, well! who's that man, and where did he come from?" said the -peasant. - -At that, all his companions turned their heads and stared at Dubourg, -who, having politely assisted Claudine to rise, thus answered the mayor, -who repeated the question: - -"I am an unfortunate devil, albeit an honest man, who, when surprised by -the storm last night, did not know where to go, so took the liberty of -lying on yonder bundles of straw, where I slept without waking until -this moment. I trust that I have done no harm." - -"You say you slept under that shed?" said the mayor. - -"To be sure." - -"And the big beast didn't eat you?" asked Bertrand. - -"What big beast?" - -"_Pardi!_ the beast with long hair and red mane that was lying there." - -Dubourg turned, and his eye fell on his cloak and wig; he divined the -source of the peasants' terror, and gave way to a longing to laugh, -which he could not control for several minutes. The villagers, hearing -his laughter, began to take courage; the fugitives stopped, the women -rose and arranged their dresses; everybody looked at Dubourg and awaited -an explanation from him. He went back to the shed, took his cloak in one -hand and his wig in the other, and returned to the villagers. - -"Here, my friends, is the beast that seems to have frightened you. I -abandon it to your wrath." - -As he spoke, he threw the cloak and wig on the ground; and the peasants -drew near, ventured to touch them, and laughed with Dubourg, saying: - -"What! is that what it was? Mon Dieu! what a pack of idiots!" - -At this juncture, Latouche descended from his pear-tree, crying: - -"I told you that that idiot of a Bertrand, who's as cowardly as a hare, -had told us some fool story, and taken a nut-cracker for an ox. Tell me, -now, if I wasn't right." - -"_Morguienne!_" retorted Bertrand; "I don't see but what my nut-cracker -gave you a good fright, too; for you climbed that pear-tree like a cat, -and knocked Claudine down when you ran by her." - -"Hush!" said Latouche, turning as red as a beet at Bertrand's retort; -"hush, you clown! I only climbed the tree so that I could aim better at -what you called an animal." - -"And you threw your gun away!" - -"Unintentionally, of course." - -"Come, come," said Dubourg; "I am the cause of all this confusion; and, -in truth, I don't wonder you were frightened when you saw me at a -distance in this cloak and wig; the bravest men aren't always eager to -fight with a savage beast, and Monsieur Latouche must be very brave to -have dared to fire at me." - -This adroit speech conciliated everybody, and Latouche recovered his -good humor. - -"This stranger expresses himself well," he said; "he is certainly a -learned man." - -Dubourg might easily have passed himself off as a baron again, he had -created such a favorable impression; but since the happenings at -Chambertin's, he was little inclined to play the nobleman; and when the -mayor asked him whence he had come in such an extraordinary costume, he -instantly invented a fable of robbers who had attacked and stripped him, -stifled his cries with the wig, and wrapped him in the cloak, probably -intending to carry him to their cavern, when they had taken alarm at the -sound of horses' steps, and had run away, leaving him in the midst of -the fields. - -This tale aroused the deepest interest among the villagers, in Dubourg's -favor; they found him very agreeable, having ceased to be afraid of him. -The mayor drew up a report, and Latouche observed: - -"I have been saying for a long while that there are robbers in the -neighborhood; they stole two hens from me a week ago, and that isn't all -they've done. We must have a general _battue_, neighbors; I'll take -charge of it, and you know what a good hand I am at making plans. We -will begin immediately after the constables have made theirs in -pursuance of monsieur le maire's report." - -Awaiting the general _battue_, they turned their attention to Dubourg, -who obviously stood in need of refreshment. Everyone wanted to treat -him, to give him food and lodging. Every male villager cordially offered -him a jacket to replace his cloak, and urged him to make his house his -home for a few days. Dubourg gave the preference to Bertrand, because he -had not forgotten certain impressions he had received when he assisted -Claudine to rise. Bertrand's better half seemed flattered by that honor; -she courtesied to the stranger, and accompanied the courtesy with a -smile, which smile meant many things. After all that Dubourg had -witnessed, it was a great triumph for her over her neighbors. - -The mayor, as the official head of the commune, had the privilege of -offering him a stout woollen jacket to replace the coat the robbers had -stolen from him. As compensation, he awarded to himself the famous -cloak, with which he proposed to make a winter coverlet; and Monsieur -Latouche secured the wig, which he had well earned by his behavior -throughout the affair. - -The villagers returned to their customary occupations: some to the -fields, others to their cottages. Bertrand, who had a large field to -plow, went off to his work, enjoining upon his wife to take good care of -the gentleman until his return. Claudine promised, and kept her word. -She was active and obliging; she was most anxious to prove to the -stranger that he had done well to give her the preference, and she -spared no trouble to make him content with his choice. For his part, -Dubourg desired to efface the ghastly impression produced by his -appearance in the village, and we know that he had a great talent for -making himself agreeable to the ladies; and so, when Bertrand returned -from the field at night, his wife ran to meet him, saying: - -"_Jarni!_ goodman, what fools we was to be afraid of that gentleman; -he's just like anybody else, you see, and he knows a lot more'n you do." - -Dubourg was extremely well treated by the villagers, and he found it -very convenient to pass some little time among those honest folk, who -strove, by their attentions, to make him forget his misadventure. He -paid for his entertainment by telling ghost stories in the evening. To -the peasant, a man who can talk for hours of interesting, terrifying, -and, consequently, amusing things, is a veritable treasure. Dubourg was -such a man, and when Monsieur Latouche was present he always sprinkled -his tales with a few Latin words; whereupon the village oracle, although -he did not understand, would turn to the peasants and say: - -"This is all true, my friends; he just made oath to it in German." - -But, after a fortnight, Dubourg began to tire of telling the peasants -fairy tales in the evening and making love to their wives during the -day; and he determined to leave the village, and go in search of news of -his former companions. He still had in his pocket, untouched, the -hundred francs he had earned by acting Hippolyte; with that amount he -could safely set out without being obliged to disguise himself as a -strange beast. Despite all that Claudine could do to detain him, he -determined to go. He thanked the mayor, Latouche, and all the villagers -for their kind treatment. He thanked Bertrand, and especially his wife, -with peculiar warmth. Then, with a stout knotted stick in his hand, -which harmonized with his jacket, and a broad-brimmed hat in place of -his wig, he left the village, saying to himself: - -"Those people who saw me playing the swell will never recognize me; and -that is precisely what I desire." - -However, he deemed it prudent to avoid Voreppe, where he might fall in -with Floridor or some member of his troupe. Nor did he care to pass -through Grenoble, where Durosey might still be lying in wait for him, -and a creditor's eyes are not easily deceived. So he headed for Vizille, -where he hoped to find Frédéric, or, at least, to learn something about -him. - -He strode gayly along, singing all the time, and sitting down on the -grass to eat the provisions with which Claudine had filled his pockets; -for women think of everything. Dubourg blessed Madame Bertrand's -foresight. - -"How can I be melancholy," he thought, "when I have had ample proof, a -hundred times over, that tender-hearted women will always take an -interest in my fate! Here's to Claudine's health, and Madame -Chambertin's, and Goton's, and little Delphine's, and all the others to -whom I owe so many pleasant hours and delicious memories." - -He drank their healths in water from a brook, for he could adapt himself -to anything. Moreover, he had money and might have wine, which -consideration made the water seem less disagreeable. Toward nightfall, -he drew near Vizille. - -"If monsieur le comte learned of Frédéric's amourette from Ménard," he -said to himself, "he probably came here after him, and I shall not find -him; but I shall find the pretty blonde, and she will tell me what has -happened." - -He did not then know that the poor girl could not tell him anything. He -walked through the valley, entered the woods, looked about, and called, -but saw no one. At last he discovered the cabin; he entered the garden, -which was deserted; then he went into the little house, where he found -no one but old Marguerite, dozing in her big armchair. - -Surprised not to find the girl, Dubourg left the cabin; he was afraid -that the story he had invented for Ménard would prove to be true, and -that Frédéric had really taken his sweetheart away with him. He was on -his way to the village to try to learn something about Sister Anne, -when, in one of the paths in the forest, he met her walking slowly -toward her home. - -Her whole bearing was so dejected, her features wore an expression of -such profound sorrow, that Dubourg was touched. He gazed at her for -several minutes, saying to himself: - -"Poor creature! he has gone, and he didn't take you! How much better it -would have been for you if he had never come!" - -At that moment, Sister Anne, hearing footsteps, looked up and saw that -someone was approaching. She ran forward like a flash; when she reached -Dubourg's side, she stopped, and her features, which hope had brightened -for a moment, resumed their grief-stricken expression; sadly she shook -her head--it was not he! - -But Dubourg spoke; recognizing his voice, she looked at him more -carefully, and again her heart beat fast with joy. It was one of -Frédéric's friends, who had come once before to seek him; doubtless he -came now to announce his return. She walked closer to him, questioning -him with her eyes, and waiting impatiently for him to explain his -presence; whereupon Dubourg, much surprised, asked her what had become -of Frédéric. - -The name of Frédéric made her quiver; she pointed to the road he had -taken, counted on her fingers the number of days he had been gone, and -seemed to be trying to ask him why he did not bring him back. - -This pantomime revealed to Dubourg Sister Anne's unhappy condition, and -he devoted all his efforts to consoling her. But for Sister Anne there -was no consolation, no happiness, without Frédéric. - -"Poor girl!" thought Dubourg; "he was quite right to assure me that she -did not resemble any woman he had ever known! But to leave her in these -woods--that was an outrage! for such grace and charm to live in a -wretched hovel is downright murder! Upon my word, I have a mind to take -her to Paris!" - -"Why didn't you go with him?" he asked her; "what detains you here in -the woods? Come with me, my child, and we will find Frédéric; or, if we -don't find him, there are thousands of others who will be only too happy -to fill his place." - -Sister Anne stared at him in amazement; she seemed not to understand -him; but when he waved his hand in the direction of the town, she -hastily drew back, and, pointing to the cabin, made him understand by -signs that there was someone there whom she could not leave. Ah! had it -not been for Marguerite, how willingly she would have gone with Dubourg! -for she believed that he would lead her at once to her lover's arms. But -as for abandoning the one who had taken charge of her in her childhood, -who had been a second mother to her,--now, when she was advanced in -years and was most in need of her assistance!--such a thought did not -enter the dumb girl's mind; ingratitude was a vice to which her heart -was a stranger. - -"Very good," said Dubourg; "then remain here in these woods, my child; -and may you recover your happiness and peace of mind!" - -Sister Anne's eyes questioned him anew. - -"Yes, yes," he said; "he will come back; you will see him again, I have -no doubt. Dry your tears. He will surely come soon and comfort you." - -These words brought a gleam of hope to the dumb girl's pale, sorrowful -face. She smiled at him who had given her that assurance, and, bidding -him adieu with a motion of her head, left him, to return to Marguerite. - -Dubourg left the woods, and, despite his heedless nature, he did not -sing as he walked back through the valley to the highroad. Like a heavy -weight upon his heart lay the image of that unhappy child, to whom he -had held out a hope which he thought would never be realized. He had -never been so moved. For several leagues, he thought constantly of -Sister Anne, saying to himself: - -"Poor girl! she was well worth the trouble!" - -But, at last, the thought of his own plight brought him back to his -natural frame of mind. He sold his jacket and hat to a second-hand -dealer, and for a few crowns obtained a more fitting costume; then he -started for Lyon, whence he proposed to return to Paris, in the hope of -finding his former travelling companions. - - - - -XIX - -ILLUSIONS OF THE HEART.--INCONSTANCY AND LOYALTY - - -The post chaise which bore Frédéric Parisward went like the wind. The -Comte de Montreville was in haste to deaden the intensity of his son's -memories, and seemed impatient to arrive at the capital. - -They exchanged very few words: Frédéric thought exclusively of Sister -Anne, his father of the best means of bringing his son to his senses, -and Ménard of all the lies the false Polish baron had told him. - -The count did not address a word of reproach to Frédéric; he seemed to -have forgotten all his grounds of dissatisfaction; and Ménard, who was -mortally afraid of Monsieur de Montreville's stern glance, because he -realized that his conduct had been far from exemplary, began to breathe -more freely, and ventured to hold up his head. - -They arrived at Paris. Before Ménard took leave of the count, Frédéric -found an opportunity to speak with him in private, and asked him about -Dubourg. Ménard did not answer for a moment; he bit his lips, as if he -were not quite sure whether he ought to take offence, and said at last, -with what he intended for a sly look: - -"Is it Monsieur le Baron Potoski that you wish to know about?" - -"Potoski, Dubourg--call him what you please." - -"Faith! monsieur, I might well call him rather impertinent, considering -all the fables he told me. The idea of claiming to be a palatine----" - -"Come, come, my dear Ménard, forget all that." - -"And his snuff-box that belonged to the King of Prussia!" - -"That was a joke!" - -"But I thought more of that tokay from Tekely's cellar than of anything -else." - -"Remember that I am as much to blame as he, for giving him permission to -deceive you." - -"That closes my mouth, monsieur le comte; besides, if it weren't for his -recklessness and his passion for gambling, he would be a man of great -merit. He is well informed, he knows his classics." - -"But what has become of him? where did you leave him?" - -"I left him acting Hippolyte, and coming to get me to make my _entrée_ -on the stage." - -As Frédéric was entirely in the dark, Ménard described their adventures -in the little town, at which anybody but the young count would have -laughed heartily. But he heard only this, that Dubourg had been left in -a very embarrassing position. He could form no idea when he would see -him again, which was a grievous disappointment; for he had proposed to -send Dubourg to Sister Anne, to allay the poor girl's apprehensions and -explain his failure to return. - -The Comte de Montreville dismissed Ménard with a reasonable -compensation, not for the way he had looked after his son during their -journey, but for the time he had lost. Ménard bade adieu to his dear -pupil, expressing the hope that he would remember him in case he should -ever propose to start around the world again. - -Several days had passed since Frédéric's return to Paris, and the dumb -girl's image was constantly in his thoughts. He imagined her in the -woods, awaiting his return, watching the road by which he was to come, -and in despair at his desertion of her. Every moment added to his -remorse and his longing to see Sister Anne again. But what could he do? -He dared not leave his father; he had no money, and, for the first time -in his life, the steward, at the count's bidding, had refused to supply -him. Monsieur de Montreville feared that his son would use it to resume -his travels, and he did not propose to let him go away again. - -Every day, Frédéric formed the most extravagant projects. He determined -to leave Paris on foot, to join his young sweetheart and conceal himself -with her in the heart of some forest. But Sister Anne could not leave -Marguerite; so that they must remain near the cabin, where his father -could easily find him; for Ménard had told him everything. - -Then what was he to do?--write? Alas! the poor child did not know how to -read--she knew how to do nothing, except love; and that is very little -in these days. - -Frédéric rarely went into society, for he did not enjoy himself. In vain -did pretty little Madame Dernange renew her provocations; he paid no -heed to them; and she, piqued by his indifference, employed all the -resources of coquetry to bring him to her feet. But Frédéric did not -fall into the trap, for he had learned what true love is; he realized -the worthlessness of all those promptings of self-esteem, those caprices -of the senses, which one mistakes for love until he has learned to know -the real thing. - -The count treated his son coldly, but never alluded to his adventures in -Dauphiné. On the contrary, he avoided the subject; and when Frédéric, -desirous to obtain some idea of his father's feelings, ventured to -mention his stay at Grenoble, to speak of the country in that -neighborhood, and of the pretty village of Vizille, a stern glance from -the count closed his mouth and forbade him to continue. - -Frédéric called again and again at the various lodgings which Dubourg -had occupied in Paris; but he could not find him at any of them. He went -to Ménard, and urged him to do his utmost to unearth Dubourg, who, he -said, had perhaps returned to the capital, but was afraid to call upon -him, Frédéric, for fear of meeting Monsieur de Montreville. - -"Suppose I find him?" said Ménard. - -"Send him to me at once." - -"Send him to you! God forbid! Monsieur le comte your father spoke very -harshly to him when he saw him in the costume of Hippolyte. To be sure, -the costume was unbecoming." - -"Tell him to write to me; what is there to prevent his meeting me -somewhere else, if he's afraid to come to the house? Am I watched? Ah! -Monsieur Ménard, I can't stand it any longer. Every day adds to my -torture! I must see her again, or at least hear something from her." - -"Hear from whom?" - -"From the woman I adore, the woman whom--I was compelled to desert, in -order to return to Paris with you." - -"Ah! I understand--the little maid of the forest. Monsieur Dubourg told -me that you had furnished a lodging for her and had taken her away with -you." - -"Would to God that I had! I should be with her now. Ah! my dear Monsieur -Ménard, if you were a different man---- But you are kind-hearted and -sympathetic; you are fond of me, and you would restore me to life if you -would consent to go to her and tell her that I love her more dearly than -ever!" - -"I am very sorry, monsieur; but I shall not go to tell her that or -anything else. I will do nothing to forward a passion which your worthy -father does not approve; he has too much reason now to complain of my -negligence. I love you dearly, and that is why I will not help you to -continue a guilty connection which would lead to no good end. Monsieur -your father knows very well what he is doing; it was high time that he -should come, for we were all making fools of ourselves, I most of all. -His presence restored our equilibrium. He snatched you away from -temptation; that distresses you, and yet it was the best thing he could -possibly do. _Qui bene amat, bene castigat; experto crede Roberto._" - -Frédéric went home, to think of Sister Anne, and to try to devise some -means of seeing her. If he had known that she bore within her a pledge -of his love, that she was about to become a mother, nothing could have -kept him in Paris. He would have flown to her, defying his father's -wrath. But he knew nothing of that circumstance, so he confined himself -to saying every day: - -"I will go to her." - -The count sent to ask his son to come to him, and Frédéric obeyed, his -brow still clouded with ennui. - -"You have ceased to appear in society," said the count; "have your -travels made a misanthrope of you?" - -Frédéric said nothing,--always the best course to pursue when one has -nothing to say. - -"I wish you to go with me this evening," continued the count, "to call -on one of my old comrades in arms, Général de Valmont. After a long -residence on his estates in the country, he has come to Paris to stay -some little time. He desires to see you, and I desire to present you to -him." - -Frédéric bowed, and prepared to accompany his father. He had heard him -speak of this Monsieur de Valmont, with whom he had served in the army, -and who was of about his age; so that there was nothing to cause -surprise in his desire to present his son to his old friend. - -On their way to the general's house, Monsieur de Montreville was -unusually amiable, and Frédéric strove to appear less melancholy than -usual. When they reached their destination, they were announced in due -course, and Monsieur de Valmont came forward to meet them. At first -sight, his appearance was most prepossessing. His manners were frank and -cordial, his features instinct with sincerity and good humor. He -embraced his old friend, shook hands heartily with Frédéric, and seemed -delighted to see him. - -After the exchange of greetings, the general invited his visitors to -step into an adjoining room. - -"You have shown me your family," he said to the count; "now, I must show -you mine. It surprises you, perhaps, that I, an old bachelor, have a -family; it is not quite so near to me, to be sure, but it is none the -less dear." - -As he spoke, they entered the room, where a young lady was seated at a -piano. At sight of the strangers, she hastily rose. - -"Constance," said the general, "this is my friend, the Comte de -Montreville, and his son; messieurs, let me present my niece--my -daughter--for I love her as dearly as if I were her father." - -Constance courtesied gracefully to the two visitors. Frédéric looked at -her--he could not do otherwise than think her charming. As for the -count, a smile of satisfaction played over his features. I believe that -the sly old fellow had heard of Mademoiselle Constance, and that he had -his little scheme in his head when he took his son to see the general. - -Constance was slender and graceful; there was something sweet and modest -in her aspect, which impressed one favorably. She was fair, with a touch -of color in her cheeks. Her great blue eyes, set off by long, dark -lashes, had an indefinable charm; her expression was amiable and frank; -every movement was instinct with grace, and she seemed absolutely -unconscious of it. Far from seeking to attract attention, she seemed -desirous to shun the admiration she aroused. - -The two old friends fell to talking over their campaigns and their -youthful adventures, and, at sixty, such subjects are inexhaustible. So -that it was necessary for Frédéric to talk with the general's niece; -and, although one's heart is heavy, one does not like to bore a pretty -woman, but makes an effort to forget one's sorrow momentarily, in order -not to appear too dull. That is what our hero tried to do while chatting -with Mademoiselle Constance, who talked very agreeably, and, without the -least trace of ostentation, revealed a judicious, cultivated mind, great -love for art, and a candor and modesty which imparted an additional -charm to everything she said. She was not one of those young women who -know everything and discuss every subject, of whom we have so many, and -whom we are good-natured enough to call little prodigies because they -chatter on for hours with extraordinary assurance, and because it is -customary to praise every word that falls from a pretty mouth, even when -it lacks common sense. - -May God protect you from prodigies, reader, especially of the female -variety! There is nothing comparable to that which is simple, modest, -and natural; we are always glad to return to that. Those qualities do -not exclude intelligence and knowledge, but they add to them a varnish -of unassuming gentleness which makes them even more attractive, and -which is never found in the others. - -The young people talked of painting, music, and the pleasures of the -country. Suddenly the general said to his niece: - -"Sing us something, Constance; sit you down at your piano and sing. I -like singing myself, and perhaps it will entertain our young friend -here." - -Constance did not wait to be urged; she took her place at the piano and -sang, accompanying herself excellently; her voice was sweet and full of -expression; it had not a great range, but she sang with so much taste -that one never tired of listening to her. Frédéric listened with keen -delight; he had never heard a voice that pleased him so much. Constance -sang several pieces, until at last her uncle said to her: - -"That is well, very well; you are good-natured and don't make so much -fuss about singing as some people do. Morbleu! I can't endure such -affectation!" - -The count and his son joined in their praise of the singing, and thanked -Constance, who blushed at their compliments. But their visit had lasted -two hours, and they rose to go. - -"I will pay you a visit," said the general; "I have just bought a little -country house in the suburbs for mademoiselle, who drives me crazy with -her chatter about fields and birds. I hope that we shall see you and -your son there before the season is much further advanced." - -The count promised, and returned to his carriage with Frédéric, to whom -he was careful not to say a word of the general's niece. The sight of -Constance was certain to do more than anything a father could say. -Frédéric said nothing; his thoughts had returned to the poor dumb girl -in the woods. For two hours he had almost forgotten her! Two hours is no -great matter; but Sister Anne did not forget him for an instant. - -Three days after this visit, the general and his niece dined with the -Comte de Montreville, who entertained quite a large party. When he -learned that he was to see Mademoiselle de Valmont again, Frédéric was -conscious of a thrill of excitement, which he attributed to the -annoyance of being obliged to conceal his melancholy. Was that the real -cause? - -The general was jovial, outspoken, and unaffected, as usual; his niece -was as pretty and affable and modest as ever. In a large party, it is -easier to arrange a tęte-ŕ-tęte than when the guests are few in number, -and Frédéric returned again and again to Constance's side. He fancied -that he did so from courtesy simply, because it was his duty to pay -especial attention to the general's niece; but he could not blind -himself to the fact that, of all the assembled company, Constance was -the one who attracted him the most, if it were possible for anyone to -attract him. He could talk with her without having to think what he was -going to say. The words that fell from her mouth were not mere trite -phrases and tasteless epigrams; Constance did not devote her attention -exclusively to other women's costumes; she did not pass them in review -and criticise them one after another, as a young woman is very likely to -do. With her, he felt more free, more at his ease; it seemed to him that -he had known her a long while. She smiled at him so pleasantly when he -seated himself beside her, her voice was so tender, her eyes so sweet, -that it was natural that he should prefer her conversation to that of -all the rest; even when he was not talking with her, he was conscious of -a secret charm in her presence. Although he strove to overcome his -sadness, his face still wore a melancholy expression, which was not -unbecoming to him; and women often yield to the seduction of such -expressions. When he was pensive, Constance looked at him with deep -interest, her eyes seemed to ask him if he was unhappy. And when she -spoke to him, her voice was even softer, her manner more sympathetic; -one would have said that she unconsciously shared his sorrow, or that -she was trying to make him forget it. - -Several young ladies exhibited their talents and their voices in -selections self-accompanied on the harp or piano, but Frédéric heard no -one but Mademoiselle de Valmont. She sang only one ballad, but she sang -it so beautifully! As he listened, Frédéric examined her more closely -than he had hitherto dared to do. Whether it was mere chance, or an -illusion of the heart, he discovered in Constance's features a striking -resemblance to those of Sister Anne: the same expression, the same -melting sweetness; and if the poor mute could speak, surely her voice -would be as tender and expressive. Frédéric, while listening to -Constance, persuaded himself that it was Sister Anne's voice that he -heard, and his eyes were wet with tears. Full of that illusion, and -discovering every moment some new point of resemblance in feature, he -did not take his eyes from Mademoiselle de Valmont. When she had -finished singing, Frédéric remained by her side, and his eyes, -persistently fastened on her face, shone with a new fire and meaning. -Constance noticed it, and avoided his gaze; a crimson flush overspread -her cheeks. If Frédéric, when he gazed so tenderly at her, fancied that -the dumb girl was before him, should he not have told Mademoiselle de -Valmont of the real object of his preoccupation? And was not Constance -justified in the belief that the Comte de Montreville's son did not look -upon her with indifference? - -The evening passed very swiftly to Frédéric. When the general and his -niece went away, the former announced that they were going to their -country house on the following day, and that he should await impatiently -a visit from the count and his son. - -When Constance had gone, Frédéric felt entirely alone in the midst of -the company; and as soon as he could with courtesy retire, he hastened -to his room to think--of Constance? oh, no! of Sister Anne; it was still -the poor dumb girl who filled his thoughts; but was it his fault if now -and then the memory of Mademoiselle de Valmont intruded itself? It was -solely because of the resemblance between them. A loving heart sees its -loved one everywhere, even where she is not. It loves her in another who -recalls her features. That is why it is no safer to trust sentimental -lovers than fickle ones. - -Several days passed; Frédéric heard nothing from Dubourg, and concluded -that he had not yet returned to Paris. The young count was still sad and -thoughtful, but there was something not unpleasant in his sadness. The -thought of Sister Anne often caused him to sigh. He was intensely -anxious to see her again; but he had ceased to form those extravagant -projects which, in the first days after his return, seemed so easy of -execution. He longed to ensure Sister Anne's happiness and repose -forever; but he thought of the future, and he was more certain than ever -that his father would never consent to give her to him for his wife. He -said to himself: - -"What should we do? what would be the result of our liaison? One cannot -always live in the woods. Man is made for society, and Sister Anne is -utterly unfitted for it: she is ignorant of everything that it is -indispensable to know." - -Poor girl! why did he not think of all these things the first time he -saw you by the brook? Ah! then you seemed fascinating to him, just as -you were; your very ignorance made you a thousand times more alluring in -his eyes; and now---- I say again, that men whose sentiments are so -easily stirred are no better than other men. - -One morning, the count suggested to his son a visit to the general at -his country house. Frédéric was always at his father's orders, but he -now chose to take unusual pains with his toilet. Even though one have no -desire to please, one does not wish to repel. The count closely observed -his son's actions, and exulted in secret; but he said no more to him on -the subject of Mademoiselle de Valmont than on any other subject. - -The general's country house was in the outskirts of Montmorency, and the -visitors arrived about noon. As he alighted from the carriage, Frédéric -was conscious of a quickening of the pulses, which he attributed to the -pleasure of seeing a woman whose features recalled those of his beloved. -He was, in truth, deeply moved, and, when he entered the house, his -eyes sought Mademoiselle de Valmont. But he saw no one but the general, -who welcomed them with great cordiality. - -"You must stay with us several days," he said; "I have you in my power, -and I shall not let you go at present. We will talk and laugh and hunt -and play cards; my niece will play and sing to us; in short, we will -pass the time as pleasantly as we can." - -Frédéric continued to look about for the niece, whom he did not see; and -as the general had already begun to discuss with his father one of their -campaigns, which was likely to lead them far afield, he ventured to -inquire for her. - -"She is probably in the garden," said the general; "either in her -aviary, or looking after her flowers, or in her summer-house. Go and -find her, young man; corbleu! that's your business; at your age, I would -have run here from Paris for a pretty face." - -Frédéric profited by the permission; he went down into a garden, which -seemed to be extensive and well kept, and walked about at random, -looking for Mademoiselle Constance. He passed the aviary, but she was -not there; he turned into an avenue of lindens, at the end of which the -ground rose slightly and a winding path led to a sort of platform, where -there was a beautiful view. That was presumably what the general called -the summer-house, for Constance was sitting there, with a drawing-board -on her lap, sketching the lovely valley which could be seen from that -point. She did not see Frédéric, because her back was turned to the path -leading to the platform, and the young man drew near and leaned over her -shoulder without attracting her attention. - -"So you have all the talents?" he said. Constance looked up, and at -sight of him her eyes expressed the pleasure she felt, while her bosom -rose and fell more rapidly. She made a motion as if to lay aside her -drawing. - -"Go on, I pray you," said Frédéric; "I did not come here to interrupt -your studies; on the contrary, I should be glad to join you in them. -And, furthermore, your uncle insists that we must remain here several -days; so that our presence must not be allowed to disarrange your -habits." - -"And are you really going to give us the pleasure of keeping you for -some days?" said Constance, unsteadily. - -"Most assuredly. I cannot believe that my father will refuse his old -friend's invitation; he is much too happy with him for that." - -"I am afraid, monsieur, that you, not having the same reason to enjoy -yourself here, will soon regret the diversions of Paris. We see very few -people here; you will surely be bored." - -"You judge me very ill, if you think it possible for me to be bored with -you." - -"Oh! I beg your pardon. I said that--because I was afraid; but if you -really love the country and music and drawing and reading, you ought to -enjoy yourself here." - -Frédéric did not reply at once; he looked closely at Constance, and his -heart was oppressed by innumerable conflicting feelings. He saw in her -features a face that was still dear to him; he transported himself in -his imagination to the little wood by the brook, and a cloud of -melancholy darkened his brow. A profound sigh escaped him, and not until -several minutes had passed did he answer Constance, as if waking from a -dream: - -"Yes, I am very fond of the country." - -The young woman looked at him in amazement, and smiled; then, finding -that he said nothing more, she returned to her drawing-board, and tried -to continue her sketch. But Frédéric's presence embarrassed her; the -hand that held the pencil trembled, and she did not know what she was -doing. - -Frédéric continued to gaze at her in silence; he was charmed by her -manner, her grace, her amiable yet reserved air. If Sister Anne had had -a good education, she would have been like her; she would have had her -manners, her talents; she would have had the same command of language. -And he began to consider that education, instead of lessening a woman's -attractions, imparts an additional fascination to them. - -The conversation languished, for Frédéric often relapsed into reverie; -but, for all that, the time passed very quickly; it seemed that they -were happy to be together, and that that sufficed them. So far as -Frédéric was concerned, he would gladly have passed the whole day -looking at Constance and drawing comparisons. She noticed that he kept -his eyes constantly upon her; but his eyes were so soft, there was in -their expression something so tender and touching, that no woman could -have been offended at being the object of their scrutiny. - -The arrival of the two old friends put an end to this situation, which -was very agreeable to the young people, although they dared not confess -as much, even to themselves. The general pointed out to the count all -the beauties of his garden, and the summer-house was one of them. The -count seemed extremely well pleased, for, as he approached the -platform, he detected a certain embarrassment, a certain emotion, which -added greatly to its attractions in his eyes. The general saw nothing of -it; he was not so keen an observer as his friend. - -"We have two guests, as you see, niece," he said; "try to do the honors -of the establishment so satisfactorily that they won't think of leaving -us for a long time." - -"I will do my best," said Constance, blushing. - -"Mademoiselle," said the count, "your presence alone is enough to detain -us." - -Frédéric said nothing, but looked at Constance, who, as she thanked the -count, cast a furtive glance at his son, as if to make sure that he -thought the same. - -After dinner, two of the general's neighbors called. One was an -enthusiastic player of billiards, who could not sleep if he had not had -his game; the other, who was somewhat younger, had seen service in the -army, and had an endless stock of campaign stories, which he -interspersed with compliments and gallant speeches to Mademoiselle de -Valmont. - -Frédéric declined to join them at billiards, in order to remain with -Constance and to hear her sing or play. - -"Don't feel bound to stay with me," she said; "remember that we are not -in Paris." - -"Unless it is disagreeable to you," Frédéric replied, "I prefer to stay -with you." - -Constance smiled, and it was easy to see that it was not disagreeable to -her. In the country, especially under the general's roof, the most -delightful liberty of action was the rule. During the day, everyone did -whatever he chose; the count and his friend made frequent excursions in -the neighborhood, while Frédéric remained with Constance; they passed a -part of every day together in the garden. - -"We must make the most of the last fine days," said Constance; "the -winter is at hand, and I must say good-bye to my trees and my flowers -and my birds. But I shall see them again; it is not an eternal -farewell." - -"Don't you expect to return to your uncle's estate in the provinces?" - -"Oh, no! I like this house much better; he bought it for me, and he is -willing that I should spend seven months of the year here. We shall -return to Paris for the winter. Uncle is so kind to me! He does whatever -I want, for he is very fond of me." - -"Who could fail to----" - -Frédéric did not finish his question; he checked himself, as if he -regretted what he had said, and Constance, taken by surprise, lowered -her eyes and said nothing. But she was beginning to become accustomed to -the young man's eccentricities. Sometimes, when he sat by her for a long -while without speaking, and seemed to be sad and distressed, she was -tempted to ask him what was troubling him; but she dared not; so she -held her peace, and sighed with him, although she did not quite know -why. Melancholy is a disease readily transmitted between two young -people of different sexes. Often the hours of silence are more dangerous -than a conversation devoted to love making. - -Meanwhile, the intimacy between Frédéric and Constance was growing -closer day by day: hardly a week had passed, and they had abandoned that -reserve, that tone of gallantry and of formality, which is never the -tone of friendship or of love. The count talked of returning to Paris, -and Frédéric was surprised to find that he himself had not thought of -it; the week had passed so quickly!--Upon reflection, he was almost -angry with himself; he was remorseful because he had enjoyed himself. -But remorse never comes until after the fact. - -"No," he said to himself, "I have not forgotten Sister Anne. I always -see her when I look at Constance. I always think of her when I have -Constance's lovely features before my eyes; I fancy that I am with her, -when, sitting beside Constance, I quiver with delicious emotion." - -And he was probably still thinking of Sister Anne, when, on the day -before he returned to Paris with his father, as he sat beside Constance -in the garden, he took her hand and held it a long while in his. -Constance did not withdraw her hand. She lowered her eyes, and seemed -deeply moved. Frédéric said nothing, but he pressed her hand very -tenderly; and the sweet-tempered girl, perhaps unconsciously, returned -the pressure. - -Thereupon the young man's embarrassment revived; he dropped the hand he -held, and hastily moved away from Constance, who raised her head, and, -observing his agitation, smiled at him with that indefinable charm which -captures and enslaves. - -"Are you really going to-morrow?" she said. - -"I must," faltered Frédéric, returning to her side; "I should have gone -sooner, I fear---- Ah! yes, it is she, always she, whom I see! I would -like to stay with you forever; I am so happy here! Oh! forgive me, -mademoiselle; I don't know where I am." - -Constance was at a loss to understand this speech; but lovers never know -what they say, or say it very badly; and she readily forgave him, -because she interpreted it all according to her own heart, which told -her that Frédéric loved her; and such sentiments always seem to be well -expressed, for, in love, the eyes speak as loudly as the voice. - -The count took his son back to Paris; but never a word concerning -Constance! Ah! monsieur le comte, you have your project, and you are -well aware what you are doing. A few days later, Frédéric said that they -ought to take advantage of the last of the fine weather to call on the -general; for he was burning to see Constance again--so that he could -think of Sister Anne! - - - - -XX - -LUNEL, DUBOURG, AND MADELON - - -We left Dubourg about to start for Paris. He no longer travelled as a -Polish nobleman, but fared modestly on foot, with a stick in his hand, -which he swung jauntily as if he were simply out for a walk. He had no -bundle to carry, because he had his whole wardrobe on his back, which he -found much more convenient for a pedestrian. He saw at a distance the -localities where he had recently appeared in such magnificent and noble -guise. He passed quite near to Monsieur Chambertin's house, waved his -hand by way of salutation to that hospitable abode, and sighed--not for -its mistress, but for the old pomard in the cellar. - -However, he walked quickly, for he still dreaded a meeting with that -infernal Durosey, whose presence he looked upon as the cause of all his -misfortunes. As he emerged from a narrow pathway into the highroad, he -found himself face to face with old Lunel, who was returning home in -charge of an ass laden with divers objects he had bought at Grenoble. -Dubourg hurriedly pulled his hat over his eyes and lowered his head, -having no desire to be recognized by Monsieur Chambertin's jockey. But -as he walked blindly on, he collided with the ass and nearly threw her -down. - -"Can't you see where you're going, idiot?" exclaimed Lunel; "the road -isn't so narrow that you need to run into my donkey." - -At the word _idiot_, Dubourg, who had never liked the old jockey, for he -had waited upon him with an ill grace during the whole of his sojourn at -Monsieur Chambertin's, and had constantly sought opportunities to show -his spite to him and to Ménard--Dubourg, who had not forgotten, either, -the horsewhipping Lunel had given the two little Poles, turned suddenly -upon him and struck him thrice with his knotted stick. - -"Help! murder!" cried Lunel. - -And as Dubourg's sudden movement had disarranged his hat, the old -servant recognized his features, and shouted louder than ever: - -"It's that miserable palatine, who owes four hundred francs at his -restaurant! It's that sham baron, who showed madame such attention and -surprised monsieur! Peste! he ain't such a swell now!" - -"Will you hold your tongue, you rascal!" said Dubourg, raising his stick -again. - -"What are you hitting me for?" - -"I am simply returning what you gave my servants; I've owed you this a -long while." - -"Your servants--your servants! pretty servants they were! I suppose this -is my _pourboire_, because my master boarded you for a month, you and -your great scholar, who ate enough for six!" - -"If I did your master the honor to visit him, what business have you to -make comments on it, you clown?" - -"Oh, yes! a great honor you did him!" - -"Take care, or I'll begin again." - -As Dubourg still had his cane in the air, the old jockey decided to -lower his tone. He held his peace and looked about for the ass, in order -to go his way; but the animal had disappeared while they were -quarrelling; she had wandered into the underbrush that lined the road, -and was nowhere to be seen. - -"Oh! mon Dieu! my ass! where is my ass?" cried Lunel, searching -anxiously in every direction. - -"Faith! I have no idea. Find your ass, and I'll continue my journey. -Give my compliments to your mistress, and tell your master that, if he -ever comes to Paris, I'll give him a little reception, with fireworks." - -Lunel paid no heed; he ran to right and left, calling: "Madelon! ohé! -Madelon!"--He rushed into a wooded path, and Dubourg, having lost sight -of him, went his way, laughing heartily at the adventure. About half an -hour after he had parted from Lunel, as he reached a place where the -road left the woods for the open country, he saw Madelon within twenty -paces, trotting slowly along with her pack on her back, following such -roads as she pleased, and halting now and then to eat a thistle or a -mouthful of wild briers. - -"Parbleu! this is a strange chance," said Dubourg; "can it be that this -beast is sent to me by Providence? But I must be wary; the law may not -approve of my receiving gifts from Providence. However, I had nothing to -do with diverting this jenny from her road. Am I to blame because she -left her master? Never mind; I will begin by trying to restore her to -him." - -Thereupon he walked back some distance into the forest he had just left, -and began to shout at the top of his lungs: - -"Lunel! holŕ, Lunel! here's your jenny!" - -There was no reply; Dubourg called again and again, to no purpose. Weary -at last of calling, he returned to the ass, saying to himself: - -"It seems to me that I have done all I can, and my conscience is -beginning to be less troublesome. I can't go back half a league, and I -have no desire to present myself again at the house of my friend -Chambertin, who is no longer my friend. But let us see what this -creature has on her back; it is not probable that there's anything of -much value." - -Dubourg began an examination of the two baskets, which were covered with -stout canvas. In one he found two syringes, one mechanical, marked: _For -madame_; the other plain: _For monsieur_; also, a large box containing a -number of phials and small pasteboard boxes. - -"Oho! I seem to have struck a whole apothecary's shop! But here's a big -sheet of paper. Ah! it's the receipted bill; this will tell me what we -have here. 'Sold by Dardanus, Apothecary, Grenoble, to Madame -Chambertin.' Let us see: 'Tooth powder, salve for the gums, three jars -of superfine rouge, liquid almond paste, macassar oil to dye the hair, -bear's grease to keep it from falling out, Essence of Venus to soften -the skin, rouge _au vinaigre_ for the evening, vegetable blue to make -veins.'--Great God!" exclaimed Dubourg, interrupting his reading; "it's -very lucky that I didn't find this bill a month sooner, for it would -have taken away my courage, and I shouldn't have dared to make pretty -speeches to Madame Chambertin. Let us read on: 'Laxative pastilles, -emollient pills, soothing tablets.'--The deuce! it would seem that -madame is very excitable.--'Two pounds of hygienic chocolate.'--Ah! -that's better. Now, let's see what monsieur requires: 'Three hundred -issue peas.'--Ah! the rascal! that's what keeps his complexion so -fresh.--'Three bottles of Eau de Baréges, salve for corns, ointment for -bunions, cachou pastilles, mint, astringent pills, tonic tablets.'--Hum! -monsieur evidently isn't constipated. That's all of that. Now, let's -have a look at the other basket." - -First of all, he found a box containing an exquisitely curled wig, which -madame probably wore when she had not time to arrange her hair. Also, a -wooden head, designed to hold the wig when it was not in use. Also, a -pair of riding-boots, and doeskin gloves. - -"Deuce take me if I'll walk back to Allevard for a couple of syringes -and a parcel of pills!" said Dubourg, when he had concluded his -examination; "monsieur and madame may go without their supplies for a -few days. I will take possession--although I don't quite know what I am -to do with all these drugs. But I have an idea. Parbleu! an excellent -means of making use of this donkey and of travelling without touching my -purse, which is none too full. Who knows if I may not make my fortune? -Well, the die is cast! I have been a baron, a palatine, and an actor; I -have even played the part of a beast, unwittingly; surely I can play the -charlatan: it's the simplest trade, the easiest of all parts to play, -provided one has ever so little wit, cheek, and loquacity, and I have -all three. A charlatan I am, then. Indeed, who is not, in this world? -everyone plays the part in his own way: men in office with petitioners, -speculators with capitalists, knaves with fools, gallants with women, -coquettes with their lovers, debtors with their creditors, authors with -actors, booksellers with readers, and tradesmen with everybody. I am -one of those who cure all diseases, who divine them and forestall them; -in short, I am a second Cagliostro; I am familiar with the universal -pharmacopoeia, I have no confederate, I deal honorably; I have -discovered a thousand secrets, a single one of which would suffice to -make a man's fortune; and I sell pills for two sous, because I am a -philanthropist." - -Having fully decided to embark upon this new escapade, Dubourg led his -donkey into a dense thicket. There he began operations by removing his -palatine boots, which were badly worn, and throwing them into the -bushes; he replaced them with the long riding-boots, which came halfway -to his hips, so that no one might recognize Baron Potoski in the dealer -in pills; he pulled over his head the blonde wig intended for Madame -Chambertin, having first tied the hair behind and made a Prussian queue; -he daubed his cheeks, forehead, and chin with superfine rouge; then, -mounting Madelon _en croupe_, with the two baskets containing his -itinerant pharmacy in front of him, he resumed his journey, inciting his -steed with his stick, by way of riding-whip. - -Dubourg's singular aspect, his face surrounded by beautiful flaxen -curls, the long queue falling down his back, his high boots, which he -held as far back as possible because the baskets were much in his way, -and, lastly, his majestic bearing, attracted the attention of all the -peasants he met. They called to one another to look at him. They stood -at doors and windows to watch him pass, and at times a number of boys -followed at his heels. Dubourg bowed to right and left, with a -benevolent expression, calling out in a loud tone: - -"Have you any aches or pains, my children, in the foot or the ear? do -you have bad dreams? do you suffer when you are asleep? have you been -beaten? are you blind, dumb, or paralyzed? Draw near; grasp the golden -opportunity! I am the great restorer, the great cure-all, the great -operator! Make haste to profit by my presence in this province; I shall -not come again for thirty years, and probably I shall not find you all -then. Come, my friends; I cure everything, I do everything--I even make -children, when they are ordered in advance. The only thing I don't do is -extract teeth, but I can supply a lotion that makes them drop out, and -the result is the same." - -Peasants are naturally credulous. On hearing this harangue, some of them -approached Dubourg, and, after respectfully removing their hats or -making a reverence, proceeded to tell him their ills. When the number -about him was considerable, Dubourg took from his basket the mechanical -syringe, which he had filled with Eau de Baréges; then he pressed the -spring, and the villagers had to hold their noses; but they remained, -because the syringe played the air _Avec les Jeux dans le Village_, and -Dubourg said: - -"This magic syringe, my children, came to me from the favorite sultana -of the Sultan of Egypt. It plays three hundred tunes; but, as it is -subject to whims, it insists on playing the same one over and over -to-day. This marvellous water that comes from it--it does not smell like -rosewater, by the way--is a prompt and certain remedy for women with the -colic. I sometimes administer these remedies myself, but I have to be -very particular as to persons, for this syringe doesn't fit all -figures." - -After this speech, Dubourg listened to the complaints of each one in -turn, then looked through his pharmacy, and distributed drugs at random, -but received the price with the utmost assurance, promising that the -effects would soon appear. He gave a nurse liquid almond paste; a man -with a fever, cachou pastilles; for a cold, he prescribed pellets that -he had made of the salve for corns; for asthma, macassar oil; for a pain -in the chest, bear's grease; and for the stomach-ache, rouge _au -vinaigre_. - -After this promising début, he belabored Madelon and rode away as fast -as possible from his patients. He was not half a league away, when the -poor creatures began to feel the effects of his remedies. Some held -their hands to their bellies, some were nauseated, some had a violent -headache, some could not endure the taste of the drug they had -swallowed, and some ran after the charlatan, calling him _swindler_ and -_thief_. But he did not wait for them. Luckily, he was prudent enough to -administer his remedies in very small quantities, so that the results -were not serious. - -Dubourg was careful not to attempt any cures in the neighborhood of the -places where he stopped to eat or to sleep. After travelling about forty -leagues in a fortnight,--for, as the great healer halted frequently to -sell his drugs, and as his steed's best gait was a slow trot, he did not -get ahead very fast,--Dubourg found himself one day in front of an -extensive farm. It was a long while since he had sold anything, for as -he drew nearer to the capital he found the country people less and less -gullible. His fortune had not increased. He spent regularly at night -what he had earned during the day; and when his receipts were large, he -fared sumptuously, content to leave his original hoard untouched. - -The appearance of the farm made Dubourg disposed to stop there. As he -had neither bugle nor hunting-horn, he announced his presence with his -mechanical syringe, beating time with his cane on the wig-block. The -farm people came out. Among them Dubourg noticed a fresh, rosy-cheeked -girl, with a mischievous eye and a small foot, and he at once conceived -a fervent desire to become her physician. - -Several buxom dairymaids procured ointments for fever and chilblains, -and a number of peasants bought pastilles of mint and cachou for -toothache; but one and all stared in amazement at the marvellous syringe -that made music, and the wig-block that spoke when it was stormy, as its -owner assured them. - -The pretty girl was a daughter of the farmer, who happened to be absent. -With her was her aunt, a good old soul who believed in dreams, fortune -telling, magic, ghosts, talismans, and sorcerers. She was anxious to -consult Dubourg, because for three nights past she had fallen asleep on -her back and waked up on her stomach, which she considered very -extraordinary. - -"I'll give you something that will keep you from changing your -position," said our charlatan to the old woman, while ogling the young -one; "here are some pastilles that came to me from a native of the -Guinea Coast, who sometimes slept a whole week on his left ear. But if -you take them in moderate doses, you pass a delightful night, and have -charming dreams, divine dreams, such dreams as you had at fifteen! It is -so pleasant, that you don't want to wake up. And then, my dear lady, -when you have taken them, you are certain to dream of any person you -choose; all you need to do is walk round your somno before you go to -bed." - -"Oh! my dear monsieur," said the old woman, "pray give me some of the -pastilles at once; I'll eat some every night. I mean to dream of my -first husband this very night; he was a dear, good man, not a sot like -my second. I'll walk round the somno, monsieur; I won't fail." - -Dubourg gave her a box of laxative pills, which she received with deep -gratitude; then he turned to the young woman and asked her what he could -do for her. - -"_Dame!_ monsieur," she replied, "a week ago, while I was dancing with -Thomas, I fell and sprained my wrist, and since then I haven't been able -to use it as well as usual; have you got anything that will cure that -right away?" - -"Have I, my sweet child! As if I hadn't everything! In a quarter of an -hour, I'll drive away your pain, and it will never come back. All I've -got to do is rub you with a certain ointment of mine; but I must say -some magic words over it, and I can't say them before witnesses; that -would break the spell. So take me to your chamber, or some other place -where we shall be alone, and I'll operate." - -"Shall I, aunt?" asked the farmer's daughter. - -"Shall you!" repeated the good woman; "why, of course. Make the most of -this great man's kindness, and let him rub you." - -The girl made no further objection, but requested Dubourg to follow her. -He fastened his donkey, with his whole outfit, at the farmhouse door, -and walked quickly after his pretty patient, who led him to her chamber -and closed the door, abandoning herself with perfect confidence to the -skill of the sorcerer, whose appearance was rather laughable than -terrifying. - -Meanwhile, the aunt, being in haste to enjoy the effect of the -pastilles, and too impatient to wait for the night in order to dream of -her first husband, had also withdrawn to her apartment, and, having -swallowed a pill and performed the prescribed ceremonial, had gone to -bed and was anxiously awaiting the operation of the charm, which was not -precisely ushered in by prodigies. - -While the ladies were experimenting with Dubourg's specifics, the farmer -came home. He began by inquiring who owned the ass that he found at his -door, and was told that it was the property of the great healer who had -recently arrived. The farmer asked who this great healer was, and his -servants replied that they did not know, but that he was probably a -sorcerer, because he wore his hair in curls, like a woman, and had a -long queue, enormous boots, a syringe that played dance music, and a -wig-block that spoke when it was stormy. - -Now, the farmer was one of those men who are so unfortunate as not to -believe in sorcerers, spells, and magic, who insist on seeing with their -eyes and hearing with their ears, and cannot be convinced that a black -hen evokes the devil, or that the future can be read by means of a -sheep's liver, coffee grounds, or molten lead thrown in water. Such men -are the bane of the occult sciences. - -Vexed by what he learned from his servants, the farmer inquired where -this great healer had gone. They told him that they had seen him go into -the house with the young woman and her aunt. The farmer hurried to the -old lady's chamber and found her in bed, still awaiting the delicious -dream that did not come. - -"Oh! brother! what are you doing?" she cried. "You have disturbed -me--upset me completely. The dream was coming! I was going to see my -first husband, and we were going to pick nuts together. Do go away; -you'll prevent the pill that wonderful man gave me from working." - -"Morbleu!" retorted the farmer; "ain't you nearly through with your -fairy tales and nonsense? Where is your sorcerer? stealing my rabbits, -most likely." - -"What an idea! he's with your daughter, in her room, saying magic words -to cure her wrist." - -"Locked in with my daughter!" cried the farmer; "_morgué!_ we'll see -about this!" - -And he ran to his daughter's chamber without listening to what the old -woman said. He opened the door with a vigorous kick, and it is to be -presumed that he was not pleased with the great healer's method of -healing his daughter; for he seized a broom, and opened the conversation -by striking him with it again and again. - -Dubourg had no time to parley; with a muttered oath, he fled; the girl -wept, the father swore, and the whole household was up in arms. - -Our charlatan, seeing that the farm hands were arming themselves with -clubs in imitation of their master, thought of nothing but his personal -safety; he fled from the farm, abandoning his ass, his syringes, and all -his remedies; all of which was very fortunate for the invalids along the -route he still had to traverse. - - - - -XXI - -LOVE IS ALWAYS THE STRONGEST - - -Dubourg reached Paris at last. He had taken only a few days more than a -month to travel nearly a hundred and eighty leagues; which is not an -inordinately long time, when one makes marvellous cures all along the -road. As he fled from the farm, where his last miracle had been so ill -rewarded, he was careful to throw away his blonde wig with the long -pigtail, which tempted all the little ragamuffins to run after him. He -arrived in the capital rather travel-stained and muddy and unkempt; but -nevertheless he arrived, and went at once to his last lodgings, which no -longer belonged to him, but where he had left a pair of trousers in the -custody of his concierge, an excellent woman, who was rather partial to -ne'er-do-wells, because they are, as a general rule, more open-handed -than virtuous and orderly young men. - -Together with his trousers, the concierge handed him a bulky sealed -package, which Dubourg took with a trembling hand, supposing it to be a -bundle of summonses or judgments; of executions and levies he had no -fear. - -He broke the seal and read a letter which he found inside; an expression -of delirious joy stole over his features, but soon he began to make wry -faces as if he were trying to weep; however, as he could not manage it, -he abandoned the attempt. - -"My dear Madame Benoît," he said to the concierge, "you must often have -heard me speak of my venerable aunt in Bretagne, who used to send me -money sometimes?" - -"Yes, monsieur." - -"Well, she is dead, Madame Benoît--that venerable woman is no more." - -"Ah! mon Dieu! what a misfortune!" - -"Indeed, yes. But I am her only heir; her fortune was not large, but -there is enough for a man to live on, especially if he is prudent and -philosophical." - -"What did she die of, monsieur?" - -"As to that, I'll tell you some other time. I am expected in Bretagne, -and I must start at once." - -"During your absence, monsieur, your friend Monsieur Frédéric has sent -here several times to inquire about you." - -"I will see him when I return; the interests of my inheritance demand my -presence, and they are more important; a man should attend to his own -business before other people's. Adieu, Madame Benoît, adieu! Here, I'll -make you a present of these trousers, for the news you have given me; -you can make a blouse out of them for your daughter. As for myself, I go -away just as I arrived, except that I shall not go on foot this time." - -He ran to the diligence office, having money enough still to pay his -fare; to be sure, that left him only five francs to live on during the -journey, but he put himself on a strict diet, promising to make up for -his abstinence before long. - -The old aunt had left all her property to her nephew, believing him to -be married and a father. He found himself possessed of sixteen hundred -francs a year. A man cannot play the baron with that, but he can live on -it in a modest way, when he is orderly in his habits and economical. -Those were not among Dubourg's qualities, but, like all men, he made a -vow to reform and not to pledge his income. - -"Monsieur," said the attorney who was settling the estate, "your worthy -aunt instructed me to recommend you to be faithful to your wife, and to -give your little triplets a good education." - -"Never fear, monsieur; I shall carry out my dear aunt's wishes to the -letter. My wife and I are like turtle-doves, and my triplets already -love each other like Castor and Pollux." - -Dubourg sold the furniture and personal effects of the deceased, in -order to obtain a supply of ready money. He was detained two months in -Bretagne, at the end of which time he returned to Paris, dressed in -black from head to foot. To signalize his return to virtue, he began by -paying his creditors, and strove to retain the serene expression and -dignified bearing which he had assumed as soon as he learned of his -inheritance. - -He thought of Frédéric, but was still hesitating whether he should write -to him or call on him, when, as he entered a café one evening, he spied -Ménard watching a game of dominoes and absorbed in the play. Dubourg -touched him lightly on the arm; he turned, recognized his former -travelling companion, and could not decide how he ought to receive him. - -"Surely I have the pleasure of seeing my dear friend Monsieur Ménard," -said Dubourg, with a smile. - -"Himself, monsieur le--monsieur du--really, I am not at all sure what I -should call you now." And the ex-tutor smiled, delighted by the epigram -he had achieved. - -"How now, Monsieur Ménard! are we at odds?" - -"Really, monsieur, I ought to bear you a grudge, after all the fables -you told me. Hereafter, if I ever believe you----" - -"Come, come, Monsieur Ménard, let us leave gall and bitterness to -atrabilious souls, and let it not be said of us: _Nec ipsa mors odium -illorum internocinum exstinxit._" - -"Oh, yes! I know that you are very well read," said the tutor, softening -a little; "but that castle of Krapach! And then, to make me act!" - -"Allow me to offer you a cup of coffee, and a glass of Liqueur des -Iles." - -"Very well, if you insist."--And the tutor said to himself, as he -followed Dubourg to a table: "This devil of a fellow has a persuasive -way that seduces you and carries you away; it's impossible to remain -angry with him." - -"Where are you from?" he asked; "my pupil has been looking for you a -long while; he's very anxious to see you." - -"I have just arrived from my province--Bretagne." - -"Ah! so you are from Bretagne? I am not surprised, then, that you were -constantly bringing it into your descriptions of Poland; and then, the -milk and butter that you were always boasting about." - -"Excellent they are, Monsieur Ménard." - -"And what have you been doing in Bretagne?" - -"I have just inherited a very pretty little fortune from my aunt." - -"I'll wager that that isn't true!" - -"O Monsieur Ménard! don't you see that I am in mourning?" - -"That proves nothing; you were dressed as a Polish nobleman when we -walked arm in arm through the streets of Lyon. Oh! when I think of -that----" - -"Do you think also of the delicious dinners I ordered for you?" - -"Of course, of course! Oh! you order a dinner perfectly. But that poor -Monsieur Chambertin! To make him believe that he was entertaining an -illustrious character!" - -"Look you, Monsieur Ménard, I don't see why I'm not as good as another -man----" - -"And to make him give parties and fireworks and magnificent dinners!" - -"Where you did your part wonderfully well." - -"I acted in perfect good faith, myself; I was your accomplice, without -suspecting it. Do you know that you compromised me, and that that was -very ill done of you?" - -"Have a glass of punch; what do you say?" - -"Oh! I am afraid----" - -"It shall be very mild." - -"All right, if it's mild----" - -"Waiter, two glasses of punch." - -"For, you see, my friend, I am not as young as you are, and the follies -which are overlooked in the young admit of no excuse in those of mature -years." - -"You talk like Cicero; but I reply that Cato learned to dance at sixty." - -"Are you quite sure of that?" - -"I didn't see it; but our follies were very reasonable ones.--Let us -take a drink." - -"I admit that we didn't injure anybody, after all. This punch is good, -very good. But when you made me run across fields on account of that -imaginary Turk----" - -"Faith! I'll admit that he was a creditor; but aren't they Turks to -their unfortunate debtors?--Another drink." - -"It is true that creditors---- Look you, my dear Dubourg, you have all -the qualities of a charming companion: you know all the good authors, -you know history; take my advice, reform, settle down----" - -"I have done it; it's all over now: no more gambling, no more escapades, -no more drunkenness.--But we aren't drinking." - -"Your health, my dear friend!" - -"No more fairy tales, no more lies." - -"Ah, yes! no more lies, above all; for lying destroys confidence; and -then, you made me look like an idiot." - -"Oh! not altogether." - -"That's a very handsome seal ring of yours." - -"It's an emerald that was worn by Ali Pacha." - -"It's magnificent." - -"Another glass." - -"Dear Dubourg! My friend, I am extremely glad to have renewed my -acquaintance with you." - -The liqueur and the punch had completely melted Ménard, who, when he -parted from Dubourg, called him his loving friend, and assured him that -he might safely go to the Hôtel de Montreville, that monsieur le comte -bore him no ill-will and would receive him cordially. - -On the day following this meeting, Dubourg did, in fact, call upon -Frédéric, who had just returned from the general's country house. He -passed all his time with Mademoiselle de Valmont. As it was no longer -necessary that he should be accompanied by his father, for the general -treated him like his own son, he made the most of the liberty accorded -him. Every day, he invented some pretext for going to see Constance; for -he persisted in deluding himself, in excusing himself in his own eyes, -and strove to persuade himself that there was no trace of love in the -feeling that drew him to the general's niece. He still thought of Sister -Anne, but no longer with the same ardor and affection, and that was what -he refused to acknowledge to himself; perhaps, if he should see her -again, it would still be inexpressibly sweet to him to hold her in his -arms. But it was not she whom he saw, it was Constance; Constance, who -was more amiable, more tender, more sentimental with him, day by day; -who felt such unbounded pleasure in seeing him and made no attempt to -conceal it. Already there was the closest intimacy between them. When -she passed two or three days without seeing him, she would reproach him -good-naturedly, and avow that she was vexed at his absence; and she said -it with such perfect candor and sincerity that Frédéric was deeply -touched. However, he had never breathed a word of love to her; but is it -necessary to speak to make one's self understood? and what woman, in -Constance's place, would not have believed that she was loved? - -At sight of Dubourg, Frédéric made a gesture of surprise; a keen -observer might even have detected a trace of embarrassment. - -"Here I am," said Dubourg; "I have been in Paris only a week." - -"Yes, I supposed that you were away. But why this mourning?" - -"Ah! my friend, my poor aunt--she is no more!" - -At this point, Dubourg drew his handkerchief and blew his nose three or -four times. - -"Come, come, Dubourg, stop blowing your nose; you know perfectly well -that you're not crying." - -"Never mind; she was a most respectable old lady: she has left me -sixteen hundred francs a year." - -"That is something; try not to gamble it away." - -"What do you say? Why, écarté is like an emetic to me. But tell me about -your love affairs. Do you know, you don't seem to me to look any too -wretched for an unhappy lover." - -"But I---- Since my father suddenly appeared at Grenoble, where I had -gone to find out something about you, I have not been able to see that -poor girl, we started for Paris so hurriedly! Since then, he hardly -leaves my side. I could write--but who would read my letters? we can't -use that method; and I don't know how to communicate with her." - -"Well, I can tell you something." - -"Have you seen her?" - -"Yes; but it was a long while ago--about a fortnight after you left." - -"Well! where was she? what was she doing?" - -"Where was she? in the woods, returning from the road, where she had -been watching for you, no doubt. What was she doing?--weeping; that is -her only resource now, I fancy." - -"She was weeping!" - -"Yes; and I confess that she made my heart ache." - -"Poor child! but you spoke to her, I suppose--she saw you? Tell me about -it." - -"She saw me; indeed, she recognized me, although she had seen me only -once. You didn't tell me that she was dumb, but I very soon understood -her pantomime. She counted off the days you had been away, and asked me -if you would return soon. I told her _yes_." - -"Ah! you did well." - -"But that was three months ago." - -"True: but I haven't been able----" - -"I left her at last, after giving her a little hope; I could do nothing -more for her; but in three months that hope must have vanished." - -Dubourg said no more, and Frédéric sat for some moments buried in -melancholy reflections. - -"If you knew, Dubourg," he said at last, "what a most surprising thing -has happened to me!" - -"I should know, if you told me." - -"It is really inconceivable; it is a stroke of fate. On returning to -Paris, I found Sister Anne." - -"You found her here?" - -"Yes; I saw her again--in another woman, the niece of Général de -Valmont, a former comrade in arms of my father. Why, my friend, it is an -astonishing thing--I never saw such a perfect resemblance." - -"Ah! I begin to understand." - -"If you should see Constance,--that is the name of the general's -niece,--you would be as surprised as I was--not at once, but on a close -examination." - -"Ah! you were surprised after some time, eh?" - -"It's her eyes--their sweet expression. Constance's are a little darker, -to be sure. The hair is the same color; the forehead as high and noble; -the same complexion--but Constance isn't as pale as Sister Anne. The -same expression in the features." - -"I am surprised that a general's niece should have all the features of a -goatherd." - -"Of course, there's the difference due to rank and education and social -customs. In the first place, Constance is much taller; she has a -beautiful, well-proportioned figure; but so has Sister Anne. Constance -has the grace, the dignified carriage which no one can attain who lives -in the woods." - -"Ah! you have discovered that now." - -"And she has a charming voice, an enchanting voice, that goes to the -very bottom of your heart. Well, my friend, when I listen to her, I -persuade myself that the poor orphan is no longer dumb; I imagine that I -am listening to her; her voice, I am sure, would have the same sweet -quality, the same fascination. So that I am deeply moved when I listen -to that other voice." - -"I doubt whether that emotion would make Sister Anne very happy." - -"But it is impossible for me not to feel it. Tell me, isn't it strange -that there should be such a resemblance?" - -"Exceedingly strange, no doubt; but I fancy that it would be less -striking to my eyes. I am no longer surprised at your leaving the little -one in her woods. You have found her here, you see her, and listen to -her--a pleasure that you did not enjoy when you were with her. You are -privileged to gaze upon her every day, at your leisure; here, she has -graces and talents which she did not have down yonder. It is extremely -convenient. I congratulate you. I can understand that you don't need to -bother your head about the one who is far away, in her cabin or on the -hilltop, watching for you to come, since you can still be with her, -without putting yourself out, and since she is more lovely and -fascinating here than there." - -There was an undercurrent of satire, of reproach, in Dubourg's tone that -made Frédéric lower his eyes. - -"No," he said, with evident embarrassment, "no, I will not desert Sister -Anne. I shall certainly go to see her--I haven't forgotten her, for I -think of her every day. Is it my fault that I find all her features in -another woman's? On the contrary, isn't it a proof that I am always -thinking of her? But really it is surprising; Mademoiselle de Valmont -resembles her so closely--in spite of some slight differences--she is so -sweet and kind! her voice moves me so deeply! Ah! I would like you to -see Constance!" - -Dubourg did not reply at once, and for some minutes there was silence -between them. Dubourg broke it at last. - -"Look you, Frédéric, I confess that I am sorry that I saw that -girl--that I saw her waiting for you and weeping." - -"Why so?" - -"Why? Because I imagine that I still see her, and, despite my -heedlessness, I feel--it makes me unhappy. I am nothing more than a -reckless chap, a libertine, a ne'er-do-well, if you please; but, after -all, I prefer my way of loving to yours. With your great passions, which -are destined never to end, but which do end just like others, you -wheedle inexperienced young hearts, sentimental women, who allow -themselves to be touched by your sighs, your noble sentiments; they give -themselves to you, and then--why, they weep and tear their hair over -your inconstancy. Faith! I know none but women of easy virtue, grisettes -or coquettes, who, if they're no better, are at least more lively. They -deceive me, I deceive them, we deceive each other; it's all understood -and accepted beforehand. But we don't rave about it; we weep only for -sport; and when we fall out altogether, it doesn't make us melancholy. I -agree that the ladies I speak of are not absolutely virtuous; but for an -amourette, a caprice, should we seek that flower of pure sentiment, an -inexperienced heart that knows love only from romantic novels in which -it is always painted in colors that, while they may be very seductive, -are altogether false? No; on the contrary, I think that it's barbarous -to try to win a girl's whole heart, to inspire a great passion, and then -to leave your victim to waste her best days in tears and despair." - -"Why do you say this to me? I still love Sister Anne; I am not -unfaithful to her. Is it my fault that my father dragged me back to -Paris all of a sudden? and that it has been impossible for me to absent -myself since then? Most certainly I shall see her again, I shall not -abandon her; she is still dear to me." - -"Pshaw! Frédéric, don't talk that humbug to me! Do you want to make me -believe that my nose is crooked? I tell you, I'm an old hand, and I am -not to be hoodwinked; indeed, I may have read your heart better than you -have yourself. You no longer love Sister Anne, or at least you are no -longer enamored of her; for you are burning now for this fascinating -Constance, who is a perfect image of the poor dumb girl, except that she -is taller and stouter, has darker eyes and a different complexion, -and----" - -"No, no, Dubourg! I swear that I am not in love with Constance; I love -her--like a brother--but no word of love has ever passed my lips." - -"Well, I give you my word that that will soon come. Oh! it's of no use -for you to look up at the sky; I tell you that you are in love with -Mademoiselle Constance. I don't charge you with it as a crime; it's -perfectly natural: she is pretty, she attracts you--and why not? But -what I do blame is your prowling about in the woods after that poor -little creature who has no knowledge of the world or men, and who -yielded to your seductions and believed all your oaths, because they -were the first oaths she had ever heard. What was wrong was your -inspiring in her heart an exalted passion, which will ruin her life, -because she has nothing there in the woods to divert her thoughts. If, -yielding to a sudden temptation, you had seduced her and then left her -at once, the pain would have been sharp, but it wouldn't have lasted so -long; she wouldn't have had time to love you so dearly; but you always -have to run things into the ground. You abandon everything to live in -the woods--in order not to be separated from her; for six weeks, you -don't leave her for a single moment; you eat nuts together and lie on -the grass; you would live on roots, if need be, in order to speak of -love to her. How in the devil do you think that that can fail to turn -her head? The girl has reached a point where she cannot do without you; -she lives and breathes for you alone; she imagines that that sort of -life will last forever; and then--presto! my gentleman vanishes; -good-evening, it's all over! Weep, and tear your hair! you won't see him -again.--But I have seen her, and I'm almighty sorry; for I fancy that I -see her still, pale, dishevelled, walking without seeing, listening -without hearing, and, absorbed by a single thought, keeping her -tear-dimmed eyes fixed on the road by which he went away; then returning -to her poor cabin, to weep on; and so again the next day, and forever! -And remember that she has not even the one poor consolation of the -unhappy, the power to complain and pour her sorrows into a friend's -bosom. That is what you have caused, and it isn't the noblest chapter in -your history. That is what you would have avoided if you had not -followed the guidance of your romantic ideas, or if you had paid your -addresses to women of the world only." - -Frédéric made no response; he seemed to be lost in thought. - -"My friend," continued Dubourg, taking his hand, "I have told you just -what I think; you ought not to be angry. Moreover, all that one can say -to a lover never makes any difference; he always follows his own -impulses solely. I know, too, that you cannot marry Sister Anne. -Parbleu! if a man had to marry all the charmers he has loved, I should -have as many wives as King Solomon. I tell you simply that it gave me -great pain to---- But, enough of that! I am none the less your friend, -do with me as you will. Adieu! I am going to dine at a thirty-two-sou -ordinary, because when a man has an income of sixteen hundred francs a -year and wants to keep it, he doesn't go to Beauvilliers." - -Long after Dubourg had gone, Frédéric remained where he had left him, -absorbed in his reflections. Argue as he would, Dubourg had opened his -eyes to the state of his heart, and, although he still tried to delude -himself, he knew that he was no longer the dumb girl's devoted, ardent, -faithful lover, who was ready to sacrifice everything in order to pass -his days with her. - -It is hard for a man to admit his faults to himself, and even when he -does he always finds some excuse to palliate his conduct, and says to -himself that he could not have done otherwise. Especially in love do we -reason thus, and the last passion, being always the strongest, speedily -vanquishes its predecessor. - -Frédéric, cudgelling his brains for some means of repairing the wrong he -had done, said to himself: - -"I will see Sister Anne again, I will not leave her to pass her life in -a wretched hovel, cut off from all intercourse with society; I will buy -her a pretty cottage, with a lovely garden, and some cows and sheep; I -will surround her with everything that will make her life pleasant and -happy; I will find some village girl, of her own age, to wait upon her, -whose presence will enliven her; she will live there with old -Marguerite, and she shall have everything that she needs; the sight of -her neighbors, of the passers-by, and of the people at work in the -fields, with her own household cares, will drive away her melancholy; I -will go to see her sometimes, and she will be happy." - -Happy, without Frédéric! No; to Sister Anne, that was impossible. -Comfort, even wealth, would not compensate her for the loss of her love; -for Sister Anne was not brought up in Paris; she could not conceive that -anyone could prefer diamonds and fine clothes to joys of the heart, or -that a wrong could be atoned for with gold. Nor, five months earlier, -could Frédéric have conceived it; but as he could readily do so now, it -was natural that he should believe that Sister Anne could do the same: -we judge others' hearts by our own. - -For several days, Frédéric, tormented by what Dubourg had said to him, -had the dumb girl's image constantly before his eyes; even when he was -with Constance, his melancholy, which had at one time almost -disappeared, seemed to weigh upon him more heavily than ever. The -general and his niece had returned to Paris. Frédéric was able to see -Constance every day. But he trembled when he entered her presence, and -she, though surprised by his dejection, dared not ask him the cause of -it; but her eyes, when they met Frédéric's, spoke for her, and revealed -all the concern she felt for his secret sorrow, and often, too, her -longing to know its cause. - -In his desire to be relieved from his anxiety, and to have news of -Sister Anne, Frédéric several times urged Dubourg to go to Vizille, to -see the poor girl and try to comfort her. But on that point Dubourg was -immovable. - -"I will not go," he said; "I saw her once, and that was quite enough. I -have no desire to see her again, and then have unpleasant thoughts for -six weeks--I, who never knew what such thoughts were. Besides, my -presence would not comfort her; she wouldn't believe anything that I -could say to her, because I lied to her once; so my journey would do no -good and would not change her plight at all." - -As he could not induce Dubourg to take the journey, Frédéric decided to -ask his father's permission to leave Paris for a fortnight. Not until -after long hesitation did he determine upon that step; but his remorse -was troublesome, he was constantly tormented by the memory of the poor -mute, and he was persuaded that he would be calmer and less -conscience-stricken after he had seen her. - -For some time past, the count had treated his son most affectionately; -convinced that he had entirely forgotten the person who had fascinated -him during his stay in Dauphiné, and having no doubt of his love for -Mademoiselle de Valmont, the count had entirely laid aside his former -sternness of manner with Frédéric; he hoped soon to see the plan he had -formed successfully carried out, being confident in advance of the -general's consent; so that he was greatly surprised when his son asked -his permission to leave Paris for a few days. - -The Comte de Montreville's brow became clouded and severe, and Frédéric, -who was accustomed to tremble before his father, anxiously awaited his -reply. - -"Where do you want to go?" asked the count, after a brief silence. - -Frédéric attempted to stammer some pretext, but the count did not give -him time. - -"Don't try to beat about the bush; I don't like it. You are still -thinking of a woman who interested you during your journey, and for -whom, I know, you committed a thousand follies. I thought, I confess, -that you had become reasonable; I thought that the memory of that fancy -had long since vanished from your mind--I do not say from your heart, -for the heart has no concern in such affairs." - -"Ah! father, if you knew her!" - -"Enough, monsieur! You do not propose to marry your conquest, I presume? -Still, it is possible that you have some wrongs to undo. I do not know -this girl. Perhaps you are more culpable than I think; perhaps she whom -you seduced, or led astray, is now cast off and abandoned through your -fault, and is living in want. If her misfortunes can be mended with -money, you may be sure that I will not spare it, monsieur; but I will -attend to the business, not you." - -"You, father?" - -"Yes, monsieur, I; I shall be better able to arrange it than anyone -else. So you need not leave Paris now. Besides," the count continued, -after a moment's thought, "your presence here is indispensable. The -general expects to marry his niece to a young colonel, who will probably -arrive in Paris very soon." - -"The general expects to marry his niece!" echoed Frédéric. Already his -features had assumed a different expression: sadness and melancholy were -succeeded by violent emotion, a jealous perturbation which was manifest -in his excited glance, and which made it impossible for him to remain -seated. His voice trembled, and, as he questioned his father, it seemed -as if his life or death hung upon the answer he was to receive. - -"Yes," said the count, in an indifferent tone, pretending not to notice -Frédéric's state of mind, "yes; and, for my part, I see nothing -surprising about it." - -"And--this colonel is coming to Paris? Do you know him, father? Is he -young? Is he supposed to be handsome? Mademoiselle de Valmont loves him, -of course?" - -"You don't think that I am in Mademoiselle de Valmont's confidence, do -you? She met the colonel in society, I presume. I believe he's a young -man of twenty-eight or thirty." - -"Good-looking?" - -"Oh! whether he's good-looking or ugly, isn't an honorable man always -attractive?" - -"And this marriage is all arranged?" - -"So it seems." - -"And Mademoiselle Constance has never mentioned it to me!" - -"Why on earth should she have told you beforehand of something that a -well-bred young woman never mentions?" - -"Oh! of course--I had no claim--there was no reason why I should -know--and still, I should have thought----" - -"Besides, it is possible that the general hasn't mentioned his plans to -his niece as yet." - -"And this is the reason why I must stay in Paris?" - -"To be sure; at such times, there are innumerable details to be attended -to--clothes and presents and wedding festivities; the general, being -accustomed to camp life, knows nothing about such things; a bachelor -always needs advice, and he relies on you to help him." - -"Indeed! that's very kind of him; I am highly flattered that he -considers me good enough for that." - -"So, Frédéric, I say again that you must not think of leaving Paris -now." - -This argument was no longer necessary. The count left the house to call -upon his old friend, to whom he had something to say privately; and -Frédéric, long after his father's departure, was completely crushed by -what he had learned. Poor Sister Anne! your image had vanished. - -Pale and excited, hardly able to breathe, Frédéric paced the floor of -his apartment, now throwing himself into a chair for a moment, then -springing abruptly to his feet, sighing, and clenching his fists -convulsively. It was in that frame of mind that Dubourg found him when -he came to bid him good-bye, for Frédéric had told him of his projected -journey. - -"What in God's name is the matter, Frédéric?" he said, pausing in the -doorway, alarmed to see him in that condition. "Come, won't you speak, -instead of rushing about like this and banging the furniture?" - -"Who would have believed it? who would have thought it?" said Frédéric, -dropping into a chair. "Ah! these women!" - -"Oho! so it's a question of women, is it? I begin to feel less alarmed." - -"With such an honest face, such lovely eyes, to conceal such perfidy! -for it is perfidy! she ought to have told me that she loved another. To -welcome me so cordially! to seem so pleased to see me! Oh! it's -horrible!" - -"There's no doubt of that. Whom are you talking about?" - -"Mademoiselle de Valmont--Constance. She is so lovely! so sweet!" - -"Oh, yes! and she looks so much like Sister Anne!" - -"Would you believe, my friend, that she is going to be married--to a -young colonel whom I don't know, but whom she loves--that goes without -saying; whom I have never seen, and who is coming to Paris very soon to -marry her?" - -"Mademoiselle de Valmont is going to be married?" - -"Yes, Dubourg." - -"Well, what difference does that make to you? you don't love her; you're -not in love with her; no word of love has ever passed your lips; you are -her brother, her friend, nothing more. You told me this yourself, within -a month." - -"No, I certainly do not love her; but one owes some regard, some mark of -confidence, to a friend; and when you see a person every day----" - -"Oho! you see her every day, do you?" - -"She might have told me, have let fall a hint. Ah! I never would have -believed it, Constance!" - -"By the way, have you given up going to Dauphiné? I say--Frédéric! -Frédéric!" - -But he was already far away, running like a madman to Mademoiselle de -Valmont; and Dubourg left the house, saying to himself: - -"He's a good one to accuse women of perfidy! Ah! these men!--I must go -and dine. I don't know how it has happened, but I am already in debt at -my restaurant, and the month has only half gone!" - -When Frédéric reached the general's house, he had formed no plan of -action, and had no idea what he was going to say or do. He entered the -house, where his was a familiar presence, and walked rapidly through -several rooms to the salon where Constance usually sat. She was there, -seated at her piano. Seeing that she was intent upon her music and as -placid as ever, Frédéric stood for a moment, gazing at her. - -Constance turned her head when she heard footsteps. She smiled when she -recognized her visitor, whose excitement she did not notice at once. - -"Is it you, monsieur," she said; "I am glad you have come; you are a -good musician and can help me decipher this piece." - -The young man did not reply, but continued to gaze at Constance, who, -being accustomed to his peculiar and often taciturn humor, did not at -first observe that anything was wrong; but, finding that he did not -approach, she turned again, and then his evident excitement did not -escape her notice. - -"What is the matter, monsieur?" she asked, with manifest concern; "you -seem excited." - -"Oh! nothing's the matter, mademoiselle; what could be the matter?" - -"I am sure I don't know; you are not in the habit of telling me your -troubles." - -There was a faint tinge of reproach in the tone in which Constance made -this remark. Frédéric sat down beside her, and seemed to try to read in -her eyes; never before had he looked at her with such an expression, and -Constance, in her surprise, felt that she was blushing, and averted her -lovely eyes. - -"You are afraid that I shall guess what is taking place in your heart," -said Frédéric, affecting an ironical tone to dissemble his suffering. - -"I, monsieur! on my word, I don't know what you mean; I don't understand -you. Why should I fear to allow my thoughts to be read? I am conscious -of no guilt; and if it were otherwise, you are not the one to reprove -me." - -"Oh! certainly not! you are entirely free as to your feelings, -mademoiselle; I know that I have no claim to your heart." - -"Mon Dieu! what is the matter, Monsieur Frédéric? really, you alarm me; -your agitation is not natural." - -"What is the matter! Ah! Constance, you love another, and you ask me -that question!" - -Mademoiselle de Valmont was speechless with surprise; Frédéric had never -called her by that name before, and are not the words: "You love -another" equivalent to: "You should love no one but me"? A wave of -blissful emotion surged in Constance's heart, which beat faster and with -greater force; joy and happiness shone in her eyes, and her voice was -softer than ever, as she said: - -"I, love another! Mon Dieu! what does he mean? Explain yourself, -Frédéric: I don't understand." - -The dear girl had understood but one thing, and that was that Frédéric -did not want her to love another; and that was enough to make her -understand that he loved her. For a long time, she had hoped that she -had inspired the sweetest of sentiments in Frédéric's heart; but he had -never said a word to her on the subject, nothing that signified: "I love -you;" and even when everything tends to that conclusion, a woman longs -none the less to hear the words. - -Again Frédéric was silent; he sighed long and loud, but said nothing. - -"Will you speak, monsieur? what has happened to disturb you so -to-day?--what have I done to deserve your reproaches? Explain yourself -clearly; I insist upon it--do you hear, monsieur? I insist upon it." - -The expression of her voice was so tender that Frédéric could not resist -the temptation to look at her again, and doubtless her eyes were in -accord with her voice, for he gazed at them several minutes in a sort of -ecstasy; but suddenly he cried again: - -"What an unhappy wretch I am!" - -"You unhappy, Frédéric? Why so?" - -"You are going to be married." - -"Married! This is the first I've heard of it." - -"Oh! it's useless for you to try to conceal it from me; I know all, -mademoiselle: I know that your future husband will be here in a few -days, that he's a colonel, and that you love him." - -"What do you say? a colonel? and I love him? Upon my word, this is -rather strong! What is the name of this colonel I am going to marry, if -you please?" - -"His name! Faith! I forgot to ask that. But you must know perfectly well -whom I mean. Will you say that you don't know a colonel?" - -"Several colonels have called on my uncle, but----" - -"Ah! several of them--you admit it now." - -"Who told you, monsieur, that I am going to be married?" - -"Someone who is absolutely certain of it: my father, who learned it from -your uncle." - -"From my uncle? Why, I can't understand this at all." - -"You pretend not to understand; but, I doubt not, you are impatiently -waiting for your future husband's arrival." - -Constance reflected for some little time, then replied in a tone which -she struggled to make indifferent: - -"Really, monsieur, I am very much surprised by what you have told me; -but, after all, suppose it to be true that I am to be married--how does -it concern you? I imagine that it is a matter of the utmost indifference -to you." - -"Ah! you think that, do you? You are quite right, mademoiselle; of -course, it cannot make any difference to me." - -"Very well! then why do you ask me all these questions, monsieur?" - -"Why? O Constance! are you going to be married? and this colonel--do you -really love him?" - -"And if I did love anyone--would that cause you any grief?" - -She was determined to force him to the wall and make him avow his -sentiments. Frédéric could contain himself no longer; his heart could -not keep its secret. - -"Yes," he cried, "I love you, I adore you! I shall die if you marry -another man!" - -"He loves me!--Ah! it's very lucky that I have extorted that from you! I -thought you would never say it." - -And the blushing girl gave her hand to Frédéric, who had fallen at her -feet; and he covered that hand with kisses, while she said to him with -deep earnestness: - -"Ah! Frédéric, I love you, too. I shall never love anyone else. Why, my -dear, did you not long ago say those words, which make me so happy, and -which I have been expecting so long? My uncle is very fond of me; he -will never do anything to make me unhappy. If it be true that he has -planned a marriage for me--he has never mentioned the subject--why, he -must abandon it, for I will tell him that I will marry no one but you, -that you alone can obtain my heart and hand; and he will consent, I am -certain of it. He is fond of you too, Frédéric; indeed, who would not -be? You see, you do wrong to be sad and depressed, and to conceal your -sorrows from me. My dear, I read your heart long ago; should you not -have been able to read mine?" - -Frédéric replied only by protestations of love; he was beside himself -with joy; Mademoiselle de Valmont's avowal had disturbed his reason; not -without difficulty did she succeed in calming him, and he did not leave -her until she had repeated her solemn promise that she would never give -her hand to another. - -Frédéric left the house in a very different frame of mind from that in -which he had entered it. The certainty that Constance loved him had -revolutionized all his ideas in an instant: in his delirious joy, Sister -Anne was entirely forgotten; he did not even feel a pang of remorse. -Like those sick persons who, when the fever is at its height, are -unconscious of pain, he said to himself again and again: - -"Dubourg was quite right: I do love Constance, I adore her! I can never -again love anybody else." - -Two days after this declaration, the Comte de Montreville, well assured -that his son no longer thought of leaving Constance, set out for -Dauphiné, in his own carriage, attended by a single servant and a -postilion. - - - - -XXII - -DEATH OF MARGUERITE.--SISTER ANNE LEAVES HER CABIN - - -Let us now return to the dumb girl in the woods, whom we left awaiting -Frédéric's coming, and whom we shall find still awaiting him. - -But the trees have lost their foliage; the fields no longer offer to the -eye the pleasing prospect of luxuriant vegetation; there is no green -turf in the valley, no verdure on the banks of the stream. The leaves -have fallen, and the villager's steps are deadened by that which shaded -him and embellished his garden a few days since. He tramples under foot -the beautiful foliage to which the approach of a harsher season has -brought death. Thus do all things pass away. Other foliage will be born, -only to die in its turn; and the man who tramples upon it must likewise -return to the dust whereon future generations will tread. He fancies -himself of some account because his allotted time is longer; but when -the ages have dispersed his ashes, what more will he have left behind -him than those leaves have done which whirl about in the wind at his -feet? - -The autumn disposes us to melancholy; it brings reverie and reflection, -not to him who lives in the city, detained in the vortex of the world by -the necessities of business or pleasure, but to the man of the fields -who can contemplate each day the successive changes in the face of -nature. Not without emotion does he look upon the forest, whose black, -skeleton-like trees seem to be in mourning for the spring; if he walks -along a path but lately shaded by dense foliage, if he seeks the thicket -where he was wont to rest during the heat of the day, he sees naught but -dry branches, often broken by the poor man's hand. The forest is less -dark than in summer, for the sunlight finds its way in on all sides. But -that brightness, far from embellishing it, robs it of all its charm; one -regrets the dark, mysterious paths, through which it is so pleasant to -wander in the season of love. - -As he watches the approach of the frost and snow, as he contemplates the -effects of the winter's cold, man, always buoyed up by hope, says to -himself: - -"The spring will come again; I shall see once more my leafy lanes, my -lawns, and my shrubs." - -The spring comes again--but many men do not see it! - -Sister Anne observed the change in the season only because it emphasized -the length of time that had elapsed since Frédéric left her. The unhappy -child could no longer count the days; their number was too great. -However, hope had not vanished from her heart; she could not believe -that her lover intended to abandon her forever; sometimes, she imagined -that he had ceased to live, and then the blackest despair took -possession of her thoughts. When that idea forced itself upon her, life -seemed to be only one long agony. Could she live on, unsustained by the -hope of seeing her lover? Often she longed to die. But she was soon to -be a mother; that thought made her cling to life once more; something -told her that she must live for her child. - -It was a very long time since she had been to the village. An old -shepherd, who went back and forth through the woods, was in the habit of -leaving every day, at the foot of a tree, the loaf of rye bread -required by the occupants of the cabin, and always found there, in -exchange, a large pitcher filled with milk. This bread, with milk and -fresh eggs, was all that the two poor women ate in winter. When Sister -Anne had finished preparing the meal, and had given the old woman all -that she required, she drove her goats to the hilltop, and seated -herself at the foot of her mother's tree. Despite the cold, which was -beginning to be severe, the girl did not fail to go thither a single -day. Wrapped in a wretched woollen cloak, half worn out, she defied the -rigor of the season, although the garment was but little protection to -her; her goats, finding nothing on the hill to browse upon, huddled at -her feet; and Sister Anne, her features pinched and worn by her -condition and her sufferings, presented only too faithfully the image of -poverty and sorrow. - -More than once, the snow, falling in great flakes, formed an icy cloak -about her body, so that the poor girl's form could hardly be -distinguished from the ground she lay upon; and often she removed her -cloak to cover her shivering companions. The traveller who happened to -pass over the hill could make out nothing in that snow-covered group -save the dumb girl's head, always turned toward the road to the town. -But, unheeding the cold, she did not realize that her whole body -shivered, that her teeth chattered, that her limbs stiffened; she was -unconscious of physical suffering; a single sentiment absorbed her whole -being, and the pain it caused left her no feeling for any other. - -When the darkness made it impossible for her to see the road, she rose -and looked at herself, amazed to find that she was almost buried in -snow. Then she would shake her cloak, caress her goats, and slowly -descend the hill to the cabin and old Marguerite. When the old woman was -asleep, and she threw herself on her solitary couch, she no longer found -love there, nor even rest, to which she had long been a stranger. The -memory of her lover was there, as it was everywhere. If only she could -express her grief in words, call to him and implore him to return! It -seemed to her that her voice would reach his ears.--Poor girl! heaven -had deprived you of that priceless organ. Tears! always tears! those -were all that remained to you! - -But, meanwhile, Sister Anne saw that old Marguerite was failing from day -to day. For a long while she had not left the house; she was hardly able -to totter to her great armchair. Marguerite was seventy-six years of -age; she had led an active, laborious life, and her old age was placid; -she had no disease and did not suffer; age alone was wearing out her -strength, which was daily diminishing. She was going out like a lamp -whose light has been soft and mellow; she had not shone with great -brilliancy, but she had been useful, which is far preferable. - -The hour fixed by nature drew near; Marguerite was destined not to see -another spring. Sister Anne redoubled her loving attentions to her -adopted mother; observing the gradual weakening of her faculties, she -gave up going to the hilltop, in order to be always with her. She could -have made no greater sacrifice. Good Marguerite, touched by her -devotion, smiled at her affectionately, and called her her dear child. - -But one morning, when Sister Anne went as usual to her mother's bed to -ask how she had passed the night, Marguerite did not answer, or, as her -custom was, hold out her trembling hand. Her eyes were closed, never to -open again. Sister Anne was terrified; she seized the old woman's -hand--it was cold and inert, and she tried in vain to warm it in her -own. She stooped and kissed Marguerite's forehead, but no smile rewarded -her. - -The girl stood by her aged companion's bedside, overwhelmed with grief; -she gazed at the venerable features of her who had taken care of her -from childhood, of her only friend, who had been taken from -her!--Marguerite seemed like one asleep; the serenity of her face -indicated the serenity of her mind in its last moments. Sister Anne, -standing beside the bed, with one hand resting upon it, could not tire -of gazing at her adopted mother. Her grief was calm, but none the less -profound; her eyes were dry, but their expression was none the less -heartrending. - -She passed a large part of the day beside the good woman's lifeless -remains; not without difficulty did she succeed in tearing herself away; -but she knew that she must perform the last duties for Marguerite, that -she must consign her to her last resting-place; and she realized that -she was incapable of doing it alone, without assistance. She must go to -the village, therefore, where she had not been seen for a long while. - -She left her cabin and went out of the woods on her way to Vizille. As -she passed, she bowed, as usual, to those of the village women whom she -knew; but she could not understand why they turned their heads away, or -stared at her with contempt. Instead of stopping, as their custom was, -to bid her good-day, they walked quickly away, and seemed desirous to -avoid meeting her. The young men looked at her with mocking smiles; some -pointed at her, whispering to one another; and not upon a single face -did she observe the marks of interest which they were accustomed to -manifest. - -"What can be the matter?" thought the poor child; "everybody seems to -avoid me; is it because I am more unhappy than ever, because I have lost -my kind mother, and Frédéric has abandoned me?" - -She forgot that she bore the testimony of her weakness; that pledge of -love, of which she was so proud, was, in the eyes of the peasants, a -proof of her shame. In villages, people are more severe than in cities; -they set great store by innocence, because it is often the only treasure -they possess. The good people of Vizille held very austere views on the -subject of such falls from virtue: a girl who had been seduced became an -object of general contempt, so long as her seducer did not repair her -fault before the altar. Perhaps they should have been more indulgent to -the dumb girl, who, living in the woods, did not know that she was -culpable in yielding to the promptings of her heart. But peasants do not -reason; they act in obedience to habit, and often mechanically. They had -shown deep interest, so long as she was innocent as well as unfortunate; -now that she bore manifest proofs of her weakness, they spurned her, -without waiting to inquire whether she was not more unfortunate than -before. - -At last she reached the village, unable to understand the conduct of the -people, having no idea why the young girls fled at her approach without -deigning to answer her signs, or why their parents stared at her with a -stern, disdainful air. - -She knocked at the door of a cottage, the owners of which were friends -of Marguerite. The woman who opened the door made a gesture of surprise -when she saw her, then drove her away from the house. Sister Anne tried -to insist and to make her understand the loss she had met with; but, -refusing to notice her signs, the woman pushed her into the street, -where a number of peasants had assembled and stood staring at her. - -"How do you dare to come to the village in that state?" asked an old -man; "to show your face here and try to get into our houses? You're -carrying the token of your shame; you'd do better to hide it in your -woods. And you come here and show yourself to our daughters! Do you do -it to let them admire your pretty behavior, and set them an example? Off -with you, Clotilde's child! you ought to die of shame! Go back to your -cabin, clear out with your seducer, but don't come here again among our -wives and children!" - -Sister Anne could not understand how a person could be guilty for having -known love. She gazed at the peasants in surprise; she held out her -hands, clasped in entreaty: she tried to make them understand that she -had not come to seek their aid for herself. But they did not choose to -understand; they turned their backs on her and went into their houses; -some escorted her to the outskirts of the village, and did not leave her -until they had ordered her never to return. - -The poor child was suffocated by the sobs that convulsed her whole body. -To be treated so for having loved Frédéric! That thought sustained her -courage; it was for him that she was subjected to such humiliation; she -would endure everything rather than cease to love him. She returned to -her cabin, weeping bitterly. It was dark. Absolute solitude reigned in -her poor home, thenceforth the abode of silence. She was utterly alone -on earth. Proof against idle terrors, against the childish fear which -even the greatest geniuses sometimes feel at sight of death, Sister Anne -went to the bed on which Marguerite lay, and, falling on her knees -beside it, held out her arms to her protectress, as if to say: - -"You would not have spurned me, mother, if I had come before you even -guiltier than I am! You would have had pity on me. Your great age, your -enfeebled sight, did not permit you to notice my condition; but you -would have forgiven me; and they turned me away! Is it by heaping -obloquy on the unfortunate that the path of repentance should be pointed -out to them?" - -She passed the whole night by Marguerite's bed. She prayed with all her -heart for her who had been a mother to her; she implored her to protect -her still, and during that mournful night Frédéric's image did not -disturb her pious occupation. - -The next morning, at daybreak, Sister Anne went to the woods to wait for -the old shepherd who supplied her with bread in exchange for milk. He -soon appeared. He was a man of some sixty years, still strong and well, -who had passed most of his life in the forest, and, like Sister Anne, -knew almost nothing of what happened in the village, which is the whole -world to a woodsman. The girl took him by the hand and seemed to urge -him to go with her to the cabin. The old shepherd complied with her -entreaty, and she led him to Marguerite's bedside. He shook his head, -but did not seem moved: the habit of living the life of a savage -sometimes makes men indifferent to the suffering of others. But Sister -Anne appealed to him by signs which he could not fail to understand, and -the old fellow consented to perform the service she asked at his hands. - -She led him into the garden, to the fig-tree under which Marguerite -loved to sit, and pointed to the ground: that was where she wished that -her adopted mother should rest. The old shepherd soon dug the grave, -then carried the old woman's remains thither and covered them with -earth. Sister Anne planted a cross by the spot. It was the only monument -she could erect to her benefactress's memory; but she would come often -to water it with her tears. How many magnificent mausoleums there are -whereon no tear was ever shed! - -The shepherd went his way, and Sister Anne was once more alone--and -forever! At that moment, she felt more keenly than ever the loss she had -sustained. Marguerite talked little; for some time past, she had dozed -constantly; but she was always there, and the poor child felt that she -was not altogether alone in the world. There was one person who could -comfort her; but he did not come, and each succeeding day helped to -destroy the little hope that still sustained her. She would not have had -the courage to endure her torments, but for the feeling that heaven -would soon give her someone to lighten them. She was now fully aware of -the existence of the being in whom she was to live again. She had -already suffered much for its sake: people shunned and despised her; she -could no longer seek help or shelter in the village; but the mere sight -of that little creature would bring forgetfulness of all her agony; is -it not just that we should find in the cause of our sorrows their -compensation? - -As the days passed, Sister Anne's profound grief for the loss of -Marguerite changed into a tender, grateful memory; but time, which -soothes the regrets of friendship, does not allay the sufferings of a -lover. The memory of Frédéric was more constantly in her mind than -ever, for there was nothing to divert her thoughts from it. She saw no -one; and if the movements within her reminded her that she was soon to -be a mother, that fact made her desire more ardently the presence of her -child's father. - -While Frédéric was with Sister Anne, he had talked to her sometimes of -the outside world, of his father, and very often of Paris, his -birthplace. During the day, while they sat together by the brook, it -amused him to draw a picture of the great city for the wondering girl, -to describe the pleasures, the plays, the splendid avenues, which make -it a place of enchantment. She did not always comprehend what he said, -but she listened with wide-open eyes, manifesting her amazement by -artless gestures, by curious tokens of surprise; and it amused Frédéric, -who was often obliged to tell her stories to satisfy her, for one cannot -be always making love. Some people maintain that it is a great pity; -they forget that those things which one can do all the time end by -losing their value. - -What Frédéric had told Sister Anne was engraved in her memory. Each day -she thought about it more and more, and said to herself: - -"He is probably in that great city, Paris, that he used to tell me so -much about, where he was born. Perhaps his father won't let him come -back to me. But if I could go there and find him, if I could once throw -myself into his arms, I'm very sure he would be glad to see me. Then he -would keep me with him, I would never leave him again, and I should be, -oh! so happy! But how can I find my way to Paris?" - -Every day, the longing to set out in search of her lover became stronger -in that loving heart, which could not persuade itself that Frédéric had -forgotten her, but believed that the reason he did not return was that -someone was keeping him away from her. Marguerite being dead, there was -nothing to detain Sister Anne in the woods. In her condition, and bereft -as she was of so essential an organ, she ought doubtless to have felt -that her cabin was preferable to the dangers, the suffering, and the -fatigue that would be her portion in the journey she contemplated; but a -woman who loves truly sees neither danger nor suffering; she dares -everything, sustained by the hope of seeing once more the object of her -affection. Sister Anne, unacquainted with the world, unable to speak, -and bearing within her the fruit of her love, determined to leave her -home to go in search of her lover; to face every danger, to endure -poverty and privations of every sort; and even though she should have to -employ years in her search, it seemed to her that every step would bring -her nearer to her lover. - -Having formed her decision, she devoted all her thought to its -execution; but she did not wish to leave her cabin and Marguerite's -grave to be utterly neglected. Again it was the old shepherd to whom she -addressed herself: she led him into the house one morning, and pointed -to a small bundle containing her clothing, which she slung over her -shoulders, to indicate that she was going away; then she motioned to him -to sit down, as if to say: - -"This cabin is yours, stay here; I ask you only to take care of the -fig-tree that shades my mother's tomb, and these poor creatures who have -been my only companions so long." - -The old man readily understood her; but, although the hovel was a palace -in his eyes, and Sister Anne's cession of it to him made him richer than -he had ever been, he tried to induce the girl to abandon a plan which -seemed to him insane. - -"Where do you propose to go, my child?" he asked; "can you think of -leaving home in the condition you are in? Within two months you will be -a mother, and you propose to go on a journey; and you a poor, dumb girl! -Who will take you in, who will help you, how will you ask the way? Come, -my girl, you are going to do a very foolish thing. Wait a little while, -at least." - -But Sister Anne had made up her mind, and nothing could move her; she -shook her head as she looked at the old shepherd; then raised her eyes -to heaven, as if to say: - -"God will take pity on me and guide my steps." - -He tried once more to keep her. - -"What about money?" he said; "you need money in the world, my girl; I -know that, although I haven't lived much in the world. I haven't got any -myself, and I can't give you anything for your house and what there is -in it, although it's well worth something." - -Sister Anne smiled, then took from her bosom a small canvas bag, and -showed the old man four gold pieces: it was Marguerite's little hoard. -Some time before she died, the good woman had told her to look in the -corner of the cabin, under her bed; there she had found the little bag -securely tied, and Marguerite had said to her: - -"Take it, my child; it's for you; it's the fruit of my savings in sixty -years of toil. I have always meant it for you; perhaps it will help you -to buy some more goats." - -At sight of the four gold pieces, the old shepherd ceased his efforts to -detain her, for he believed that with that amount of money she could go -round the world. - -"Go, my child," he said; "I will keep your cabin; remember that it still -belongs to you, if ever you want to come back to it." - -Sister Anne smiled sadly; then, with a last glance at her home, she went -forth, with her light bundle in one hand, and in the other a stick on -which she leaned as she walked. She saluted Marguerite's grave in the -garden; her goats ran after her, as if they expected her to drive them -to the hill as usual. She caressed them, weeping, for they had come to -be her only friends, and something told her that she would never see -them again. - -What memories stirred her heart as she walked through the woods! There -was the place where they had sat so often! yonder the brook, by which -she first saw him, and where he told her that he loved her! Those -familiar spots seemed alive with his presence, and she found it hard to -make up her mind to leave them. But she said to herself, to sustain her -courage: - -"I am going to join him; and perhaps we shall return together." - -She climbed the hill, and knelt at the foot of the tree where Clotilde -died. She prayed to her mother to watch over her from on high, and to -guide her in her journey. Then she descended the hill, in the direction -of the town; she followed the road that he had taken, and wished that -she could discover his footprints. - - - - -XXIII - -SISTER ANNE'S JOURNEY.--THE FOREST - - -The dumb girl had begun her journey at daybreak; it was a cold but fine -morning; a heavy frost had dried up the roads, frozen the streams, and -checked the torrents. The fields were deserted; the peasants who were -abroad wasted no time, but hastened to return to their cabins and sit -down in front of the fireplace, where the stumps they had brought from -the forest snapped and crackled. A bright fire enlivens the long winter -evening, and the poor beggar, as he passes through a village, stops and -gazes enviously at the flame that shines through a cottage window, -overjoyed when he finds an opportunity to warm himself on the public -square, before a bundle or two of straw which other poor wretches have -set on fire. - -It was only four hours since Sister Anne had set out, and her eyes were -already struck by the novelty of what she saw. Having never seen -anything besides her own cabin, her woods, and the village of Vizille, -she paused in amazement before a forge, or a mill, or a country house, -which seemed to her a very castle. Everything was new to her; but how -was she to find her way in this world, which seemed to her so immense, -how could she find that city which she could not name, and of which she -did not even know the direction? Sometimes these thoughts made her heart -sink; she would stop and look sadly about; then she would think of -Frédéric, and resume her journey. - -Toward midday, she arrived at a small hamlet, and knocked at the door of -a peasant's cottage; it was opened by a young woman, who was nursing one -child, while four others played about her, and an old woman kindled the -fire with an armful of dry branches she had just brought from the woods. - -"What do you want, my good woman?" asked the young mother. Sister Anne -gazed at the picture before her, and could not take her eyes from the -child at its mother's breast. A gleam of joy lighted up her face; one -could see that she was thinking at that moment: - -"I will nurse my child, too; I will carry him at my bosom and receive -his caresses." - -"Why don't you say what you want?" said the old woman, without taking -her eyes from the fire. - -"Oh! see how pale she is, mother!" said the younger woman; "and how she -seems to be suffering! To think of such a young thing, and so near her -time, travelling about when it's as cold as this!--You are going to join -your husband, I suppose?" - -Sister Anne sighed; then, seeing that they were waiting for her answer, -she explained by signs that she could not speak. - -"Mon Dieu! mother, she's dumb! Poor woman!" - -"Dumb!" cried the old mother. "What, my dear, can't you talk? How I pity -you, poor child! Are you deaf too?" - -Sister Anne's pantomime indicated that she could hear them perfectly. - -"Well, that's lucky, on my word!" exclaimed the old woman, walking -toward the traveller; while all the children stared curiously at her, -thinking that a mute was not like other people. - -"Was it some accident that made you dumb, my girl? have you been so -long? Was it an illness? Can't it be cured?" - -"Let us first give the poor creature what she needs, mother," said the -young woman; "let her rest and eat something; then you can question -her." - -They bustled about, and seated Sister Anne in front of the fire; one -child took her bundle, another her stick, and the old mother brought her -food, for the daughter could not leave the child she was nursing. Sister -Anne, touched by their kindness to her, manifested her gratitude by such -pathetic gestures, that the occupants of the little cottage were deeply -moved. - -"So it isn't the same everywhere as it is at my village," thought the -young wayfarer; "here, instead of turning me away and looking down on -me, they are kind to me, and treat me like their own child. The world -isn't so cruel, after all." - -This welcome revived her courage; but she could not answer all the old -woman's questions. The peasants believed, according to her signs, that -she was going to join her husband. - -"He's in the city, I suppose?" queried the old woman. - -Sister Anne nodded her head; and as Grenoble was the nearest city, they -concluded that that was her destination. - -After remaining several hours beneath that hospitable roof, she -determined to resume her journey; but first she took one of the gold -pieces from her little bag and offered it to the young woman. - -"Keep it, my dear," said she; "we don't want anything for what we've -done. You're so much to be pitied for not being able to talk, that you -deserve to be taken in and put up everywhere for nothing; but, -unluckily, everybody don't think so; there's some folks with hard, -unfeeling hearts. You're going to the city, and you'll need all your -money; they won't refuse it there." - -Sister Anne expressed her gratitude as best she could. She kissed the -young mother and her little nursling affectionately, then left the -cottage, after they had pointed out the road to Grenoble, where they -supposed that she was going. - -The young woman did not travel rapidly; her pregnancy, her lack of -practice in walking, and the bundle of clothing she carried, compelled -her to stop frequently. She would sit down on a felled tree, a stone, or -the bank of a ditch, and wait until her strength had returned and she -could go on. - -Sometimes other travellers passed her while she was resting. Those in -carriages did not look at her; several men on horseback cast a glance at -her; but the pedestrians stopped and said a few words to her. Receiving -no reply, they went their way, some thinking that she was half-witted, -others calling her impertinent because she did not deign to speak to -them. Sister Anne gazed at them with an air of surprise, smiled at a -peasant who proposed to take her on his horse, and lowered her eyes when -another lost his temper because she did not answer him; the most curious -ended by doing as the others did, and left her. - -Toward nightfall, Sister Anne, having followed the directions given her, -reached Grenoble. The sight of a large city was a source of fresh -surprise, which increased with every step she took in the streets, where -the people were dressed so much more handsomely than in her village. -Everything surprised and bewildered her, and she trembled as she -walked. The tall houses, the shops, the throng of people moving in every -direction, the continual uproar, the strange way in which the passers-by -gazed at her--everything tended to increase her confusion. Poor girl! -how would it be if you were in Paris? - -But it grew dark, and she must seek shelter for the night. She dared not -enter any of the houses; they all seemed too fine; she was afraid that -she would not be admitted. For a long while, she wandered at random -through those unfamiliar streets; but she was tired out at last, and -determined to knock somewhere. The poor child did not know what an inn -was; she thought that she could obtain a place to sleep anywhere by -paying for it. - -She knocked at the door of a house of modest appearance. The door -opened, and she entered trembling. - -"What do you want?" demanded an old tailor, who acted as concierge. - -The girl looked sadly at him, and made signs to indicate that she could -not speak; but he paid no attention to them, and repeated his question. -Receiving no reply, he sprang to his feet in a rage, ran to Sister Anne, -took her by the arm, and put her out of the door, saying: - -"Oho! so you won't tell where you're going, won't you? Folks don't get -in here that way, my girl." - -This reception was not encouraging; the poor girl was once more in the -street; her eyes filled with tears, but she summoned all her courage and -knocked at another door. There, they called her a beggar, and refused to -admit her. She could stand it no longer; her sobs choked her; she sat -down on a stone bench beside a door and wept bitterly. In a moment the -door opened, and an old couple came out, wrapped in furs and -comforters, followed by a servant carrying a lantern. As they passed, -they ordered Sister Anne to leave the bench, which belonged to their -house, calling her an idler and a beggar, and threatening to have her -put in prison if she did not move on. Sister Anne rose, trembling in -every limb, and dragged her sorrow and weariness elsewhere; and the old -couple went their way, chuckling over what they had done, and promising -to hold forth concerning the audacity of the lower classes at the party -where they were to pass the evening. - -The dumb girl, utterly worn out, could hardly stand erect, and did not -know which way to turn. The treatment she had met with gave her a very -depressing idea of life in cities. But she must find a shelter for the -night. She spied a house more brightly lighted than the others; the -front door was open, and many persons were going in and out. She took -one of her gold pieces in her hand, afraid to enter unless she exhibited -it. This time she had made a more fortunate selection: the house in -question was an inn, and the sight of the gold piece procured her a -cordial reception. - -When the landlady found that the young traveller could not answer her -questions, she felt called upon to talk for two, and, while she led the -way to a small bedroom, extolled the advantages of her house and the way -in which it was kept, asked her where she came from and where she was -going, then interrupted herself by exclaiming: - -"Mon Dieu! what a fool I am! I ask that just as if you could answer." - -A moment later, she resumed her chatter, saying: - -"It's very hard! I don't understand your signs, I don't understand 'em -at all. Never mind, my child; you shall be served on the dot. If my -nephew was only here! he knows mathematics, and he'd soon explain your -signs. But he's gone away, poor boy! he's a clerk in the telegraph -office at Lyon, now." - -At last she left Sister Anne, who, having eaten sparingly, was able to -enjoy the rest she needed so sorely. Sleep, poor girl, and may happy -dreams bring momentary oblivion of your sufferings! - -As she had heard the hostess say more than once: "You are in the best -hotel in Grenoble," she knew the name of the city, and remembered that -Frédéric had mentioned that name. That recollection led her to resolve -not to leave that place until she had sought him there; and the next -morning, after she had succeeded in making her hostess understand that -she proposed to pass that day also at Grenoble, she left the inn and set -out to search the city, which seemed to her enormously large. - -As she walked along, she looked at every window in every house. If -Frédéric were there, she thought that he would see her pass, and would -either call to her or run after her. Sometimes she stopped, thinking -that she recognized his figure; but she soon discovered her error. She -passed the whole day thus, and did not return to the inn until it was so -dark that she could see nothing. - -"Have you been looking about our city?" inquired the landlady; "it's a -very pretty place, I tell you, a very pretty place, our city of -Grenoble. But it isn't as big as Lyon, and even Lyon don't come near -Paris." - -At the word _Paris_, the young traveller made a joyful movement, and, -grasping the hostess's arm, signified that that was where she wanted to -go. But she did not make her meaning clear. - -"You are going to Lyon, I'll wager," said the hostess; "that isn't so -far; fifteen leagues, that's all. To be sure, in your condition you -can't walk very fast; but in three or four days at most, you ought to do -it." - -Sister Anne went sadly to her room. How could she find the road to -Paris, if she could not make people understand that that was where she -wanted to go? That thought disheartened her; but she had implored her -mother to guide her on her journey; she prayed to her again, and hope -was born anew in her heart; without hope, what would be left for the -unhappy? - -The next day, the girl prepared to leave the inn; the landlady presented -a bill to her, of which she could make nothing; but she tendered a gold -piece and received very little change. In cities, one has to pay for -every reverence, every attention. Sister Anne had been treated with -great courtesy, so that her stay at the inn cost her rather dear. - -They pointed out the road to Lyon, and she set forth once more, with her -little bundle and her stick. But how easy it is to lose one's way in the -hilly, wooded paths between Grenoble and Lyon! She abandoned herself to -Providence for guidance. She walked most of the day, and at night, -thoroughly exhausted, went to a farmhouse, where they consented to let -her sleep in a barn. But, provided that she could pass the night where -she was sheltered from the cold, she slept as well on straw as on -feathers; fatigue enabled her at last to sleep several hours. - -Her accommodation at the farm helped to exhaust her little store, and -the young traveller began to realize that she must be sparing of it, for -it was almost the only talisman by means of which she could obtain -shelter. Hospitable folk are rare. The most humane think that they are -doing much for the poor wayfarer when they give him a trifling sum of -money and a crust of bread; but they will not receive him under their -roof. Far distant are the days when men deemed it an honor to give -shelter to a stranger, without inquiring as to his rank and his means; -when they shared their fire and their repast and their bed with him. -Other times, other manners! We have become very proud, we are no longer -inclined to share anything. By way of compensation, we have excellent -friends, who come to our house and eat our bread, drink our wine, and -sometimes make love to our wives, and who, when they leave, go elsewhere -and say countless cruel things about us; but they do it from excess of -affection, and because they are afraid that we may have other friends -than themselves. - -Toward noon of the second day after she left Grenoble, Sister Anne, -absorbed by her recollections, did not notice that she had strayed from -the road that had been pointed out to her. Not until she began to feel -the need of rest did she look about for the village, which, according to -the directions she had received in the morning, could not be far away. - -The place where she was at that moment was wild and deserted; there was -no house in sight. She climbed a hill, and could see nothing in front of -her but an extensive forest of firs. On her left, a mountain stream, -with ice floating on the surface, plunged into a deep and winding -ravine; on her right was a bare mountain side, with steep cliffs, but no -human habitation. - -She began to fear that she had lost her way, and hesitated for some time -as to the best course for her to pursue. The roads to the right and left -had a most unpromising look; she was reluctant to retrace her steps; so -she decided to take the road leading to the forest. After walking about -half an hour, she found herself among the stately firs, which time had -not bent, and whose branches, although partly despoiled of their -foliage, seemed to rise no less proudly toward the clouds and to defy -wind and frost. - -An excellent road led directly into the forest, and Sister Anne did not -hesitate to take it. She could see the marks of wheels and of horses' -feet, and she hoped that it would lead her to the village or to some -nearby city. She surmounted her fatigue, in order that she might reach a -place of shelter before dark. As she walked on, she did not meet a human -being, and there was a sombreness and gloom about that road, hemmed in -by the forest on both sides, that depressed her beyond words. Her eyes, -straining to discover the end of the interminable road, saw naught save -the dark firs, and there was no indication that she was approaching the -village. Her heart sank; night was beginning to envelop the earth in its -dark folds; she could no longer distinguish anything in the paths that -led to right and left; and soon Sister Anne, her strength giving way -before her courage, felt that it was impossible for her to go farther. -So she was forced to make up her mind to pass the night in the forest. -It was not fear that made the poor child's heart beat fast; she did not -know what robbers were, for there had never been any in her woods. But -the thought of passing a whole night in the forest, without shelter, in -such cold weather, and in her condition! However, it must be done. She -seated herself at the foot of a large tree. She was always careful, when -she passed through a town or a village, to supply herself with -provisions; so she ate some bread and dried nuts; then, wrapping -herself as well as she could in her clothes, and placing her bundle -under her head, she waited for sleep to come. Thanks to the fatigue of -that long day's journey, she had not long to wait. - -It was midnight when the dumb girl opened her eyes, and the moon, -shining directly over the road on the edge of which she had fallen -asleep, lighted the strange picture which awaited her at her awakening. - -Four men stood about her, all dressed like poor woodcutters, in jackets -and loose trousers held in place by broad belts; they wore broad-brimmed -hats, some with the brims turned down, while the others, being turned up -in front, revealed faces that bore no trace of gentleness or humanity. -Their long, uncombed hair and beards intensified the sinister expression -of their features; each of them carried a gun, on which he leaned; and -each had a hunting-knife and a pair of pistols in his belt. - -Two of these men were stooping over Sister Anne; another held a dark -lantern near her face; while the fourth, who also had his eyes upon her, -seemed to be listening, to make sure that everything was quiet on the -road. - -The sight of those four faces fixed upon hers caused Sister Anne an -involuntary shock; and, although she did not appreciate the danger that -threatened her, she was conscious of a feeling of terror which she could -not understand, and closed her eyes to avoid those searching glances. - -"What in the devil have we got here?" said one of the two who were -leaning over her; "I'm very much afraid that it don't amount to much, -and I doubt if it's worth while to stop." - -"Eh? why not?" said the man with the lantern; "it's better'n nothing, -anyway. Look, Pierre, she's got a bundle under her head." - -"A lot of worthless rags; don't you see that she's a woman as works in -the fields?" - -"I say! is she dead or asleep?" said a third. "Come, Leroux, just push -her a bit! Are we going to spend the night staring at this drudge?" - -"Death of my life! I don't know as we've got anything better to do. -All's quiet on the road--eh, Jacques?" - -Jacques was the man who stood a few steps away, apparently listening. -When his comrades addressed him, he approached the group about the girl, -saying: - -"Damnation! another bad night!" - -"Not so bad as it might be!" rejoined Leroux, still gazing at Sister -Anne; "morbleu! that's a pretty woman!" - -It was at that moment that Sister Anne opened her eyes, resolved to -appeal to the compassion of the men who surrounded her, and whose -language she did not comprehend, having no suspicion of their -profession. - -"I say, look!" cried Leroux; "she's waking up. She's got a fine pair of -eyes, on my word! I'm curious to hear what she'll say." - -Sister Anne cast a glance of entreaty upon them, one after another, -clasping her hands as if to implore their pity. - -"Oh! don't you be afraid," said Pierre; "we ain't going to hurt you. -Where did you come from? where you going? what put it into your head to -sleep in our forest?" - -The dumb girl, taking the robbers for woodcutters, tried to make them -understand that she had lost her way. - -"What's this! a woman, and she won't speak!" cried Jacques; "what does -this mean? Is it fear that makes her dumb? Come, speak--damnation!" - -Sister Anne rose, and indicated by signs that she could not speak. - -"What devilish kind of a woman is this?" cried Pierre; while Leroux, -holding his lantern still nearer to her, exclaimed, with a roar of -laughter: - -"My eyes, comrades! Dumb or not, the hen has found her rooster, and the -egg won't be long coming!" - -This jest was welcomed with a savage laugh by the other three robbers; -and all four kept their eyes fixed on the poor girl, who, not divining -the cause of their merriment, but unable to endure their glances, -timidly lowered her eyes and stood trembling in the midst of them. - -"Come on, let's leave the woman," said Pierre; "she's a poor deaf mute; -we mustn't take her on our shoulders." - -"Deaf?" rejoined Leroux, whose eyes gleamed with a terrifying -expression; "why, such a woman as that's a downright treasure. She's so -pretty! she takes my eye, and I'll make her my moll as soon as she gets -rid of her load." - -"Nonsense, Leroux! you're joking." - -"No! ten thousand thunders! a deaf mute--think how useful she'll be to -us in our business." - -Sister Anne, trembling like a leaf, did not fully understand the -conversation of the miscreants; but, observing their indecision, and -fearing that they would refuse to give her the shelter of which she felt -more in need than ever, for the cold had benumbed all her limbs, she -took her little store from her bosom. She knew that the sight of money -smooths all obstacles; so she took a coin from her little bag, and -offered it with an air of entreaty to one of the ruffians. - -"Oho! she's got money, and she offers it to us; that's good! Parbleu! -give it here, give it here, girl!" - -As he spoke, Pierre snatched the bag from Sister Anne, who was stupefied -at being thus forcibly despoiled of her treasure; while the robbers -greedily counted its contents. - -"Three gold pieces, as I'm alive!" cried Jacques; and the brigands' -faces gleamed with savage joy. "That's more'n we've made in five days!" - -"Didn't I tell you this wasn't a bad find?" rejoined Leroux. "Come, -comrades, let's take this girl to our hole, and have a good time." - -With that, the fellow seized Sister Anne's arm and dragged her into the -forest; Jacques took charge of the bundle, Pierre followed him, and -Franck, the fourth man, taking the lantern from Leroux's hand, went -ahead to light his companions. - -The dumb girl walked unresistingly in the midst of the robbers, still -not realizing the horror of her position; she thought they were taking -her to their home, to their wives and children. But their brutal -features, their abrupt and insolent manners, the weapons they carried, -and the strangeness of their language, inspired her with a terror she -could not control. She glanced timidly at them again and again, hoping -to find, for her comfort, a look of sympathy or pity on their faces; but -whenever she raised her eyes, they met Leroux's fastened upon her and -blazing with brutal passion. That ruffian's features intensified the -fear caused by his manners: his curly hair corresponded in color with -his name, which his companions had given him on that account; his pale, -gray eyes rolled this way and that with amazing rapidity; his mouth, -about which a ferocious smile always lurked, was surmounted by heavy -moustaches of the color of his hair; and a broad scar, extending from -the top of the nose to the bottom of the left ear, put the finishing -touch to his sinister countenance. He had one arm about the girl's -body, supporting her as they walked rapidly along the forest paths, -while the other bandits, by their actions and their speech, momentarily -added to Sister Anne's alarm. - -The robbers lived in a wretched hovel in the heart of the forest; by -day, they passed for poor woodcutters, being careful to keep their -weapons out of sight in a cellar under their den. But at night they -armed themselves to the teeth and betook themselves to the highroad, -where, when they considered that they were sufficiently numerous, they -attacked belated travellers. - -Sister Anne was surprised that they had to go so far to reach their -home, and even more surprised by the almost impassable paths they chose. -At last, after walking more than an hour, they led her down into a -ravine, amid dense underbrush. Soon she made out a flickering light in -the window of a hut, and a woman opened the door after the robbers had -whistled several times. - -The appearance of one of her own sex cheered Sister Anne for a moment; -but when she looked closely at the woman who appeared in the doorway, -her short-lived hope vanished. In truth, the aspect of the robbers' -companion was not calculated to restore tranquillity to the unhappy -girl's mind: she was a tall woman, shockingly thin, and her strongly -marked features wore an expression of calm, cold cruelty which pointed -to absolute lack of sensibility; her face was of a livid pallor; a red -silk handkerchief covered her head, and a handful of rags barely -concealed her emaciated body. - -"Here we are, Christine," cried the brigands, as they approached. "We've -got a prize; we've brought you a companion you can't quarrel with." - -At that, Christine stepped out of the house, and, snatching the lantern -from Franck's hand, held it close to Sister Anne's face. After examining -her closely for several minutes, she said, in a harsh voice: - -"What's all this?" - -"A woman, can't you see? And a rare woman, too! a deaf mute!" - -"A deaf mute! A fine capture, I swear! What do you expect to do with -her?" - -"That's none of your business," said Leroux, in a voice that echoed -through the forest; "I took this woman for myself; I like her, she suits -me just as she is. Don't you dare to look crooked at her, or I'll hang -you up to the tallest fir in the forest!" - -Christine did not seem alarmed by the threat; she continued to stare at -the girl, and, when she noticed her condition, a sarcastic smile lighted -up her face, and she muttered between her teeth: - -"You'll be sure of having a brat, anyway." - -A blow which sent her reeling against the wall of the cabin was Leroux's -only reply to this remark of the repellent Christine; she rushed at him -with a threatening air, but Pierre stepped between them. - -"Come, come, comrades," he said, "that's enough of such fooling; we -mustn't let the new-comer raise a row here. Go in, Christine, and see -about giving us some supper, quick; we're as hungry as wolves!" - -During this altercation between the robbers and their housekeeper, the -unfortunate dumb girl felt a sensation of fear, of absolute terror, such -as she had never known before. The aspect of the woman, the language of -the men, whose brutal character she began to divine, the appearance of -that horrible lair--everything combined to give her some conception of -the perils that encompassed her. But what could she do? what would -become of her? She would have been only too glad, at that moment, to be -far away from that spot, even though she had to endure the severe cold, -unsheltered, in the forest. But there was no means of escape, and they -did not return her money; they had taken her treasure and her clothes; -was it for a moment only? she dared not hope so, and she discovered some -new cause of alarm every minute. She shuddered from head to foot, her -teeth chattered, her knees gave way under her. - -"See!" said Leroux, holding her up; "that fury has frightened my pretty -bird.--Come, don't be afraid, little one, and let's go in and get warm." - -The robbers entered the hovel, which was divided into two rooms: the -outer one was that in which the occupants of that horrible den passed -most of their time; there they ate, and slept on bundles of straw in one -corner. There was a fireplace, where a huge fire was blazing, which -warmed the room, the larger and better of the two. The other, which had -no fireplace, and but a single window looking into the forest, was -Christine's bedroom; they kept their provisions and firewood there. - -When she entered that dirty, smoke-begrimed room, and saw the heap of -straw in a corner, the weapons standing against the wall, and the great -fire, at which several huge joints of meat were cooking for the robbers' -supper, Sister Anne's strength gave way, and Leroux carried her to the -fire, saying: - -"Sit down there and warm yourself; the supper'll bring back your -strength." - -"What a damned fool you are, to talk to her as if she could hear you!" - -"That's so, but I keep forgetting it." - -"How do you know she's deaf, anyway?" said Franck; "perhaps she's making -believe. She might be just dumb." - -"Then someone must have cut her tongue out," said Leroux; "but anyone -can see that she's got one like anybody else; so, as she can't speak, it -must be because she's deaf. You fellows don't understand about that; but -I've travelled in my time, I know more'n you do, and I know that deaf -mutes are mute because they can't hear. All you've got to do is look at -the woman; anybody can see that she don't hear a word we're saying." - -In truth, Sister Anne, since she had entered the cabin, being completely -prostrated by fatigue, pain, and fear, had seemed to be insensible to -everything that was taking place. However, she heard every word that the -brigands said; but, on learning that they believed her to be deaf, a -secret presentiment warned her not to correct their error. If they felt -sure that she could not hear them, they would not hesitate to discuss -their plans before her; thus she would learn what she must fear or hope; -and perhaps they might unwittingly suggest a means of escape. That ray -of hope sustained the poor girl's courage, and she strove to conceal the -emotion caused by the conversation of the cutthroats. - -They had laid aside their arms, and while waiting for supper discoursed -of their exploits. The dumb girl learned with dismay that she was among -villains capable of any crime. But in the very excess of her despair she -found a source of courage; and realizing at last the full extent of the -perils which encompassed her, she felt that her only hope of escaping -them was by craft and adroitness. If she alone were threatened with -death, she would not fear it, but she wished to save the life of the -being she carried within her. Mother-love has inspired many acts of -heroism; it was that sentiment which sustained Sister Anne and gave her -strength to endure her horrible situation. - -Christine placed a table in the middle of the room, and covered it with -food, bottles, and glasses; the robbers seated themselves about the -table, and fell to with a sort of brutal satisfaction. Sister Anne -remained in front of the fire. Leroux placed bread, wine, and roast meat -before her; she thanked him with an inclination of the head, and forced -herself to eat a little, in order to keep up her strength and to -dissemble her terror. - -"You see that woman?" said Leroux to his companions; "well, I'll bet -she's as meek as a lamb; I'll do whatever I choose with her." - -"Don't trust to looks," said Christine, as she joined the robbers at the -table; "a woman can take a man in with those airs and graces; but faces -are deceitful." - -"Yours isn't, for you're the picture of Lucifer's sister!" - -This jest made them all laugh, they filled and emptied their glasses -with startling rapidity; the more they drank, the more they talked. The -hideous Christine kept pace with them, and only Leroux, whose thoughts -were fixed on Sister Anne, retained some show of reason. - -"Where could this woman have come from?" queried one of the thieves; -"she don't look as if she worked in the fields." - -"Bah! it's some girl that's gone wrong; her lover's left her, and she's -travelling about looking for him. That's the way with all the girls that -listen to lovers!" - -Sister Anne wiped away the tears that trembled on her eyelids, for her -heart told her that the man was right. - -"_Morgué!_" said Christine; "if I had a daughter, and she was unlucky -enough to go wrong, I'd strangle her with my own hands." - -"Hear that!" said Jacques; "it's a blasted shame that you haven't got -some children; they'd be a handsome lot!" - -"I don't care who the woman is," said Leroux; "she shan't leave this -house.--And you, Christine, treat her well, or remember what I promised -you!" - -"I snap my fingers at your hussy. Look, you'd do much better to comfort -her; I believe she's squalling now; go and give her a kiss." - -"What about us?" said the other robbers, heated by the fumes of the -wine; "we'll comfort her, too. Let's go and kiss the pretty mute; we -must cheer her up a bit." - -With that, Leroux's three comrades rose to go to Sister Anne; but he -planted himself in front of them, and, taking a pistol in each hand, -shouted to them in stentorian tones: - -"Not another step, corbleu! or I'll kill you! That woman's mine; I found -her on the road, when you were going by like fools without seeing her; I -insisted on bringing her here; I swore I'd make her my wife; and, damn -your eyes! the first man who touches her dies by my hand!" - -This harangue checked the ardor of his fellows; they knew their -companion, they knew that the act would follow close on the heels of the -threat; so they contented themselves with laughing at Leroux's jealousy, -while Sister Anne, frozen with terror by the scene, retreated into a -corner of the room and fell on her knees before her captors. - -Leroux went to her and tried to soothe her; but, fearing some new -enterprise on the part of his companions, he led her into the other -room, and, pointing to a wretched pallet, motioned to her to lie down -upon it; then he went out, locking the door on her. - -Sister Anne was alone in the little room, where there was no light -except that which shone through the interstices of the partition, and -which enabled her to make out her surroundings. Having made a pretence -of lying down on the pallet, she soon rose and listened intently to what -the robbers said. They continued to drink, and began to sing. If only -she could escape while they were thus engaged! She felt along the wall -until she came to a window; it must open into the forest, and the room -was level with the ground, so that it would be easy to escape that way. -But a moment later her hand came in contact with stout bars, which -prevented her passing through. Poor girl! the pangs of disappointment -were more cruel than all the sufferings she had endured hitherto. When -she believed that she was on the point of recovering her liberty, to -lose that last hope! to be unable to conceive any possible means of -escaping from that horrible den! It was like dying twice over. She fell, -utterly disheartened, on the bed, and tried to stifle with her hands the -groans that escaped from her breast. - - - - -XXIV - -THE STRANGER - - -Thus the night passed. The robbers fell asleep in front of the fire; -and, luckily for Sister Anne, their vile housekeeper did the same, and -did not come to share the bed with the poor girl, who lay there all -night, listening intently, quivering at the slightest sound in the next -room, and praying to heaven to send her a rescuer. - -At daybreak, the ruffians woke; they hastily concealed their weapons, -then went forth into the forest to work as woodcutters. Before he left, -Leroux went to Sister Anne, smiled at her, patted her under the chin, -and muttered under his breath: - -"To-night, my beauty, I'll say a couple of words to you." - -The unhappy girl could not evade those disgusting caresses. Not without -an effort did she restrain her indignation. But he went away at last, on -the heels of his companions, bidding Christine to keep a sharp lookout -on her prisoner. - -When Sister Anne was alone with the robbers' female confederate, she was -fain to endure the ill humor of that fury, who, being jealous of her -presence there, tried to avenge herself by heaping all sorts of -indignities upon her, being well assured that she could not complain of -them. She laughed at her tears and gestures of entreaty, and the poor -child felt that she would die if she did not escape soon from that -horrible place. - -At night, the four men returned; they ate a little, then took their -weapons, Leroux alone excepted. - -"Well! don't you propose to go out on the trail with us?" his companions -asked him. - -"No, no, not yet; I'll join you later; but I'm glad of the chance to say -a word to my little mute." - -As he said this, a bestial smile gleamed in his eyes, which were -constantly fixed upon Sister Anne. - -"Oh, yes! I understand," said Pierre; "we'll let it pass to-day, but you -mustn't let love make you forget your duty." - -"But if a well-lined post chaise should happen along," said Jacques, "we -shan't be strong enough to attack." - -"Bah! it ain't likely that there'll be one to-night; anyway, I tell you -I'll join you soon." - -"All right! all right! we'll get along without him; and if some rich -prize does turn up, why, it will belong to us, and he won't get any of -it." - -"That's fair enough, mates." - -The three men left the cabin, with a mocking glance at the dumb girl, -who did not divine her impending peril, or the meaning of their smile. -But when she saw that Leroux did not accompany them, she shuddered -involuntarily and turned her eyes on Christine, as if she hoped for aid -from her. But she, after glancing at her and at Leroux with the same -mocking smile, went into the other room and slammed the door behind her. - -Sister Anne started to follow her, but when she saw that it was -impossible she fell back on the straw on which she had been sitting; she -trembled convulsively; she was alone with the brigand. - -Leroux seated himself in front of the fire and poked it; then lighted a -pipe and smoked for several minutes, interrupting his smoking only to -drink and to glance at Sister Anne. She trembled in every limb, in the -corner where she had seated herself in order to be as far as possible -from the robber, whose eyes, as he glanced at her, were inflamed with -lust. - -"Damned fine, ten thousand devils!" he cried, from time to time. "Fine -eyes, fine teeth. She'll be even better looking in a few months, but -damn the odds! And those clowns didn't see her! Oh! I won't give her up -to you, my mates! We don't capture such prizes often." - -These words added to the poor girl's alarm; it was increased tenfold -when Leroux, who had not remained behind solely to drink and smoke, -motioned to her to come to him. She pretended not to understand, and -lowered her eyes. Thereupon he rose and walked toward her. The girl -could hardly breathe. The brigand threw himself on the straw, beside -her; she tried to rise and go away from him, but he detained her by -force, passing his arm about her waist, and putting his repulsive face -close to hers. The poor girl put her hand before her eyes, so that she -could not see Leroux's. - -"Ha! ha! I really believe she's trembling!" he exclaimed, with a roar of -savage laughter. "I promise you, my dear, it don't become you to play -the prude; anyone can see you haven't always been one." - -With that, he put his face still nearer to hers, and tried to kiss her -on the lips; but she, summoning all her courage, pushed him away, and, -taking advantage of his surprise, sprang quickly to her feet and ran to -the other end of the room, behind the table on which the robbers ate. - -Leroux stared at her in amazement, but in a moment smiled again, -saying: - -"Oho! so you're balky, are you? Pretty good! Do you really think of -resisting me?" - -He rose and went toward her; with a well-directed kick, he sent the -table to the other end of the room; then, seizing the girl, who -struggled to no purpose, he took her in his arms and carried her back to -the heap of straw. Once more she summoned all her courage, all her -strength, to resist the brigand, who was determined to triumph over her, -and who, after laughing scornfully at her defence, finally became -furious at her obstinate resistance. This pitiful struggle lasted a long -time, but the unfortunate girl felt that her strength was failing her; -tears and sobs suffocated her, and she was on the point of becoming the -victim of the villain who strove to force her, when of a sudden there -was a succession of violent blows on the door of the cabin. - -"The devil take anybody who comes just now!" cried Leroux. "Those -fellows have done it on purpose; but I won't let 'em in." - -At that moment, he heard a strange voice, which said: - -"Open, for God's sake! save me! you shall be handsomely rewarded!" - -It was not the voice of any of Leroux's companions. The robber was -surprised beyond words. He listened in terror, while Sister Anne fell on -her knees and thanked heaven for rescuing her. - -Christine came hastily from the other room, and ran up to Leroux in -evident perturbation. - -"Somebody's knocking, do you hear? It's a strange voice." - -"Morbleu! yes, I hear it well enough. Go and look out of the window, and -try to see whether it's just one man." - -Christine obeyed, and returned in a moment. - -"Yes, he's alone," she said. - -"Then let's let him in," said Leroux; "but we must be prudent till our -friends return." - -Having replaced the table in the middle of the room, Leroux resumed his -pipe and his seat before the fire, while Christine opened the door of -the hovel to the person who had knocked. - -The stranger who appeared in the doorway was an elderly man, whose dress -denoted wealth, and his manners high rank; but he was hatless, his -clothes were in disorder, and the pallor of his cheeks betrayed -agitation and fear. He rushed into the cabin, and did not seem to -breathe freely until he saw the door closed and locked behind him. - -"Pardon, pardon, good people!" he said, addressing Leroux and Christine; -"I fear I have disturbed you and interrupted your rest; but by giving me -shelter you save my life." - -"How so, monsieur?" said Leroux, with an air of deep interest. - -"I have just been attacked, my friends, yonder, on the road that crosses -the forest I was in my carriage, with my servant, and the postilion was -urging the horses. Suddenly a party of robbers came out of the forest; -they rushed to the horses' heads and fired point-blank at the postilion; -the poor fellow fell dead! Having stopped the carriage, they ordered me -and my servant to alight, and one of them got in to search it; while he -was inside, I took advantage of a moment when the villains had not their -eyes on me, and plunged into the forest, selecting the darkest paths; I -succeeded in getting thus far, when I saw this light and knocked at your -door." - -"You did well, monsieur," said Leroux, with a significant glance at -Christine. "Sit you down before the fire, and warm yourself and get back -your breath." - -"Oh! you are too kind!" said the traveller, seating himself by the -hearth; "but my unfortunate servant--what have they done to him? will -he, too, be their victim?" - -"Oh! that ain't likely. They probably let him go, after robbing him. -They only killed the postilion to make him stop. I know their ways; -there's so much robbery in this infernal forest!" - -"I ought not to have taken that road; it was out of my way; but I wanted -to see this region." - -"Did the rascals rob you, monsieur?" - -"No, thank heaven! they were going to do it, no doubt, when I got away. -I have saved my wallet and my purse, at all events." - -"You're very lucky, on my word," said Leroux, with another glance at -Christine. "Well, monsieur, you must make the best of it, and try to -forget all about it. We'll do our best for you; for you mustn't think of -leaving here before daylight; that would be very imprudent." - -"I have no intention of doing so, if you will allow me to remain." - -"Allow you! why, with great pleasure! Come, Christine, be spry! prepare -our guest's supper." - -Throughout this conversation, Sister Anne had kept her eyes fixed on the -stranger, whose face, although rather stern, aroused her interest and -respect. She shuddered at the thought that he had escaped one danger -only to fall into another. Knowing now the unmitigated villainy of the -occupants of the hovel, she trembled for the traveller's life, and her -gaze, fastened insistently upon him, seemed to be striving to warn him -of the perils by which he was surrounded. - -But the stranger had not yet noticed the dumb girl, who was seated on -the floor in a corner of the room; hardly recovered from his agitation, -he drew nearer to the fire, and rarely removed his eyes from it. - -"It's lucky, on my word, that the robbers didn't follow you," said -Leroux, offering the traveller a glass of wine. - -"What saved me, I fancy, was this: at the moment I escaped, I heard a -great clatter of hoofs----" - -"Oho! you heard the sound of horses?" queried Leroux, uneasily. - -"Yes; at least, I thought so. But I was so excited! It may have been -other brigands, or the constables in pursuit of them." - -"Yes, that's so; it might have been." - -"I served in the army once, but I confess that I don't care for an -encounter with robbers; against such hounds, courage is often of no -avail. Besides, I had no weapons about me." - -"Ah! you have no weapons?" - -"No; my pistols were in the carriage, but they didn't give me time to -take them." - -Leroux seemed to reflect. Since the stranger had said that he had heard -horses on the road, he was less tranquil in his mind. - -"You are a woodcutter, I presume?" said the traveller. - -"Yes, monsieur; I'm a woodcutter; and this is my wife," said Leroux, -pointing to Christine, who was laying the table for supper. - -"Aren't you at all afraid, here in the heart of this forest?" - -"Why, what should we be afraid of? We're not rich enough to tempt -robbers. Come, Christine, look alive; monsieur will want to sleep when -he's had his supper." - -"Oh! don't hurry her so." - -The stranger, having recovered somewhat from his excitement, began to -look about him with more attention; and as he scrutinized the different -parts of the room, he at last observed Sister Anne seated on the heap of -straw, with her eyes fixed upon his with an expression which made it -impossible for him not to notice her. Taken by surprise, he gazed for -some time with interest at the dumb girl's pale, worn features, and -seemed puzzled by the strange way in which she looked at him. - -"Who is that girl?" he asked Christine; "I didn't notice her before." - -"That! oh! she don't amount to much," replied the tall woman, shortly. - -"Isn't she your child?" - -"No, monsieur," said Leroux; "she's an unfortunate deaf mute that I -found in the forest; and we took her in from charity. She'll soon be a -mother, and I took pity on her." - -"That does you honor, monsieur; the poor thing is so young, and her face -so sweet! Haven't you been able to find out where she came from, or her -name?" - -"How in the devil do you suppose one can find out anything from a deaf -and dumb woman? However, it don't make much difference; she's pretty -near an idiot, too, I think; but I'll keep her here." - -When she heard this, Sister Anne rose and walked slowly toward the -stranger, still gazing at him with an expression of interest blended -with compassion. - -"Well, well! what's she doing?" said Leroux; "the poor girl has surely -lost her reason! Make her go into the other room, Christine; it's time -she went to bed." - -Christine pushed the dumb girl roughly toward the door of the rear room. -Sister Anne left the stranger's presence with profound regret; she would -have liked to keep him in sight, because she took the liveliest interest -in his welfare; but she was forced to obey. She walked slowly toward the -door, still looking at the stranger, who seemed touched by the intensity -of her gaze and followed her with his eyes until the door closed upon -her. - -Christine went into the rear room with Sister Anne; she looked through -the window, and seemed disturbed by the non-return of the robbers. The -dumb girl lay down on the pallet, not to sleep, but to reflect upon the -means of saving the stranger by warning him of the risk he ran if he -remained in the cabin. How could she gain access to him, and how make -herself understood? At that moment, Leroux entered the room and closed -the door carefully; then he went up to Christine, and, thanks to their -conviction that Sister Anne could not hear them, she was soon made -acquainted with their plans. - -"Well! can't you hear them coming?" asked Leroux. - -"No; I can't hear anything." - -"It's very strange! what can they be doing in the forest since that man -got here? I don't feel easy in my mind; he said something about horses -and constables. Suppose our friends are arrested!" - -"The devil! would they sell us?" - -"Hark ye! when this stranger's had his supper and gone to sleep, I'll go -out and try to find out something. If the others are in the forest, I -know where to find 'em. If they're taken or gone, we'll take advantage -of the stranger's sleep to make way with him, and with what he has on -him we'll do well to get out of danger ourselves by leaving the forest." - -"That's a good idea; give him his supper, and let him go to sleep; and -then, when you come back, we'll go to work. Meanwhile, I'll lie down and -rest a bit." - -"Yes, do; don't be afraid but what I'll wake you when I need you." - -Leroux went back to the traveller, and the repulsive Christine threw -herself on the bed, beside Sister Anne, who had to endure the close -proximity of a creature whom she knew to be planning a murder with the -most revolting deliberation. But the poor girl did not stir; she had -overheard all the conversation of those monsters, she had not lost a -word of their schemes, and she still hoped to save the stranger. A -single fear oppressed her: that the three robbers would return; for then -all would be lost; she would be compelled to witness the unfortunate -man's death, or to die with him. - -Christine was hardly on the bed when a prolonged snore indicated that -she was asleep. Thereupon Sister Anne rose softly and crept to the -partition, where she put her eye to a crack through which she could look -into the other room. - -The stranger was tranquilly eating his supper; Leroux strove to -entertain him, but he constantly listened with marked disquietude for -sounds out of doors, and seemed desirous that the traveller should go to -bed at once. Sister Anne was able to observe the old man's features at -her leisure; and the more she looked at him, the stronger grew her -feeling of interest and attachment, which seemed not to be born solely -of his perilous situation. At the slightest noise caused by the wind or -by the falling of a dead branch, the girl shivered in mortal terror, -fancying that it was the three brigands returning; whereas, on the -contrary, Leroux's face would assume a look of satisfaction, as he ran -and listened at the door, hoping to hear his confederates' voices. - -"Are you expecting company?" inquired the stranger. - -"No, monsieur, no; it's the fear of robbers that makes me keep my ears -open; but I'm beginning to think they haven't followed you; so you can -go to sleep quietly." - -"I'll lie down till daybreak; then you will be good enough to guide me -to the nearest village." - -"Yes, monsieur, with pleasure; but you can sleep comfortably; it's a -long while to daybreak. This is the only bed I can offer you--fresh -straw; I'm sorry not to be able to give you anything better, but we're -pretty poor!" - -"Oh! I shall be very comfortable; don't worry at all about me." - -As he spoke, the stranger lay down on the straw and tried to sleep; -while Leroux stood before the fire, turning his head now and again to -see if his guest had fallen asleep. The dumb girl, her eye still glued -to the crack in the partition, did not lose either of them from sight, -and prayed fervently that Christine might not wake. - -At last, the traveller seemed to doze, and Leroux went to fetch his -weapons from the cellar, the opening to which was covered by a plank and -concealed by a heap of straw. Sister Anne shuddered; suppose the villain -proposed to murder the old man at once! But, no; having replaced the -board, he stole softly from the cabin, muttering: "I'll go to the usual -place; and if they ain't there, I'll come right back." - -He opened the door without a sound, and disappeared. The time to act had -come; the dumb girl summoned all her courage, and stole into the other -room, walking on tiptoe for fear of waking Christine; then she locked -the door securely, to prevent her from coming out in case she should -wake. The room in which the stranger lay asleep was lighted only by the -fire on the hearth. Sister Anne went to him, grasped his arm, and -squeezed it with all her force. The old man woke, and was surprised to -see her bending over him with an expression of the most intense and -painful anxiety on her face. He was about to speak, but she hastily -placed a finger on his lips, and her eyes, as she glanced about in -terror, bade him keep perfectly still. He rose and nervously awaited an -explanation of this mysterious scene. - -Sister Anne ran to the cellar, succeeded in raising the opening, took a -blazing brand from the fire, and, motioning to the traveller to come -near, showed him the interior, where there were weapons and garments of -all sorts, the blood with which they were covered sufficiently attesting -the method by which the robbers had come into possession of them. The -stranger shuddered. - -"Great God!" he said; "am I in a den of thieves?" - -The girl nodded her head, then ran to the pile of straw, and indicated -by signs that they intended to return and murder him while he slept. - -The stranger at once took possession of a pair of pistols which he found -near the entrance to the cellar. - -"At all events, I will sell my life dearly," he said. "But you, poor -woman, what are you to do?" - -Sister Anne interrupted him by running to the door of the cabin, -throwing it open, and making signs that he must fly at once and that she -would go with him. The stranger took her hand, and they left the house. -At that moment, Christine, hearing a noise, rose and tried to leave her -room; when she found that she was locked in, she began to shriek and -call Leroux, and, running to the window, saw the dumb girl and the -stranger just disappearing in the forest. - -"Damnation! they've got away!" cried Christine, trying to remove the -bars at the window. - -The old man pointed one of his pistols at her; but Sister Anne stopped -him, making him understand that the report would attract the brigands. -Her companion saw that she was right; so they fled, and, leaving the -vile creature hurling curses at them, they were soon far away from the -robbers' lair. - -After wandering about the forest more than an hour, trembling at the -slightest sound, lest they should fall in with Leroux and his -confederates, the fugitives heard the steps of several horses. That -could be nothing but the constabulary in search of the brigands. The -dumb girl and the stranger started in the direction of the sound. Soon a -man passed them, running at full speed; it was Leroux, with a horseman -in pursuit. Another man on horseback followed, and, when he saw Sister -Anne's companion, cried: "Here's my master! Thank heaven, the scoundrels -didn't kill him!" - -The traveller pointed out to the officers the abode of the brigands; -then, mounting a horse that his servant was leading, he took the dumb -girl _en croupe_ who had saved his life, and they rode rapidly out of -the forest. - -The traveller did not cease to express his gratitude to his liberatress, -while she thanked God that she was no longer in the power of the -robbers. - -The servant told his master that, a few moments after he had fled into -the forest, the constables appeared, and the outlaws thought of nothing -but escape; but two of them were overtaken, and were killed while -resisting capture. Thereupon, taking the horses, which had already been -unhitched from the chaise, the servant had mounted one and joined the -constables who were searching the forest, hoping to find his master. - -A danger passed is soon forgotten. They arrived at a large village, and -the travellers knocked at the door of a farmhouse, where they were made -welcome and received every attention. The dumb girl was especially in -need of speedy assistance. The horrible situation in which she had been -placed for two days, the danger she had barely escaped, the superhuman -effort she had made during that ghastly night--all these things together -had been too much for the unfortunate child, who was hardly able to -stand erect. They put her in a warm bed; the people at the farm, when -they learned of her condition and of what she had done to save the aged -traveller, manifested the most sympathetic interest in her, and her -companion would not go to bed until he was certain that everything -possible had been done for his liberatress. - -The next day, the carriage, which had been found on the road, was -brought to the farm, and there was nothing to prevent the stranger from -continuing his journey; but Sister Anne was in a high fever, and he was -unwilling to leave her until he was assured that her life was in no -danger. The best physician in the neighborhood was summoned; the -stranger spent money lavishly to provide her with everything that her -condition demanded. He passed a large part of the day in her room, -adding his attentions to those of the farmer's family. - -Sister Anne was conscious of all that he did for her, and her heart was -deeply touched. Despite her weakness and suffering, she seized his hand -and pressed it gratefully. - -"Poor woman!" said the stranger, profoundly affected; "I will not leave -you until my mind is at rest concerning your life. I would have liked to -take you to your destination, in my carriage. What can I do for you? You -can hear me, I see; so that you are deprived of the power of speech -only. Do you know how to write?" - -Sister Anne shook her head; then she seemed suddenly to remember -something, and made a movement with her hand as if she were trying to -form letters. The old man handed her a pen, but she could not use it; -then he gave her a piece of chalk; whereupon she sat up in bed, leaned -over a table that stood beside it, and succeeded, not without a mighty -effort, in writing the name _Frédéric_ with the chalk. That done, she -pointed to it and sadly shook her head, as if to say: - -"That is all I know." - -The old man seemed greatly surprised when he read the name she had -written on the table. He reflected a moment, then looked at Sister Anne -with renewed interest; but it seemed to her that the expression of his -eyes was less gentle, that there was in it a touch of sternness which -she could not define. - -"And your own name," he said; "can't you write that?" - -Sister Anne shook her head, and again wrote the name _Frédéric_. - -The traveller seemed extremely preoccupied all the rest of the day, and -whenever his eyes rested on the dumb girl he fell into a profound -reverie. For five days, Sister Anne's condition was such that her life -was in danger, and the old man did not leave the farm. At the end of -that time there was a perceptible improvement; the physician promised -that she would recover, but said that she would be very weak for a long -time, and that it would be imprudent in the extreme for her to leave -the farm before her lying-in. - -Sister Anne's eyes filled with tears when she was told of this; she was -afraid of being a burden to the kind-hearted folk who had taken her in; -but the stranger lost no time in pacifying and consoling her. - -"I have provided for everything," he said; "wait here until your health -is fully restored, and, if nothing calls you elsewhere, remain -permanently with these good people; they love you, and you will be happy -here." - -But Sister Anne sadly shook her head, and motioned with her hand that -she must go a long, long way. The stranger, who had already given -twenty-five louis to the villagers for their past and future care of the -young woman, put a purse filled with gold in his rescuer's hands. She -would fain have refused it, and was sadly at a loss to express her -gratitude. - -"You owe me nothing, my child," he said; "remember that you saved my -life, and that I shall owe you gratitude as long as I live. Take this -paper too; my name and address are written on it. If you are ever in -difficulty, let me know, and always count on my protection." - -Sister Anne took the paper and placed it in the purse he had given her. -He, after gazing at her for some moments with evident emotion, kissed -her on the forehead, then, tearing himself away from her demonstrations -of gratitude, entered his carriage and drove away, leaving at the farm -abundant tokens of his generosity. - -After he had gone, Sister Anne was melancholy and depressed for a long -while. Her heart went out to that stranger; in her mind, his image had -taken its place beside Frédéric's; but the loving friendship she felt -for the one in no wise impaired her ardent love for the other. - - - - -XXV - -THE MARRIAGE TAKES PLACE - - -Frédéric did not pass a day without seeing Constance; since the lovers -had mutually avowed their love, that sentiment seemed to grow stronger -hourly in both their hearts. Mademoiselle de Valmont loved with the -unrestrained ardor of a heart that no longer seeks to conceal its -feelings. She was proud of Frédéric's love for her, and her happiness -consisted in returning it. - -Frédéric, even more passionate and impulsive, yielded to the sentiment -that swept him off his feet; but, while he loved as dearly, he could not -be so happy; he needed to forget himself, to banish recollections which -disturbed his bliss. Like those persons who never look behind, for fear -of seeing something to frighten them, Frédéric tried to drive away the -thoughts that carried him back to a still recent period. He desired to -think solely of Constance, he knew that thenceforth she ought to prevail -over all other women; of what use, then, was an occasional sigh which -would bring no comfort to her whom he had abandoned? A man may argue -thus, but, none the less, even in the very bosom of happiness, there is -something in the bottom of his heart that reproves him for the wrong he -has done--unless, indeed, he has no heart, and there are many people in -whom we should seek for it in vain. - -The Comte de Montreville had been absent a fortnight. Frédéric was not -certain as to the purpose of his father's journey, although he -suspected it; but he had no desire to take advantage of his absence to -go away himself. Could he leave Constance for a single day? Although she -had set his mind at rest as to the marriage that had frightened him, -Frédéric was not altogether satisfied. He begged his betrothed to -question her uncle on that subject. Constance dared not mention it to -the general; but at last, vanquished by Frédéric's entreaties, she made -up her mind to question him, and one morning she went to him in his -study. - -"Uncle," she began, blushing, and lowering her eyes, "I have been told -that you have been making plans for me." - -The general smiled as he looked at her, then tried to assume a serious -tone, with which, however, his expression did not harmonize. - -"Who told you, mademoiselle, that I had made plans concerning you?" - -"Monsieur Frédéric, uncle, who learned it from his father." - -"The devil! so Monsieur Frédéric interests himself in it, does he? What -might these plans be, mademoiselle?" - -"You should know better than I, uncle." - -"Gad! that's true, you're right. Well, yes, I have a plan of my own." - -"For my future, uncle?" asked Constance, in a trembling voice. - -"Yes, for your marriage, in fact." - -"Marriage! can it be possible? Oh! uncle----" - -And the sweet girl looked up at the general, with appealing eyes already -filled with tears. - -"Come, come, calm yourself, morbleu!" exclaimed the general, taking her -hand. "Here you are up in arms, as if I proposed to make you unhappy. -Don't you want to marry?" - -"Oh! I don't say that, uncle." - -"Well, then, why this terror when I tell you that I think of giving you -a husband?" - -"Why, because I want--I don't want----" - -"Because you want and don't want! Deuce take it! why can't a woman ever -say what she means! Why don't you tell me at once that you don't want to -marry anyone but Frédéric?" - -"Oh! uncle, did you know----" - -"I should have to be as blind as a bat not to know that; and this fine -gentleman, who presumes to love my niece--and who sighs and is -melancholy and tears his hair, instead of just coming to me and asking -for her hand----" - -"Oh! my dear uncle--are you really willing?" - -"Parbleu! am I in the habit of not being willing to do anything you -want?" - -"But this marriage with some colonel?" - -"That was a fable invented by my old friend--I don't quite know why; but -he came to me and begged me to let him say that; I couldn't refuse to -let him do as he chose, although I don't understand all this mystery; -for it seems to me that when two young people love each other and are -suited to each other, there's no need of marching and countermarching to -marry them. But, no matter; Montreville has his tactics, and he's bound -to follow them. Don't think of telling Frédéric this, for his father -would be angry with me; but when he comes back, which will be soon, I'll -put an end to all this prevarication, and give you to your lover, or -he'll end by making himself ill with his sighing." - -Constance kissed her uncle and left him; the certainty of happiness made -her more beautiful than ever. Frédéric soon returned, and inquired -anxiously what her uncle had said to her. Constance tried to dissemble -her joy; the most loving woman is not sorry to tease her lover a little -now and then, for in his torments she sees fresh proofs of his love. - -"Well!" said Frédéric, impatiently; "why don't you answer me? You have -spoken to your uncle about this proposed marriage--has he formed such a -plan?" - -"Why, yes; he is thinking of marrying me." - -"Then I was right!" cried the young man, with an agitation that made -Constance tremble; "he is thinking of it; my father told me the truth. -But you shall not be stolen from my love----" - -"My dear, don't get excited." - -"How can I help it, when you tell me that you are to be married? -Constance, if your uncle is a tyrant, I will carry you off. We will fly -together to the ends of the earth! You, you alone, will suffice for my -happiness! This very night, if you agree, we will start. What, -mademoiselle, you laugh at sight of my despair!" - -"Oh! Frédéric, what a hot-headed boy you are!" - -"Ah! mademoiselle is pleased to give me lessons in self-restraint! It -seems to me that this projected marriage doesn't disturb you much. Is -this how you love me?" - -"Naughty boy! what a savage reproof! Ah! my dear, because my love is -more placid than yours, don't think that it is less strong and deep." - -"But this marriage that your uncle has in mind?" - -"Suppose it were you, monsieur, to whom he thinks of marrying me?" - -"Me!" - -Frédéric's features lightened up with a new expression; and Constance -put her finger on his lips, saying: - -"Hush! not a word, my dear; uncle forbade me to speak--but how can I let -you suffer long?" - -"What, Constance, can it really be true? Oh! what bliss! your uncle is -the best of men! Let me go and throw myself at his feet!" - -"No, indeed! do you want him to scold me? shall I never be able to make -you amenable to reason? Sit down here, monsieur, by my side." - -"But when may I tell him that I love you?" - -"When your father returns--he won't be away much longer, I am sure. Do -you know whether he went very far?" - -"Why--no--I don't think so; I am not certain." - -"Well, my dear, now you are pensive." - -"No, indeed I'm not!" - -"So long as we were not certain of our happiness, I overlooked these -dreamy airs, these fits of melancholy that seize you sometimes when you -are with me; but understand, monsieur, that I won't have any more of -such nonsense. You have no trouble, dear, no secret sorrow, that you -can't confide to Constance, have you?" - -"Of course not!" - -"Promise me that you will tell me everything, absolutely everything; -that I shall have your entire confidence. Ought a husband and wife to -conceal anything from each other?" - -"Yes, Constance, I promise; I will tell you all my thoughts." - -Frédéric was not absolutely truthful at that moment, but his falsehood -was excusable, for his entire confidence just then would not have -afforded great pleasure to Constance, who was convinced that her lover -thought of no one but her, and who, despite her tranquil air, her -gentleness, and her confidence, loved Frédéric too ardently not to be -susceptible to jealousy, a sentiment which, in women, is almost always -inseparably connected with love. - -The Comte de Montreville returned to Paris after an absence of nearly a -month. Under any other circumstances, Frédéric would have been surprised -at the length of a journey which might have been completed in a -fortnight, but in Constance's company he had given little thought to it. -When he saw his father again, however, all his memories of Dauphiné -rushed back into his mind; he was embarrassed in his presence, longing -to question him, but shrinking from it. - -The count himself did not seem the same as before his departure; he was -often pensive and abstracted, as if his thoughts were engrossed by some -subject; and when he looked at his son, he, too, seemed to desire and -dread an explanation. At last, Frédéric ventured to question him, and, -contrary to his expectation, his father replied with no trace of the -stern, cold manner which he was wont to assume on approaching that -subject. - -"Have you been in Dauphiné?" said Frédéric; "did you go to Vizille?" - -"Yes," said the count; "I visited the neighborhood of that village, -including the wood where you lived so long." - -"And did you see that--girl?" - -"No, I did not see her; she had left her cabin only a few days before, -and there was nobody there but an old shepherd." - -"What! Sister Anne not at her old home? Is it possible? And what of -Marguerite?" - -"The old woman died some months ago." - -"And Sister Anne has gone away? Poor child! what can have become of her? -In her plight, how could she find her way, make herself understood? Ah! -unfortunate girl!" - -"What do you mean?" cried the count, gazing at his son with an -expression of the most intense interest; "what is this girl's plight, -which makes her such an object of pity? Answer me, Frédéric!" - -"When she was seven years old, father, Sister Anne lost the power of -speech; a shocking calamity and a horrible fright deprived the poor -child of the possibility of making herself understood." - -"Great God!" said the count, thunderstruck by what his son had said; "it -is she! I had divined it!" - -But Frédéric did not hear his father's last words. He was engrossed by -the thought of Sister Anne, fancying that he saw her wandering through -the woods and fields, helpless and without shelter, turned away from -most public-houses, and everywhere exposed to want and misfortune. He -reflected that that was all his work, that, if he had not tried to -arouse in her heart a violent passion, she would have lived quietly in -her solitude, with no thirst for pleasures of which she knew nothing, -and with no dreams of happiness and of a different existence. At that -moment, Frédéric was overwhelmed by remorse, and he reproached himself -bitterly for his conduct to a woman of whom he was no longer enamored, -but who was still dear to him. - -For a long time, the count and his son were buried in thought. The count -broke the silence at last, saying in a voice that shook with emotion: - -"Have no concern as to that young woman's present lot. I have found -her." - -"You have found her, father? is it possible?" - -"Yes; on a farm near Grenoble. I left her there, and I provided against -her ever being in want." - -"But how did you find her? You could not recognize her." - -"Her misfortune, her youth--she interested me deeply; something told me -that she was the person I sought, and I have no doubt of it now, since -you have told me that she is dumb. I tell you again that you need not be -alarmed concerning her future; I left her with excellent people, who are -fond of her, and she will be very comfortable there; moreover, I shall -not fail to have an eye to her welfare." - -The count was careful not to mention his adventure in the forest and his -indebtedness to Sister Anne; he was afraid that Frédéric's love would -blaze up anew if he should learn that she had saved his father's life. -He was especially solicitous that Frédéric should not know that the dumb -girl was on the point of becoming a mother; that intelligence might -disarrange the plans he had formed. For the count, although he was -interested now in Sister Anne, and proposed to take care of her and her -child, was none the less desirous for his son's marriage to his old -friend's niece; and to that end he considered it most essential to -conceal everything relating to the unhappy mute. - -On arriving in Paris, he had expressly forbidden his servant to mention -the adventure in the forest or the young woman they had left at the -farm. - -His father's assurance that Sister Anne was living among kindly people, -and was amply provided against want, allayed Frédéric's remorse. That -sentiment rarely lasts long in love, and the new passion is always at -hand to dispel the memories of the old one. By Constance's side the -young man entirely forgot the poor maid of the woods; and while renewing -his oaths and protestations of love to Constance, he lost the memory of -those he had laid at another woman's feet. - -The Comte de Montreville's return was soon to be followed by the -marriage of the young people. Frédéric longed for it, Constance hoped -for it, and the general made no objection, because he did not believe in -making lovers sigh too long. - -Thus everybody was agreed; there was no obstacle to delay their -happiness. The wedding day was fixed. The general vowed that he would -dance at his niece's wedding, although he had never danced in his life; -the count was anxious to greet Constance by the sweet name of daughter, -and the lovers--oh! you know what their desires were; it may be guessed, -but must not be said. - -Engrossed by his approaching happiness, Frédéric was rarely disturbed by -the memories which brought a sad expression to his face; if by chance a -sigh escaped him, a glance from Constance speedily put to flight the -thoughts of other times. Constance was so sweet-tempered, and the near -approach of happiness made her so beautiful, that it was impossible not -to adore her. - -At last the day arrived which was to witness the union of Frédéric and -Constance. The Comte de Montreville was so overjoyed that he allowed his -son to invite everyone he chose. Frédéric knew no better friend than -Dubourg, who, with all his follies, had often given him proofs of a -genuine attachment. Moreover, since Dubourg had inherited his aunt's -property, he had become much more sensible. To be sure, he was always -hard up about the middle of the month, but he had not pledged his -income, and he had taken up dominoes instead of écarté, that being a -game at which one gets much less excited. - -Ménard was not forgotten, either. The worthy man was much attached to -Frédéric; he had been a little too indulgent on the journey, but the -count had forgiven that; moreover, he had always acted with the best -intentions. As for his fondness for the table, that is often considered -in society an estimable quality. - -Constance was dressed with taste and elegance; but one could pay no heed -to her toilet, in presence of her beauty and her charms; for happiness, -which embellishes everything, adds to the fascination of a pretty face. -The men can only admire that; as for the women, they see at a glance -every detail of the costume, and can, at need, tell us how every pin was -put in, and how many pleats there were in the gown, in front and behind; -our perspicacity will never go so far as that. - -Frédéric was radiant with love; he did not lose sight of Constance, -which is the surest means of having no unpleasant recollections. -Frédéric was very comely, too; his face was noble and winning; and if -the men admired Constance, the women were not inclined to pity her for -marrying Frédéric. - -The general and the count felt the keenest satisfaction in the union of -their children. In his joy, Monsieur de Valmont was more hilarious and -effusive than the Comte de Montreville; but the latter smiled benignly -upon everybody, and, for the first time, embraced his son tenderly. - -Monsieur Ménard was dressed with care and maintained a very sedate -bearing until the dinner. As for Dubourg, he was overjoyed to be invited -to his friend's wedding, and, as he desired to obtain the count's good -graces, he assumed throughout the day such a dignified air, that he -looked as if he had a fit of the _spleen_; and he tried so hard to be -staid and respectable, that he might well have been taken for a man of -sixty. Whenever the count approached him, he discoursed upon the -illusive pleasures of the world, of the bliss of retirement, and of the -joys that await the just man after death. He carried it so far, that the -general said to Frédéric: - -"What a devil of a fellow your friend Dubourg is! Does he pass his time -in graveyards? I have been to him once or twice to talk, and he at once -quotes a passage from Young's _Night Thoughts_ or Massillon's _Petit -Caręme_. He's a very cheerful guest for a wedding party." - -Frédéric went to Dubourg and urged him to act as he naturally would; -but, convinced that his conversation, his tone, and his bearing -delighted Monsieur de Montreville, it was impossible to induce Dubourg -to change them. - -A magnificent dinner was served at the Hôtel de Montreville, whence the -young people were to return in the evening to the general's house, where -they were to live. As the general was often absent, he required only a -small suite, and gave up three-fourths of the house to the newly married -pair. - -Marriages in the first society have not the hilarity of bourgeois -marriages; which fact is some compensation to the bourgeoisie for not -belonging to the first society. However, the repast was rather merry in -a mild way. Monsieur Ménard devoted himself to the good cheer, as he did -at Monsieur Chambertin's; but Dubourg ate little; he refused almost -every dish, because he thought it much more _comme il faut_. Nor was it -possible to induce him to accept a glass of champagne or liqueur. - -"I never take it," he said, with imperturbable phlegm. - -The Comte de Montreville stared at him in amazement, while Ménard, who -sat next to him, said again and again: - -"You used to take it, though; I've seen you take it often enough! Say -you're sick, and I'll believe you." - -"Your friend is wonderfully sober," said the general to Frédéric; "you -have brought us an anchorite." - -After the dinner, dancing engaged the attention of the guests for the -rest of the evening. The new husband and wife indulged in that pastime, -which enabled them to wait with more patience for the greater pleasures -to come; dancing is always essential to bring a wedding party to a -cheerful termination. - -But Dubourg did not dance; he walked stiffly through the salons, holding -his head as if he had a stiff neck, and never stopping near an écarté -table. - -"Don't you play, Monsieur Dubourg?" asked the count, with a smile. - -"No, monsieur le comte; I have altogether renounced all games for money; -I care for nothing but chess; that is the only sensible game, and the -only one suited to me." - -"Don't you dance, either?" - -"Never; I care for nothing but the minuet, which is a sedate and -dignified dance. It's a great pity that it isn't danced nowadays." - -"The deuce! Monsieur Dubourg, you are tremendously changed. You used to -be a little giddy, I think." - -"Ah! monsieur le comte, other times, other cares; with advancing years, -one grows wiser." - -"Advancing years! why, it's not one year yet since you played Hippolyte, -and would have made poor Ménard play Thésée." - -"Oh! monsieur le comte, a very great revolution has taken place in me -since then. I care for nothing now but study and science--science above -all things; for, as Cato says: _Sine doctrina vita est quasi mortis -imago_." - -The count walked away with a smile on his face, and Dubourg was -convinced that he was greatly pleased with him. The day was at an end. -Ménard returned to his tiny lodging, reviewing in his mind all the -delicious dishes he had eaten. Dubourg was no sooner outside the house -than he began to jump and run like a schoolboy who is no longer under -the master's eye. Frédéric and Constance were happy. Annoying witnesses -were no longer present to curb the transports of their affection. -Company is a burden to lovers, and they await impatiently solitude and -mystery. At last, Frédéric was permitted to take his wife away; on the -wedding night, a husband is a lover who abducts his mistress. - - - - -XXVI - -SISTER ANNE BECOMES A MOTHER.--HER LONG STAY AT THE FARM - - -Sister Anne was still at the farmhouse where the Comte de Montreville -left her; for it is no longer a secret to us that the stranger whom she -had rescued from the robbers' hovel was Frédéric's father, then -returning from Vizille, where he had been to inquire concerning the fate -of the girl whom his son had abandoned. He had found no one in the cabin -in the woods but the old shepherd, who did not know in what direction -Sister Anne had gone. To all the count's questions, he could make no -other answer than: - -"She's gone away; she insisted on going; I don't know where she's gone." - -On leaving the woods, the count had visited the outskirts of Grenoble, -and was on his way back to Lyon when his carriage was stopped in the -forest. - -Sister Anne, despite her longing to continue her journey, realized that -she was in no condition to travel; the moment of her delivery was -drawing near, when she could press to her heart the fruit of her love. -That thought diminished her suffering to some extent; the hope of seeing -her child diverted her thoughts at times from her troubles, and everyone -at the farm strove to restore her peace of mind and to bring back a -smile to her lips. They were worthy people, who took the most -affectionate interest in the poor girl. Even without recompense, they -would have been no less kind to her; but money does no harm, and the sum -the Comte de Montreville had given them, when he requested them to -continue to take care of Sister Anne, was considerable, according to -their ideas. - -The dumb girl, realizing that her stay among them must be long, offered -them the purse that the old gentleman had given her just before he went -away; but they would take nothing from her. - -"Keep the money," said the farmer's wife; "keep it, my child; that -excellent man you saved from the robbers paid for everything; in fact, -he paid us too much. We didn't need that to be kind to you; you're so -pretty and sweet and unfortunate! Poor little woman! I can make a guess -at your situation. Some man abused your innocence and inexperience; he -deceived you, and then dropped you! That's the story of most young girls -who haven't got any father and mother to protect 'em from the snares -those fine fellows lay for 'em. Don't cry, my child; I'm a long way -from blaming you; you're less to blame than other women! But the man who -deserted you's the one as ought to be punished. The idea of leaving you, -in the condition you're in! he must be a hard-hearted wretch!" - -When she heard that, Sister Anne made a hasty gesture as if to prevent -the farmer's wife from saying any more; she put her finger on her lips -and shook her head vigorously, evidently to deny what the woman had -said. - -"Well, well!" said the farmer's wife; "she don't want me to speak ill of -him! she still loves him! That's just like a woman: always ready to make -excuses for the man that does 'em the most harm. But don't you be -worried about the future, my child; stay with us; we'll love you like -our own daughter and take good care of you. You're out of reach of want -forever here." - -Sister Anne pressed her hand affectionately, but her eyes refused to -make a promise which her heart had no intention of keeping. Frédéric was -still supreme in that ardent heart, and the girl did not renounce the -hope of finding him. - -A short time after the stranger's departure, Sister Anne, remembering -that he had given her a paper, took it from the purse and carried it to -the farmer's wife, being anxious to know what was written on it. The -woman read: _Comte de Montreville_, _Rue de Provence_, _Paris_. There -was nothing else on the paper, and Sister Anne had no suspicion that it -was Frédéric's father's name, for her lover had never mentioned his -family name in her presence. But she was overjoyed when the farmer's -wife read _Paris;_ she tried to make her understand that that was where -she wanted to go; then she carefully replaced the paper in the purse. - -"That's the gentleman's address," said her hostess; "I tell you, he -ain't like most men; he's grateful, and he won't ever forget what you -did for him. I'm sure he'd give you a kind reception, if you should go -to Paris; but what would you do in that big city? Take my advice, my -child, and stay with us; you'll be happier here." - -Sister Anne was overjoyed to possess that paper with the name of the -city to which she meant to go some day. With it, she could make herself -understood, and she thanked heaven for that gift, which would enable her -to find that wonderful Paris where she hoped to find her lover as well. - -After she had been two months at the farm, Sister Anne brought a son -into the world. With what delirious joy did she contemplate her child! -with what transports did she listen to his first cries! One must have -been a mother to understand the perfect bliss of that moment. Already -she fancied that she could recognize Frédéric's features in her child's; -she gazed at him incessantly and covered him with kisses; her son was -never out of her arms; weak as she was, she nursed him herself. The -farmer's wife did not try to thwart her desire, for it is a source of -ever-recurring delight to a mother, and Sister Anne seemed to enjoy it -more keenly than another. She was so proud and happy when she held her -child to her breast, that she forgot her sorrows for the moment. She did -not forget Frédéric, but her heart was no longer oppressed by sombre -melancholy; the sight of her child often brought a smile to her lips; -she felt that for her son a mother can endure everything. - -Some weeks after her confinement, Sister Anne manifested a wish to -resume her journey; but the good people at the farm remonstrated with -her. - -"Can you think of such a thing," said the farmer's wife, "as starting on -a journey, with a child at the breast? Remember that you don't expose -your own life only, but his too. Do you suppose that if you set out in -search of new dangers and fatigue, he'll be able to get nourishment from -your breast? No, it isn't possible; the child will soon get sick and -die, if you persist in your plan." - -Endanger her son's life! that thought made the dumb girl shudder. There -was no sacrifice she would not make for her child; it was a very great -one to postpone her journey; but what the farmer's wife had said -instantly decided her to remain at the farm until her son could no -longer feel the effects of his mother's trials and sorrows. - -"Good, good! you are going to stay," said the good woman, reading in -Sister Anne's eyes that she would not insist. "That's right, my child; -you are sensible. In a year, or a year and a half, if your son is strong -enough, then we'll see; but till then you mustn't think of travelling." - -Sister Anne had made up her mind, and, although she still thought of -Frédéric, she devoted her whole attention to her child. As the result of -her unremitting care, she had the joy of seeing him grow larger and -stronger every day; his cheeks glowed with health, his lips wore a sweet -smile, and his little arms seemed to embrace with gratitude her who had -given him life. - -By writing before her hosts the name of Frédéric, Sister Anne had -succeeded in making them understand that this was the name she wished to -give her son. They called him by no other name, and the young mother -felt a fresh thrill of joy every time that that name fell upon her ear; -how much greater her joy would be when her child should answer to it! - -She had been at the farm six months, when a courier arrived with a -package containing twenty-five louis and a note from the Comte de -Montreville to the farmer and his wife. In the note, he once more -commended the young woman to their care, and informed them that he would -send them a like sum for her every six months. - -The farmer's wife lost no time in telling Sister Anne what Monsieur de -Montreville had done for her, and the poor girl's eyes filled with tears -of gratitude. - -"What an excellent man!" said the farmer's wife. "I was sure he wouldn't -forget you. _Morgué!_ I tell you once more, if the fancy to go to Paris -should take you again by and by, you must go to this gentleman's house -right away. _Dame!_ my child, he's a count, you see, a nobleman, a -powerful man. He seems to be very rich, too; and if your seducer's in -Paris, he'll soon find him for you; and perhaps he'll give him such good -advice that he'll induce him not to leave you again." - -Sister Anne signified that she agreed with the farmer's wife, and that -she would do all that she suggested. Then she compelled her to accept -the money sent by the count, and was much happier in the thought that -she was not a burden to the good people who treated her so kindly. - -The weeks and months passed. Sister Anne fairly idolized her son. He -filled the place of all that she had lost; in him, she saw once more the -brother who was so dear to her, and whose death caused her such a fatal -shock; she saw Frédéric too; his features were reproduced in his son's. -She sought to anticipate the child's slightest desires; she watched his -glance, his smile; and her touching devotion made the time since she had -seen her lover, and that which was still to pass before she could hope -to see him again, seem less long to her. - -Little Frédéric promised to have the beauty and the sweet temper of her -who gave him life; he had already learned to lisp that name which is so -sweet to a mother's ear, and Sister Anne realized how essential it was -that he should not be deprived of the care and thought that were so -freely bestowed on him at the farm. If he knew no one but her, the poor -child would never speak; for speech is an art in which a teacher is -necessary. - -The count sent a second remittance at the time he had fixed. His -messenger inquired concerning the dumb girl's condition and the health -of her child, and urged Sister Anne not to leave the farm, where she led -a peaceful life and could devote all her care to her son. - -But Sister Anne did not renounce her desire to go to Paris. Despite the -remonstrances of the farmer's wife, she was determined to resort to -every means of finding Frédéric. Her love for her son did not lessen her -regret at her separation from her lover; on the contrary, it seemed -that, as she contemplated the child's beauty, she felt a most intense -longing to present him to his father. - -"If he should see him," she thought, "could he help loving him? No; and -then he would not dream of parting from me again." - -Little Frédéric was twenty months old. He had long since ceased to -receive nourishment at his mother's breast. He was beginning to take his -first steps; every day he walked more steadily. Sister Anne guided him -and held him up; she watched the growth of his strength and his -faculties. Like the gardener, who observes the changes that the night -has wrought in his young plants, a mother observes each day with delight -the changes that denote her child's progress. - -Being at ease in her mind concerning the boy's health, and ensured -against want by the sum the count had given her when he went away; -moreover, having no doubt that on her arrival in Paris she would find in -him a protector and a friend--Sister Anne determined to undertake the -journey, and one morning she showed the farmer's wife the paper the -count had left with her. That was to announce her purpose. - -Again her hosts tried to induce her to change her resolution, but this -time Sister Anne was immovable; she was determined to leave them and go -to Paris; her heart told her that she would find Frédéric there. - -"Why do you take your child?" said the farmer's wife; "leave him with -us; you know how dearly we love him." - -But Sister Anne could not comprehend a mother's parting from her child -for a single instant; she pressed him to her heart, and signified that -she would never leave him. - -"At least," said the good woman, "as you're bent on going to Paris, you -won't go on foot, like a beggar. I'll take you in my wagon to Lyon, and -there I'll put you into a diligence that will take you and your child to -the end of your journey. When you get there, just show the address -you've got, and they'll show you the way to the Comte de Montreville's. -That gentleman won't turn you away; and when you want to come back to -us, he'll find a way to send you back." - -Sister Anne expressed as best she could her gratitude for all the -kindness she had received. The journey being determined on, they turned -their attention to the preparations. The villagers bought the young -mother linen and clothes and everything that her son needed; they even -tried to force money on her; but her purse contained fifty louis; that -seemed an enormous sum to her, and much more than sufficient to live on -for an indefinite time in Paris, even if the Comte de Montreville should -not help her. She refused to accept any more, and the clothes in which -she was dressed seemed magnificent to her in comparison with those she -had worn in her woods. Her heart throbbed joyfully when she looked at -her simple and tasteful costume, which was that of a young farmer's wife -of Dauphiné. - -"He'll think me prettier than before," she thought; "perhaps he'll love -me more." - -All the preparations were completed; the farmer's wife had her horse -hitched to the wagon, in which she took her place beside Sister Anne, -who held her son in her lap. They started early in the morning, and -arrived at Lyon the same evening. The farmer's wife engaged a seat for -the young mother in the diligence which was to start for Paris the next -day, and recommended her to the conductor, so that he would keep an eye -on her during the journey. - -The hour for their departure arrived: not without abundant tears did the -kind-hearted peasant part from the dumb girl and little Frédéric. - -"You would leave us, my child," she said; "I'm very much afraid you're -making a mistake. You're going to an enormous city. People there won't -be so much interested in you as the folks in our village are. But don't -forget us. Send us word how you're getting along, through Monsieur de -Montreville, who seems to be very fond of you; and if the time should -ever come when you're miserable and unhappy, why, come right back to us; -you'll always be as welcome as a child of our own." - -Sister Anne kissed the good woman affectionately; then, with her son in -her arms, she entered the carriage that was to take her to Paris. - - - - -XXVII - -THE DILIGENCE.--SISTER ANNE IN PARIS - - -A young woman who has never been away from her cabin in the woods until -she is sixteen years of age, whose condition makes her peculiarly -unfamiliar with the world and its customs, must experience countless -novel sensations when she finds herself for the first time surrounded by -strangers in one of those rolling houses that bear us through city and -country. - -Such was the case with Sister Anne, who was not eighteen and a half when -she left Lyon for Paris with her little son of twenty-one months. Seated -in the inmost corner of the conveyance, with her child on her knees, she -dared not look at her fellow travellers, and blushed when she saw that -they were scrutinizing her. - -Her youth, her beauty, her manifest affection for her son, were certain -to make her interesting in the eyes of every sympathetic person. But one -finds little of that quality in a diligence, and the people about Sister -Anne did not seem abundantly provided with it. At her left was a -tradesman who talked incessantly of his business, with another tradesman -who sat opposite him. The course of shares, the price of sugar, coffee, -and cochineal, the transactions that were carried through at the last -market, engrossed these gentlemen so completely that they did not even -find time to apologize to their neighbors when, in their gesticulations, -they stuck an elbow into their ribs or a snuff-box into their faces. At -her right, our young mother had a man of some forty years, with a long, -gaunt face and an oblique glance, who talked little, but seemed to be -listening and trying to become acquainted with his neighbors. Opposite -him was a woman of fifty, in an old, stained silk dress, with a -dilapidated velvet hat embellished by feathers which resembled fish -bones; her bloated face was daubed with rouge, _mouches_, and snuff. -This lady had told her fellow passengers, within ten minutes after -starting, that, having played _ingénue_ parts at Strasbourg, princesses -at Caen, _amoureuses_ at Saint-Malo, shepherdesses at Quimper, queens at -Nantes, noble mothers at Noisy-le-Sec, and _jeunes premičres_ at Troyes, -she was on her way to Paris to take the _grande coquette_ parts at the -Théâtre des Funambules; and that she expected to obtain at once an order -permitting her to make her début at the Comédie-Française, which she had -been soliciting for thirty-six years. Lastly, beside the would-be -débutante was a stout man, who slept most of the time, waking up now and -then only to say: - -"Oh! we're going over! I thought we had upset!" - -An exceedingly pleasant neighbor in a diligence. - -During the first few moments, Sister Anne heard nothing but a confused -jumble of words which she could not understand, the tradesmen's talk of -indigo and cochineal being inextricably mingled with the adventures of -the _grande coquette_, who paused only to take snuff and say to her -neighbor the sleeper: - -"Be careful, monsieur; you're rolling over on me. Show me the respect -due to my sex!" - -"Oh! we're going over!" the stout man would reply, rubbing his eyes. - -After attending to our own comfort, we generally end by turning our -attention to other people. The party with the sidelong glance had -already complimented Sister Anne on the beauty of her son, and had -thereby earned a sweet smile from the dumb girl; one is certain to -please a mother by praising her child. - -The lady in the old hat also scrutinized Sister Anne, and said: - -"She's very good-looking, that little woman--a very interesting face. -That's just the costume I wore in _Annette et Lubin_, in 1792; how -becoming it was to me! I must play that part at the Funambules." - -The two tradesmen glanced at Sister Anne; but as little Frédéric had a -lump of sugar in his hand, that naturally brought them back to the -recent fluctuations in the price of that staple. - -"It's a pretty child," said the actress; "he has a lot of expression -already. If he was mine, I'd put him on the stage. In a year he could -play Little Joas in _Athalie_, and in two he could manage the antics of -Polichinello as a vampire. Ah! that's the way children are brought up -now! It's superb! All who stand it are Foriosos at twelve years of age!" - -Sister Anne had no idea what Forioso was, or Little Joas, but she saw -that her companions were noticing her child, and her heart throbbed with -the pleasure and pride so natural in a mother. Soon, however, they began -to question her. - -"Are you going to Paris to have him vaccinated?" said the actress. "Has -he been vaccinated at home? What are you going to do in Paris? Has your -husband gone ahead of you?" - -As she received no reply to any of these questions, the lady began to -lose patience and to consider the young woman's conduct exceedingly -impertinent. - -"Don't you hear me, madame?" she continued, ironically. "It seems to me -that you might do me the honor to answer, when I speak to you." - -Sister Anne shook her head and sadly lowered her eyes. - -"Well! what does that mean?" cried the old débutante; "I verily believe -that she means to imply that she won't answer me! Let me tell you, you -little hussy, that I can find a way to make you speak, and that -Primerose Bérénice de Follencourt is not of a temper to put up with an -insult! I've fought on the stage more than once. I've played men's -parts, and I know how to use a sword--do you hear, little saucebox?" - -Sister Anne, alarmed by the old woman's tone and by her wrathful glance, -looked imploringly at her right-hand neighbor; and he, after gazing at -her with interest, said to the actress: - -"You do wrong to be angry, madame." - -"What do you say? I do wrong?" - -"Surely; for this young woman's silence is not natural. She has not -spoken a word, even to her child, since she has been in the diligence; I -think that she is dumb." - -"Dumb! a dumb woman! that's impossible, monsieur." - -But Sister Anne eagerly nodded her head to confirm the supposition; -whereupon the old actress voiced her amazement so emphatically that her -neighbor woke up. - -"Dumb! can it be possible? Do you hear, monsieur? she's dumb!" - -"Oh! I thought we had upset!" - -"What an insufferable creature you are! He'll give me the hysterics with -his upsets. Poor angel! dear love! are you really dumb, my sweet child? -Oh! how I pity you! how you must suffer! I should much rather be blind -and deaf. Poor little thing! how interesting she is! what a charming -face! And to be unable to talk! How did it happen, my child?" - -Sister Anne, almost as surprised by the actress's sudden outpouring of -friendliness as she had been by her anger, took her purse from her -bosom, took out the paper which she always carried about her, and handed -it to her neighbor, who read it to himself and simply said: - -"It's the address of the house she's going to." - -"To be a wet-nurse, no doubt. Ah! how beautifully she would act in -pantomime! Such a pretty face! how lovely she'd be in _Philomčle et -Térée_!" - -Sister Anne's right-hand neighbor paid no further heed to the old -actress; he seemed preoccupied since he had seen the well-filled purse -which the young mother took from her breast in order to show him the -count's address. From that moment, he redoubled his attentions to her; -he caressed little Frédéric, and carried his gallantry so far as to buy -him barley candy and gingerbread at the first stopping-place. Sister -Anne, whose pure and guileless mind saw only friends and protectors -everywhere, did not notice the shiftiness of her neighbor's expression, -but, on the contrary, felt disposed to give him her full confidence. -Poor child! what will you do in Paris? - -During the second day, Sister Anne's neighbor said to her: - -"I'm well acquainted with the Comte de Montreville, to whose house you -are going. He's a friend of mine. If you like, I'll take you there -myself." - -The dumb girl signified that she accepted his offer with gratitude; and -the old actress, seeing that Sister Anne smiled at her neighbor, pursed -up her lips and cast a contemptuous glance at her, muttering between her -teeth: - -"They're doing well; acquaintance is soon made in a diligence." - -Which shows how quick one is to suspect evil, especially when one has -done it all one's life. As for Sister Anne, she stared at the actress in -amazement; she was utterly unable to understand why, within twenty-four -hours, she should treat her with indignation, friendliness, and scorn. - -At last the diligence reached the great city: Sister Anne was dazed and -bewildered by all that she saw and heard; she felt as if she were in a -new world; for having arrived at Lyon after dark and left early in the -morning, she had seen nothing of that city, whose great size, wealth, -and populousness would have given her some idea of Paris. - -The thin, shifty-eyed gentleman, who was persistent in his attentions to -the dumb girl and her son, helped them to alight from the diligence; and -while the _grande coquette_ of the Funambules rearranged her hat and -crumpled feathers, while the two tradesmen hurried to the Bourse, and -the stout man walked away congratulating himself that the diligence had -not been overturned, the gallant man called a cab, and, having put -Sister Anne's bundles inside, he got in with her and the child. - -The stranger spoke to the driver, then said to the young mother: - -"We will go at once to Monsieur le Comte de Montreville's; I am -delighted to take you there myself, for, being a stranger in Paris, you -might be seriously embarrassed, as you can't make yourself understood." - -Sister Anne thanked him with a glance; the poor child had no suspicion -that she had fallen into the hands of a sharper, a vile blackleg, who, -after exhibiting his talents in all the larger cities, by divers little -exploits which had compelled him to fly from one after another, was now -returning to Paris in the hope that an absence of eight years would have -caused his former dupes to forget him, and that he would be able to make -new ones. But it was inevitable that the dumb girl should fall into the -first trap that was set for her. Meek, trusting, unacquainted with craft -in any form, she never suspected evil. Her adventure in the forest would -have made her afraid of robbers under similar circumstances; but it had -not taught her to distrust those robbers whom she met in the world, and -whom it is much more difficult to recognize, because they cover -themselves with the mask of probity, which often makes them more -dangerous than those who attack us on the highroad. - -The cab stopped in front of a handsome house. Sister Anne's escort at -once alighted, saying to her: - -"Wait a moment; this is the count's house, but we must make sure that he -is at home." - -With that, he went in, but returned in a few moments with a disappointed -air. - -"My dear lady, what I was afraid of has happened: the Comte de -Montreville is in the country; he won't return for two days." - -The girl's expression seemed to say: - -"What shall I do meanwhile? where am I to go?" - -"Don't be alarmed," said the obliging man; "I will not leave you in -embarrassment; I will take you to a respectable house, where you will be -well cared for. Two days are soon passed; then you can return to -monsieur le comte's." - -Sister Anne again expressed her gratitude; she was touched by all the -trouble he took for her, although she was not surprised by it: she -imagined that that was the way everybody acted in the large cities. The -cab started again. The movement delighted little Frédéric; he crowed, -and jumped about on his mother's lap; and she, as she gazed at the tall -houses, the shops, and the crowds of people, artlessly manifested her -amazement. - -"Oh! you'll see much more than this," said her friend; "you'll be -surprised in a thousand different ways; this journey will be very useful -to you." - -The cab stopped in front of a wretched furnished lodging-house in -Faubourg Saint-Jacques; and Sister Anne, on going in, found that that -respectable abode was very dirty and very gloomy; but she followed her -escort, who ordered her bundles carried to the room assigned to them, -and was soon left alone there with the young mother and her child. - -"Before I leave you," he said to Sister Anne, "I must tell you that -there is one little formality to be attended to: when you hire lodgings -in Paris, you must make a statement of what money you have about you. -This is a rule made by the police, so that nothing can ever be lost in -the city; for if you declare to-day that you have forty louis, and one -of them is stolen from you to-morrow, then they go about and count the -contents of the purses of everybody in the capital, and the man who has -one louis too many is the thief. What do you say to that? it's a bright -idea, isn't it?" - -Sister Anne did not clearly understand what he said; she looked at him -as if awaiting a further explanation, and he continued: - -"Will you go to settle the matter with the mistress of the house? or -would you like me to go for you? That will be better. Give me your -purse; it's the quickest way." - -The poor child drew her purse from her bosom; and the obliging gentleman -took it, saying: - -"Don't be impatient; I'll go and count what there is in it." - -Then he left the room, and as he went downstairs he gave the mistress of -the house a gold piece, saying: - -"This is to pay for that young woman's lodging; she's a mute." - -With that, he hurried away, flattering himself that he had performed a -very neat trick; he went to the Palais-Royal, where he found other -blacklegs of his stamp, and soon lost the money he had stolen from a -helpless woman; then, as he was unable to find other dupes who would -give him their purses, he filched one from the pocket of a stout English -milord; the Englishman, having detected him in the act, caused his -arrest; he was taken to the Préfecture, then to Bicętre, then to the -galleys, where he kept his hand in by stealing from his fellow convicts. -There we will leave him. - -Sister Anne waited and waited for the return of the kind friend who had -gone out with her purse; the poor child had no suspicion, she was not at -all anxious, and played quietly with her son, glancing out of the window -now and then, but instantly drawing back in alarm, because the room was -on the third floor, and she had never been so far above the ground. - -But her friend did not return, and Sister Anne was beginning to wonder -at his long absence, when the landlady appeared. - -The young mother put out her hand for her purse, but the woman simply -asked what she could do for her. - -"I'll take good care of you," said she; "for the gentleman, when he went -away, paid for your board and lodging and whatever you might want during -the two days that he said you would stay here." - -He had gone away! A horrible presentiment enlightened Sister Anne at -last; she tried to make herself understood, constantly holding out her -hand and going through the motion of counting money. - -"I am paid, I tell you," said the landlady; "I don't want anything, my -child, and I'll send up your dinner." - -Sister Anne was overwhelmed; it was not the money simply that she -regretted, for she did not realize its value; but the Comte de -Montreville's address was in her purse, and the villain had carried that -away with all that she possessed. What would become of her? how could -she find her protector's house now? - -During the day, the young woman still retained a little hope, trying to -convince herself that the stranger would return; but night came, and he -did not appear. Sister Anne strained her child to her breast, weeping -bitterly; it was not for herself alone that she trembled, and her terror -was all the more intense on that account. Already she imagined her child -deprived of the sustenance he required; she shuddered as the whole -horror of their situation dawned upon her, and she was sorry now that -she had left the farm, for the thought that her son would suffer -destroyed her courage. - -She passed in her room the second day after her arrival in Paris; the -villain who had robbed her had told her that the count was absent for -two days, so she waited until the third day before trying to find him. -She flattered herself that she could recognize the house in front of -which the cab had stopped. The poor child thought that she could find -her way in that immense city, where she had never been before! she did -not know that the wretch who had deceived her had caused the cab to stop -in front of a house which was not the count's. - -The next day, she took her son in her arms, and, with the bundle that -contained her effects, left the lodging-house, whose mistress made no -attempt to keep her, because she had been paid for two days only. Sister -Anne commended herself to Providence, and tried to revive her courage as -she ventured forth into that city which was entirely unknown to her. -Every minute the horses and carriages frightened her, and the cries of -the street peddlers deafened her; the sight of all those people, going -and coming in every direction, and often jostling and crowding her, so -confused her that she had no idea where she was. The poor child went -under a porte cochčre and began to cry. The concierge asked her what the -trouble was, but Sister Anne was unable to reply except with more tears; -whereupon the concierge turned away in a pet, saying: - -"What's the use of sympathizing with people who won't tell you what's -the matter!" - -After she had wept a long while, Sister Anne walked on; but she had been -on her feet four hours and had made no progress; she saw nothing but -endless streets, and shops; she had no idea in which direction she -should go, and often walked a long distance only to find herself at the -point she had started from. How was she to recognize that house of the -count's? she began to think that it was impossible. She was sinking with -fatigue, for she had had her child in her arms all the time; and soon -hunger made itself felt, and added to the horror of her plight. - -She sat down on a stone bench; the passers-by glanced at her, but went -on; they would have stopped if, instead of a woman weeping over a child, -they had seen a cat fighting with Polichinello. - -Luckily, it was midsummer; the weather was beautiful, and the approach -of night did not drive people indoors. The dumb girl entered a -pastry-cook's shop and bought cakes for her child, offering a garment -from her bundle in payment; but they gave it back, looking at her with -compassion and surprise; for her appearance did not denote poverty, and -they could not understand her having no money. - -She tried to walk on, but the darkness increased her terror tenfold, -and, despite the lamps in the streets, the clatter of the horses' feet -seemed to her more terrifying than ever; she was in mortal dread of -being run over with her son by the carriages which often surrounded her -on every side; so she sat down again on a bench. - -At this time she was on Rue Montmartre; several times during the day, -she had walked through Rue de Provence and had passed Monsieur de -Montreville's house; but the poor child did not know it. It was -impossible now for her to find her lodging-house, and she was on the -point of giving way to despair; but she pressed her son to her heart, -and tried to recover her strength by covering him with kisses. The child -smiled at her and played with her hair; he was at the age at which a -child does not know what unhappiness is when he is in his mother's arms. - -The night advanced; the shops were closing, the pedestrians becoming -less numerous, the carriages passed at longer intervals. Sister Anne -raised her eyes and looked about her with a little more confidence. -Where should she ask shelter for the night? She felt lost amid all those -buildings; she dared not apply anywhere. She gazed imploringly at those -who passed her, and several men stopped to look at her. - -"She's very pretty!" they said; but as soon as she held out her child, -they walked on. - -"Great God!" thought the unhappy girl; "don't the people of Paris love -children? they walk away very fast as soon as I show them mine." - -About midnight, a patrol passed through the street. As they drew near, -she shuddered; one of the soldiers went up to her, and said: - -"Come, come! what are you doing here with your child? Go home, or we'll -take you to the guard-house!" - -The man's harsh tone made her tremble; she rose hastily and hurried -away, with her child in her arms. But before she had gone a hundred -yards, she discovered that she had left her bundle of clothes on the -bench. She went back to look for it, and found the place where she had -been sitting; but, alas! her clothes had already disappeared. They were -the unfortunate creature's last resource. - -She shed no tears over this last catastrophe; an enormous weight seemed -to have settled on her chest. She moved away with her child, afraid to -think. She walked more rapidly, with no idea where she was going; she -embraced her son convulsively; a sort of nervous contraction stiffened -her limbs; she had almost lost consciousness of her sufferings. She -descended Rue Montmartre to the boulevard, where the trees caught her -eye, and her heart dilated. The poor child thought that she had reached -the outskirts of that city where fate pursued her so pitilessly; she -fancied that she was once more approaching her fields and her woods; and -running wildly to the nearest tree, she stood close against it, touched -it with rapture, and the tears came at last. - -She sat down beneath the foliage, the sight of which had given her fresh -courage; she covered her child with her apron and determined to wait -there for the dawn. - -The day came at last, but the dumb girl had not enjoyed one moment's -rest; she thought of the future, and saw that she must needs appeal to -public charity for herself and her son. If she had been alone, she would -have preferred death; but for him she could endure everything. She had -been so comfortable at the farm, surrounded by people who were attached -to her and who loved her son, and now she was reduced to beg for bread! -How bitterly she repented having left that peaceful abode! When she -looked at her son, she reproached herself even more severely. - -"Poor little fellow!" she thought; "all your sufferings will be caused -by me. But am I so guilty, after all, for longing to give you a father? -Ah, me! if only I could find my way back there! if only I could return -to those kind-hearted peasants who treated me like their own daughter! I -feel that I must abandon all hope of finding Frédéric; but if my grief -kills me, what will become of my son in this great city?" - -The poor mother wept as she gazed at little Frédéric, who was still -asleep. Some peasants on their way to market offered her bread and -fruit; a milkwoman gave her and the child some milk to drink; all hearts -are not insensible to pity, and even the Parisians give freely to the -poor; if they do not do it more frequently, it is only because they -dread to make themselves melancholy by the contemplation of misfortune. - -During a large part of the day, Sister Anne continued to wander about -the city in search of her protector's abode; she met many men who had -Frédéric's figure and were dressed like him; she quickened her pace to -overtake them; but when she was near enough to see their faces, -recognized her error. Some looked at her in amazement, others with a -sneer; whereupon she would turn away, shamefaced and broken-hearted. - -"O God!" she thought; "I shall never meet him again!" - -By the end of the day, the food that had been given her in the morning -was exhausted, and it became necessary to hold out her hand to the -passers-by, in quest of charity. In order to obtain courage to beg for -bread, Sister Anne had to gaze upon her boy. If those who give alms -always did so with a gracious manner, the unfortunate would be less to -be pitied; but many persons accompany their charity with a harsh or -disdainful air; in fact, they almost grumble at those they relieve. - -"Alas!" thought the poor girl, as she wept; "why do they consider it a -crime that I am poor?" - -She longed to leave Paris, for the country people seemed to her to be -more humane and gentle; with them, she felt less abashed. But in what -direction must she go to return to the hospitable farm? She could only -trust in Providence, which had not thus far been very propitious to her. -Poor child! may it guide thee at last to the end of thy woes! - -Having no idea what road she should take, but absolutely determined to -leave the city, she decided to follow a man who was walking beside a -small canvas-covered wagon. As it happened, this man went through one of -the faubourgs, and in due time passed the barrier. Thus, by dint of -following the wagon, which went always at a walk, the young mother found -herself at last in the country; she breathed more freely; she kissed her -son, and, beseeching the mercy of heaven for him, bent her steps toward -the nearest village to ask hospitality. - - - - -XXVIII - -CHANCE BRINGS THEM TOGETHER - - -Frédéric still loved his wife--perhaps with a less violent passion than -during the first month of their union; but the husband's facility of -intercourse with his wife had not diminished his love, for he discovered -new qualities, new virtues, in Constance every day. Beauty of feature -fascinates, but does not suffice to enslave; happy the husband who finds -in his wife attractions over which time has no power! - -Constance was chargeable with but one fault--a very lamentable one when -one cannot control it, but which she confined sedulously within her own -breast. She was jealous; the very excess of her love for Frédéric -sometimes caused her a secret alarm. When he seemed dreamy and pensive, -Constance became uneasy, and a multitude of apprehensions crowded into -her mind. What could it be that engrossed her husband's thoughts, -saddened him, and made him sigh?--for he still sighed sometimes. Before -their marriage, she attributed to his love for her the melancholy that -often darkened his brow. But now that they were united, now that they -could give a free rein to their affection, and there was nothing to mar -their happiness, why did Frédéric continue to sigh? why was he sometimes -preoccupied? That was what Constance asked herself, but the amiable girl -was careful not to let her husband see what she felt; she would have -been terribly distressed to display the slightest suspicion. Although -jealous, she would not annoy her husband; she would continue to be as -loving and sweet as always; and if she suffered, she would carefully -conceal her suffering, in order not to distress him whom she loved -better than her life. - -After a year, their happiness was interrupted for a moment by the -general's death. Monsieur de Valmont was beloved by all who knew him; he -was very dear to his niece, to whom he had been as an affectionate and -indulgent father. Her husband's love alone could comfort Constance in -her profound grief for her uncle's death. Monsieur de Montreville -mingled his regrets with her tears; he had lost a true friend; but in -old age we often show more courage than in the springtime of life, in -bearing the death of those who are dear to us. Is it because age makes -us selfish? Is it because the heart, having become insensible to the -flames of love, closes its doors to the transports of friendship; or is -it rather because of the reflection that the separation cannot be for -long, and that we shall soon join those whom we have lost? - -Constance was her uncle's sole heir; the general was very rich, and -owned a number of farms and estates in the provinces, with which -Frédéric wished to make himself familiar. So he had formed a plan of -visiting their new possessions, and Constance was to remain at Paris, in -order not to leave Monsieur de Montreville alone with his grief for the -loss of his friend. But how could he make up his mind to leave his wife -before her grief had begun to subside? As the visit of inspection was -not urgent, Frédéric postponed it from month to month; and Constance, -who had not as yet been separated from her husband for a single day, -could not decide to let him go. - -Some time after the general's death, Frédéric learned that Monsieur -Ménard, being frequently incapacitated by the gout, had lost all his -pupils and was in very reduced circumstances. So he went to see his -former tutor, and asked him to come to live with him. - -"I need a prudent, clever man," he said, "to take charge of my affairs, -overlook my stewards' accounts, and correspond with them. Be that man, -my dear Ménard. Remember that it is not as an employé, but as a friend -that I ask you to come; and if heaven sends me children, you shall be to -them what you were to their father." - -Ménard accepted gratefully, and he was installed under Frédéric's roof, -where Constance treated him with much consideration and affection; she -loved the former tutor, because he was attached to her husband, and -Ménard, deeply touched by the young woman's attentions, often exclaimed, -as he kissed her hand respectfully: - -"Ah! madame, do have children! I will be their tutor, and they'll grow -up like their excellent father, who was my pupil and who does me -credit." - -Constance smiled at that; doubtless she would have asked nothing better, -but we do not always obtain what we desire. - -Dubourg had not abandoned his friend. - -"Come and see me whenever you please," Frédéric had said to him; "your -room will always be ready for you." - -Dubourg made the most of that permission, not to quarter himself on -Frédéric in Paris, but to visit him at his country house. He was -particularly apt to appear during the latter half of the quarter; for -his income was paid quarterly, and he could never succeed in making it -last more than six weeks; then he would take his meals at Frédéric's, if -he was in Paris, or would visit him in the country. - -"Thanks to you, my friend," he would say, "with my sixteen hundred -francs a year, I live as if I had twice that; I spend my income in six -months, and you pay my expenses the other half of the year." - -Dubourg's merry humor pleased Constance, and Frédéric was always glad to -see his friend, for he knew that he would never say a word to his wife -that she ought not to hear, and that, despite his easy principles, he -would look upon her as a sister. We can overlook some faults in the man -who respects friendship. There are so many sincere, virtuous, -high-minded friends, who take delight in sowing discord in families! - -When Dubourg and Ménard met at Frédéric's board, which always happened -toward the end of the quarter, the former tutor never failed to sing the -praises of the couple who lived under his eyes. - -"They are like Orpheus and Eurydice, Deucalion and Pyrrha, Philemon and -Baucis, Pyramus and Thisbe!" - -"Morbleu! yes," Dubourg would reply; "Frédéric has a charming wife, who -has every estimable quality--a perfect treasure, in short. It would be -infernally strange if he were not content." - -"True enough! But if I had not inculcated in my pupil excellent -principles of virtue and morality, perhaps he wouldn't lead so decorous -a life as he does, although loving his wife none the less. Peter the -Great adored Catherine, but that didn't interfere with his having -mistresses; many princes have had concubines; and I have known some -excellent husbands who slept with their maid-servants, probably from a -sense of ownership." - -"Don't extol Frédéric's virtue so highly, my dear Monsieur Ménard! if he -had had nobody but you to guide him----" - -"Perhaps you would have done it better; for instance, when you travelled -with us as Baron Potoski----" - -"Hush, hush, Monsieur Ménard! Let that journey be forgotten; there was -nothing to choose between us. I trust that you have never spoken of that -little adventure in the woods--that love affair of Frédéric's--before -Madame de Montreville?" - -"Oh! what do you take me for? I am well aware that it would be a great -mistake now: _non est hic locus_; and yet, Madame de Montreville could -not take offence; anything that happened before her marriage doesn't -concern her; she has too much good sense not to laugh at her husband's -little escapades as a bachelor." - -"Despite her good sense, there are some things a woman never likes to -hear about; we should always avoid saying anything to make her think -that another has possessed her husband's heart. Although when she -marries a young man, a woman is well aware that he has already known -love, she persuades herself that he has never loved anyone as dearly as -he loves her; she desires to be the one who has inspired the most ardent -passion, and it is a great affliction to her to lose that illusion." - -"I understand; it's like telling a cook that one has never eaten a -better dish of macaroni." - -"Precisely. You're an amazing fellow for similes. Besides, I believe -that the young woman is capable of being jealous, she loves her husband -so passionately!" - -"Indeed, I believe you are right. I noticed one day that she didn't seem -in such good spirits as usual; I suppose that it was because her -husband had amused himself for some time patting a cat." - -"The devil take you and your cats! the idea of suspecting Constance of -such folly!" - -"Folly? Why, there are men who prefer their dog to their wives, just as -there are women who prefer their canary to their husband. I don't refer -to my pupil; but----" - -"But has Madame de Montreville ever asked you, as she has me, whether -Frédéric has always been subject to fits of depression, of melancholy?" - -"Yes, yes; I remember that only the other evening she said to me in an -undertone: 'See how Frédéric sighs! Do you know whether anything is -troubling him? Can you guess the reason?'" - -"Well! what was your answer?" - -"Parbleu! I answered: 'I suppose it's because he has indigestion, -madame; that interferes with the breathing; it is often the -case.'--Since then, she hasn't asked me any questions on that subject." - -"I can well believe it!" - -Although Frédéric was happy, he had not forgotten the dumb girl of the -woods, and it was the thought of her that caused his frequent fits of -abstraction. He longed to know Sister Anne's fate, but he dared not -mention her to his father. The count had told him that he would take -care of her, and Frédéric knew that he could rely on his promise; but to -have no idea where she was or what she was doing--not even to know -whether she still loved him!--The ingrate dared to doubt it, for he had -done all that he could to kill her love! Meanwhile, as his love for -Constance became more calm and placid, the memory of Sister Anne -obtruded itself more frequently upon his mind; a smile or a caress from -his wife quickly made him forget the dumb girl, but a little later her -image returned again; it would seem that the heart of man always craves -memories or hopes. - -For more than two years, Frédéric had been Constance's husband. Their -only sorrow was their failure to have children. Frédéric longed for a -son, Constance would have been overjoyed to present her husband with a -pledge of her affection, and Monsieur Ménard ardently desired the -arrival of some little pupils. - -The Comte de Montreville did not live with his children; but he came -often to their house; he still had in his service the man who was with -him when he was attacked in the forest, and whom he had forbidden to -mention that adventure. But one evening, when he was talking with the -other servants, he forgot his master's injunction; and as the others -told stories about robbers, he did not fail to tell of the risk he had -run in company with monsieur le comte, who had been saved, almost -miraculously, by a young dumb woman. Frédéric's valet was present; and -the next day, while dressing his master, he asked him if what Dumont had -said was true; because he believed that Dumont was a liar, and that -monsieur le comte had never mentioned being attacked by robbers and -saved by a dumb woman. - -These last words attracted Frédéric's attention; a secret presentiment -told him that Sister Anne was concerned in the adventure. He made no -reply to his servant, but hastened to his father's house. The count was -absent, but Dumont was there; Frédéric was able to speak to him alone, -which was just what he desired. At his first question, Dumont blushed, -remembering his master's orders; but it was too late for him to keep -silent. Moreover, it did not seem to him that he was committing any -great sin in telling his master's son the whole story, and he could not -understand why Monsieur de Montreville wished to make a mystery of the -adventure. - -Frédéric made him describe the girl his father had taken to the farm; -from the beginning, he had no doubt that it was Sister Anne. He asked -Dumont innumerable questions, and the valet told him all that he knew. - -"Do you think that she remained at the farm?" Frédéric asked. - -"Oh! yes, monsieur; she wasn't well enough to continue her journey; and -then, I forgot to tell you that she was on the point of becoming a -mother." - -"What do you say, Dumont?--that girl----" - -"Girl or wife, I don't know which; but I can swear she was enceinte." - -Sister Anne had a child! Frédéric understood now why his father had -acted with so much mystery. He inquired particularly as to the name of -the village and the location of the farm at which they had left the dumb -girl; then, giving Dumont a handsome present, he enjoined upon him -absolute secrecy concerning their interview. Dumont promised not to -mention the subject again, and lost himself in conjectures touching the -conduct of father and son alike. - -After Frédéric had learned that Sister Anne had made him a father, he -did not enjoy a moment's repose. The thought haunted him incessantly, -and he was consumed by the desire to see his child. His reveries were -more frequent, his brow was clouded more often than ever before, and -Constance heard him sigh. She dared not question him; but she suffered -torments in secret; she flattered herself that she filled Frédéric's -heart, that she was the sole object of all his thoughts; but she was -always near him, she held his hand in hers, and it could not be she who -made him sigh. - -When she ventured to ask him what the matter was, he strove to recover -himself, pressed her to his heart, and said: - -"What more can I possibly desire?" - -But, even then, Constance detected a trace of sadness in his smile; he -did not seem to her entirely happy. - -One day Frédéric told his wife that he was about to undertake the -journey which he had postponed so long, but which had become absolutely -necessary. Constance had flattered herself that Ménard would go in his -stead; indeed, Frédéric himself had suggested it; but he had changed his -mind, and was evidently determined to go. Constance dared not try to -detain him, or to propose to accompany him; she was afraid of annoying -him; she was unwilling to thwart him in the most trivial thing. -Moreover, if Frédéric had wanted her to go with him, he would have had -but to say the word; she would have left everything to go; but he did -not say the word! Constance groaned in secret, but she showed her -husband a cloudless brow and a smiling face. - -Frédéric embraced her tenderly; he promised to hasten his return, and to -be with her again within a month. She tried to be brave; and Frédéric -took his departure, commending her to the care of Ménard and Dubourg. -But Constance did not need to be entertained: although absent, Frédéric -was always with her. - -It was the month of August, that lovely season when it is so pleasant to -live in the pure air of the country. Constance determined to pass at her -country house near Montmorency all the time that her husband was -absent. As it was much quieter there than in Paris, it seemed to her -that she would be more free to think of him, to count the moments which -must pass before his return. Monsieur de Montreville visited his -daughter-in-law in the country. But at the count's age a man has settled -habits, and amusement becomes a necessity. The count loved Paris, for he -had a great number of acquaintances there; and the never-ceasing life -and animation of the capital had always attracted him. After a week's -stay in the country, he returned to his favorite city and his wonted -amusements. - -Constance was left alone with Ménard and the servants. It was still -early in the quarter, and Dubourg was not in the country; but Constance -did not suffer one moment from ennui; when the heart is well occupied, -the head is never empty. The old tutor was always ready to bear her -company; he talked to her of Greek and Roman history, quoted his -favorite Latin authors, and sometimes plunged into Biblical history. It -is not certain that Constance was greatly entertained; but when Ménard -had finished speaking, she would smile at him so amiably that he was -invariably satisfied. - -Toward nightfall Constance always went to the summer-house. It was her -favorite spot; there she and Frédéric had begun to understand each -other, there she had felt the first approach of love. Since that time, -she had often visited the summer-house, more often than ever now that -she was awaiting her husband's return. From that eminence she could -overlook the whole valley and the country round about the walls of her -garden. - -One fine evening, as she happened to glance at the road which passed the -house, Constance noticed a young woman seated at the foot of a tree, -with an infant in her arms; the unfortunate creature was evidently in -the last stages of destitution; she was gazing mournfully at her child, -and, while covering him with kisses, seemed to be utterly hopeless and -desperate. - -Constance was deeply affected. At that moment, Monsieur Ménard joined -her on the platform. - -"Look!" she said; "do you see that poor woman? See how frantically she -kisses her child! She seems in terrible distress. Do you see her?" - -"One moment, madame," said Ménard; "I can't find my spectacles.--Where -in the devil have I put them?" - -At that instant the poor woman raised her eyes, and, when she saw -Constance, her glance became so expressive, so full of entreaty, that it -was impossible not to understand her. - -"Oh! she is crying," exclaimed Constance; "wait, wait, my poor woman! I -will come down." - -She rushed out of the summer-house, while Ménard was still looking for -his spectacles. - -Not far away was a small gate by which the road was reached. Constance -opened it, and soon stood beside the unfortunate creature she longed to -assist. As she drew near to her, she was even more touched, for the -wayfarer's every feature was eloquent of suffering and despair; but it -was for her child, above all, that she implored Constance's pity. She -held him out to her, and great tears flowed from her drawn and reddened -eyes. - -"Poor child!" said Constance; "how pale and thin he is! but what lovely -features!"--And she took the child in her arms, saying to the mother: -"Come, and I will give you something to restore your strength. Follow -me." - -The woman walked a few steps, but soon fell to the ground; her strength -had failed her. - -"Great heaven!" said Constance; "what a state the poor creature is -in!--Monsieur Ménard, do come and help me take her to the house." - -"Here I am, here I am, madame! They were in my waistcoat pocket," said -Ménard. "Oho! this young person seems sadly in need of help." - -"Support her--let us help her to walk. Poor woman! how she distresses -me! Mon Dieu! is it possible that there can be people so unfortunate?" - -"Very possible, certainly, madame; but it is important to know the -_causa causarum_." - -With the assistance of Ménard and Constance, the latter of whom carried -the child as well as supported the mother, the poor woman succeeded in -reaching the house. There Constance at once gave her whatever she -thought would do her and the child good; and while the mother recovered -her strength, she observed her with interest. - -"Just see," she said to Ménard, "she is still a mere girl--and already -so greatly to be pitied! Her features are sweet and pathetic. Poor -mother! where have you come from? what do you mean to do?" - -The unfortunate creature did not reply to these questions; the reader -will have divined the cause: it was Sister Anne and her son to whom -Constance had brought succor. - -Ten days had passed since the dumb girl left Paris, during which she had -wandered about the country, guided by chance alone. Being forced -constantly to beg for shelter and food, often repulsed, often depriving -herself of sustenance to give it to her son, she had felt her strength -and her courage grow less day by day; despair took possession of her -mind, it sapped all her faculties, and the unhappy mother was embracing -her child in momentary expectation of death, when chance, which had led -her to Madame de Montreville's house, decreed that she should notice her -and fly to her assistance. - -Surprised at receiving no reply to her questions, Constance repeated -them; whereupon Sister Anne, putting her hand to her lips and mournfully -shaking her head, succeeded in making her understand her pitiful -condition. - -"O heaven! she cannot speak! Poor soul! All alone with her child, and -without money, without a guide, and unable to ask her way! Oh! this is -too much, too many trials at once!" - -And Constance stooped over Sister Anne, weeping freely at the sight of -her misery, while the dumb girl, touched by a compassion to which she -had become unaccustomed, took her benefactress's hand, covered it with -kisses, and pressed it to her heart. - -"Faith!" said Ménard, drawing his handkerchief,--for the kind-hearted -tutor could not witness this scene without emotion,--"faith! I agree -that she was in a critical position. Indeed, speech is essential -throughout life; and anyone who has no tongue, or can't use it, is like -a fox without a tail, a butterfly without wings, or a fish without -fins." - -Constance continued to devote her whole attention to Sister Anne and her -son; already the child was laughing in her arms; he was at the happy age -when grief vanishes at sight of a cake or a toy. It seemed that -Constance could not tire of caressing him. - -"See," she said to Ménard, "see how he smiles at me!" - -"Of course, for you are giving him bonbons. Men are caught by sugared -words, and children by sugar without words; wherein they show more -sagacity than men." - -"What pretty features, what lovely eyes! It may be a delusion, but it -seems to me that he has my husband's eyes." - -"My pupil's? I can hardly conceive eyes of two years resembling eyes of -twenty-three." - -"Poor little dear! I feel that I love him already. How happy I should be -to have a child like him!" - -"That will come, madame: Sarah was ninety years old when she gave birth -to Isaac. You have plenty of time before you." - -Sister Anne's heart throbbed with joy when she saw Constance caress her -son. Madame de Montreville did not tire of gazing at him, for she -detected in his features some resemblance to those of her husband. -Ménard gazed compassionately at Sister Anne; he was very far from -suspecting that that poor mendicant was the young girl he had seen -seated beside Frédéric in the woods at Vizille. How could he have -recognized her! He had seen her only a moment, and then she was radiant -with happiness and love; her lovely features were not worn by tears and -sorrow; the fatigue of a long and toilsome journey, and of incessant -suffering, had not made her body weak and her steps tottering. And, -lastly, Ménard did not know that that girl was dumb; so that it was -impossible for him to suspect that she was before him at that moment. - -"Do you know how to write, poor woman?" Constance asked her. - -She shook her head. - -"What a pity! I would like to know this pretty boy's name." - -The dumb girl looked eagerly about. They had taken her to a room on the -ground floor, looking on the garden. She went out, motioning to -Constance to follow her. She broke a branch from the first shrub she -came to; then, stooping over, she traced on the gravel path her son's -name. - -"Frédéric!" cried Constance, after reading the name; "what! your child's -name is Frédéric? Ah! that will make him all the dearer to me. Frédéric! -why, that is my husband's name.--What do you think of this, Monsieur -Ménard? isn't it strange?" - -"I don't see anything so extraordinary in it," said the tutor. "As there -are great numbers of Martins, Pierres, and Pauls, there may very well be -as many Frédérics. I know of no name but _Thesaurochrysonicochrysides_, -which Plautus invented, that has never become common. So, if I had had a -son, I should have insisted on giving him that name, although it isn't -very easy to say." - -Constance took the child in her arms again. She called him Frédéric; and -he, answering to that name, by which he had been called at the farm, -lisped the word _mamma_, and looked about as if in search of the good -peasants who used to call him so. - -"I am determined that my husband shall see this dear child," said -Constance; then, after a moment's reflection, she went up to Sister -Anne, took her hand, and said, following her signs closely so that she -might understand her answers: - -"Where were you going with your child?--She doesn't know.--Unfortunate -creature! have you no father or mother?--Ah! they are dead!--And your -child's father, your husband--why isn't he with you?--She weeps! Poor -dear! He has deserted her! The idea of deserting such a pretty child! -and such a sweet, unfortunate mother! Why, it's perfectly ghastly! he -must have a terribly hard heart.--But cheer up, and dry your tears; I -will not abandon you! No, my mind is made up; I will take care of you -and your child. You shall not leave me. You shall live with me; I will -give you needlework to do; I will teach you to work, and I will have -your child educated under your eyes. My husband is kind, tender-hearted, -and generous; I am perfectly certain that he won't blame me for what I -am doing. He will love you, too, and you shall end your days with us. Do -you understand, poor dear? Don't cry any more, don't worry about your -child. Hereafter you shall be out of reach of want.--Why, look, Monsieur -Ménard! she actually throws herself at my feet and kisses my hand, as if -I were a god! What would be the use of wealth, if we could not do a -little good with it?" - -"To be charitable, madame, is one of the precepts of the Gospel; -unfortunately, everybody doesn't put it in practice as you do!" - -"But it's high time to think about arranging a room for this young -woman," said Constance, leading Sister Anne back to the house. "After -all the fatigue she has undergone, she must feel the need of rest. Where -shall we put her? Oh! I know; in that little building adjoining the -greenhouse in the garden. My husband intended to make a study of it; but -he can work in his own room. Yes, that is what we'll do. Be kind enough -to give orders accordingly, Monsieur Ménard. Have a bed taken there, and -everything she needs for the night; to-morrow, I will have it properly -arranged. She will be quiet there, and she will have her son with her -and can take him to walk in the garden in the morning." - -Ménard went to tell the servants to prepare a room in the pavilion in -the garden. Meanwhile, Constance remained with Sister Anne, who was -unable to express her boundless gratitude; her features were beginning -already to lose their haggard, hopeless look. As she looked at her, -Constance found her face more and more interesting; the dumb girl in no -respect resembled those beggars who seem determined to extort alms by -lamentations and importunities, and who receive it without gratitude. -Sister Anne was meek and shrinking; she was amazed at the interest she -inspired; her gratitude could be read in her eyes; and in her whole -bearing, her whole aspect, there was something which seemed to indicate -that she was not born in the lowest rank of society. - -"The more I look at her," thought Constance, "the more surprised I am -that anyone could have deserted her. Her features are refined, her eyes -sweet and full of charm. How lovely she will be in other clothes!--And -you, dear love, ah! I will take good care of you!" - -Ménard announced that everything was ready in the pavilion for the -reception of the poor woman and her son. Constance took Sister Anne's -arm and led her thither, made sure that she had everything that she -needed for the night, and left her, urging her not to grieve any more, -but to go to bed and sleep. - -Sister Anne pressed her hand to her heart, and Constance said to Ménard -as they walked away: - -"Now the time won't seem so long while Frédéric is away! I realize that -the best way to divert one's thoughts from one's own troubles is to -relieve those of other people." - - - - -XXIX - -ARRIVAL OF DUBOURG.--THE STORM GATHERS - - -On waking the next morning, Sister Anne feared for a moment that all -that she saw was an illusion of her eyesight. After suffering the most -horrible tortures of destitution; after wandering so long, often unable -to obtain a place to lay her head and her son's; after going through all -that a mother can go through who trembles every moment for her child's -life--to find herself in a handsome and comfortable apartment, lying in -a soft bed, and with her mind at rest concerning her future; instead of -the cold contempt of pity, to receive the loving attentions of a -noble-hearted woman, who added tenfold to the value of her kind acts by -the grace with which she did them--was to pass abruptly into a situation -so entirely different, that her softened heart feared to give way to the -enjoyment of a happiness in which it could not as yet believe. - -Sister Anne embraced little Frédéric; then rose and took him into the -garden, which surrounded on all sides the building in which she was -lodged. What a lovely spot! what bliss to live there, and guide her -child's first hesitating steps! He tried to run about alone among the -paths bordered by roses and lilacs; when he fell, the soft gravel -deadened his fall, and the child waited, smiling, for his mother to come -and help him to start afresh. - -Constance was awake very early; she had thought all night of the dumb -girl and her son; her determination to be their benefactress made it -impossible for her to sleep; for pleasure has its insomnia, and women -display in all their decisions more ardor and more sentiment than men. -If they sometimes seem to be unduly engrossed by a piece of jewelry or -some other trivial object, with what energy and what heartfelt sympathy -do they perform a good deed! - -Madame de Montreville hurried down into the garden to see her protégée. -She found Sister Anne and the child under an arbor of honeysuckle. The -boy was playing by his mother, who, when she saw Constance, flew to meet -her, and seized one of her hands, which she held for a long time to her -heart. - -"Up so early!" said Constance, as she kissed little Frédéric; "how did -you pass the night? Well? I am glad. After so much trouble and fatigue, -you needed a long rest. The dear boy! see how he smiles at me; one would -think that he recognizes me already. But you must not continue to wear -those clothes; come with me and I will give you one of my dresses. It -will fit you, for we're very nearly of the same size. Oh! I won't allow -you to refuse; remember that you must obey me, or I shall be angry." - -Constance took Sister Anne and little Frédéric to her own room, where -she selected one of her simplest gowns and compelled her protégée to put -it on. In that new costume the dumb girl seemed to acquire new charms, -and her timidity and embarrassment were entirely free from the -awkwardness which characterizes so many people in clothes that were not -made for them. - -"She is charming," said Constance, when she had summoned her maid and -had caused her to arrange the young woman's hair, quite simply, but with -excellent taste. "How lovely she is so! And in a few days, when she has -entirely recovered from her fatigue, when her cheeks have a little -color, she'll be lovelier still.--Come, come and look at yourself, and -don't lower your eyes. Is it anything to be ashamed of that one is -pretty?" - -Constance led Sister Anne in front of a mirror. The dumb girl looked at -her own image, hesitatingly at first; but she soon recovered her -self-possession to some extent, and her face flushed with modest -pleasure. Is it possible for a woman to be insensible to anything that -beautifies her? Sister Anne, after looking at herself for several -minutes, fell at Madame de Montreville's knees. - -"Oh! I don't want you to do this any more," said Constance, raising her; -"I want you to love me and to be happy, that's all. As for your son, I -propose to make him handsome, too, and I will send to Paris for whatever -is necessary." - -Monsieur Ménard, whose sleep had not been interfered with by thoughts of -the wayfarer, came down at last, and was thunderstruck when he saw -Sister Anne in such different guise. - -"Well, Monsieur Ménard, what do you think of her?" - -"Faith! madame, she is so much improved that I should not recognize -her." - -"Because in her other clothes you saw nothing but her misery, and -overlooked the refinement of her features." - -"It is an undeniable fact that misery is a great disfigurement. Indeed, -a handsome setting adds to the charm of everything. We cannot dine so -satisfactorily when the cloth is soiled, and the commonest wine tastes -much better in a dainty glass." - -Constance was busy all day with her plans for Sister Anne. The room on -the first floor of the pavilion was arranged, and supplied with -everything that could make it more attractive. By Madame de -Montreville's orders a pretty cradle was procured, and placed beside the -young mother's bed. The windows were embellished with flowers in boxes. - -"She is debarred from other enjoyments," said Constance; "books and -music are useless to her; as yet, the poor child doesn't know how to do -anything, so we must surround her with things that are pleasing to the -eye." - -Sister Anne was at a loss to express her gratitude for such overwhelming -kindness. Constance was much amused by the astonishment which each new -thing caused her. Above all, when she heard for the first time the notes -of a piano, blended with Constance's sweet voice, was she conscious of a -fascination, an intoxicating pleasure, which moved her to tears. The -charm of music was keenly appreciated by that ardent soul, which knew -not the art of concealing its sensations. - -As she watched Constance sew and embroider, Sister Anne sighed and -revealed her grief at her inability to do as much. But Constance -undertook to teach her; and the dumb girl was so anxious to make herself -useful, that in a very short time she did all that she saw others do. - -A week had passed since Constance had taken Sister Anne and the child -into her family, and every hour seemed to increase her affection for -them. The child very soon learned to love her, for she lavished caresses -upon him; and Sister Anne, always gentle, attentive, and grateful, -proved to her that her benefactions were well bestowed. - -One morning, while the dumb girl was walking with her son in the garden, -Dubourg appeared at his friend's house; the quarter was more than half -gone, and Constance, who knew something of Dubourg's habits from her -husband, was not at all surprised at his arrival. - -"Welcome!" she said; "you promised my husband that you would come to see -me while he was away, and I was beginning to be offended with you." - -"Madame," said Dubourg, with a smile, "I am not one of those friends who -undertake to make a wife forget her husband; but if I have it in my -power to entertain you, I am entirely at your service until next -quarter-day; or the whole year, if I can be of any use to you." - -"Oh! you will find a change here; I have someone with me. I have made a -new acquaintance since Frédéric went away." - -"Indeed! I am sure that it is an acquaintance which will be agreeable to -your husband too." - -"Why, I hope so." - -"My dear Dubourg," said Ménard, "madame does not tell you that she has -taken into her family an unfortunate woman and her son; she doesn't -boast of her good deeds." - -"Hush, Monsieur Ménard! as if that young woman did not deserve all that -I have done for her! Could I have placed my benefactions more wisely?" - -"I agree that she has learned to work beautifully; I expect very soon to -teach her to read." - -"You will see, Monsieur Dubourg, how pretty and how interesting she is. -And then, her child, a boy of two, is a charming little fellow." - -"Ah! she has a son, has she?" - -"Yes; and I am sure that you will agree with me that he looks like---- -But I want you to see for yourself; I will go and find her." - -Constance was already in the garden. - -"The dear soul!" said Dubourg; "what a happy mortal Frédéric ought to -be! And yet, here he is travelling already!" - -"Business before everything, my dear Dubourg.--A pinch of snuff, if you -please. My pupil has come into extensive estates, through his wife, and -a man ought to be familiar with his estates." - -"But why not take his wife with him? Don't you think that she would have -been very glad to go along?" - -"I don't say she wouldn't, but---- What a fellow you are! always harping -on the same subject!" - -"Hum! I trust that this journey doesn't conceal some scheme! I know that -Frédéric would be terribly sorry to cause his wife the slightest pain; -but I know also that such sentimental fellows as he take fire when they -hear a woman sigh!" - -"I tell you that my pupil is visiting his estates, deuce take it!--What -about dominoes? are you beginning to be strong at it?" - -"Much stronger than you, who can never guess where the double-six is. -But let us join Madame de Montreville; I am curious to see this woman -she has taken under her wing." - -"She's a woman whom you will find it hard not to agree with, for there -can't be a quarrel without a dispute; now, when there's no dispute, -there can't be a quarrel; and there can't be a dispute in this case, -because----" - -But Dubourg was not listening; he was already in the garden, where he -saw Madame de Montreville in the distance, with a child in her arms, and -beside her a young woman dressed in a simple white gown. He walked -toward them; the young woman saw him and ran, yes, flew to his side, -seized his arm, and gazed at him in anxious suspense; while Dubourg -stood like one petrified, for he had recognized Sister Anne. - -"Mon Dieu! what has happened to her?" Constance asked Dubourg, who was -completely bewildered to find the dumb girl, in such a different -costume, walking with Constance, who was carrying her son in her arms. -"What an extraordinary effect your presence has produced on her! See how -she looks at you! She seems to be questioning you with those eloquent -eyes. Do you know this poor child?" - -"Why, no--that is, yes, yes, I saw her once; but she was so different -then; in this dress--and with this child--faith, I did not recognize -her!" - -Dubourg was confused and embarrassed; he did not know what he ought to -say, and Sister Anne still held his arm, while her eyes implored him to -speak. - -"What! you know her?" said Constance, in surprise; "but what does she -want of you now? can't you guess what it is that she seems to want to -know?" - -"Oh! I beg your pardon--I begin to understand. I knew this poor girl's -lover, and she is trying to ask me about him." - -"Well, answer her, then, at once; see! her eyes are full of tears." - -"Faith! I have nothing pleasant to tell her; her seducer has gone -abroad, and, in all probability, she will never see him again.--I don't -know what has become of him," he said to Sister Anne; "I have never seen -him since, any more than you. And so, my dear child, you must try to -forget him." - -Sister Anne, who had listened with the closest attention to every word -that fell from Dubourg's lips, dropped her head on her breast when he -had finished; then she went and sat down under a tree, and gave free -vent to her grief and her tears. - -"Poor woman!" said Constance; "alas! she still loves the man who -deserted her. Who could have abused her innocence so heartlessly?" - -"He was a young painter, madame; he was travelling at the time--for his -instruction. While in search of fine views, he fell in with Sister -Anne--for that is her name. She is, I believe, the child of peasants; -but I can't say so with certainty, for I do not know her family; -however, my friend saw her and fell in love with her. These painters -have flighty imaginations--and a child was the result. That's all that I -know; I never saw this girl but once, when I was riding with my friend." - -"In my eyes, he is very blameworthy. You men treat such affairs very -lightly. To seduce a woman, and then abandon her, is, in your eyes, a -mere youthful escapade, of which, indeed, you often boast!" - -"Oh! madame, I can flatter myself that I never seduced anybody." - -"I am speaking generally; but I am very certain that my Frédéric never -did as so many thoughtless, heedless young men do! He is too sensitive, -too loving, to try to deceive a young and inexperienced heart. See what -horrible results such reckless conduct may have! This poor child, -finding that she was enceinte, must have left her parents and fled from -her native place. Without money, and bereft of that organ which is so -necessary in the world, she travelled through city and country at -random, and exposed to all the horrors of want. The unhappy creature! -how she must have suffered! Oh! if you had seen her when I took her in, -she would have made your heart ache. But she has found a friend now; I -will not desert her, and, if I cannot make her altogether happy, she -will not, at all events, have to dread want while she is with me." - -Dubourg made no reply; the sight of Sister Anne gave him too much to -think about. - -"Your presence has renewed her grief by recalling her seducer," said -Constance; "go away for a moment, and I will try to comfort her, -although I am well aware that for such griefs there is no comfort. Could -I enjoy a moment's happiness if Frédéric should forget me? But she has -her son at least, and his caresses will allay her sorrow." - -Constance carried little Frédéric to his mother and placed him on her -knees, while Dubourg walked quickly back to the house and joined Ménard, -who did not know what to think when he saw his former travelling -companion's horrified expression. - -"All is lost, Monsieur Ménard!" cried Dubourg, halting in front of the -tutor. - -"What? what is lost? King Stanislas's berlin or the King of Prussia's -snuff-box? You know perfectly well that I am not to be taken in in that -way again." - -"Oh! let's hear no more of all that nonsense! This is a very serious -matter, involving the happiness and peace of mind of Frédéric and his -wife." - -"I'll bet that it's not true; you're going to tell me some new fairy -tale to lead me into a trap; but _non me ludit amabilis insania_." - -"Will you listen to me, Monsieur Ménard? Morbleu! how could a man of -your years fail to anticipate what has happened?" - -"What do you mean by that? a man of my years! I beg that you will -explain yourself, Monsieur Dubourg." - -"You allow Madame de Montreville to take into her house, to install -there----" - -"Whom, in heaven's name?" - -"Whom! morbleu! the girl for whom Frédéric made a fool of himself; the -girl who turned his head, and with whom he lived six weeks in the woods; -the girl whom he adored then, and whom, for all I know, he loves still; -for a man's heart is beyond comprehension! In short, Sister Anne, the -dumb girl of the woods, of Vizille, is the one whom Madame de -Montreville now has in her house!" - -"Mon Dieu! what do I hear?" - -"Do you mean to say you didn't recognize her?" - -"Recognize her! a girl I never saw but once, and then at a distance? I -don't scrutinize young women as you do, monsieur; and could I suspect, -did I know, that she was dumb? did anyone tell me so? No; no one tells -me anything, and then they expect me to know everything by divination! -You young men are inconceivable! do you suppose I should know Latin if I -had never learned it?" - -"Well! you know it now." - -"Parbleu! I was thrashed often enough to know it! Gad! how many stripes -I got for the _Epitome_, and how many _pensums_ for Phćdrus's fables!" - -"Great heaven! Monsieur Ménard, I am talking about Sister Anne, who is -here in this house, with Frédéric's wife." - -"I understand, I understand perfectly." - -"When Frédéric returns, she will see him; her excitement, her tears, and -her caresses will betray the truth. Just think of Madame de -Montreville's feelings, when the husband whom she adores and believes to -be a model of fidelity finds in his house a mistress and a child--a -child, above all!" - -"Yes, yes; I realize all that." - -"Well, then, speak! what are we to do?" - -"I have no idea." - -"It is impossible to let Sister Anne live under the same roof as -Frédéric." - -"Of course; it's most embarrassing! But she was so wretched!" - -"Do you think that I mean to abandon her? I've only sixteen hundred -francs a year, but I would gladly sacrifice it all to prevent her -presence from disturbing the happiness of this young couple. Yes; I will -work for my living, if necessary, or I'll pass the whole of every -quarter with Frédéric; but that young woman and her child shall be -placed beyond the reach of want." - -"That is very noble, my dear Dubourg, and if I had any property--but I -have nothing save my old classics, which wouldn't be of any use to her, -because she can't read." - -"But how are we to set about inducing Sister Anne to leave this house?" - -"That would be a very hard task: Madame de Montreville is very fond of -her, and is wild over the child; she thinks that he looks like my -pupil--Frédéric. By the way, I can conceive a reason for that -resemblance now." - -"I don't know what to do; I can think of nothing. When does Frédéric -return?" - -"In a week; we have plenty of time." - -"Time! a week will soon be gone; and if he finds Sister Anne here!" - -"Why, it seems to me that we might tell the girl not to speak." - -"Of course she won't speak; but her gestures, the expression of her -face, will say enough." - -"Indeed! well, I give you my word that I often can't understand her at -all." - -Dubourg tortured his brain to find some method of sending away Sister -Anne and her son. Ménard sat with his eyes fixed on his snuff-box, and -pretended to be equally engrossed by that subject, but in reality his -thoughts were full of a pâté of hare which had arrived from Paris the -night before, and which they were to attack at dinner. - -Constance returned to the house with the dumb girl and the child; Sister -Anne's face still bore traces of suffering, but she was calmer and more -resigned; when she saw Dubourg, she smiled sadly at him, and presented -her son, at whom he gazed with interest, dismayed by the striking -resemblance between his features and his father's. - -"Don't you think he's a lovely boy?" said Constance. - -"Yes, madame," Dubourg replied, as he kissed the child; "he's very -pretty." - -"Does he look like his father?" - -"Very much." - -"And don't you think he has a look of my husband?" - -"Oh! not the slightest!" - -"That's strange; it impressed me at once. His name is Frédéric, too, the -dear child; I believe that I love him the more for that." - -As she spoke, Constance took the child in her arms; Sister Anne watched -her, deeply moved, and Dubourg turned his face away to conceal the -sensations aroused by that scene. - -During the rest of the day, Dubourg cudgelled his brain to think how he -could bring about Sister Anne's departure from Madame de Montreville's -house, but he could not decide upon any plan. How was he to remove her -from a luxurious home, where the most affectionate attentions were -lavished upon her, and where her son was overwhelmed with caresses? -Would not Sister Anne, far from consenting to such a plan, refuse to see -therein anything more than shocking ingratitude, of which her loving, -grateful heart was utterly incapable? To tell her that Constance's -husband was her seducer would not avail to induce her to go away, for -her intense longing to see Frédéric would prevail in her heart over -every other consideration. She conceived herself to be united to her -lover by the oaths they had exchanged; could she imagine that another -woman had rights, more sacred at least, if not more equitable, than her -own? - -Dubourg dared not risk that method, and he tormented himself in vain to -find another. At last he went to Ménard, and said to him: - -"Well, have you thought of any expedient to induce Sister Anne to leave -this house?" - -And Ménard, after taking a pinch of snuff and reflecting for five -minutes, led Dubourg into a corner and replied in an undertone: - -"I can't think of anything at all." - -While talking with Constance, Dubourg tried to persuade her to send the -dumb girl to live on one of her estates at some distance from Paris; but -Madame de Montreville scouted the suggestion with much earnestness. - -"Why," she said, "should I deprive myself of this young woman's company, -and of the presence of her son, whom I love as if he belonged to me? If -the unhappy creature were not under my eyes, would she receive all the -attentions that tend to alleviate her position? No; I shall never part -with her; every day I feel that I become more and more attached to her. -If you knew how grateful she is to me for everything I do for her! Ah! I -have read to the very bottom of her heart; I have not misplaced my -benefactions, and I am certain that Frédéric will not blame me." - -"Well," said Dubourg to himself, "I have done all I could; and even if I -should give myself the jaundice trying to separate these two women, I -fancy that I shouldn't succeed; I'll just let things take their course, -and see what happens. The most that I can do will be to warn Frédéric -when he comes home." - -On the evening after Dubourg's arrival, Constance said to him: - -"I want you to see what pleasure my unfortunate companion derives from -music; when she hears me play and sing, it always seems to me as if she -were going to speak." - -She took Sister Anne's hand and led her to a seat near the piano; the -dumb girl was more melancholy than usual; Dubourg's presence had revived -all her sorrows; however, she smiled at her benefactress, and did her -utmost to appear less downcast. - -Constance had played several pieces, when she said: - -"I believe I have never sung her that pretty little thing that my -husband likes so much." - -She played the prelude to the air. Dubourg paid little attention to the -music; he was still thinking of the strange chance that had brought -Sister Anne and Frédéric's wife together. Ménard was sitting in a corner -of the salon, doing all that he could to understand the music; and -little Frédéric was playing near his mother, who listened intently to -her benefactress. - -Constance had no sooner sung the first words of the ballad than Sister -Anne manifested an emotion which seemed to increase with every measure; -she leaned toward the singer, listening with all her ears, and hardly -breathing; her whole body shook, all her faculties were absorbed by an -overpowering memory; and before Constance had finished the first stanza, -a deadly pallor overspread the dumb girl's features; she uttered a -plaintive moan, and fainted. - -Intent upon her music as she was, Constance had not observed Sister -Anne's agitation; but when she heard her groan, she sprang to her feet -and flew to her side. - -"Great God!" she exclaimed; "what is the matter with her? She is -unconscious!" - -Dubourg hastened to her assistance, while Ménard ran to fetch salts and -call the servants. - -"Can you imagine what upset her? She was listening to me with evident -pleasure, and suddenly she fainted." - -"Madame," said Dubourg, attempting to take advantage of this incident, -"haven't you noticed that this young woman is not always in her right -mind; that there are moments when she seems--rather light-headed?" - -"Why, no; I have never noticed anything of the sort. Since she has been -here, she has always been very reasonable, and her depression seems -perfectly natural to me. Poor dear! she doesn't open her eyes." - -"Oh! this will amount to nothing; probably her emotion when she saw me -this morning is the cause of her swoon." - -"I am inclined to think so." - -Ménard returned, armed with a dozen bottles of salts. For a long while, -all their efforts were unavailing: Sister Anne did not recover -consciousness, and Constance was in despair; at last, a long-drawn sigh -announced that the sufferer was returning to life, and she soon opened -her eyes. Her first thought was for her son; he was too young to realize -his mother's danger, and had not interrupted his play. Sister Anne took -him in her arms and kissed him, then looked at all those who stood about -her, as if to thank them for their kindness. - -"Come with me, and go to bed," said Madame de Montreville; "all your -sorrow has been revived to-day, and you must forget it in sleep." - -But, instead of following her, Sister Anne took her hand, led her to the -piano, and motioned to her to sit down again. - -"No, to-morrow," said Constance; "the music excites you too much. I will -sing to you to-morrow." - -Sister Anne clasped her hands, and her glance was so expressive, it -besought her so earnestly to do what she desired, that Constance had not -the heart to refuse; she seated herself at the piano, while Ménard -observed _sotto voce_: - -"That young woman is passionately fond of music; it would be a good idea -to teach her to play." - -Constance began an air, but Sister Anne stopped her and shook her head -emphatically, as if to say: "Not that."--Thereupon she played another, -but still the dumb girl was not satisfied. At last, Constance remembered -that she was singing a ballad when she was interrupted; she sang it -again, and had no sooner begun it than Sister Anne's emotion and the -strained attention with which she listened showed plainly enough that -that was what she wanted to hear. - -"Just see how this ballad excites her!" said Constance; "it's the one -Frédéric always liked so much!" - -The words were hardly out of her mouth, when Sister Anne seized her -hand, pressed it with all her strength, and nodded her head. Madame de -Montreville did not understand her pantomime; she looked at Dubourg, who -said in an undertone: - -"I assure you that there are times when she doesn't know what she is -doing. She thinks that she sees her lover everywhere; love has turned -her brain." - -Sister Anne's agitation partially subsided; the tears forced their way -to the surface and relieved the strain. Constance gazed at her with -emotion, repeating again and again: - -"Poor child! what a guilty wretch he was to desert you!" - -For several minutes everybody was silent. Constance resorted to her -usual method of allaying the young mother's suffering: she took little -Frédéric in her arms and carried him to her. She looked up gratefully at -her benefactress, and, having covered her son with kisses, rose and -prepared to go to her room. - -Constance insisted on accompanying her to the pavilion; there she left -her, after urging her anew to be brave. - -"Your troubles will come to an end before long, I hope," she said. "Yes, -your seducer will certainly return to sentiments more worthy of the man -you love; he cannot have forgotten you entirely. Dubourg may not be -accurately informed. Dry your tears; some day you will see him again; -and how can he ever leave you after you put this darling boy in his -arms?" - -These comforting words went to Sister Anne's heart; she welcomed the -soothing hope that Constance held out to her, and parted from her -somewhat less unhappy. Madame de Montreville returned slowly to her -apartment; the sight of the suffering of the woman she had saved from -want made her sad; Frédéric was not there to divert her thoughts and -make her forget everything but her own happiness; she had never been -separated from him for so long a time, and his absence tended to -increase her melancholy. - -Ménard had retired, after saying to Dubourg: - -"This has been rather a tempestuous day." - -"Ah!" was the reply; "I apprehend a much more violent storm! If that -young woman fainted simply because she heard the ballad that Frédéric -used to sing to her, what will happen to her when she sees him again, -and when she learns that he is another woman's husband? I tell you, -Monsieur Ménard, I can't think of anything else!" - -"I can well believe it; it has taken away my appetite!" - -"Let us try to ward off that catastrophe." - -"Let us ward it off; I ask nothing better." - -"Remember that the repose, the happiness, yes, even the honor, of your -pupil are at stake, and that his sins will rebound on you." - -"I beg your pardon: a mistake in syntax, or in Latin verses, I agree; -but I never taught him to seduce innocent girls; it was rather your evil -counsels that perverted him." - -"Monsieur Ménard!" - -"Monsieur Dubourg!" - -"Let's go to bed." - -"_Recte dicis._" - - - - -XXX - -FRÉDÉRIC'S RETURN.--CONSTANCE AND SISTER ANNE - - -Dubourg had been Madame de Montreville's guest for ten days, and during -those ten days he had not ceased his efforts to invent some means of -warding off the effect that the sight of Frédéric would surely produce -on Sister Anne. He saw that Constance's attachment to her protégée and -the latter's gratitude to her benefactress increased from day to day. To -separate them seemed more difficult than ever; Constance frequently said -that she could not do without Sister Anne and her son, and the young -mother seemed to feel her grief less keenly by her side. - -Frédéric was expected at any moment; indeed, he was already overdue. -Constance was worried by his delay; she was less cheerful than usual, -and her eyes were often wet with tears. At such times, Sister Anne -strove to comfort her, and to say to her by signs that her husband would -soon return. - -"Suppose he no longer loves me!" Constance would say sometimes; and the -dumb girl would take her hand and lead her before a mirror, as if to -say: - -"Look at yourself; can anyone help loving you?" - -"Alas!" Constance would reply; "someone forgot you very quickly, and you -are as pretty as I am!" - -The Comte de Montreville, who had promised to pass a few days in the -country, was detained by the gout. Dubourg was not sorry; he preferred -that he should not be a witness of the recognition he dreaded; he had no -idea that the count knew Sister Anne. - -At last, Constance received a letter from her husband: he wrote her that -unforeseen circumstances had delayed his return, but that he hoped to -arrange everything soon. His letter was affectionate and expansive; he -seemed to be as much in love as ever. Nevertheless, Constance was not -satisfied: to stay away from her so long seemed in itself to indicate -less warmth. Frédéric was not there, so she was at liberty to weep; -before him, she concealed her tears. As always, it was to Sister Anne -that she confided her troubles; on her bosom she poured out her tears -and found consolation. - -Dubourg saw in this delay so much time gained. - -"Let us try to make use of it to prevent an interview between the -lovers," he said to Ménard. - -"Let's prevent it; I agree with you." - -"But I've been trying for ten days to think up some expedient, and I -can't find anything." - -"Faith! then I'm luckier than you, for I found something the day before -yesterday." - -"What! if that's so, for heaven's sake tell me what it is!" - -"It's my receipt for making milk punch, which I thought I had lost." - -On leaving home, Frédéric had gone at once to the farm to ascertain the -whereabouts of Sister Anne, and of his son, whom he ardently desired to -embrace. But when he arrived there, he learned from the worthy peasants -that the lone girl had started for Paris with her child long before. -Frédéric did not know what to do, and what caused him the greatest -distress was that a messenger from his father followed close on his -heels, bringing, as usual, money and divers other things for her whom -the count called his liberatress; which fact proved that he was unaware -that Sister Anne had left the farm, and that she had failed to find her -friend's house in Paris. - -Frédéric was distressed beyond words; the people at the farm shared his -disappointment. They regretted that they had allowed Sister Anne to go; -but how could they have opposed her resolution with success? What had -become of her? what was she doing in Paris, without friends or -protector? If they had known that the unfortunate girl had been -heartlessly robbed of all that she possessed, their grief would have -been greater. - -Frédéric remained only one day at the farm; he started back toward -Paris, and all along the road tried to obtain some information that -might put him on Sister Anne's track. On reaching Paris, he did not go -home; he did not wish his presence in the city to be known, because he -desired his wife to remain in ignorance of it, so that he might have -time to institute a search for the dumb girl and her son. For more than -a week he searched the vast city, visiting the most deserted as well as -the most populous quarters, often going up to rooms under the eaves, and -asking everywhere if anyone had seen a young woman who could not speak -and who had a child. But his search was fruitless; he did not obtain a -shred of information to put him on Sister Anne's track. With an aching -heart, he decided at last to return to Constance; he was very far from -thinking that he would find there those whom he had been seeking so -long. - -Every day, Dubourg lay in ambush on one road, and stationed Ménard as a -sentry on the other to notify him if he should see Frédéric coming. As -the country house could not be reached except by those two roads, he -felt certain of not missing him. But one morning, Ménard, having taken -his Horace with him, became so interested in an ode he was reading, that -the man for whom he was watching passed him unnoticed. Frédéric entered -the house and hurried to Constance's room, where she was sitting, alone, -thinking of her husband. - -She looked up, uttered a joyful cry, and flew into his arms. All the -pain of separation was instantly forgotten on her husband's breast. -Frédéric responded affectionately to her outbursts of love. After the -first transports of joy had subsided, Constance said: - -"During your absence, I have taken an unfortunate woman into the house. -Oh! I hope that you will love her as I do." - -"Whatever you do is well done, my dear Constance; your heart could never -lead you astray; I am certain beforehand that your benefactions have -been well bestowed." - -"Oh! she is such an interesting young thing! a victim of love, and we -women are always sympathetic with that sort of unhappiness. Her seducer -deserted her, with a charming child, whom I am perfectly wild over. His -name is Frédéric, like yours.--Why, what's the matter, dear? you are as -pale as a ghost, and all of a tremble!" - -"Oh!--fatigue, I fancy--I was in such a hurry to get home!" - -Frédéric sat down, for his legs were giving way: what Constance had told -him caused him an emotion that he could not control. He looked about -him, shuddering involuntarily. - -"And this woman--this child--where are they?" he asked, in a trembling -voice. - -"She has a room in the pavilion in the garden. But I see her now.--Come -here, my dear, come quickly," Constance called, running to meet Sister -Anne, who was coming through the hall with her son. "My husband has -returned; oh! I am so happy! Now my happiness is complete!" - -She took the dumb girl's hand and drew her into the room, where her -husband was still sitting. At sight of Frédéric, Sister Anne uttered a -heartrending shriek; she ran to him, threw herself into his arms, -pointed to her son, and lost consciousness. - -With one hand Frédéric supported Sister Anne, whose lifeless head lay -against his breast; with the other he covered his eyes, as if he were -afraid to look about him. His son was at his feet, still holding his -mother's hand, and Constance, speechless with amazement and trembling -from head to foot, stood before them. - -In an instant a thousand conflicting sensations seemed to be at work in -Constance's breast. She changed color her eyes expressed surprise and -apprehension; she shuddered, and seemed to be trying to banish the -thought that had forced itself upon her mind. But her glance, resting -alternately on Sister Anne and her husband, strove to discover the -truth. Her first impulse was to run to Sister Anne and take her from -Frédéric's arms. - -"What is the matter? Why did the sight of you put her in such a -condition?" she faltered, looking at Frédéric. "Answer me, dear; do you -know this young woman?" - -Frédéric had not the courage to reply, or even to look at Constance. But -his eye fell upon his son, and he took him in his arms and covered him -with kisses; thereupon Constance's heart received a terrible shock, for -the whole truth was laid bare before her. - -Dubourg appeared upon the scene, followed by Ménard; at sight of -Frédéric, he divined all that had happened, and he instantly ran to the -assistance of Sister Anne, crying: - -"Fainted again! an attack of madness, I'll wager! I told you before, -this poor creature has times when she loses her reason." - -Constance made no reply; she left Sister Anne to the ministrations of -Dubourg and Ménard, and returned to her husband, who still held the -child in his arms. - -"He is lovely--is he not?" she asked, in a trembling voice, with her -eyes still fastened on Frédéric. He did not speak, whereupon Constance -roughly snatched the child from his arms; but soon, repenting of that -impulsive movement, which she could not control, she covered the child -with kisses, crying in a heart-broken tone: - -"Poor child! you are not guilty!" - -Dubourg and Ménard carried Sister Anne away to the pavilion, leaving -Frédéric and Constance with the child. Frédéric's eyes were fixed on the -floor, as if he were afraid to meet those of Constance, who had seated -herself a few steps away and had taken little Frédéric on her knees. She -tried to restrain her tears, but she had not the courage to speak. For -some minutes neither of them broke the silence. At last, Frédéric raised -his eyes and saw his wife caressing Sister Anne's son. At that sight he -was on the point of throwing himself at her feet and confessing all, -when Dubourg rushed into the room. - -"It's all right! I don't think it will amount to anything," he said, -motioning to Frédéric not to betray himself. "That young woman is -subject to attacks of insanity; then she thinks that she sees her lover -everywhere. I have already advised madame more than once not to keep -her in the house." - -"Really," faltered Frédéric, trying to recover his self-possession, "I -am utterly unable to understand what has happened. I was so agitated by -that poor creature's condition--that I didn't realize what I was doing." - -Constance said nothing; she simply looked from her husband to Dubourg. - -"I'll take her son to her," said the latter, walking toward Constance to -take the child. - -"Let him stay," said Constance; "Frédéric will do that." - -Frédéric was thrown into confusion again; he could not support his -wife's glance. In vain did Dubourg whisper: - -"Come, come, morbleu! have your wits about you. Remember that, for her -own happiness, you must deceive her." - -At that moment Ménard appeared, in a comical state of dismay. - -"She has recovered her senses," he said to Dubourg, in an undertone; -"but it's impossible to make her stay quietly in her room! She's a -perfect devil! She insists on seeing him. She's running about the garden -like a madwoman." - -"Why did you leave her?" - -And Dubourg hurried from the room. - -"What is the matter?" said Constance; "is she worse?" - -"No, madame," replied Ménard, who had no idea what he ought to say or -do; "but, I'm afraid--her head--these women--love--_quid femina -possit_." - -"I will go and look after her," said Constance; "I will take her her -son, and perhaps, when she sees him---- Aren't you coming with me, -Frédéric; won't you add your efforts to mine to pacify the poor, -unhappy creature?" - -Frédéric hesitated; he did not know what it was best for him to do. He -longed to see Sister Anne, whose terrible plight had torn his heart; but -he was afraid of betraying himself when he saw her. At that moment, they -heard cries in the garden; they looked out and saw Sister Anne running -hither and thither, pursued by the servants and Dubourg. The former, -when they saw how intensely excited she was, rushing in all directions, -with her hair flying in the wind, had no doubt that she had lost her -reason; and Dubourg confirmed them in that idea, which might prevent -their guessing the truth. - -But Sister Anne spied Frédéric at one of the windows on the ground -floor; instantly she rushed in that direction, entered the room, and, in -the twinkling of an eye, threw herself into Frédéric's arms, pushing -away Constance, who stood beside him, and looking at her with a jealous -and at the same time anxious expression, as if to say: - -"I alone have the right to be here." - -The servants halted in the doorway and gazed at the picture before them. -Constance felt a terrible sinking at the heart when she saw Sister Anne -in her husband's arms; but she retained sufficient strength to walk -toward the servants and say in a trembling voice: - -"Go, my friends; this unhappy woman is not in her right mind, but we -shall be able to pacify her." - -The servants retired; Ménard had gone in search of Dubourg, to whom he -always had recourse at difficult crises; Sister Anne was left alone with -her son and Frédéric and Constance. - -The dumb girl seemed as if she would attach herself inseparably to -Frédéric, who had not the courage to push her away. She smiled at him, -she took his hands and held them to her heart, then pointed to their -son. At the same time, she glanced uneasily at Constance, who was seated -a few steps away, with her face hidden in her hands, unable to endure -that scene. But her tears were suffocating her; they burst forth at -last, and she sobbed as if her heart would break. Sister Anne shuddered. -Constance's grief seemed to touch her to the quick. Frédéric could -contain himself no longer; he ran and threw himself at his wife's feet; -but she, without looking at him, gently repulsed him. - -"Go, go," she said; "this unhappy girl has more claim to your love than -I; this child is your son. Console her for all she has suffered since -you deserted her. I know the whole truth now. No; she has not lost her -reason; she has found her seducer, the father of her child!" - -Frédéric was thunderstruck. Pale and trembling, he remained at -Constance's feet; and Sister Anne, with her eyes fixed upon his face, -seemed to be waiting to hear what he would say. But Frédéric seized his -wife's hand and covered it with tears and kisses; at that sight a -plaintive moan escaped the dumb girl, and again she fell unconscious to -the floor. - -Constance hastened to her assistance. - -"Leave us," she said to Frédéric; "your presence is too painful to her. -Oh! you can trust her to me; I shall be no different to her from what I -have always been." - -Frédéric made no reply, but left the room, in a state of complete -bewilderment. He met Dubourg and Ménard hurrying toward him. - -"The pretence is of no avail," he said; "Constance has divined the -truth; she knows all." - -"As she knows all," said Ménard, "we mustn't conceal anything more from -her." - -Constance lavished upon Sister Anne the most zealous attention. At last, -the dumb girl opened her eyes. When they fell upon Frédéric's wife, her -first impulse was to push her away; then she looked about in search of -Frédéric. Constance beckoned to the child, who held out his little arms -to his mother. Sister Anne seemed touched by Constance's conduct; she -looked at her with less jealousy, but she shuddered from head to foot, -her teeth chattered violently, her eyes closed again, and a ghastly -pallor overspread her cheeks. - -Constance ordered the servants to carry her to the pavilion, where she -was put to bed. She was in a raging fever, and was really delirious. Her -eyes rolled from side to side with an expression of intense anxiety; she -recognized nobody, and even repulsed her son. - -"Poor dear! I will not abandon you," said Constance; and she passed the -whole day beside Sister Anne's bed. Not until evening, when she found -that she was a little calmer, did she decide to leave her; but she left -her in charge of faithful and willing servants, intending to return -frequently to ascertain her condition. - -She returned to her own apartment, where Frédéric awaited her. How -different was that day, which reunited them, from those that they had -previously passed together! Constance said nothing; her heart was drawn -hither and thither by a multitude of conflicting emotions; her bosom -rose and fell convulsively, but she tried to conceal her suffering and -to appear calm before her husband. Frédéric stood before her, -motionless, like a criminal awaiting his doom; her kindness made him -keenly alive to his wrong-doing. At last he approached her, not daring -to speak, and fell at her feet. - -"What are you doing?" said Constance, gently; "why do you kneel at my -feet? You are not guilty toward me. Ah! it would be more just for you to -kneel at the feet of her whom you have betrayed and deserted! I have no -right to complain: your fault is only too common among men. You knew -this poor girl before your marriage. She has become a mother. But, in -the world, your conduct would be considered perfectly natural and -proper. Far from blaming you, society would perhaps applaud you for -forgetting a woman who could not be your wife. But, I confess, I thought -that you were different from the heedless rakes who pride themselves on -the tears of which they are the cause. What lamentable results your -fault has had! If you only knew all that the unhappy creature has -suffered! She was in the last stages of destitution, actually dying of -starvation, when I took her in; yes, dying of starvation--with your son -in her arms. Oh! Frédéric! do you realize what your remorse would have -been? You weep? Ah! my dear, let your tears flow; I would rather lose -your heart than believe that it was capable of utter lack of feeling. -Listen: you have found your child's mother; you must not abandon her -again. If you will leave everything to me, I will assure her future; she -shall live in a house which I will buy for her in some pleasant place in -the country; she shall want nothing. Her son is a dear boy; I would have -liked to be a mother to him, but it would be a horrible thing to -separate her from her child. He shall have a good education. When he has -grown up, you shall decide his fate; and be assured that I shall never -consider anything that you do for him more than you ought to do. That is -what I propose to do for the woman you once loved. But it may be that -this plan does not satisfy you. Perhaps, on seeing the poor girl again, -the love that she formerly inspired in you has revived. Perhaps you love -her still. Oh! Frédéric, I entreat you to be sincere with me; let me -read in the bottom of your heart. There is no sacrifice of which I am -not capable to make you happy. Yes, my dear; I shall be able to endure -anything--except the sight of your regret for another. If you love -her--if you still feel drawn to her--I will go away, I will bury myself -on one of our estates; you will not see me again, and you will be at -liberty to keep the mother of your child with you." - -Constance could no longer hold back the tears that were suffocating her. -She had made a prolonged effort to restrain her feelings, but her -courage gave way when she proposed to Frédéric that they should part. - -"I, leave you!" he cried, throwing his arms about her. "Oh! Constance, -can you believe that I have ceased for one instant to love you? No, I -swear to you, you alone possess my heart! I realize the wrong I have -done; I propose to assure Sister Anne's future; I must do it. Could I -help feeling profoundly moved when I saw her again? And the child--I -love him, and I propose to see to his future welfare and happiness; for -that you cannot blame me. I approve all your plans; I know the goodness -of your heart, the nobility of your soul. How few wives would have acted -as you have done! Command me: send Sister Anne away; let her go -to-morrow." - -"To-morrow! oh! no, dear. The poor child is ill--very ill! she shall not -leave this place until she has fully recovered. So long as she is -here--you must avoid seeing her; your presence can do her nothing but -harm. Promise me that you will not see her; that is the only sacrifice I -ask of you." - -"I will do whatever you say." - -"When she has recovered, I will go with her myself to her new home, and -I will not leave her until I am certain that she lacks nothing." - -Frédéric embraced Constance with profound affection; her kindness of -heart made her even dearer to him. A wife ought never to employ any -other weapons; reproaches and complaints repel a husband; gentleness and -indulgence always end by winning back his heart. - -In her husband's arms, Constance found happiness once more; he swore to -her that he loved no one but her, and she believed his oaths: could she -live without his love? - -Early the next morning, Constance went to the pavilion; and Frédéric -sought Dubourg and Ménard, to tell them of his wife's noble conduct. - -"There aren't many women like her," said Dubourg; "guard her carefully; -you cannot love her too dearly; you have a veritable treasure in her!" - -"Madame de Montreville's conduct," said Ménard, "is certainly worthy of -one of Plutarch's heroines; and I know of nothing finer in history save -that of Cunegunde, wife of the Emperor Henry II, who grasped a red-hot -iron to prove her chastity." - -Sister Anne was still in an alarming condition; she recognized nobody, -but she seemed to be constantly looking for somebody and holding out her -arms to him. Constance looked to it that she wanted nothing; she herself -brought a doctor to her, and installed at her bedside an old -maid-servant, who did not leave her for an instant. Then Constance took -little Frédéric and carried him to her husband. - -"Love him dearly," she said, as she placed him in his arms; "by making -the child happy, you can best atone for the wrong you have done the -mother. I feel that I, too, love him as if he were my own son. When I -first saw him, a secret presentiment seemed to tell me that he belonged -to you; and that thought made me love him more rather than less." - -Frédéric embraced his son, who thenceforth passed a large part of the -time with him; for the poor child no longer received the caresses of his -mother, who was still in a raging fever, and delirious, and, for nearly -a fortnight, lay at the gates of death. During that time, Constance -passed whole days and often whole nights in the pavilion, refusing to -leave to another the nursing that the young patient required; she hung -over her pillow, and held her in the most violent paroxysms of her -delirium; she triumphed over fatigue, she was unconscious of suffering, -she devoted her whole attention to Sister Anne; in vain did Frédéric, -day after day, urge her to be careful of her own health and to take some -rest. - -"Let me nurse her," said Constance; "by devoting myself to her, it seems -to me that I repair a part of the wrong that you have done her." - -Frédéric had not a moment's peace of mind so long as he knew that Sister -Anne was in danger. He was consumed with the longing to see her again, -but he had promised his wife not to enter her presence; and how could he -break his promise, after all that Constance had done for him? He often -hovered about the pavilion where the poor girl lay, and waited -impatiently for someone to come out from whom he could obtain news of -her condition. But when it was Constance who came out, he concealed a -part of what he felt, afraid to reveal the extent of his interest in the -dumb girl. - -Thanks to the unremitting care of Frédéric's wife, the patient returned -to life; her delirium ceased, she recognized her child, strained him to -her heart, and refused to be separated from him. When she first saw -Constance again, her whole body quivered; but in a moment she seemed to -recover herself, and seized her benefactress's hand, which she covered -with tears and kisses; it was as if she were trying to ask her -forgiveness for the wrong she had done her. - -"Poor girl!" said Constance, affectionately pressing her hand; "I shall -always be the same to you; it is my place to try to make up for your -misfortunes. I am your friend; your child is mine; henceforth his fate -and yours are assured. Oh! don't shake your head--I am simply paying a -debt. Your son is a sweet, lovely boy; his happiness will enable you to -forget your own sorrows some day. Courage! you may yet be happy!" - -Sister Anne sighed, and her eyes seemed to say that it was impossible. -Constance herself did not believe that it was possible to forget -Frédéric; but it is lawful to lie a little in order to comfort others. -The dumb girl looked about the room, but, in a moment, turned her eyes -again upon her benefactress, as if resigned to her fate. - -"I will do what you order me to do," she seemed to say. - -Constance informed her husband that Sister Anne was saved, although her -convalescence would be long and slow; the doctor had said that the -invalid would not be able to travel for a long time, but that the -proximity of the garden would afford her an excellent opportunity to -test without injury the return of her strength. - -Frédéric was overjoyed to learn that his victim was restored to life; -every day the longing to see her, though but for a moment, tormented him -more. Nor was that his only longing: while the dumb girl was very ill, -they had brought his son to him, and he had passed a great part of the -time with him. He had become accustomed to his presence, he had learned -to know the pleasures of a father's love; and that sentiment is not one -of those which time or separation impairs. Frédéric, who dared not let -his wife know of his longing to see Sister Anne, had no hesitation in -asking for his son. - -"He is his mother's sole consolation now, my dear; do you want to -deprive her of him? Later, when time has allayed her suffering somewhat, -I have no doubt that she will consent to send him to you now and then; -but just at this time she wants him with her every moment." - -Frédéric said no more, but tried to conceal his feelings; for Constance -was gazing at him as if she would read his inmost thoughts. - -Sister Anne recovered her strength very slowly; it was several days -before she was able to go down into the garden with her son, leaning on -Constance's arm. As she supported the convalescent's tottering steps, -Constance glanced anxiously about, dreading to see Frédéric, although -she had told him that Sister Anne was coming into the garden, which was -equivalent to asking him not to appear there. Frédéric knew that his -presence would certainly cause an agitation that would be dangerous to -the invalid, and he remained in his apartment. - -Sister Anne was calmer, but her calmness seemed to be the result of -complete prostration rather than of resignation; she kept her eyes fixed -on the ground, except when she turned them on her son; she did not weep, -but the expression of her face indicated her mental suffering; -meanwhile, her strength constantly increased, and soon she was able to -go out alone with her son, to stroll about the pavilion. - -A few days more, and Madame de Montreville was to set out with Sister -Anne and her son for the estate on which she proposed that they should -make their home. Frédéric approved his wife's plan, but he was consumed -by the desire to see once more the woman he had loved so dearly, and -whom he was not certain that he did not love still. - -He knew that Sister Anne and her son went every morning at daybreak to -sit in an arbor near the pavilion. One morning he rose softly, while -Constance was still asleep; it was almost dawn; he could not resist the -craving to see the dumb girl and her son; he did not mean to speak to -her, or to show himself to her, but only to see her once more. She was -to go away the next day, so that that day was the last on which it would -be possible for him to satisfy the desire that beset him. - -He dressed noiselessly and walked to the bed where Constance lay; she -was not resting quietly, but her eyes were closed, she was asleep; he -determined to seize the opportunity, and he stole quickly from the room -and into the garden. The first rays of dawn were just beginning to -dispel the mists of the night; he walked rapidly toward Sister Anne's -favorite arbor; his heart beat fast; it seemed to him that he was living -anew those moments of his first love when he arrived at the wood of -Vizille and looked for the dumb girl on the bank of the stream where -they were wont to meet. - -She was not yet in the arbor; she probably would not be there for at -least a quarter of an hour; he sat down on the bench where she usually -sat, from which he could see the pavilion where she and her son lived. -He fastened his eyes upon that building; his heart was full, he felt -again the delicious emotion that he used to feel as he gazed at old -Marguerite's miserable hovel. At that moment, he forgot all that had -happened since; he waited impatiently for her to come out; it seemed to -him that he would see her come running toward him, driving her goats. - -Time passes very quickly when one is engrossed by such memories. -Suddenly the door of the pavilion opened and a child appeared--it was -his son. Frédéric was on the point of running forward to embrace him, -but he remembered the promise he had given Constance. If he went nearer -to the pavilion, Sister Anne would see him, for she could not be far -behind her child. He must keep out of her sight; so he crept behind the -shrubbery, and there, hidden by a thick clump of hornbeams, he waited -tremblingly for her to appear. - -He had hardly left the arbor, when the dumb girl came out of the -pavilion and took her son by the hand. Frédéric could not take his eyes -from her. She was dressed in a plain white gown; her hair, gathered -carelessly on top of her head, fell over her forehead, whereon sadness -and suffering were written. She smiled, however, as she looked at her -child; then paused, glanced about the garden, and heaved a profound -sigh. - -Frédéric did not tire of gazing at her; that unfamiliar costume, in -which he was now for the first time able to examine her at his -leisure,--for in his wife's presence he had hardly dared to look at -her,--seemed to add to her charms and make her more beautiful than ever. -She came toward him, she entered the arbor; he hardly breathed. She sat -on the bench--she was close beside him--only a few branches separated -them; he heard her sighs, he could count the throbs of her heart. How -sad she seemed! Alas! who would console her now? He was the cause of her -woes, and he could do nothing to put an end to them. The child put his -little arms about his mother's neck; it was as if he were already -trying, young as he was, to soothe her grief. She pressed him to her -heart, but her tears continued to flow. Frédéric could control himself -no longer; he heard her sobs, he forgot his promise, he saw nothing but -Sister Anne's tears, which fell upon his heart. He abruptly put aside -the branches that separated them; he fell at her feet and embraced her -knees, crying: - -"Forgive me!" - -At sight of Frédéric, Sister Anne started to rise and fly, but she had -not the strength; she fell back on the bench and tried to look the other -way, but an irresistible power forced her to turn her eyes upon her -lover. He was at her feet, entreating her forgiveness; she had not the -courage to repel him; she placed her son in his arms, and soon she was -straining him to her heart. At that moment they heard a cry, not far -away. Frédéric, disturbed and alarmed, left the arbor and looked in -every direction; seeing no one, he returned to Sister Anne. But she was -already going back to the pavilion with her son; he tried to detain her; -she slipped from his arms, while her eyes bade him an affectionate -adieu. She had enjoyed a moment's happiness, but she did not propose to -be culpable toward her benefactress by remaining longer with Frédéric. - -Sister Anne and the child having returned to the pavilion, Frédéric was -alone in the garden; he was still agitated by the pleasure it had -afforded him to see his former sweetheart, but that pleasure was -mingled with anxiety. The cry he had heard worried him. He searched -every part of the garden, but found no one. He persuaded himself that he -had made a mistake, that the voice came from the fields. For a moment he -thought of his wife. Suppose that Constance had seen him! But he soon -rejected that idea, for Constance was asleep when he left his room. He -returned to the house. The servants were astir. Dubourg and Ménard came -down into the garden. Frédéric dared not go to his wife, but waited till -breakfast before seeing her again. - -He strolled about the garden with his friends; but he was thoughtful and -ill at ease. - -"Are you grieving over Sister Anne's approaching departure?" said -Dubourg. "I tell you, my dear fellow, it is indispensable. A man can't -live under the same roof with his wife and his mistress, even if the -latter has ceased to be anything to him; for the wife must always stand -in dread of chance meetings and accidents; and if she loves her husband -ever so little, she won't sleep peacefully." - -"Unquestionably," said Ménard, "one cannot live with the wolf and the -lamb. It's as if you should put a canary and a parrot in the same cage; -they'll always end by fighting. I don't refer to Madame de Montreville; -she's an angel of gentleness; and certainly the other little woman will -never talk loud. But, after all: _naturam expellas furca, tamen usque -recurret_. Furthermore, a Greek philosopher has said: 'Do you want to -have hell on earth? if so, live with your wife and your mistress.'" - -"But, Monsieur Ménard, far from having any such desire, I wish with all -my heart that the poor creature were already far away. I realize too -well that I must not rely on my resolutions." - -"There's only one thing in the world you can rely on; and that is -indigestion, if you bathe right after eating." - -The breakfast hour arrived; Constance appeared, and, as usual, went to -her husband and kissed him. - -"I was mistaken; she knows nothing," said Frédéric to himself. - -However, it seemed to him that she was pale, that her eyes were red and -swollen, that her hand trembled in his. He inquired affectionately -concerning her health. - -"I am all right," said Constance; "I am not sick; there's nothing the -matter with me." - -But her tone seemed to contradict her words. - -The day passed, and Frédéric was surprised to see that Constance made no -preparations for Sister Anne's departure and her own. He ventured at -last to mention the subject. - -"I have changed my mind," said Constance, struggling to conceal her -emotion; "I don't see why that young woman should leave the house; she -is so happy with us! Her presence cannot be disagreeable to you; on the -other hand, her absence might cause you too much regret." - -"What do you say?" cried Frédéric. - -"No, she shall not go," continued Constance, coldly; apparently not -noticing her husband's bewilderment. "It is useless now." - -With that, she turned away and shut herself up in her own apartment. -Frédéric did not know what to think of that sudden change of plan; but -that evening Constance's maid went to the pavilion, at her bidding, and -informed Sister Anne that she was to live on at the pavilion; that -there was no further question of her going away. - -The dumb girl was greatly surprised; but her heart could not be -indifferent to the bliss of remaining near Frédéric. She was astonished, -however, that her benefactress, who had been so unvaryingly kind to her, -did not come to her and explain her change of plan. Several days passed, -and she did not see Madame de Montreville. The same attention was paid -to her comfort and her son's, but her benefactress had ceased to visit -the occupants of the pavilion. - -Constance passed all her time in her own room; she did not say a word to -Frédéric; but her face was drawn and haggard; it was evident that she -was suffering and that she was doing her utmost to conceal it. Frédéric -hardly dared to question her, and when he did she always answered -gently: - -"Nothing is the matter with me." - -"Morbleu!" said Dubourg; "this isn't natural! That young woman has -something on her mind. She insists now that the other one shall stay; I -can't make anything out of it." - -"Nor I," said Ménard; "but I think, with you, that there's some mystery -about it. Tertullian says that the devil isn't as mischievous as woman, -and I agree with Tertullian." - - - - -XXXI - -THE CATASTROPHE - - -Sister Anne and her son continued to occupy the pavilion in the garden. -She went out very rarely, and then only to walk in the paths that were -near by. She did not go near the house; she was afraid of meeting -Frédéric again, although her heart still burned for him with the same -ardent flame. - -Nor did Frédéric dare to go near the pavilion; his wife's conduct, ever -since the day that he embraced the dumb girl, had left no doubt in his -mind that it was she who had uttered that cry of which he had -unavailingly sought the author. If Constance had seen him at Sister -Anne's feet, what could she think of his promises? Of course, she -believed now that she was not the sole object of his love. He was often -tempted to throw himself at her feet, to assure her that he adored her -still; but, in that case, he must confess that he had broken his word; -and suppose his wife did not know it, after all! In his uncertainty, -Frédéric held his peace, hoping, by keeping a close watch upon himself, -to dispel the suspicions which were devouring Constance's heart in -secret. - -Constance did not leave the house; she did not even go into the garden. -Her face was careworn, her cheeks had lost their color; she tried in -vain to smile; the melancholy that was eating her heart away betrayed -itself in every act. She was still as sweet and amiable as ever; she -seemed to appreciate her husband's attentions, and, noticing that he -never went into the garden, she often urged him to do so. - -"Why do you wish me to leave you?" said Frédéric; "can I be as happy -elsewhere as I am with you?" - -Whereupon Constance lovingly pressed his hand and turned away to conceal -a tear. She had the scene in the arbor constantly before her eyes; she -saw her husband pressing Sister Anne to his heart; she believed that she -no longer possessed his love, and persuaded herself that he was unhappy -because he no longer saw the dumb girl, but that he was sacrificing -himself for her peace of mind. That cruel thought was the source of the -keenest torture to her heart,--torture the more painful because she -strove to conceal it. - -"Things can't go on like this," Dubourg often said to Frédéric. "Your -wife is changing perceptibly, and the poor dumb girl's melancholy is -enough to break one's heart. Morbleu! if these two women remain -together, both of them will very soon die of consumption." - -"What can I do? Is not Sister Anne's fate absolutely in Constance's -hands? When I attempt to speak to her about it, she closes my mouth, or -else declares again that she doesn't choose to send her away." - -"It's very embarrassing, on my word," said Ménard; "and if I were in my -pupil's place, I know what I would do." - -"Well, what would you do?" queried Dubourg. - -"Pardieu! I would do as he does--not know what to do." - -A very simple occurrence was destined to effect a revolution in -Frédéric's household: one morning, the Comte de Montreville, having at -last shaken off the gout, arrived at his son's country house. - -Dubourg, although he had no idea that the count knew Sister Anne, was -pleased by his arrival, because he felt sure that his presence would -compel Frédéric to take some decisive step. Frédéric was terribly -disturbed when his father appeared, having as yet had no explanation -with him. Should he tell him the truth--that the dumb girl was under his -roof? But, before he was left alone with the count, Constance made him -promise that he would not mention Sister Anne; for she thought that the -count was ignorant of his son's wrong-doing, and she did not want him to -know of it at all. - -The Comte de Montreville had been anxious for a long while concerning -the fate of the young woman who had saved his life. His last messenger -had brought him the intelligence that she had left the farm, intending -to go to Paris. As she did not appear at his house, he had caused a -search to be made for her, but to no purpose; he had no idea what could -have become of her. - -On arriving at his son's house, the count was at once impressed by -Constance's melancholy and dejection. He inquired anxiously concerning -the cause of the change; the young woman tried to evade his questions, -on the pretext that she was slightly indisposed; but the old man was -sharp-eyed: he saw that some mystery was being hidden from him, and he -determined to fathom it. His son was embarrassed in his presence. Ménard -avoided him as if he were afraid of being reprimanded for something. -Dubourg alone appeared delighted by his arrival. Everything seemed to -indicate that something extraordinary was taking place in the house. - -As Constance knew that Monsieur de Montreville was accustomed, when he -was at Montmorency, to go to the pavilion in the garden to read, she -lost no time in informing him that a young woman and her son, of whom -she had taken charge, were quartered there. The count asked no -questions; he was far from suspecting that that young woman was the one -he had been seeking so long: he certainly did not expect to find her -under his son's roof. - -On the day after his arrival, the count rose early, as usual, and went -into the garden. He walked toward the pavilion, and not until he was -about to enter did he remember what Constance had told him the day -before. He turned away, and was walking in another direction, when a -child came out of the pavilion and ran toward him; in a moment, another -person had seized his hand and pressed it to her heart. The Comte de -Montreville was surprised beyond expression when he found himself in the -presence of the dumb girl and her son. - -Sister Anne had seen the count from her window as he came toward the -pavilion; she recognized him instantly; her protector's features were -engraved on her memory. When he turned away, she at once ran after him. -The poor girl did her best to express the pleasure she felt at seeing -him again; and he was a long while recovering from his amazement. - -"You here!" he said, at last; "who took you in? Do you know that the -young woman who has given you shelter is Frédéric's wife--your seducer's -wife?" - -Sister Anne explained by signs that she did know it, that she had seen -Frédéric, and that it was Constance who insisted that she should live in -that pavilion. - -Every instant added to the count's bewilderment. As he could not obtain -from the dumb girl all the information he desired, he was intensely -anxious to see his son. - -"Go back to the pavilion," he said to Sister Anne; "you will soon leave -it. You have been here only too long. Go, my poor child; I will see you -again soon." - -Sister Anne obeyed; she returned to the pavilion with her son, whom the -count could not refrain from embracing tenderly. - -Frédéric dreaded just what had happened; he trembled lest his father -should meet Sister Anne, and was on the point of going to him to tell -him the truth, when the count appeared before him; his stern expression -announced that it was too late to warn him. - -"I have just seen the person who is living in the pavilion in the -garden," said the count, watching his son closely; "and I am no longer -surprised at the depression, the great change, which I have noticed in -your wife's whole appearance. Unhappy man! so this is the recompense of -her love! of her virtues! You permit the woman you seduced to live under -the same roof as your wife!" - -"I am not to blame in this," said Frédéric; and he told his father how -his wife had taken in the dumb girl and her child during his absence; -how she had become attached to the unfortunate creature; and everything -that had happened on his return. - -The count listened in silence to Frédéric's story. - -"So your wife knows all!" he said; "she knows that you are that girl's -seducer, the father of her child; and she insists that she shall -continue to live in your house?" - -"Her purpose at first was to send her away, to take her and the child to -one of our estates, where she would have everything that her comfort and -welfare required; the day for their departure was fixed. I have no idea -why she changed her mind, but now she insists that Sister Anne shall not -go." - -"And you can't divine the reason? My son, such conduct is too -extraordinary not to have some secret cause. It is not natural that a -wife who loves, yes, adores her husband, should want to keep by her side -her rival, or, at all events, the woman he once loved and may love -again. But Constance has a soul capable of sacrificing everything, of -immolating itself for your happiness! Ought you to allow that? Don't you -see how she has changed? She conceals her tears from you, but she can't -conceal her pallor, the suffering that is working havoc on her lovely -features. There is not a minute in the day when she is not thinking that -you are under the same roof as the mother of your son; that you can see -her, speak to her." - -"Oh! I swear to you, father, that I never----" - -"I am glad to believe you; but your wife is in a cruel position. -To-morrow, your victim will no longer be under your eyes." - -"What! father!" - -"Do you disapprove of my determination?" - -"I? oh, no! far from it. No; I realize all that I owe you. Surely I do -not need to commend that poor creature--and my son--to your care!" - -"No, monsieur; I know what my duty is; your wife's beneficent intentions -shall be carried out. Indeed, do you suppose that that young woman is -indifferent to me, or that her son has no claim upon my heart? Because -it is no longer subject to the ardent passions of youth, do you think -that it is closed to all sentiment? Let me restore peace of mind and -repose to your wife; and do you restore her happiness, if possible, by -redoubling your devotion and your love. That is the way to atone for -your wrong-doing, Frédéric, and to pay me for all that I propose to do -for Sister Anne and her son." - -Frédéric shed tears upon his father's hand. The count left him, to go to -Constance; he did not mention the dumb girl to her, but, as he looked -into her face, he felt that he admired her and loved her more than ever. -Constance did not know to what she should attribute the marks of -affection which the count, usually so cold, took pleasure in lavishing -upon her; she could not divine the explanation of them. She believed -that he was ignorant of his son's fault. - -The count sent his servant to Paris, with orders to have a post chaise -with two good horses at the garden gate the next morning at daybreak. He -proposed to accompany Sister Anne, and he went to the pavilion to tell -her what he had determined upon. - -His frequent going and coming led Dubourg to conclude that the count had -some project in contemplation. - -"We shall have a change here," he said to Ménard; "God grant that it may -restore happiness and pleasure to this house!" - -"It certainly hasn't been very gay here of late," said Ménard; "madame -la comtesse sighs, my pupil is preoccupied, the dumb girl says nothing; -and I can hardly recognize you yourself, my dear Dubourg." - -"Well! how do you expect me to be in high spirits, when I see that all -the people I love are unhappy? In spite of my philosophy, I am not -insensible to my friends' suffering." - -"You're like me; I think of it all day long." - -"Indeed! but it doesn't take away your appetite." - -"Would you have me make myself ill, to cheer them up?" - -"You're not likely to; you're getting to be a regular ball!" - -"That fool of a cook gives us beefsteak every day; how can I help -growing fat?" - -"I expect great things from the arrival of Frédéric's father; he has -been to the pavilion and seen Sister Anne, and a change is coming, I am -sure of it." - -"Ah! do you think that we shan't have any more beefsteaks?" - -"Really, Monsieur Ménard, you weren't born to live in France; you ought -to take up your abode in Switzerland, where they eat all day." - -"I was born, monsieur, to live anywhere; and when you called yourself -Baron Potoski, you had a pretty knack of squandering our funds with your -three-course dinners; but I won't say of you: _Quantum mutatus ab illo_, -because I noticed you at table yesterday; you ate all the tunny, and -when I wanted some more it was all gone." - -"Tunny is very indigestible, Monsieur Ménard; it isn't good for you." - -"I beg you, monsieur, not to worry about my health, and to leave some -tunny for me at the next opportunity. You will see that, old as I am, I -can steer clear of indigestion if I choose!" - -While those whom he left in the house lost themselves in conjectures, -the count walked through the garden to the pavilion. It was dark when he -was ready to tell Sister Anne what he proposed to do. Her room was on -the first floor; he hesitated a moment before he went upstairs to the -woman who had saved his life. - -"Poor child!" he said to himself; "I am going to deal her a heavy blow. -I must take her away from Frédéric; I must separate them forever; but I -am simply doing my duty, and her heart is too pure not to feel that she -must think first of all of the peace of mind, yes, the life, of the -woman who saved her and her son from the horrors of starvation, and who -has taken pleasure in heaping kindnesses upon her." - -The old man entered the dumb girl's room; at sight of him, she rose and -ran to meet him; one could read in her eyes the respect and affection -that she felt for him. The count was touched to the heart; he looked at -her for several minutes in silence; but he felt that he must say at once -what he had to say, so that she might be ready at dawn. - -"My child," he said, "I told you this morning that you cannot, you must -not, remain any longer in this house; your presence here will in the end -be fatal to her who rescued you. Constance loves her husband dearly; do -you wish to rob her of repose and happiness forever? She conceals the -torments she is suffering; but I have read her inmost thoughts. You -surely do not wish to cause the death of the woman who saved your son?" - -Sister Anne, by a most eloquent gesture, signified that she was prepared -to sacrifice herself for Constance. - -"Very well," continued the count; "then you must go away, you must leave -this place--to-morrow at daybreak--without seeing your benefactress. I -will undertake to tell her all that your heart would impel you to say to -her. You must not see any of this household again; it is unnecessary. -There is one person in particular--but I need not urge upon you the -necessity of taking every precaution to avoid meeting him." - -Sister Anne was overwhelmed with grief. To go away so suddenly, without -any preparation! to go without seeing him, and forever! Her courage -failed her, and the tears gushed from her eyes. - -The count went to her and took her hand. - -"Poor child!" he said; "this sudden departure grieves you, but it must -be; under such circumstances, every minute's delay is a crime. I tear -you away from this house, but I have a right to be harsh. Courage, dear -child! It is Frédéric's father, whom you saved from the knives of the -brigands, it is he who asks you to sacrifice yourself once more, for his -son's good." - -These words produced upon the dumb girl all the effect that the count -anticipated; on learning that he was her lover's father, she fell at his -knees, and with clasped hands seemed to implore his forgiveness. - -"Rise, rise," he said, kissing her on the forehead; "unfortunate girl! -would to God that I could give you back your happiness! At all events, -you may be assured of a comfortable home, and your son's future is -provided for. I am going to take you to a farm, which I propose to give -you; there is a pretty little cottage connected with it, where you will -live, attended by faithful servants who will love you dearly. There you -will bring up your son; I will come often to share your retirement, and -before long, I hope, peace and tranquillity will have returned to your -heart." - -Sister Anne listened, and was ready to obey; she had no hope of being -happy again, but her eyes seemed to say: - -"Do with me as you will; I am ready to abide by your slightest wish." - -"Until to-morrow, then," said the count; "I will come for you at -daybreak; I want to be away before anybody in the house is astir. A -comfortable carriage will be ready for us at the garden gate. Make all -your preparations to-night; they need not be long, for you will find in -your new home everything that you and your son will require. Au revoir, -dear child; be brave! At daybreak I shall be with you." - -The count took his leave, and Sister Anne was alone; her son was asleep; -it was night, the last night that she was to pass near Frédéric. She -must go away from him--fly from him forever. That thought overwhelmed -her. She sat, perfectly motionless, on a chair beside her son's cradle; -a single thought absorbed all her faculties: she must go away from him -whom her heart had ached to find, whom she idolized, and who, in the -arbor, had acted as if he loved her still; she must go away from him; -the peace of mind, the existence, of her benefactress demanded that -terrible sacrifice. - -The last hours that she was to pass in the house seemed to fly with -unexampled rapidity. Engrossed by these thoughts, she had done nothing -toward preparing for her departure. The village clock struck twelve, and -the dumb girl still sat beside her son's cradle, in the same position in -which the count had left her. - -The mournful clang of the bell roused her from her reverie; she rose, -and made a small bundle of her clothes; her preparations were soon -completed, and there were still several hours before the dawn. Should -she try to sleep? no; she knew that it would be in vain! But what -thought is this that makes her heart beat fast? Everybody in the house -is asleep; suppose she should take advantage of her last remaining -moments to go a little nearer to him! She did not propose to see him, -for she knew that that would be a breach of her promise to the count and -of her duty to her benefactress. But she could go, without Frédéric's -knowledge, to bid him a last farewell; she knew which were the windows -of his room; it seemed to her that she should go away a little less -unhappy, and that Frédéric might perhaps hear her whispered farewell in -his sleep. - -She hesitated no longer; she put her bundles on a chair and placed her -candle on the hearth. Her son was sleeping soundly; she leaned over and -looked at him, and shed tears upon his pillow at the thought that she -was soon to take him away from his father. - -Everything was perfectly quiet, as she stole noiselessly from the -pavilion. It was a dark night, but she was familiar with the garden. -Like a shadow, her feet barely touching the earth, she glided swiftly -along the paths, until at last she reached the house. Frédéric's -apartment was on the first floor, at the right; she knelt under his -windows, she held out her arms to him, and bade him a last farewell. - -Weeping bitterly, with her head resting on her hand, but unable to -remove her eyes from the room in which she knew him to be, Sister Anne -abandoned herself to her love, her regret, her despair. It was a long -while since she had left the pavilion; the minutes were passing rapidly, -but she could not tear herself away from that spot. But it must be done. -The unhappy girl made a final effort; she rose and walked away, -broken-hearted; she staggered along the paths, hardly able to restrain -her sobs. - -Suddenly she became conscious of a bright light in the garden; she -raised her eyes; she could not conceive where it came from. As she -walked on, the light became brighter and brighter; the darkness of the -night was succeeded by a terrifying glare; it was fire, which lighted up -every nook and corner of the garden. As that certainty burst upon her -mind, Sister Anne, seized by an indescribable fear, no longer walked, -but ran, aye, flew toward the pavilion; the flames were pouring forth in -clouds from the windows of the first floor. - -A heartrending shriek burst from the young mother's lips; she could see -nothing but her son, whom she had left in that room, her son, whom the -flames were perhaps already consuming! - -In her desperation, she recovered her strength; she rushed into the -pavilion; the hall was filled with dense smoke; but a mother knows no -danger, she must have her child. She groped her way upstairs, felt for -the door, which the smoke concealed and which her trembling hands sought -in vain. At last the flames guided her; she entered the room; everything -was ablaze. A bundle of clothes had fallen against the candle, and the -flames had spread rapidly to all parts of the room. Sister Anne ran to -the cradle, which the fire had just reached; she held her son in her -arms; she tried to go out, but she could not see what direction to take. -Already the flames surrounded her; her limbs were badly burned; she -tried to call, for she felt that she was dying. At that moment, her -voice, yielding to a mighty effort of nature, broke the bonds that held -it; and the unfortunate girl, as she fell, exclaimed distinctly: - -"Frédéric, come and save your son!" - -The flames rising from the pavilion had been seen by the people at the -house, several of whom were unable to sleep. Frédéric rushed from his -room in dismay, shouting as he ran. Everyone rose and dressed in haste. - -"The pavilion's on fire!" was the general cry. - -Frédéric arrived there ahead of all the rest; he defied death, to make -his way to Sister Anne; he entered the room a few seconds after she had -lost consciousness; he took her on one arm and his son on the other; he -passed through the flames into the garden; he had saved them both. - -On learning what had happened, everybody had followed Frédéric. -Constance was not the last to fly upon her husband's footsteps. It was -she who received Sister Anne in her arms, who hung over her with loving -solicitude, and ordered the unconscious girl to be carried to her -apartment. They all gathered about the young woman, whose body bore the -marks of the flames; but her son was uninjured, and they waited -impatiently for her to open her eyes, so that they might show him to her -safe and sound. - -At last, she drew a long, quivering breath; her eyes opened. Constance -led her child to her side. - -"My son!" cried Sister Anne, covering the child with kisses. - -Those words caused the greatest surprise to all who heard them. They -stared at Sister Anne, listening intently, as if they doubted whether -they had heard aright. - -"O my God!" continued the young mother; "it is not a dream; Thou hast -given me back the use of my tongue.--Ah! Frédéric! I can tell you now -how I loved you--how I love you still! Forgive me, madame; I feel that I -shall not long enjoy this voice which has been restored to me. All that -I have suffered to-day has exhausted my strength; I am going to die, but -my son is saved. Oh! don't pity me!" - -The unfortunate woman had made a mighty effort to say thus much; her -eyes lost their expression, her hand became like ice, a ghastly pallor -overspread her face. Frédéric fell on his knees beside her; he bathed -with his tears the hand she abandoned to him. The count was overcome by -grief. Constance tried to recall the dying girl to life by holding up -her son before her. Even Dubourg, the man who had never shed a tear, -could not restrain his sobs as he supported Sister Anne's head. - -"Why do you weep for me?" she said, making a final effort; "I could not -be happy, but I die less wretched. Keep my son, madame; he is so happy -in your arms! you will be a mother to him. Adieu, Frédéric--and you--his -father--oh! forgive me for loving him so much!" - -Sister Anne cast a last glance at Constance, who held little Frédéric in -her arms; then she closed her eyes, still smiling at her son. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Sister Anne (Novels of Paul de Kock, -Volume X), by Charles Paul de Kock - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SISTER ANNE *** - -***** This file should be named 40133-8.txt or 40133-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/1/3/40133/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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