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diff --git a/old/41225.txt b/old/41225.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 38c0e2e..0000000 --- a/old/41225.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14406 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bashful Lover (Novels of Paul de Kock -Volume XIX), 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: The Bashful Lover (Novels of Paul de Kock Volume XIX) - -Author: Charles Paul de Kock - -Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41225] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BASHFUL LOVER *** - - - - -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: Copyright 1904 by G. Barrie & Sons.] - -_CHERUBIN IN A DILEMMA_ - -_He tried to retrace his steps, but Madame de -Noirmont and her daughter had seated themselves -in front of him and closed the way by which he had -come; so that he was blockaded in a very confined -space, which he could not leave except by compelling -the ladies in front of him to rise._ - - - - -NOVELS - -BY - -Paul de Kock - -VOLUME XIX - -THE BASHFUL LOVER - -PRINTED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH - -GEORGE BARRIE'S SONS - -THE JEFFERSON PRESS - -BOSTON NEW YORK - -_Copyrighted, 1903-1904, by G. B. & Sons._ - - - - -THE BASHFUL LOVER - - Shyness is a failing for which it is - dangerous to reprove those whom we - wish to correct of it. - - _Maxims_ of LA ROCHEFOUCAULD. - - - - -PART I - - - - -I - -AN OLD YOUNG HUSBAND AND WIFE - - -It was the year 1818, I will not say of happy memory, because I do not -remember whether that year was happier than other years; probably it was -so to certain people, and just the opposite to others; and sometimes, -often, I may say almost always, the same cause produces contrary -results; that is to say, the thing that causes one person's happiness -causes the unhappiness of another person. - -But this has been so in all times, and doubtless it will continue to be -so till the end of time, assuming that time is to have an end. Nature -loves contrasts; I cannot guess why, but that does not prevent me from -believing that she is right, for Nature always does perfectly whatever -she does. - -It was, then, the year 1818. - -In an old mansion in Faubourg Saint-Germain, situated on I do not know -what street,--and that is of little importance,--a large company was -assembled; they were dancing, enjoying themselves--or, at least, -pretending to do so, which is not always the same thing; in short, it -was a wedding party, the wedding of Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain -and Mademoiselle Amenaide Dufoureau. - -There was a choice orchestra, in which, however, there were no cornets, -because that instrument had not then acquired a commanding position in -our ballrooms; there was a select company also; the dancing was marked -by that decency, that gravity, that good-breeding which prevents French -dancing from being amusing, and which has given rise to the saying that -the merriest people on earth dance with the least indication of -merriment. - -It is true that since that time a certain much more decollete dance has -found its way from the dance hall to the masked ball, and from the -masked ball has insinuated itself into some salons; a dance which would -be fascinating, and which would have a genuine character of its own, -were it not that most of the people who dance it substitute burlesque -for grace and indecency for _abandon_. But that dance was not in -evidence at Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain's wedding. - -And then the bridegroom did not set the example for the dancers; he did -not run from one to the other, inviting them to dance and offering them -his hand. After opening the ball with his wife, he had thrown himself -into an immense easy-chair, contented to watch the others, smiling at -the ladies and beating time with his head. - -You are surprised without doubt at the bridegroom's behavior, and you -would like to know the explanation; your surprise will cease when I tell -you that on his wedding day Monsieur de Grandvilain was entering his -sixty-ninth year. At that age you will understand that a man is no -longer one of those inveterate dancers who refuse to leave the floor, -one of those dancers who engage partners for six quadrilles ahead. - -Perhaps now you will say that monsieur le marquis was as old for -marriage as for balls; that it is folly to marry at sixty-nine years. - -In the first place, what do you know about it? Has it ever happened to -you? And even if it be folly, what harm is there in it, if it makes one -happy? The maddest people are sometimes the wisest. Let us marry so long -as we are inclined, and let us dance as long as we can. Cato learned to -dance at sixty. Plato praises dancing; and you must be well aware that -King David gambolled in front of the Ark of the Covenant. I agree that -that was a strange way to manifest his faith and devotion, and I am glad -to think that, at all events, David did not know the dance which I have -just mentioned. - -Let us return to the groom. Monsieur de Grandvilain deserved a different -name from the one which he bore: he was of medium height and well -proportioned; he had once had a fine figure, and he still possessed a -well-shaped leg and sufficient calf for a man about to marry. His face, -although it was a little like a sheep's, lacked neither dignity nor -charm; his features were regular, his eyes had been very fine, and they -had retained an amiable expression; lastly, his smile was still passably -mischievous. - -You see that that gentleman still retained many good qualities, and that -it was very excusable for him to have thought of marrying in order to -turn them all to some account. - -Amenaide Dufoureau, who had given her hand to Monsieur de Grandvilain, -was entering her forty-fourth year and had hitherto remained single. - -Single! do you realize the full force of that word? It indicates an -inexperienced heart, an inexperienced soul, an untried love, and -charms--like all the rest! A single maiden of forty-four, and a flower -that has never been plucked! But what a flower, great heaven! and what a -long time it has had to go to seed! - -For my part, I confess with all humility that I should prefer ten -married women at that age to one flower which has been left so long on -its stalk. - -Probably Monsieur de Grandvilain did not agree with me. Opinions are -free, and if we all had the same opinions, it would be very tiresome, -because we should no longer have the pleasure of arguing and disputing. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain had known Mademoiselle Amenaide Dufoureau in -1798. At that time she was only twenty-four years old; it is to be -presumed that her heart was at least as fresh as at forty-four; and it -is certain that her face was more so. - -At that time Amenaide was a very pretty young woman, slender, graceful -and ethereal; her black eyes, level with her face, gleamed with health -and animation; her mouth, which was a little large, laughed frequently -to display a double row of faultless teeth; and although her nose was a -little coarse, her forehead a little low, and her complexion a little -dark, Mademoiselle Dufoureau might have passed for a very attractive -person. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain, who was forty-nine at that time, and considered -himself still a young man, because he had retained the tastes and the -temperament of a young man, had met Amenaide in society and had paid -court to her; but with the frivolity of a man accustomed to making -conquests, with the self-assurance of a rake who had never found women -cruel, and with the fatuity of a marquis, who thought that he bestowed -much honor upon a young woman of the middle class by allowing his eyes -to rest upon her. - -Mademoiselle Dufoureau was, in fact, only a simple bourgeoise; her -parents, worthy tradespeople, had died, leaving her fifteen hundred -francs a year and excellent principles. - -The fifteen hundred francs a year was but a slender fortune; but -combined with the young lady's virtue and innocence, it formed a -marriage portion which some very wealthy young women would be sorely at -a loss to offer their husbands. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain, still proud and magnificent, fluttered about -that flower of twenty-four years. - -Mademoiselle Amenaide found monsieur le marquis very agreeable; she was -flattered to be noticed by him; and she even allowed him to see that her -heart was not indifferent to his homage. But when she discovered that -Monsieur de Grandvilain had no idea of making her a marchioness, she -proudly repulsed him, saying: - -"For what do you take me, monsieur?" - -The marquis, offended by her resistance, turned on his heel, humming a -tune from _Blaise et Babet_, an opera-comique, then in great vogue; the -operas of those days abounded in tunes which were easily remembered, and -were sung and whistled on the streets. Other times, other music! - -Monsieur de Grandvilain carried elsewhere his glances, his passions, his -homage and his heart. Mademoiselle Amenaide Dufoureau concealed in the -depths of her heart her regrets, her sighs, and her ardor. - -Think how fortunate men are! A woman resists them, they simply apply -elsewhere, and they always end by finding a place for their love, which -they offer to every pretty face they see. They are like those people who -have their pockets full of money and say to themselves: "I will buy -whatever I please, I will have the best and finest things I can find, -for I pay cash!" On the other hand, virtuous women are obliged to ask -for credit; for they are willing to promise their love, but they do not -propose to give it at once. - -Six years passed, during which monsieur le marquis, passing constantly -from conquest to conquest, spending his time in a life of pleasure, did -not again see poor Amenaide Dufoureau, who led a very tranquil, very -modest life, and did not frequent the society in which Monsieur de -Grandvilain moved. - -At the end of that time, an outdoor fete in the suburbs of Paris brought -about a meeting between those two people who had ceased to seek each -other. The marquis still found Amenaide attractive, and Amenaide could -not restrain a sigh or two, which indicated that the past had not been -entirely forgotten. - -Once more the marquis played the amiable seducer; he thought that the -flower of thirty years would be plucked more easily than that of -twenty-four; but he was mistaken; he encountered the same virtue, the -same resistance, as before, and yet she did not conceal from him that -she loved him. She desired to be a marchioness, however, and she did not -propose to give herself to anybody but her husband. - -Once more our seducer turned on his heel. He travelled; he was away from -France six years. When he returned, he was much less active, much less -volatile; his bearing was still distinguished, but his step was slow and -heavy. However, although he was then sixty-one years old, the marquis -believed himself still to be very fascinating; there are people who -refuse to grow old; they are perfectly right, but in that case it is -time which is in the wrong. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain once more met Amenaide Dufoureau; she was still -unmarried, although she had seen thirty-six springs.--We must never -reckon except by springs, for that gives an air of youth.--Had she -remained unmarried for lack of opportunity to marry, or because she had -preferred to keep her heart for the marquis? We are too gallant not to -believe that it was for the last reason, and the marquis probably -thought the same, because that flattered his self-esteem. - -Amenaide was no longer so slender, so graceful or so willowy as she was -at twenty-four, but she was still fresh enough, and her eyes, while -losing their vivacity, had become more tender. Monsieur de Grandvilain, -always pleased to meet the only woman over whom he had not triumphed, -began again to pay court to the flower of thirty-six years. But he was -no more fortunate, and that was certain to be the case. After having had -the strength to resist him when he was young and good-looking, it was -not probable that she would falter when he was old and faded. Monsieur -de Grandvilain, still haughty and pretentious, turned on his heel once -more, swearing that he would never return again, and that he would carry -his homage elsewhere. - -Poor old fellow, who had passed his sixtieth year, and who believed -himself still capable of inconstancy! The opportunities to forget -Amenaide no longer offered themselves; time passed and brought no -distraction; all the ladies became as cruel to the marquis as -Mademoiselle Dufoureau, and our old rake said to himself: - -"It is amazing how the fair sex changes! women no longer have such -susceptible hearts as they used to have!" - -At last the marquis decided to return to Amenaide; she was approaching -her forty-fourth spring, and Monsieur de Grandvilain said to himself: - -"If I wait until her springs become more numerous, she will strongly -resemble a winter. I am beginning to be old enough to settle down. -Mademoiselle Dufoureau is not of noble birth, but she is virtuous; for -twenty years she has loved me, and that deserves a reward; I will marry -her." - -And our lover of sixty-nine years at last offered his hand to the maiden -whom he might have married twenty years earlier. - -When Mademoiselle Dufoureau heard him offer her his heart and his -sixty-nine years, she was tempted to reply: - -"It is hardly worth while to marry now!" - -But she accepted him; and that is why the wedding of those old lovers -was celebrated in the hotel de Grandvilain, in the year 1818. - - - - -II - -A LITTLE GRANDVILAIN - - -When a man marries at sixty-nine, can he look forward to having heirs, -to living again in his children? It seems to me not; however, it is -probable that such men always look forward to it. - -When such a thing happens, when an old man's wife becomes a mother, -jests rain down upon the husband; but the puns and jocose remarks go -astray sometimes; in such a case, even if you do not choose to believe, -it is very difficult to prove that you are wrong. - -"An ass can deny more than a philosopher can prove." - -About five months after Amenaide Dufoureau had become Madame de -Grandvilain, she went to her husband one morning, blushing, with -downcast eyes and an embarrassed air, and informed him that she hoped to -present him with a pledge of her love. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain uttered a cry of joy; he rose, ran about the -room, tried to perform a pirouette, and fell to the floor; but madame -assisted him to rise, and he began again to indulge in innumerable -follies, for the pleasure he felt made him forget his age. He was proud -to have a child, and with good reason, especially as his wife's virtue -was like that of Caesar's wife: it was absolutely above suspicion. - -From that moment, they devoted all their attention to the child that was -not yet born. - -Monsieur le marquis was persuaded that it would be a boy. And in order -to believe that, he said to himself: "Good fortune never comes singly." - -Madame la marquise was overjoyed to have a child. Boy or girl, she was -certain of loving it equally; but in order to please her husband she too -pretended to count on a boy. - -"I will nurse him myself!" cried Amenaide, smiling at her husband. - -"Yes, yes, we will nurse him!" repeated the marquis; "we will raise him -better than any nurse could do. What the devil! people like us ought to -understand such things better than peasants; we will make a hearty blade -of him! for I want my son to resemble his father in everything." - -As he spoke, the old marquis stuck out his leg and tried to play the -exquisite. Since he had known that his wife was enceinte, he fancied -that he was twenty years old once more. - -They bought a magnificent layette for the little one which was expected; -they made great preparations to receive that scion of Monsieur de -Grandvilain becomingly; and the intoxication which they felt was -perfectly natural: if a young couple celebrate the birth of their -child, surely they have much more reason to do so who have no hope of a -repetition of such an occurrence. - -As the time approached when madame la marquise was to become a mother, -the more her old husband overwhelmed her with attentions and care; it -went so far sometimes that Madame de Grandvilain lost her appetite with -her freedom of action. Monsieur le marquis would not allow her to go out -on foot, he was apprehensive of the least fatigue, he watched to see -that she ate nothing that might injure her; and his espionage became -sheer cruelty to her who was the object of it, for the marquis detected -peril in the simplest thing, and it was at once irrevocably forbidden; -so that, toward the end of her pregnancy, Madame de Grandvilain was -given nothing but bread soup, the only sort of food which, according to -Monsieur de Grandvilain, was not dangerous for his wife. There was a -physician in attendance on the marchioness who prescribed an entirely -different diet; but the marquis depended more on himself than on the -physician, and as he grew older, he became very obstinate. - -The great day arrived at last; and it was high time, for the poor -marchioness was not at all reconciled to eating nothing but bread soup. -Amenaide brought a son into the world. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain did not feel strong enough to remain with his -wife while she was in the pains of childbirth; but a servant, who had -first been a jockey, then a groom, then his master's valet, and who had -now reached the age of fifty years, hastened to carry him the great -news. - -When he caught sight of his old Jasmin, whose red and blotched face wore -a more stupid expression than usual, the marquis cried: - -"Well, is it all over, Jasmin?" - -"Yes, monsieur le marquis, it's done! Ah! we had a very hard time, but -it's all right at last." - -Everyone knows that the old servants in great families are in the habit -of saying _we_, when speaking of their master's affairs, and Monsieur de -Grandvilain forgave his former jockey for employing that form of -expression. - -"What! it is all over, Jasmin? Ah! the poor marchioness! But go on, you -villain! what is it?" - -"It is something magnificent, monsieur, you will be well pleased!" - -"But the sex, you rascal, the sex; hasn't the child any sex?" - -"Oh! yes, indeed! a superb sex! we have been delivered of a boy, my dear -master." - -"A boy, Jasmin? a boy! Oh! what happiness! but I said so; I was sure of -it; I would have bet on it; don't I always know what I am doing?" - -"You are very clever, monsieur le marquis." - -"A boy--I have a son--I have an heir to my name! Jasmin, I will give you -a present of ten crowns for bringing me this good news." - -"Thanks, my dear master. Vive les Grandvilains!" - -"I have a boy--such pleasure--such--Ah! I can't stand it any longer. -Jasmin, pass me my phial of salts--no, give me a small glass of madeira; -I feel as if my heart were stopping." - -"Come, come, monsieur le marquis, pull yourself together," said Jasmin, -as he handed a glass of madeira to his master. "This is not the time to -be ill." - -"You are right; but what can you expect?--the shock, the joy--This is -the first time I have ever been a father,--to my knowledge, at -least--and it produces such an impression! Pray tell me some details -while I recover myself; for I haven't the strength to go to my wife as -yet." - -"Well, monsieur le marquis, understand that I had stationed myself -outside madame's door, so that I might come and tell you as soon as the -child was born; for I thought that you would be impatient to know about -it." - -"Very good, Jasmin; go on, go on." - -"After some time I heard cries. I was tempted to run away, but I held my -ground, and to give myself courage, I took a good pinch of snuff. -Suddenly the door opened; it was the doctor. He was looking for someone; -he saw me and motioned for me to go in. I obeyed." - -"What! you went into madame la marquise's room, you rascal, while----" - -"No, monsieur, I stayed in the little reception room. Everybody was -excited; the nurse, the lady's maid,--that great idiot of a Turlurette -had chosen to be ill instead of making herself useful----" - -"That proves her attachment to my wife; go on." - -"I beg pardon, monsieur, I must blow my nose first. Well, I was called -to help Turlurette; and as I was much more anxious about madame, I -asked: - -"'First tell me if we are delivered.' - -"'Yes,' the doctor replied. - -"'Well then, what have we?' - -"'Look, you idiot.' - -"As he spoke, the doctor put a little bundle in my arms. Just imagine, -monsieur, that at first I thought it was a cheese. It was round and it -had a funny smell; but on looking at it closely, I found it was a little -boy, just out of his shell." - -"What does this mean, Jasmin? What! it was my son that you mistook for a -cheese?" - -"Bless my soul! when one has never seen a new-born child before, -monsieur,--and it was the first one that I ever saw." - -"Take my son for a cheese! You are a stupid lout, and you shall have no -present!" - -"O monsieur le marquis! it isn't that I regret the money, but I didn't -think that I had deserved your anger; especially, as on looking at the -little boy that I had in my arms, I saw with delight that he has all our -features--he is the living image of us!" - -"What! the living image of _us_!--Have you been drinking, Jasmin?" - -"Pardon me, monsieur le marquis, but it is my affection that carries me -away! When I say we, my dear master knows very well that I mean him! In -fact, it is your noble face, monsieur, your fine aquiline nose, your -pretty little chin; and he will have your fine teeth, which you no -longer have. I would bet that he will have them." - -The old marquis could not help smiling, and he replied in a milder tone: - -"The dear child!--Well, I promised you a present, and you shall have it. -I know that you are a faithful servant, my poor Jasmin, but you should -be careful what you say when you are speaking of your master's son." - -"The little fellow is a real Love, monsieur. Ah! if I could have suckled -him, how happy I would have been!" - -"I feel strong enough to go to see my wife and my son now. Come, Jasmin, -escort me." - -"Yes, monsieur, let us go to see our child." - -The old marquis, overjoyed to be born again at seventy, rose, took his -valet's arm, and tried to run to his wife's apartment; but as both -master and servant were heavy of foot, their progress was confined to a -rather swift walk, which did not, however, prevent them from being out -of breath when they reached the marchioness's room. - -Monsieur hastened forward to embrace madame, shedding tears of joy; and -in his emotion, he fell upon her bed, from which they had all the -difficulty in the world to raise him, because happiness changed his legs -and arms to cotton. When they had succeeded in placing Monsieur de -Grandvilain in a chair, he asked for a glass of madeira in order to -restore his strength and put him in a condition to embrace his son. -Jasmin went again to fetch the madeira; he filled a glass for his -master, and one for himself also, to drink which he retired behind a -long window curtain, finding that he too needed to replenish his -strength. - -"And now, where is my son?" said the marquis in a trembling voice, -glancing about the room. - -"He will be brought to you in a moment, monsieur," said the buxom -Turlurette; "the nurse is fixing him to show you." - -"I don't want him to be dressed," said the marquis; "on the contrary, I -want to see him naked; then I shall be better able to judge of his -strength, of his constitution." - -"Yes, yes," said Jasmin, "we shall be very glad to see what we have -made!" - -"You hear, Turlurette,--tell the nurse to bring me my son as naked as a -worm." - -"Yes, let her bring him to us at once, like a savage, without any -fig-leaf." - -"Jasmin, will you be good enough to keep your tongue quiet for a -moment?" - -"I beg pardon, monsieur le marquis; it is my impatience to admire our -dear love." - -Turlurette made haste to perform her errand, and the nurse soon -appeared, carrying before her a large basin, wherein the new-born child, -entirely naked, moved about and stretched out at pleasure its little -pink and white limbs. - -The nurse handed the child to the marquis, as the keys of a city used in -the old days to be presented to a conqueror. - -At sight of his son, Monsieur de Grandvilain uttered a joyful cry, and -put out his arms to take him; but his emotion caused another attack of -faintness; he had not the strength to take the child, but fell back in -his chair. Meanwhile, the nurse, thinking that the father was going to -take what she held out to him, had relaxed her hold of the child and the -basin alike, and both would have fallen to the floor if stout Turlurette -had not luckily caught the child by the part which presented itself -first to her grasp. - -The bowl fell to the floor and broke into a thousand pieces. When she -heard the crash, madame la marquise thought that her son was killed. - -"My child! what has happened to him?" - -"Nothing, madame," said Turlurette, giving the little boy to her -mistress; "he didn't fall; I caught him by--I got hold of him." - -"The dear love! I had a terrible fright!--Great heaven! Turlurette, what -a very strange way to hold the child!" - -"Bless me! it's very lucky that I caught hold of him as I did! If it -hadn't been so, he might have fallen with the basin, and God knows if he -wouldn't have been smashed like it." - -While all this was taking place, Jasmin, seeing his master lying back in -his chair, pale and trembling, hastily poured out another glass of -madeira for him, and then retired behind the curtain once more. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain, having recovered his strength for the third -time, took the child whom Turlurette still held, and embraced him -heartily; then held him up in the air, exclaiming: - -"So this is my son! my heir! Corbleu! I was sure that I should have a -son." - -But the marchioness, fearing that her husband would faint again, and -that he would then drop the child altogether, begged him to sit down -beside her bed; Monsieur de Grandvilain complied, and then began to turn -the child over and over, scrutinizing every part. - -"What a lovely child!" he cried; "and to think that I begot him!" - -"Yes, we begot him!" muttered Jasmin, who stood behind his master's -chair, with the bottle of madeira in his hand, in case of an emergency. - -"How plump and pink he is; what pretty little calves!" - -"Faith, I haven't as much calf as that now!" said Jasmin, glancing at -his own legs. - -"What a pretty little round head!" - -"One would swear that it was a Dutch cheese," muttered Jasmin; but -luckily for him, his master did not hear his reflection that time, or it -would have caused the suppression of his present for good and all. - -"He is built like an Apollo!--and he has--why, it is herculean! Look, -Jasmin,--see how--how he has developed already!" - -"It is marvelous," said Jasmin, who, after examining the proportions of -the child, made mentally the same reflection that he had made on the -subject of his legs. - -After Monsieur de Grandvilain had thoroughly scrutinized his son _per -fas et nefas_, he handed him to his spouse, saying: - -"By the way, my dear love, what shall we call him?" - -"That is what I have been thinking of, my dear husband, ever since he -was born." - -"My son must have a noble name. My own name is Sigismond; that is a good -name, but I don't like the idea of sons having their fathers' names; -that leads to mistakes, until you don't know where you are." - -"Listen, monsieur le marquis, the most appropriate name for the dear -love would be Cherubin. What do you say to that? Isn't it a very pretty -name?" - -"Cherubin!" said the marquis, shaking his head; "that is very girlish; -there is nothing warlike about it." - -"Why, monsieur, what's the necessity of giving a warrior's name to our -son? That would have been very well in Napoleon's time, but now it is no -longer the fashion; let us call our son Cherubin, I beg you!" - -"Marchioness," replied the marquis, kissing his wife's hand, "you have -given me a son and I can refuse you nothing. His name shall be Cherubin; -that rather reminds one of the _Mariage de Figaro_; but after all, -Beaumarchais's Cherubin is an attractive little rascal; all the women -dote on him, and it would not be a bad thing if our son should resemble -the little page." - -"Yes, yes," murmured Jasmin, who stood behind his master's chair, -swaying from side to side, for the visits behind the curtain had begun -to make his legs unsteady. "Yes, Cherubin is very nice; it rhymes with -Jasmin." - -The marquis turned, and was tempted to strike his servant; but he, -finding that he had made another foolish speech, assumed such a piteous -expression that his master simply said to him: - -"You are impertinent beyond all bounds to-day, Jasmin!" - -"I beg pardon, monsieur le marquis, it is my delight, my enthusiasm. I -am so happy, that it seems to me that everything in the room is -dancing." - -At that moment Turlurette appeared and said that all the servants in the -house had assembled and requested permission to offer their mistress a -bouquet, and their master their congratulations. - -The marquis ordered his servants to be admitted. - -They arrived in single file, and Jasmin, as the oldest, at once placed -himself at their head and began a complimentary harangue of which he -could not find the end, because he lost control of his tongue. But he -made the best of it, and cut his speech short by crying: - -"Long live monsieur le marquis's son and his august family!" - -All the servants repeated this cry, tossing their hats or caps into the -air. Once more Monsieur de Grandvilain was deeply moved, tears came to -his eyes, and, fearing another attack of weakness, he motioned to -Jasmin, who, anticipating his command, instantly handed him a glass of -madeira. - -The marquis drank it; then he thanked his people, gave them money and -sent them away to drink to the health of the newly-born. Jasmin left the -room with them, carrying a bottle of madeira, the rest of which he drank -before he joined his comrades. And that evening, the marquis's valet was -completely drunk, and monsieur le marquis had himself taken something to -restore his strength so frequently, that he was obliged to retire -immediately on leaving the dinner table. - -But one does not have a child every day, especially when one has reached -the age of seventy years. - - - - -III - -JASMIN ARRANGES A SURPRISE - - -Little Cherubin's baptism took place a few days after his birth; on that -occasion there were more festivities in the old mansion. - -The marquis was open-handed and generous; those qualities are ordinarily -found in libertines. He spent money lavishly, and told Jasmin to despoil -the cellar. The valet, whose blotched nose betrayed his favorite -passion, promised his master to carry out his orders to the letter. - -A select and fashionable company came to attend the baptism of little -Cherubin. The salons were resplendent with light; the guests chatted, -played cards, and then went to see the mother, and to admire her little -one--but not more than two at a time, for such was the doctor's order. - -The child, who had come into the world so plump and fresh and rosy, was -beginning to grow thin and yellow; one could still rave over his pretty -face, but no longer over his health. - -And yet the marquis's son was the object of the incessant care of his -mother, who had the most intense affection for him, who kept him -constantly by her side, and would not allow him to be out of her sight -for a single moment. - -All this was very well; but children are not to be brought up with -affection, caresses, kisses and sweet words: nature demands a more -substantial nourishment; now, that which madame la marquise supplied to -her first-born was evidently of poor quality, and not only was not -abundant but was exceedingly deficient in quantity. In short, whether -because the bread soup diet had impaired Madame de Grandvilain's -health--which was very probable--or for some entirely different reason, -concealed or apparent, it was a fact that little Cherubin's mamma had -only a very little wretched milk to give her son, who had come into the -world with a hearty appetite. - -Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that a mother should nurse her child, that it -was a crime to put the poor little creatures in the hands of mercenary -persons who could not have a mother's affection for them and simply made -a business of hiring out their bodies; and in support of that argument -he cited the animals, which nurse their young themselves and never seek -others to replace them. - -But, in the first place, we might remind Jean-Jacques that animals lead -a regular life--regular, that is to say, according to their nature and -their physical strength. Have you ever heard of lionesses, she-bears, or -cats even, passing their nights at balls, giving receptions, and dining -out frequently? I think not; nor have I! - -We may be allowed then to insist upon a difference between animals and -men; and despite our profound regard for the philosopher of Geneva, we -will say to him further, that in this world of ours there are positions, -trades, branches of business, which make it impossible for a woman to -perform that maternal duty to which he insists that all women should -submit. When a woman, in order to earn her living, is obliged to sit all -day at a desk, or to work constantly with her needle, how do you expect -her to take her child in her arms every instant? There is a still -stronger reason for her not doing it, if her health is poor and failing. - -Nurses sell their milk, you say, and never have a mother's affection for -a strange child. - -In the first place, it is not proved that a nurse does not love her -nursling dearly; there is every reason to believe, on the contrary, that -she becomes attached to the little creature whose life she sustains; and -after all, even if it were simply a matter of business, has the baker -any affection for the people to whom he sells bread? But that does not -prevent us from living on that bread. - -Philosophers, men of genius, aye, even the greatest men, sometimes put -forth propositions which are far from being orthodox; and they make -mistakes like other men. - -But there are people who take for very noble thoughts everything which -comes from the pen of a man who has written great things. Such people -are very generous. We rarely find gold without alloy; and can man -produce what Nature cannot produce? There are people also, who, when -they walk through a cemetery, believe in the truth of all the -inscriptions carved upon the tombs, according to which the people there -interred were models of virtue, goodness, uprightness, etc., etc. I have -infinite respect for the dead, but I do not see the necessity of trying -to deceive the living. Those who are no more were no better than we, and -we are no better than those who will come after us. - -We were saying then that little Cherubin was no longer as beautiful as -an angel, although he bore the name of one; but that did not prevent all -those who went to pay their respects to the mother from complimenting -her upon her child. Honest Amenaide listened with a sweet smile to all -the flattering words which were addressed to her son. Meanwhile, -Monsieur de Grandvilain lay back in an easy-chair, patted his legs, and -shook his head, and looked at the ladies with an air which seemed almost -to say: - -"When you want one like him, apply to me." - -Luckily for him, none of the ladies was tempted to put him to the proof. - -About ten o'clock in the evening, just as the doctor was urging Madame -de Grandvilain not to admit any more people to her room, and to try to -sleep, there was a sudden uproar in the courtyard, and a bright light -shone in the windows; then, something as brilliant as lightning shot -through the air. - -It was the work of Jasmin, who, to celebrate the baptism of his master's -son, had conceived the idea of a display of fireworks in the courtyard, -in order to afford the marquis and all his guests a pleasant surprise; -and who had just discharged a mortar and then a rocket, to attract -everybody to the windows. - -In fact, the explosion of the mortar had caused a profound sensation in -the house; everyone thought it was the roar of cannon; the mother leaped -up in her bed, the child in its cradle, monsieur le marquis in his -chair, and all the guests, wherever they were. They gazed at each other -with a terrified expression, saying: - -"What is it? What a noise! It is cannon! There must be fighting in -Paris!" - -"Fighting?" - -"Great heaven! can it be that the usurper has come back again?" - -Remember that this happened in the year 1819, and that in the mansions -of Faubourg Saint-Germain, Napoleon was ordinarily referred to as the -usurper. - -There was a moment of confusion in the salon; some of the men talked of -running to arms, others looked about for their hats, the women ran after -the men, or prepared to faint, and some talked in undertones, in -corners, with young men, whom, up to that time, they had pretended -barely to look at. - -There are people who make the most of every opportunity and turn every -circumstance to advantage. Such people are necessarily those who have -the most presence of mind. - -Amid the commotion, they heard a shrill voice in the courtyard: - -"We are going to discharge a few fireworks in honor of the baptism, and -to celebrate the birth, of the son of our worthy master, Monsieur le -Marquis de Grandvilain and Madame la Marquise de Grandvilain, his -spouse." - -No sooner were these words heard, than a sudden change took place on -every face, except those of the people who were talking in corners. The -men laughed uproariously, the ladies threw aside the shawls and hats -which they had hastily donned, and ran to look at themselves in the -mirrors, for coquetry is the first sentiment that wakes in the ladies -when the others are still benumbed. Then everybody ran to the windows, -saying: - -"Fireworks! it is fireworks! Oh! what a delightful surprise!" - -"Yes," said the old Marquis de Grandvilain, who had been more frightened -than all the others together, "yes, it is a pleasant idea of that devil -of a Jasmin. But he ought to have notified me that he intended to -surprise me, for then I should have expected it, and it would have--have -surprised me less." - -The guests were all at the windows, the ladies in front, the men behind -them, so that they were obliged to lean over a little to see; but -everybody seemed well pleased, and nobody would have changed his place -for another. - -The marquis sat alone at a window in his wife's room. - -"You will not be able to see the pieces down below, my dear love," he -said, "but I will explain them to you, and you will be able to see the -rockets and serpents perfectly from your bed." - -"Suppose it frightens Cherubin?" said the marchioness, placing her son's -cradle at the foot of the bed. - -"Don't be afraid, marchioness; my son will take after me, he will love -the noise and smell of powder." - -Meanwhile, Jasmin, who had followed his master's orders by levying -freely on the cellar, and had made himself, as well as his comrades, -very nearly tipsy, seemed to have gone back to his twentieth year; he -walked about the courtyard, amid the fireworks, like a general amid his -troops. - -In the farthest corner of the courtyard the mortars had been placed; -they were the heavy artillery, and no more were to be fired until the -finale. But as sparks, falling in that direction, might land inside the -mortars and set them off before the time for which they were held in -reserve, the cook, who was a careful man, and who was acting as Jasmin's -second in command, had brought from his kitchen saucepan covers, a -frying-pan, and a dish-pan, and had placed them over the mortars, which -were made like stove pipes, but of different dimensions, according to -the amount of powder they contained: so that the frying-pan was placed -on the largest one, the dish-pan on a smaller size, and the saucepan -covers on the smallest ones, all to prevent sparks or lighted fragments -of rockets from falling into the mortars. - -Jasmin glanced from window to window; he waited till everybody was -placed before beginning. - -The cook, who was no less impatient than the old valet, and whose brain -was excited by the marquis's wine, stood near the fireworks with a -lighted slow-match in one hand, while with the other he pushed his -cotton cap over his left ear. - -Meanwhile, stout Turlurette and two other servants were dancing about a -transparency representing a moon, which Jasmin declared to be a portrait -of young Cherubin. - -"They are all there! everybody's at the windows, and we can set them -off," said Jasmin, after a last glance at the house. - -"Yes, yes, begin," said Turlurette. "Oh! isn't it going to be fine?" - -"No women here!" cried the cook in a determined tone; "you will make us -do some foolish thing; go up to the second floor, young women." - -"Oh! he told me that he would let me fire off one little petard at -least; didn't you, Monsieur Jasmin?" - -"Yes, yes," cried Jasmin; "everybody must have a good time to-day; it is -for our young master! Turlurette shall fire a little rocket; that is the -least we can do for her; but not now, later.--Ready, cook, let us begin; -to our fireworks!" - -The display began with a serpent or two, Bengal fire, and rockets; the -guests looked on, and when any piece seemed to be aimed at a window, the -ladies drew back with little exclamations of alarm, blended with bursts -of laughter; the men encouraged them, taking their hands and pressing -them; I am not sure that they took nothing else; however, the ladies -consented to be reassured, resumed their places, applauded and were -highly pleased; while the old marquis at his window, said to his wife: - -"My dear love, it is superb! it is beautiful! it is dazzling! I am sorry -that you are so far away." - -"But, my dear, suppose it should set the house on fire!" - -"Don't be afraid; Jasmin is prudent; he has undoubtedly notified the -firemen at the station close by; besides, the courtyard is very large -and there is no danger." - -The loving Amenaide was not thoroughly comforted; she would have -preferred that there should be no fireworks to celebrate the baptism; -but everybody seemed pleased, and she dared not deprive the company of -the pleasure which they took in the spectacle. - -Soon applause rose on all sides; Jasmin had just lighted the -transparency with the moon, calling out as he did so: - -"A portrait of our child, young Cherubin de Grandvilain." - -At that everybody applauded on trust, although they squinted in vain to -discover a face painted in the moon on the transparency; but they -ascribed that to the smoke, and several persons went so far as to cry -out: - -"It is very like, on my word! anyone could recognize it! A very pretty -idea! such things as this are not seen anywhere except at the Marquis de -Grandvilain's." - -While the company was admiring the transparency, Mademoiselle -Turlurette, still intent upon her idea of setting off something, went to -Jasmin and said: - -"Give me your slow-match, it's my turn; what am I going to set off?" - -"Here, Mademoiselle Turlurette, set fire to this sun. But aren't you -afraid?" - -"Me, afraid! oh, no! just show me where to light it." - -"See, here is the match." - -Stout Turlurette took the slow-match which Jasmin handed to her, and -held it to the wick which protruded from the sun. Despite all the -courage which she was determined to display, the stout girl was terribly -excited, for she had never set off a piece of fireworks before. After -she had touched the match which she had in her hand to the place pointed -out to her, when she heard the powder hiss and the flame sputter close -beside her, a sudden terror took possession of Turlurette; fancying that -she was being burned by the sparks from the sun, she ran across the -courtyard, holding her dress up with one hand, as if she were trying to -make a belt of it, and with her lighted slow-match still in the other. -The latter she threw down, without looking, in the first convenient -spot. - -The sun produced a great effect; it whirled about like a top, and -everybody at the windows applauded. Some said: - -"It is as pretty as at Tivoli." - -Another exclaimed: - -"It is almost as fine as the fireworks we have at our house, in my park, -on my birthday." - -And the old marquis leaned far out of the window, crying: - -"Bravo! I am much pleased, my children! You may regale yourselves again -after the fireworks." - -But Monsieur de Grandvilain had hardly ceased speaking when there was a -terrible report, and the old mansion was shaken to its foundation; it -was caused by all the mortars, large and small, exploding at the same -moment, because stout Turlurette, in her alarm, had thrown her -slow-match into the midst of the heavy pieces which were reserved for -the finale. - -If the mortars had simply been discharged, nothing worse would have -happened than the premature occurrence of an explosion held in reserve -for the end of the fete; but unfortunately, when they took fire, they -were still covered by the various kitchen implements which the cook had -placed over them as a precautionary measure; and at the same moment that -the sudden report took everybody by surprise, even those who were -managing the fireworks, the frying-pan, the dish-pan, and the saucepan -covers were hurled through the air with terrific force. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain, who had just been thanking his servants, had an -ear carried away by the frying-pan, which entered the bedroom and fell -at the foot of his wife's bed. Several of the guests were struck by -saucepan covers; a pretty woman had four teeth broken, a young dandy who -was leaning over her had his nose split in the middle, which gave him -later the appearance of a Danish dog; and on all sides there was nothing -but shrieks, lamentations and imprecations. Even those who had sustained -no injury shouted louder than the others: - -"This is what comes of allowing servants to discharge fireworks. The -cook put all his cooking utensils in the mortars; it is very lucky that -it didn't occur to him to blow up his ovens." - -The guests had had quite enough; they all took their leave, some to have -their wounds dressed, others to tell of what had taken place at Monsieur -de Grandvilain's. - -During the disaster, Jasmin had received the dish-pan on his head, after -it had made an excursion through the air; and the faithful valet's face -was covered with burns and bore a striking resemblance to a skimmer. -That did not prevent him from appearing with a piteous air before his -master, who was looking for his ear. - -"Monsieur," said the valet, "I am in despair; I don't understand how it -all came about--but it wasn't finished; there is the bouquet to -come--and if you would like----" - -The marquis, in a frenzy of rage, raised his cane upon Jasmin, and would -listen to no more; while Madame de Grandvilain half rose in her bed and -said to the poor valet in an imposing voice: - -"In my husband's name, I forbid you henceforth to fire anything of any -sort in our house." - - - - -IV - -A NEW WAY OF BRINGING UP CHILDREN - - -The display of fireworks for little Cherubin's baptism put an end to all -the festivities at the hotel de Grandvilain. The marquis succeeded in -finding his ear, but it was impossible to put it in place again, so that -he was obliged to resign himself to the necessity of closing his career -with a single ear, a most disagreeable thing when one has worn two for -seventy years. - -Amenaide had conceived a horror of fireworks, rockets, in fact, of the -slightest explosion; the most trifling noise made her faint; it went so -far that nobody was allowed to uncork a bottle in her presence. - -Jasmin continued to wear the aspect of a skimmer, but he soon consoled -himself therefor; the old valet had long since laid aside all pretension -to please the fair sex; the little holes with which his face was riddled -did not interfere with his drinking, and to him that was the principal -point. - -Mademoiselle Turlurette had received no wound, and yet she deserved -better than any of the others to be struck by a saucepan cover at least, -for she was the author of all the disasters that had happened in the -house. But no one suspected how the thing took place, and Turlurette -confined herself to expressing the most profound detestation of -fireworks. - -And so tranquillity had returned to the hotel de Grandvilain, where they -received many fewer guests since the last festivity; for the young women -and the dandies feared to lose their teeth, or to have their noses slit. - -The marquis was at liberty to devote all his time to the care of his -son, and little Cherubin demanded much care; for he became weak and -sickly and sallow, and at three months he was vastly smaller than when -he came into the world. Turlurette, who had weighed him at that time, -was certain of the fact, and one day she said to Jasmin in an undertone: - -"It's very funny, but madame's boy is melting away, so that you can see -it! He weighs five ounces less to-day than he did the day he was born!" - -Jasmin gave a leap when he heard that his master's child was melting -away instead of increasing in size, and he said to Turlurette: - -"If this goes on, before long he won't weigh anything at all. You must -tell madame that the little fellow is falling off." - -"Oh, yes! so that madame may torment herself, and so that she won't be -able to feed her son at all. No indeed, I will take pains not to tell -her." - -"But, mademoiselle, it's for the child's good!" - -"But I don't choose to make madame feel badly." - -Jasmin made up his mind like a devoted servant: he went to his master. -Monsieur de Grandvilain was lying on his couch, enveloped in his -morning gown; his head was covered with a jaunty green velvet cap, which -he was careful to place over the ear which he no longer had. For some -time the old marquis had had the habit of moving his jaws, as one does -when one is sucking or eating something, and that constant movement gave -his face the appearance of a nut-cracker. Those persons who were not -aware of this trick of the marquis, waited, before speaking to him, for -him to finish swallowing what he was chewing; but they waited in vain, -for the jaws continued to make the same movement. - -Since the occasion of the fireworks, Monsieur de Grandvilain had treated -his valet with less affability. However, Jasmin's face bore so many -scars that his master could hardly bear him ill-will for an accident of -which he had been the second victim. - -"What do you want of me, Jasmin?" said Monsieur de Grandvilain, when he -saw that his valet stood before him with an embarrassed air. - -"Monsieur, I hope that you will excuse me for what I am going to say, -but it is my attachment for you and our young marquis that has decided -me to speak." - -"I am aware of your attachment, Jasmin, although the proofs of it which -you have given me have sometimes had unfortunate results." - -As he spoke, Monsieur de Grandvilain scratched the place where his ear -should have been. - -"Well, what have you to tell me?" - -Jasmin glanced about him, walked closer to his master, and said in a low -voice and with a mysterious air: - -"Let me tell you, monsieur, that your son is melting----" - -The old man fell back on his couch and gazed anxiously at his servant, -exclaiming: - -"Melting! my son! Great heaven! has he fallen into the stove?" - -"When I say melting, my dear master, I mean simply falling away, that he -has lost five ounces, neither more nor less, since the day he was born." - -"The devil take you, Jasmin, you gave me a horrible fright! I wonder if -you will never be any less stupid!" - -"It was my attachment for you, monsieur, that made me think that I ought -to tell you. Turlurette has weighed our little Cherubin, and she is sure -of what she says. She doesn't dare to tell madame, but I thought it was -better to tell you; for if the child goes on like this, in a few months -he won't weigh anything at all." - -Monsieur de Grandvilain sadly shook his head. - -"In truth," he said, "my son is not making any progress. He is taking on -a yellowish color that surprises me, for both his mother and I are very -white. Ah! my poor Jasmin, I am beginning to think that we should have -children when we are young, because then they inherit our strength." - -"Nonsense, monsieur! You are strong enough! You are a perfect horse when -you choose! Our Cherubin was magnificent when he was born, as you must -remember. If he is doing badly now, it's only because he doesn't eat -enough. Madame fondles him and pets him--that's all very well; but -perhaps the little rascal would prefer some wine and a cutlet." - -"A cutlet! Are you mad, Jasmin? Whoever heard of giving cutlets to -children three months old?" - -"Perhaps it would be better for them than milk, no one knows. If I was a -nurse, I'd try the experiment." - -"In truth, Jasmin, you recall to my mind the fact that the grandfather -of our good Henri IV gave his son wine to drink a few moments after he -was born; and it did the child no harm; far from it, for Henri IV was a -regular devil in every way. Judging from that, I believe that my son, -who is past three months, might safely swallow a drop of generous wine." - -"Surely, monsieur, wine can never do any harm, and you have such good -wine! Our little Cherubin, instead of turning yellow, will become a very -devil like the great king; and if with that you would venture to let him -suck a cutlet----" - -"The wine will be enough, with a little beef juice perhaps. If only -madame la marquise will consent to let the child change his food!" - -"Why, look you, monsieur, the little fellow is our son, after all! If -madame doesn't give him enough to eat, we have the right to do as we -please. Deuce take it! A man doesn't have a child every day, and if you -should have to try it over again, I think that----" - -"Yes, Jasmin, yes, I will be firm. As my heir's welfare is at stake, I -will show my strength of character." - -And monsieur le marquis, rising from his couch, betook himself to his -wife's apartment, leaning on the arm of Jasmin, who repeated constantly -on the way: - -"Give him wine to drink, monsieur, give him some good strong soups to -eat, and I will bet that within a month he will have recovered his five -ounces!" - -Madame de Grandvilain had not dared to confess to her husband that she -had no milk to give their son; she had bought nursing bottles, and when -the marquis was not there, the child was given the bottle; but as soon -as his father arrived, she played nurse again, and little Cherubin was -given a sterile bosom, which supplied him with no nourishment. - -When Monsieur de Grandvilain unexpectedly entered madame's chamber, as -she was not looking for her husband at that moment, she did not have -time to put the bottle out of the way, and Cherubin was still attached -to it. - -"What's this, my dear love?" said monsieur le marquis, scrutinizing what -his son was sucking. - -"My dear," said madame, sorely confused, "it's a supplement." - -"A supplement! The deuce, my dear love, you use a supplement, and -without letting me know?" - -"My dear, there are times when my milk doesn't flow freely, and we must -not let this dear little fellow suffer on that account." - -"Certainly not, madame, but if you had only confessed to me sooner that -you use a supplement, I, for my part, should not have hesitated to tell -you that I wished to change our son's diet. He is not making progress, -marchioness, that is evident. I believe that milk is not what he needs. -I am less surprised since I find that it is not yours. In short, I -propose to try another method; I propose to give my son wine to drink." - -"Wine, my dear! Can you think of such a thing! A child of three months!" - -"Who was magnificent when he came into the world, and who is visibly -pining away with your bottle. I will give him claret, that is a mild and -generous wine. If that works well, later we will try burgundy." - -"But, monsieur, on the contrary, the very lightest things, ass's milk, -is what Cherubin needs!" - -"Ass's milk for my son! Fie, madame! I will not listen to such a thing. -Can it be that you would like to make an ass of him? He shall drink -wine." - -"He shall drink milk." - -For the first time the husband and wife quarrelled, and neither of them -would give way. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain took his son in his arms, carried him to his -room, ordered Jasmin to bring a bottle of old claret, and gave some -spoonfuls of it to his heir. - -The child swallowed the wine without making too wry a face; in a few -moments his little cheeks flushed, and the old valet, who was assisting -his master to pour wine into little Cherubin, exclaimed: - -"Look, monsieur le marquis, look! already our son's color is coming -back! He is better already, and recovering his strength. Oh! what an -excellent idea it was to give him wine! Let us go on, master. He turns -his eyes toward us; I think that he wants some more." - -Monsieur de Grandvilain thought that it was better to be prudent the -first time and not to make the dose too large; so he returned to his -wife and gave her the child, saying: - -"Madame, Cherubin is better already; his color has come back and his -eyes shine like diamonds. I shall continue what I have begun to-day, and -you will see that our heir will be the better for it." - -Madame made no reply, but as soon as her husband had left the room, she -called Turlurette and said to her: - -"Dear Turlurette, just see what a state they have put this poor little -fellow in! He smells frightfully of wine, and I believe that he is -tipsy!" - -"Why, yes, he really is, madame," cried the stout girl, after smelling -the child. "That old idiot of a Jasmin is responsible for all this; he's -a sot himself, and he would like to make everybody drink, even a nursing -child. If you take my advice, madame, you will give the child some syrup -of ipecac. That will make him throw up the wine; it will purge him." - -"No, Turlurette, no! I am afraid of doing my son an injury, and of -angering monsieur le marquis. But I am going to give the dear little -fellow some ass's milk, and that will correct the ill effects of the -wine." - -The ass's milk was offered to the child in the bottle. Little Cherubin -drank it without objection, for he had an excellent disposition; he -accepted whatever was offered him, so that the important thing was to -offer him what would be good for him. - -This system of nourishment was continued for several days. The marquis -gave his son wine to drink and madame gave him ass's milk. The child was -very red when he left his father's hands, but he became very pale again -with his mother. They soon discovered that the dear boy was out of -order, and stout Turlurette added the syringe to all the other remedies; -and Jasmin, determined at all risks to fatten the little Grandvilain, -gave him a piece of pie crust, or a slice of sausage, as soon as he was -left alone with him. - -Before little Cherubin had been on this diet of ass's milk, pie crust -and syringes a month, instead of growing fat, he was in a shocking -condition. The marchioness wept, and Monsieur de Grandvilain decided to -send for a doctor. After examining the child and learning all that they -had been doing to nourish him, the doctor exclaimed in a very severe -tone: - -"Allow me to inform you that, if you go on like this, in a week you will -not have any child." - -The marchioness sobbed, the marquis turned green, and they both cried in -one breath: - -"What must we do, doctor, to restore our child's health?" - -"What must you do? Why give him a nurse, a good nurse, and send him into -the country with her, and leave him there a long while, a very long -while; that's what you must do, and at once, this very day; you have no -time to waste if you want to preserve the life of this child." - -The tone in which the doctor spoke admitted no reply; luckily their love -for the child was above all self-esteem, so they were fain to agree that -they had done wrong, and to obey in all haste. - -The marquis sent all his people in search of a nurse. The marchioness -herself went about among her acquaintances, asking for information and -advice; but the time passed, and those who were well recommended could -not be obtained at once. As evening approached, they had not succeeded -in finding a nurse; the marchioness and her husband embraced their child -and had no idea what to give him, as they dared not continue to feed him -as they had been doing. - -Suddenly Jasmin appeared with a fresh, buxom, red-cheeked peasant woman, -exclaiming: - -"I have found what we want, I think; if she doesn't bring our little one -back to life, faith, I will have nothing more to do with it." - -The nurse whom Jasmin had brought had such an attractive face and seemed -to enjoy such excellent health that they were prepossessed in her favor. -Madame de Grandvilain uttered a joyful cry and handed her child to the -peasant woman, who presented her bosom to him; he took it greedily, like -one who had found what he needed. - -The marquis tapped Jasmin on the shoulder, saying: - -"You are an invaluable fellow! How did you go to work to discover this -excellent nurse?" - -"How did I go to work, monsieur? Why, I just went to the office, on Rue -Sainte-Apolline, and asked for a nurse; I saw nurses of all colors, and -I chose this one. That's all the difficulty there was about it." - -What Jasmin had done was the simplest thing to do, but ordinarily the -simplest thing is what nobody thinks of doing. - -Little Cherubin's nurse was from Gagny, and as the doctor's orders were -definite, she returned to her village the next morning, carrying with -her a superb layette, money, gifts, strict orders, and her little -nursling. - - - - -V - -THE VILLAGE OF GAGNY - - -Gagny is a pretty village near Villemonble, of which it is a sort of -continuation, and is a little nearer Paris than Montfermeil. When I say -that it is a pretty village, I do not mean by that that the streets are -very straight and well paved, and that all the houses have a uniform, -comfortable, or even elegant aspect; in that case, it would resemble a -small provincial town, and would not be the country with its -picturesqueness and its freedom from constraint. - -What I like in a village is the mixture of architectural styles, the -very irregularity of the buildings, which is such a pleasant change from -the monotony of the streets of a capital. What I like to see in a -village is the farmhouse and all its outbuildings, the pond in which -ducks are splashing, the dung-heap with the hens pecking about it; and -then the cottage of the well-to-do peasant, who has had his shutters -painted green, and who allows the vines to climb all about the windows; -the thatched roof of a laborer not far from the fine house of a wealthy -bourgeois; the charming villa of one of our Parisian celebrities; the -humble dwelling of the market gardener; the schoolhouse, the church and -its belfry; and in the midst of all these, tall trees, paths bordered by -hedges of elderberry or wild fruit; hens and roosters strutting -fearlessly before the house; ruddy-cheeked, merry, healthy children -playing in the middle of the streets or squares, with nothing to fear -from carriages and omnibuses; and even the odor of the cow barn, when I -pass by a dairyman's place; because all these remind you that you are -really in the country; and when you truly love the country, you have a -sense of well-being, a feeling of happiness, the effects of which you at -once realize without any need to try to explain them--effects which you -owe to the pure air which you breathe, to the rustic scenes which rest -your eyes, and to the pleasant freedom which you enjoy! - -Gagny offers you all these things. Situated as it is near Raincy, the -forest of Bondy, and the lovely woods of Montfermeil, and only a short -distance from the Marne, whose banks are delightful, especially near -Nogent and Gournay,--in whichever direction you turn your steps when you -leave the village, you find charming walks and beautiful views. The -neighborhood is embellished by some lovely estates: Maison Rouge, Maison -Blanche, and the pretty little chateau of L'Horloge, flanked by towers -and battlements, which represents in miniature--but in a highly -flattered miniature--the abodes of the ancient feudal lords. Such is the -village of Gagny, which sees every day one more beautiful and -comfortable house built in its neighborhood, where, during the summer, -charming women from Paris, artists, scholars or tradesmen, come to seek -repose from the constant activity of the capital. - -I observe that I have been describing Gagny as it is to-day, whereas it -was in the year 1819 that little Cherubin, son of the Marquis de -Grandvilain, was taken there. But after all, the aspect of the village -has not changed, except for some fine houses which did not then exist, -but which are universally admired to-day. - -Let us make the acquaintance first of all of the villagers to whose -house our hero was taken. - -You know that the nurse who had carried Cherubin away was a buxom -peasant with a fresh round face, and a solid figure, whose corsets -indicated a sufficient supply of food for four marquises and as many -plebeians; but what you do not know is that her name was Nicole -Frimousset, that she was twenty-eight years old, and had three little -boys, and a husband who drove her to despair, although he was a model of -obedience and submission to her will. - -Jacquinot Frimousset was of the same age as his wife; he was a stout, -well-built fellow, with broad shoulders and a sturdy, shapely leg; his -round red face, his heavy eyebrows, his bright black eyes, his white, -even teeth would have done credit to a gentleman from the city. -Frimousset was a handsome youth, and seemed to give promise of becoming -a husband capable of fulfilling all the duties which marriage imposes. -Peasant women are not insensible to physical advantages; indeed it is -said that there are ladies--very great ladies--who attach much value to -such bagatelles. - -Nicole, who had some property, and a dowry of goodly proportion, could -not lack aspirants; she selected Jacquinot Frimousset, and all the women -in the village exclaimed that Nicole was not squeamish; which meant -doubtless that they too would have been glad to marry Frimousset. But -there is an old proverb which declares that appearances are deceitful. -There are many people who do not choose to believe in proverbs! Those -people make a great mistake. Erasmus said: - -"Of all forms of knowledge, there is none older than that of proverbs; -they were like so many symbols which formed the philosophical code of -the early ages; they are the compendium of human verities." - -Aristotle agreed with Erasmus; he thought that proverbs were the remains -of the old philosophy destroyed by the wearing effect of time; and that, -these sentences having been preserved by reason of their conciseness, -far from disdaining them, we should reflect upon them with care, and -search after their meaning. - -Chrysippus and Cleanthes wrote at great length in favor of proverbs. -Theophrastus composed a whole volume upon that subject. Among the famous -men who have discussed it are Aristides and Clearchus, disciples of -Aristotle; and Pythagoras wrote symbols which Erasmus ranks with -proverbs; and Plutarch, in his _Apothegms_, collected the wise remarks -of the Greeks. - -We might proceed to cite all the authors of modern times who have -written in favor of proverbs, but that would carry us too far, and we -fancy that you will prefer to return to Cherubin's nurse. - -Nicole had never heard of Erasmus, or of Aristotle; we have met people -in the city who have no knowledge concerning those philosophers, and are -none the worse off for that. As a general rule, we should not carry the -study of antiquity too far; what we know about the past often prevents -us from being well informed concerning what is going on to-day. - -Nicole soon perceived that when she married Jacquinot she did not -feather her nest very well. The handsome peasant was lazy, careless; in -short, a do-nothing in every sense of the term. Three days after her -marriage, Nicole sighed when she was congratulated upon her choice. - -But Frimousset had that rustic cunning which knows how to disguise its -inclinations, its faults, beneath an air of good-humor and frankness -which deceives many people. His wife was lively, active, hard-working; -it required very little time for him to learn her character. Far from -thwarting her in anything, Frimousset seemed to be the most docile, the -most compliant husband in the village; but he carried his servility to a -point which finally irritated Nicole, and that was the very thing he -counted upon. - -For instance, in the morning, while his wife was attending to the -housework, Jacquinot, after eating a hearty breakfast, would say to her: - -"What do you want me to do now, Nicole?" - -And Nicole would reply quickly: - -"It seems to me that there's work enough to do! There's our field to -plow, and the stones and stumps to be taken out of the piece by the -road, and the garden to be planted. Ain't that work enough?" - -"Yes, yes!" Frimousset would reply, shaking his head; "I know well -enough that it ain't work that's lacking; but where shall I begin--in -the field, or the pasture, or the garden? I am waiting for you to tell -me; you know very well that I want to do just what you want me to." - -"My word! what nonsense! Don't you know enough to know what there's most -hurry about?" - -"Why no! Don't I tell you that I want you to give me orders as to what I -shall do; I want to do my best to please you, my little wife." - -"Do whatever you want to, and let me alone." - -Frimousset would ask no further questions; when by dint of being -submissive he had irritated his wife, she never failed to say: "Do -whatever you please and let me alone." Thereupon Nicole's husband would -go off to the wine-shop and pass the day there. Nicole would look in -vain for him in the pasture and the garden, and at night, when he came -home to supper she would ask: - -"Where on earth have you been working? I couldn't find you anywhere." - -And Jacquinot would reply in a cajoling tone: - -"Faith, you wouldn't tell me what work to begin on, and I was afraid of -doing something wrong; I didn't want to do anything without your -orders." - -With a man of Frimousset's stamp, comfort, when it exists, soon gives -place to straitened circumstances, and then to poverty; among the small -as among the great, there is no fortune which is large enough to -withstand disorder. After five years of married life, Nicole was obliged -to sell her field and her pasture, all because Monsieur Jacquinot never -knew where to begin when it was a question of working. - -Meanwhile Nicole had seen her family increased by three small boys, -healthy boys with excellent appetites. Three children more and several -pieces of land less could not bring comfort to Frimousset's home. Then -it was that Nicole conceived the idea of becoming a nurse; and as the -peasant was as active and determined as her husband was lazy and -shiftless, her plan was soon carried out. - -And that was why Jasmin, when he went to Rue Sainte-Apolline, to the -Nurses' Bureau, had found the peasant from Gagny, whom he had selected -because of her pleasant face, and whom he had carried in triumph to his -master, the Marquis de Grandvilain. - -Nicole was an excellent woman, and she became sincerely attached to the -child that was placed in her charge; she took him as soon as he cried, -and was never weary of giving him the breast and of dancing him in her -arms; she took care too that he should always be neat and clean. But the -peasant woman was a mother too; she had three _gas_--that is what she -called them,--and despite all her affection for her nursling, it was to -her _gas_ that Nicole gave the sweetmeats, the preserves, the biscuit -and the gingerbread of which Madame la Marquise de Grandvilain had not -failed to give her an abundant supply, urging her not to spare them, -never to deny Cherubin anything, and to send to her for other delicacies -when those should be exhausted. - -Luckily for Cherubin, Nicole did not follow to the letter the -instructions that were given her. As one is a mother before being a -nurse, the peasant woman necessarily had more affection for her children -than for her foster-child. She gave milk to the latter, while the others -stuffed themselves with dainties, candy and gingerbread, which soon -upset their health, whereas, on the contrary, little Grandvilain became -fresh and rosy and plump and hearty. - -The coming of the nursling placed the Frimousset household upon its feet -once more. Nicole had asked for thirty francs a month, but the marquis -had said to her: - -"Just let my son get well, let him recover his health, and I will give -you twice that!" - -And Jacquinot, who had more time than ever to idle away and to spend in -the wine-shop, because his wife, being occupied with her nursling, could -not keep an eye upon him, exclaimed every day: - -"My eye, Nicole, that was a mighty good idea of yours to be a nurse! If -you only had three or four little brats like this, we should be mighty -well off, I tell you!" - -And Cherubin's little foster-brothers, who did nothing but eat -sweetmeats and gingerbread, were also delighted that their mother had a -nursling who provided them with so many good things, thanks to which -they were constantly ill. - -Cherubin had been at his nurse's house only six weeks, when, on a fine -day in autumn, a fashionable carriage stopped on the public square of -Gagny, which square is not absolutely beautiful, although the guardhouse -has been built there. - -A vehicle which does not resemble a cart is always an object of -wonderment in a village. Five or six women, several old men, several -peasants, and a multitude of children assembled about the carriage, and -were gazing at it with curiosity, when a window was lowered and a man's -head appeared. - -Instantly a low murmur and a sneering laugh or two were heard among the -bystanders, together with such remarks as these, not all of which were -uttered in undertones: - -"Oh! how ugly he is!"--"Oh! what a face!"--"Is it legal to be as ugly as -that, when you have a carriage?"--"Upon my word! I'd rather go -afoot!"--"That fellow hasn't been vaccinated!" - -There were other reflections of the same sort, which might have reached -the ears of him who suggested them, and which it would have been more -polite to make in a low tone; but politeness is not the favorite virtue -of the peasants of the suburbs of Paris. - -Luckily, the man who had put his head out of the window was a little -hard of hearing, and, besides, he was not a man to lose his temper for -such trifles; on the contrary, assuming a smiling expression, he said, -bowing to the assemblage: - -"Which of you, my good people, can direct me to Nicole Frimousset's -house? I know well enough that it's on a street leading into the square, -but that is all I know." - -"Nicole Frimousset!" said a peasant about half seas over, who had just -come from one wine-shop and was about to enter another; "she's my wife, -Nicole is; I am Jacquinot Frimousset, her husband; what do you want of -my wife?" - -"What do we want of her? Parbleu! we've come to see the little one that -we've placed in her charge, and to find out how he is, the dear child." - -"The deuce! it's monsieur le marquis!" cried Jacquinot, removing his hat -and throwing several children to the ground in order to reach the -carriage more quickly. "Excuse me, monsieur le marquis; you see, I -didn't know you. I'll show you the way; that's our street over there; -it's up hill, but you've got good horses." - -And Jacquinot ran ahead of the carriage, shouting at the top of his -lungs, and trying to dance. - -"Here's little Cherubin's father! Here's the Marquis de Grandvilain, -coming to our house! Ah! I'm going to drink his health." - -The man who was in the carriage answered: - -"No, I am not the marquis, I am Jasmin, his first valet; and -mademoiselle who is with me is not madame la marquise; she is -Turlurette, her maid. But it's all the same, our masters or us, it's -absolutely the same thing." - -"What a stupid thing to say, Jasmin," said Turlurette, nudging her -companion; "the idea! our masters or us being the same thing!" - -"I mean so far as the child we have come to see is concerned. They have -sent us to find out about his health; can't we see that as well as our -masters? And even better, for we have better eyes than they have." - -"You speak of your masters with very little respect, Monsieur Jasmin." - -"Mademoiselle, I respect and venerate them, but that doesn't prevent me -from saying that they are both of them in a miserable state. What -wretched carcasses! They make me feel very sad!" - -"Hush, Monsieur Jasmin, here we are!" - -The carriage had stopped in front of Frimousset's house, and Jacquinot's -shouts had put the whole household in commotion. - -"Those are Cherubin's parents," was heard in every direction. The little -boys rushed to meet the carriage; Jacquinot went to draw wine to offer -to his guests; while Nicole, after hastily washing her nursling and -wiping his nose, took him in her arms and presented him to Jasmin and -Turlurette, just as they alighted from the carriage, and called out to -them: - -"Here he is, monsieur and madame; take him, and see how well he is! Ah! -I flatter myself that he wasn't as pretty as that when you gave him to -me!" - -"True; he's superb!" said Jasmin, kissing the child. - -"Yes, he is as well as can be!" said Turlurette, turning little Cherubin -over and over in every direction. - -But while they admired her nursling, Nicole, who had had time to recover -herself, looked closely at Jasmin and Turlurette, and then exclaimed: - -"But I say, it seems to me that monsieur and madame ain't the child's -father and mother. Pardi! I recognize monsieur by his red nose and his -peppered face; he's the one who came to the bureau and picked me out." - -"Yes, nurse, you are not mistaken," replied Jasmin, "I am not my master; -I mean that I am not the marquis, and that is what I shouted to your -husband, but he didn't listen. But that doesn't make any difference; we -were sent here, Turlurette and I, to satisfy ourselves about young -Grandvilain's health, and to report to monsieur le marquis and his -wife." - -"You will always be welcome," said Nicole. - -"And then you won't refuse to taste our wine and refresh yourselves," -cried Jacquinot, bringing a huge jar, full to the brim of a wine -perfectly _nif_, which means new in the language of the country people. - -"I never refuse to taste any wine, and I am always glad to refresh -myself, even when I am not warm," replied Jasmin. "But first of all, I -must fulfil to the letter my dear master's orders. Nurse, undress the -child, if you please, and let me see him all naked, so that I can judge -if he is in good condition from top to toe--inclusively." - -"Oh, bless my soul! drink and let us alone! That is my business!" said -Mademoiselle Turlurette, still keeping the child in her arms. - -"Mademoiselle, I will not prevent you from looking at the child too, but -I know what my master ordered me to do, and I propose to obey him. Give -me Cherubin, and let me make a little Cupid of him." - -"I won't give him to you." - -"Then I'll take him!" - -"Come and try it!" - -Jasmin leaped upon the child, but Turlurette would not let him go, and -each of them pulled him; Cherubin shrieked, and the nurse, to put an end -to this imitation of the judgment of Solomon, adroitly took the child -from both of them. In the twinkling of an eye she undressed him, and, -handing him to the two servants, bade them kiss her nursling's plump -little posterior. - -"There! what do you think of him?" she cried; "ain't he fine? You'd like -to be as fresh and plump as that, wouldn't you?--but I wish you may get -it!" - -The nurse's action restored general good-humor and peace between the -servants of the house of Grandvilain. Turlurette did not tire of kissing -her master's child. As for Jasmin, he took a huge pinch of snuff, then -seated himself at a table, and said: - -"Yes, yes, everything is all right; we have a superb scion. And now, let -us taste your wine, foster-father." - -Jacquinot made haste to fill the glasses, drink, and fill again; and -Jasmin was as well pleased with the foster-father as with the nurse. - -"But why did not monsieur le marquis and madame come themselves?" asked -Nicole. - -"Oh!" Turlurette replied with a sigh, "my poor mistress isn't very well; -when she tried to nurse the child, she didn't get along well, and now -that she's given it up, she's worse than ever!" - -"But I offered to take our Cherubin's place, in order to relieve my -excellent mistress!" murmured Jasmin, tossing off a great bumper of sour -wine. - -"Mon Dieu! Monsieur Jasmin, you're forever saying stupid things," said -Turlurette; "the idea of madame feeding you." - -"Why not, when it was the doctor's orders? I once knew a lady who nursed -several cats and two rabbits, because she had too much milk." - -"Oh! we've had enough of your stories!--In short, my mistress is very -weak; she can't leave her room, or else she'd have come long ago to see -her dear child; she talks about him all the time." - -"As for monsieur le marquis," said Jasmin, "he has the gout in his -heels, which makes it very hard for him to walk. I suggested a way to do -it, and that was to walk on his toes and not touch his heels to the -ground; he tried it, but after taking a few steps that way, _patatras_! -he fell flat on the floor, and he has never been willing to try again. -But they sent us in their place, and never fear, we will make a good -report of what we have seen. You have restored our son's life! You are -excellent people! Here's your health, foster-father; your wine scrapes -the palate, but it isn't unpleasant, and it has a taste of claret." - -While Jasmin drank and chattered, Turlurette went to the carriage to -fetch what her mistress had sent to the nurse. There were presents of -all sorts: sugar, coffee, clothes, and even toys for Cherubin's -foster-brothers. The room in which the peasants usually sat would hardly -hold all that came out of the carriage. The little Frimoussets jumped -and shouted for joy, and rolled on the floor, at sight of all those -presents, and Nicole said again and again: - -"Madame la marquise is very kind! but she can be sure that her son will -eat all these nice things; my _gas_ won't touch 'em! Besides, they -prefer pork." - -Jasmin enjoyed himself exceedingly with Jacquinot, and Turlurette was -finally obliged to remind him that their masters were impatiently -awaiting their return. The domestics bade the villagers farewell. They -kissed little Cherubin again, but on the face this time, and returned to -their master's carriage, which quickly took them back to Paris. - -The marchioness awaited the return of her servants with the anxiety of a -mother who fears for the life of the only child that Heaven has granted -her. And despite his gout, Monsieur de Grandvilain dragged himself to -the window from time to time, to see if he could discover his carriage -in the distance. - -Turlurette, who was young and active, ran ahead of Jasmin and entered -the room with a radiant air; her face announced that she brought good -news. - -"Magnificent, madame! magnificent health! A superb child! Oh! no one -would ever know him; he was so pale and thin when he went away, and now -he's as fat and solid as a rock." - -"Really, Turlurette," cried the marchioness; "you are not deceiving us?" - -"Oh! just ask Jasmin, madame; here he comes." - -Jasmin appeared, puffing like an ox, because he had tried to go upstairs -as quickly as Turlurette. He walked forward, bowed gravely to his -masters and said: - -"Our young marquis is in a most flourishing condition; I had the honor -to kiss his posterior; I ask your pardon for taking that liberty, but he -is such a lovely child and so well kept! I assure you that the -Frimousset family is worthy of our confidence, and that we have only -praise to give the nurse and her husband." - -These words filled the atmosphere of the hotel de Grandvilain with joy. -Cherubin's mamma promised herself that she would go to Gagny to see her -son as soon as her health was restored, and Monsieur le Marquis de -Grandvilain swore that he would do the same as soon as the gout should -be obliging enough to leave his heels. - - - - -VI - -TIME AND ITS EFFECTS - - -The old marquis and his wife were very happy when they knew that their -son was in good health; they forgot that their own health was poor, and -they made great plans for the future. - -There is an old song that says: - - "To-day belongs to us, - To-morrow belongs to no one." - -All of which is very true; and it means that we must never rely upon the -morrow; but that does not prevent us from often making plans in which we -stride over a great number of years, which is much more than a morrow! -And most of those same plans are destined never to be executed. We are -wise to make them, however, for in them consists the better part of our -happiness; what we actually have in hand never seems so sweet as what we -expect; it is with that as with those landscapes which seem charming to -us at a distance, but very commonplace when we come close to them. - -A month after receiving the assurance that her son was well, and that he -had entirely recovered his health, Amenaide, feeling somewhat better, -determined to go out and take the air, in order that she might sooner be -in a condition to go to Gagny. But whether it was that she went out too -soon, or that a new disease declared itself, the marchioness was -feeling wretched when she returned; she went back to bed, and a -fortnight later little Cherubin's mother was laid in her grave. However, -she had not realized that she was dying, and up to the last moment had -retained the hope of going to embrace her son. - -The old marquis was in despair at his loss; but at seventy years a man -no longer loves as at thirty; as it grows old, the heart becomes less -loving, and that is the effect of experience no less than of years; men -are so deceived in their affections during the course of their lives, -that they inevitably end by becoming selfish and by concentrating upon -themselves the affection which they once offered to others. - -Moreover, the marquis was not left alone on earth; had he not his son to -comfort him? His faithful retainer said to him one day: - -"My dear master, think of your little Cherubin; he has no mother now; -you certainly ought to have died before her, for you were much older, -but things don't always go as one expects! Madame la marquise is dead -and you are alive; to be sure, you have the gout, but there are people -whom it doesn't carry away at once; you are a proof of it. Be a man, -monsieur le marquis, and remember your son, of whom you will make a -lusty blade, such as you used to be; for you were a famous young rake, -monsieur, although no one would suspect it to look at you now." - -"What do you mean, Jasmin? Am I very much changed? Do I look as if I -were impotent now?" - -"I don't say that, monsieur, but I do think that you would find it -difficult to keep five or six appointments in the same day; and that is -what often happened in the old days! Ah! what a lady-killer you were! -Well, I have an idea that your son will take after you, that he too -will send me with billets-doux. Ha! ha! I will carry them with great -pleasure; I know all about slipping notes into ladies' hands." - -"In other words, my poor fellow, you were forever making mistakes and -blunders, and it wasn't your fault that I wasn't surprised and murdered -a hundred times by jealous husbands or rivals." - -"Do you think so, monsieur? Oh! you are mistaken; it was so long ago -that you have forgotten all about it." - -"After all," rejoined Monsieur de Grandvilain, after a moment, "even if -I should weep for the poor marchioness all the time, that would not -bring her back to me. I must preserve myself for my son. Ah! only let me -see him when he is twenty years old! That is all I ask." - -"The deuce! I should say so! You are not modest!" said Jasmin; "twenty -added to the seventy you are now, would make you ninety!" - -"Well, Jasmin, don't men ever live to that age?" - -"Oh! very seldom; but it may happen." - -"How old are you, you rascal, to venture to make such remarks?" - -"Why, monsieur, I am fifty," replied Jasmin, straightening himself up -and putting out his leg. - -"Hum! I believe that you take off something; you look much older than -that. But no matter, I will bury ten like you!" - -"Monsieur is at liberty to do so, certainly." - -"And as soon as my gout has left me, I will go and embrace my heir. Of -course I could send for the nurse to come here; but the doctor says that -children mustn't have change of air; and I would rather deprive myself -of seeing mine than expose him to the danger of being sick again." - -"Besides, monsieur, whenever you want me to go to see our young man, you -know that I am always ready; and there's no need of sending that fat -Turlurette with me; I know how to tell whether the child is well. I will -go to Gagny every day if you want; it doesn't tire me a bit." - -Jasmin was very fond of going to see Cherubin; in the first place, the -faithful retainer was already devotedly attached to his master's son; -and in the second place, he always emptied several jars of wine with the -foster-father, who also had become his friend. The marchioness had been -dead five months, when Monsieur de Grandvilain at last got relief from -his gout and was able to leave his great easy-chair. His first thought -was to order the horses to be harnessed to his carriage; then he climbed -in, Jasmin scrambling up behind, and they started for Gagny. - -Little Cherubin continued in excellent health, because it was not he who -had the delicacies that Turlurette continued to send to Nicole. One of -the nurse's little boys had already died of inflammation of the bowels; -the other two, who were larger and stronger, still held out against the -biscuits and sweetmeats; but their complexions were sallow, while -Cherubin's glowed with health and freshness. - -On the day when the marquis started for Gagny, Jacquinot Frimousset had -begun his visits to the wine-shop in the morning, and he was already -quite drunk when one of his friends informed him that the Marquis de -Grandvilain's carriage was in front of his door. - -"Good!" said Jacquinot, "it's my friend Monsieur Jasmin come to see us. -He ain't a bit proud, although he's a valet de chambre in a noble -family; we'll empty a few jugs together." - -And the nurse's husband succeeded, although staggering and stumbling at -every step, in reaching his own house; he entered the room where -Monsieur de Grandvilain was at that moment occupied in dandling his son, -who was then a year old; and who seemed much amused by his dear father's -chin, which did not remain at rest for an instant. - -"Who's that old codger?" cried Frimousset, trying to open his eyes and -leaning against the wall. - -"It's Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain himself," cried Nicole, making -signs to her husband to assume a more respectful attitude; but he roared -with laughter, and said: - -"That, Cherubin's father? Nonsense! Impossible! It's his grandfather, -his great grandfather at least! As if a shrivelled and shrunken old -fellow like that could have such young children!" - -Monsieur de Grandvilain turned purple with rage; for a moment he was -tempted to take his son away and never again set foot inside the house -of that vulgar peasant who had said such unpleasant things to him; but -Nicole had already succeeded in pushing her husband out of the room, and -Jasmin, who was engaged in refreshing himself at a little distance, went -to his master and said: - -"Don't pay any attention to him, my dear master, the foster-father has -been drinking; he's drunk, he can't see straight; but for that, he would -never have said such things to you; he might have thought them, perhaps, -but he wouldn't have said them." - -"My husband is a drunken sot and nothing else," said Nicole. "I ask your -pardon for him, monsieur le marquis; the idea of thinking that you ain't -your son's father! Mon Dieu! it's plain enough that his eyes are blinded -by drink. Why, the dear child is the very image of you! He has your -nose and your mouth and your eyes and everything!" - -This language was absurdly exaggerated, and far from flattering to -little Cherubin; but the Marquis de Grandvilain, who did not choose to -grow old, took it all for gospel truth; he looked at his son again and -murmured: - -"Yes, he looks like me, he will be a very handsome boy." - -He rose and put a purse in the nurse's hand, saying to her: - -"I am well pleased; my son is well; continue to take good care of him, -for since the air of this neighborhood agrees with him, I think that I -shall do well to leave him with you a long while, a very long while, in -fact. Children always have time enough to study; health before -everything! eh, Jasmin?" - -"Oh yes! health indeed, monsieur! You are quite right; for what good -does it do to know a lot when one is dead?" - -Monsieur de Grandvilain smiled at his valet's reflection; then, after -embracing Cherubin, he returned to his carriage. Jacquinot was cowering -in a corner of the yard, and did not dare to stir; he contented himself -with bowing to the marquis, who, as he passed the peasant, drew himself -up and did his utmost to impart to his gait the ease and firmness of -youth. - -Several months passed. Monsieur de Grandvilain often said: "I am going -to Gagny." But he did not go; the dread of meeting the foster-father -again, and of being greeted with fresh compliments after the style of -the former ones, restrained the marquis, and he contented himself with -sending for his son, who had become large enough to take such a short -journey without danger. - -At such times Nicole passed several hours at the mansion; but Cherubin -did not enjoy himself there; he always wept and asked to be taken back -to the village. Whereupon the marquis would embrace his son and say to -his nurse: - -"Go at once, we must not thwart him; perhaps it would make him ill." - -Two more years passed in this way. Cherubin was in excellent health, but -he was not stout or robust, like the children of most peasants; he was a -merry little fellow, he loved to play and to run about; but as soon as -he was taken to Paris, as soon as he found himself with his father at -the hotel de Grandvilain, the boy lost all his merriment; to be sure, -the old mansion in Faubourg Saint-Germain was not a cheerful place; and -the old marquis, who was almost always suffering from the gout, was -rather a dismal object himself. - -However, they did what they could to make his visits to his father's -house pleasant to the youngster; they had filled a room with toys, and -they always covered a table with sweetmeats; Cherubin was at liberty to -eat everything, to break all that he saw; he was left free to do -whatever he chose; but after looking at a few of the toys and eating a -cake or two, the child would run to his nurse, take hold of her apron, -gaze at her affectionately and say in an imploring voice: - -"Mamma Nicole, ain't we going home soon?" - -One day the marquis assumed a solemn expression, and beckoning his son -to his side, said to him: - -"But, Cherubin, you are at home here. When you are at the village, you -are at your nurse's home; here you are in your father's house and -consequently at your own home." - -"Oh, no!" he replied, "this ain't to home." - -"You are an obstinate little fellow, Cherubin; you don't think that you -are at home here, because you are not used to being here; but if you -should stay here no more than a fortnight, you would forget the village; -for after all it is much finer here than at your nurse's house; isn't -it?" - -"Oh no! it's ever so much prettier to our house!" - -"To our house! to our house! this is most annoying. However, as it is -so, as you are not happy at your father's house, you are going to stay -here, Cherubin; you shan't go back to your nurse's again; I am going to -keep you with me; you shall not leave me after this; and at all events I -will teach you to speak French, and not to say 'to our house' any more!" - -The child did not dare to reply; the stern tone which his father assumed -to him for the first time, terrified him so that he was speechless and -dared not move; but in a moment his features contracted, his tears -gushed forth and he began to sob. - -Thereupon Jasmin, who, in an adjoining room, had heard all that had been -said, rushed at his master like a madman, crying: - -"Well! what does this mean? So you make our child cry now, do you? -That's very nice of you! do you propose to become a tyrant?" - -"Hold your tongue, Jasmin!" - -"No, monsieur, I won't allow you to make our little one unhappy! I -should think not! I say that you shall not! Look, see how he is crying, -the dear boy! For heaven's sake, what is the matter with you to-day, -monsieur? Has the gout gone to your heart?" - -"Jasmin----" - -"I don't care, monsieur; beat me, discharge me, send me to the stable, -make me sleep with the horses; do whatever you choose, but don't make -this child cry; for if you do, why--I----" - -Jasmin paused; he could say no more, because he too was weeping. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain, when he saw his faithful servant cover his eyes -with his handkerchief, held out his hand instead of scolding him, and -said: - -"Come! come! don't lose your head. I was wrong, yes, I was wrong, since -I have made this poor child unhappy. After all, my company is not very -lively; the gout often makes me cross. What would he do in this great -house, poor boy? He is too young to be made to study. And then he no -longer has any mother, so we must leave him with his nurse as long as -possible. Besides, the air in Paris is not so good as that which he -breathes in the village. So take back your foster-child, nurse; as he -loves you so dearly, it must be that you make him happy. Come and kiss -me, Cherubin, and don't cry any more; you are going back to your good -friends; they do not love you any more than we do, but you love them -more. I will try to be patient, and perhaps my turn will come some day." - -"Bravo! bravo!" cried Jasmin, while his master embraced his son. "Ah! -that is what I call talking; I recognize you now, monsieur. Why, -certainly your Cherubin will love you, he will adore you,--but later; -you can't expect that all at once; let him grow a little, and if he -doesn't love you then, why I shall have a word to say to him." - -So the nurse took Cherubin back to the village. Nicole was well pleased -to keep a child who was a fortune to her; but she promised the old -marquis to bring his son to him the next week, for the old man seemed -more depressed than usual at parting. - -They say that there are presentiments, secret warnings, which enable us -to divine that some disaster threatens us; that our heart beats more -violently when we part from a dear one whom we are destined never to see -again. Why should we not believe in presentiments? The ancients believed -in omens; men of sense are sometimes very superstitious; it is -infinitely better to believe in many things than to believe in nothing; -and strong minds are not always great minds. - -Had the Marquis de Grandvilain a presentiment, that he was so loath to -allow his son to go? That is something that we cannot tell; but it is a -fact that he was destined never to see him again. Three days after the -scene which we have described, an attack of gout carried the old -nobleman off in a few hours; he had only time to whisper to Jasmin the -name of his notary, and to breathe that of his son. - -The grief of the marquis's valet was more intense, more touching, more -sincere, than that of a multitude of friends and relations would have -been. When our servants love us, they love us dearly, for they know our -faults as well as our good qualities, and they forgive us the former in -favor of the latter, which our friends and acquaintances never do. - -Jasmin was especially distressed because he had reproved his master for -wanting to keep his son with him. - -"I am responsible for his not being able to embrace his son again before -he died, my poor master!" he said to himself. "He had a presentiment of -his approaching death when he didn't want to send the child back to the -country; and I presumed to scold him, villain that I am! and he did not -strike me as I deserved; on the contrary, he gave me his hand! Ah! I -would die of grief if I had not Cherubin to look out for." - -Thereupon Jasmin recalled the fact that his master, before he closed his -eyes, had stammered the name of his notary; and presuming that that -functionary was instructed concerning the wishes of the late marquis, he -made haste to go to him and tell him of his master's death. - -Monsieur de Grandvilain's notary was a man still young, but of a serious -and even somewhat severe aspect; he had, in fact, the marquis's will in -his keeping, and was instructed to carry out his last wishes. He lost no -time in opening the document which he had in charge, and read what -follows: - - "I possess thirty thousand francs a year. All my property descends - to my son, my sole heir. I desire that he be put in possession of - his property at the age of fifteen. Until then I beg that my notary - will undertake to manage it. I desire that no change shall be made - inside my house, and that none of my servants shall be discharged. - I appoint Jasmin, my faithful valet de chambre, steward of my - household. Every month my notary shall hand him such sum as he - shall require for the household expenses and for the education of - my son. - - "SIGISMOND VENCESLAS, MARQUIS DE GRANDVILAIN." - -The notary could not help smiling after reading this extraordinary -testament, and Jasmin, who had listened with all his ears, gazed at him -with an air of amazement, and faltered: - -"In all this, monsieur le notaire, I didn't understand who is to be the -child's guardian." - -"There isn't any, Jasmin, his father hasn't appointed any; he relied -upon you and me; upon me to administer his fortune, and upon you to -superintend his conduct. It seems that Monsieur de Grandvilain had -great confidence in you; I have no doubt that you deserve it, but I urge -you to redouble your zeal with respect to the young marquis. Remember -that it is your duty now to watch over him. As for his fortune, his -father wished him to be placed in possession of it at the age of -fifteen. That is making him rich at a very early age; but since it is -his father's will, see to it, Jasmin, that at all events, when fifteen, -the young marquis is already a man in knowledge and strength of -character." - -Jasmin listened to this speech with the greatest attention; he attempted -to reply, but got confused, lost his way in a sentence which he could -not finish, and finally left the notary, after receiving a sum of money -with which to begin to manage his master's household. - -On returning to the house, Jasmin had grown three inches and was puffed -up like a balloon; vanity perches everywhere, among the small as well as -among the great, and it is likely to be even more powerful among the -former who are not accustomed to grandeur. - -All the servants gathered about the valet, curious to learn the contents -of the will. Jasmin assumed a peculiarly idiotic expression, and -replied, speaking through his nose: - -"Never fear, my friends, there is to be no change here; I keep you all -in my service." - -"You, Monsieur Jasmin! are you our master's heir?" - -"No, no, I am not the heir, but I represent the heir; in fact, I am the -steward of the household. I will keep everybody: cook, coachman, -housekeeper, because Monsieur de Grandvilain wished it; otherwise I -should have discharged you all, for servants without a master are -useless things. But I forget, our master now is the young marquis, and -whenever he chooses to occupy his house, he will find his household all -arranged; that was his late father's wish, no doubt, and we must conform -to it." - -All the servants bowed before Jasmin, who had become a man of weight, -and he, after receiving the congratulations of those who were now his -inferiors, withdrew to his chamber, and, reflecting upon what the notary -had said, cudgelled his brains to decide what it was his duty to do with -Cherubin, in order properly to carry out his master's designs. - -After passing several hours at this occupation, without result, Jasmin -exclaimed: - -"Faith, I believe the best thing to do is to leave little Cherubin out -at nurse." - - - - -VII - -LITTLE LOUISE - - -Cherubin was still at the village, still living with his nurse Nicole -Frimousset, and yet Cherubin was ten years old. Although of small -stature, his health was excellent, and the attentions of a nurse had -long since ceased to be necessary to him. But the marquis's heir had -retained undiminished his affection for the place where he had passed -his childhood, and he lost his temper when it was suggested that he -should leave it. - -Meanwhile Jacquinot, the foster-father, had become more of a sot than -ever; and as she grew older, Nicole, being obliged to scold her husband -incessantly, was rarely in good humor. And then her two boys had left -the village: one was a mason at Orleans, the other was apprenticed to a -carpenter at Livry. - -In spite of that, Cherubin still enjoyed life at his nurse's house, -where he had for his companion a little girl who was only two years -younger than he. It was a few days before the Marquis de Grandvilain's -death, that one morning, a very young lady from the city, fashionably -dressed, alighted from a cab in front of Nicole's cottage. This young -lady, who was beautiful and bore a look of distinction, was very pale -and seemed much excited; she had in her arms a little girl of about a -year old, and she said to Jacquinot's wife, in a voice broken by sobs: - -"This is my daughter; she is only a year old, but she has been weaned -for some months; I wish to leave her with some kindhearted people who -will take great care of her and treat her as their own child. Will you -take charge of her, madame? I cannot keep her with me any longer; -indeed, it is possible that I may not be able to take her for a long -while. There are three hundred francs in this roll; that is all that I -can raise at present; but within a year I will send you the same amount, -if I do not come before that to see my child." - -Nicole, who had profited much by bringing up one child, thought that a -second fortune had fallen into her lap, and eagerly accepted the -proposition which was made to her. The young lady handed her the little -girl, the money, and a large bundle containing the child's clothes; -then, after embracing her daughter once more, she hurriedly entered her -carriage, which instantly drove away. - -Not until then did Nicole reflect that she had not asked the young lady -her name, or her child's name, or her address; but it was too late, for -the cab was already a long way off. Nicole soon consoled herself for -her forgetfulness, thinking: - -"After all, she will come again, she certainly can't mean to abandon her -child. She has given me three hundred francs; that is enough for me to -be patient; and then the child is a sweet little thing, and I believe I -would have kept her for nothing. What shall I call her? _Pardieu!_ -Louise; for this is the feast of Saint-Louis. When her mother comes -back, if she don't like that name, she can tell me the child's own name. -What a fool I was not to ask her! But she seemed in such a hurry, and so -excited.--Well, Louise,--that is decided; she will be a playmate for my -Cherubin, and in that way the dear child won't get tired of living with -us. Bless my soul! the longer we keep him, the better off we are." - -And the little girl had, in fact, become Cherubin's inseparable -companion; she had grown up with him, she shared all his games, all his -pleasures. Cherubin was not happy when Louise was not with him; the -little girl's activity was a foil to the little marquis's natural -mildness of character; and when he began to show signs of becoming a -charming young man, Louise gave promise of being a very pretty young -girl. But the young lady who had brought to Nicole that child whose -mother she claimed to be, had not returned to Gagny; once only, a year -after her visit, a messenger from Paris had appeared at Frimousset's -house and had handed them a paper which contained only one hundred and -fifty francs, saying: - -"This is from the mother of the little girl who was brought here a year -ago; she requests you to continue to take care of her child." - -Nicole had questioned the man, had asked him for the name and address of -the lady who sent him; but the messenger had replied that he did not -know, that she had come to his stand in Paris and had given him the -errand to do, paying him in advance, after making sure that he had a -badge. - -Nicole had not been able to learn anything more, and since then she had -received neither money nor information. But Louise was so attractive -that the idea of sending her away had not once occurred to her. Besides, -Cherubin was devoted to her, the little girl was a new bond which kept -him in his nurse's family; and when by chance Jacquinot made any -reflection upon the child whom they were bringing up for nothing, his -wife would reply: - -"Hold your tongue, you drunkard; it isn't any of your business; if the -girl's mother doesn't come to see her, it must be because she is dead, -or else because she is a bad mother; if she is dead, then I must take -her place with the child; if she is a bad mother, Louise would be -unhappy with her, and I prefer to keep her with me." - -While Cherubin grew up beside his little friend, Jasmin continued to -govern the Marquis de Grandvilain's household; he was careful in his -expenditure; the servants were not permitted to indulge in any excesses, -and he himself got tipsy only once a week, which was very modest in one -who had the keys to the cellar. But Jasmin thought constantly of his -young master; he went to see him often, and sometimes passed whole days -at Gagny; and he always asked Cherubin if he wished to go back to Paris -with him, to his own house. The little fellow always refused, and Jasmin -always returned to Paris alone, consoling himself with the thought that -the young marquis was in excellent health, and that that was the main -point. - -When Jasmin went to the notary to ask for money, which he never did -without presenting an exact statement of what he had to pay out, the -notary, after praising the faithful valet for the honesty and economy -with which he regulated the household expenditure, never failed to ask -him: - -"And our young marquis, how does he come on?" - -"He is in superb health," Jasmin would reply. - -"He ought to be a big fellow now, he is nearly eleven years old." - -"He has a very pretty figure and a charming face; he will be a little -jewel, whom all the women will dote on, I am sure, as they doted on his -late father; but I presume that they won't be the same women." - -"That is all very well; but how is he getting on with his studies; have -you placed the little marquis at a good institution?" - -"Excellent, monsieur; oh, yes! he is in a very good house indeed; he -eats as much as he wants." - -"I have no doubt that he is well fed, but that is not enough; at his -age, what he wants above all is food for the mind. Does he give -satisfaction?" - -"They are enchanted with him; they would like never to part with him, he -is so attractive." - -"Has he had any prizes?" - -"Prizes! he has whatever he wants; he has only to ask, they refuse him -nothing." - -"You don't understand me; has he obtained any prizes for his work, I -mean; is he strong in Latin, Greek, and history?" - -Jasmin was slightly embarrassed by those questions; he coughed, and -faltered a few words which could not be understood. But the notary, who -attributed his embarrassment to other causes, continued: - -"I am talking about things you don't understand, eh, my old Jasmin? -Latin and Greek and such matters are not within your scope. However, -when I have a few moments to myself, I will come to you, and you must -take me to see your young marquis." - -Jasmin went away, muttering: - -"The deuce! the deuce! if he goes to see my little Cherubin some day, he -won't be very well content with his studies; but it isn't my fault if -monsieur le marquis refuses to leave his nurse. That notary keeps -talking to me about food for the mind; it seems to me that when a child -eats four meals a day with a good appetite, his mind ought not to be any -more hungry than his stomach, unless it doesn't want to be fed." - -One day, however, after a visit to the notary, when he had again urged -the old valet to commend the young marquis to his teachers, Jasmin -started at once for Gagny, saying to himself on the way: - -"I am an old brute! I leave my master's son in ignorance; for after all, -I know how to read myself, and I believe that Cherubin doesn't even know -that. Certainly this state of things can't be allowed to go on. Later, -people will say: 'Jasmin took no care of the child who was placed in his -charge. Jasmin is unworthy of the late marquis's confidence.'--I don't -propose that people shall say that of me. I am sixty years old now, but -that's no reason for being an idiot. I propose to show my strength of -character." - -When Jasmin arrived at Nicole's, he found her at work in the house, -while Jacquinot sat half asleep in an old easy-chair. - -"My friends," said Jasmin, entering the room with a very busy air, and -rolling his eyes about, "things can't remain like this; we must make a -complete change." - -Nicole gazed at the old servant and said: - -"You want to change our house over; you think this room is too dark? -Dear me! we're used to it, you see." - -"Ain't we going to drink a glass?" said Jacquinot, rising, and rubbing -his eyes. - -"In a minute, Jacquinot, in a minute.--My friends, you don't understand -me. I am talking about your foster-child, my young master, to whom you -only give such food as you yourselves eat; do you not?" - -"Ain't he satisfied, the dear child?" cried Nicole. "Bless my soul! I -will give him whatever he wants; all he has got to do is to speak. I -will make him tarts, cakes----" - -"It isn't that, Nicole, it isn't that sort of food that I'm talking -about. It's Cherubin's mind that needs a lot of things." - -"Mind? Something light, I suppose? I will make him some cream cheese." - -"Once more, Dame Frimousset, allow me to speak. My young master must -become a scholar, or something like it; it isn't a question of eating, -but of studying. What does he learn here with you? Does he even know how -to read, to write or to figure?" - -"Faith, no," said Nicole; "you never mentioned those things, and we -didn't think they were necessary, especially as Cherubin is going to be -very rich; we didn't think there was any need of his learning a trade." - -"It isn't a question of learning a trade, but of becoming a scholar." - -"Ah yes! I understand, like the schoolmaster, who always stuffs his -conversation full of words that nobody knows what they mean." - -"That's the very thing. Oh! if Cherubin could say some of those fine -sentences that no one can understand, that would be splendid.--So you -have a learned schoolmaster in this village, have you?" - -"To be sure,--Monsieur Gerondif." - -"Gerondif! the name alone indicates a very learned man. Do you think he -would consent to come to your house and give my young master lessons? -For it is impossible for monsieur le marquis to go to school with all -the young brats in the village." - -"Why shouldn't Monsieur Gerondif come here? He has educated two or three -children for people who come to Gagny to pass the summer. Besides, he -ain't very well fixed, the dear man, and to earn a little money----" - -"There is no difficulty about that; I will pay him whatever he asks. Do -you suppose that I could talk--that I could see this Monsieur Gerondif?" - -"That's easy enough; Jacquinot will go and fetch him. It's after five -o'clock, so his school is over. Jacquinot, you will find the -schoolmaster at Manon the baker's, because he goes there every day to -bake potatoes in her oven while it's still hot." - -"Go, my dear Jacquinot; bring me this scholar, and then we will empty a -few bottles; I will treat Monsieur Gerondif too." - -That promise roused Jacquinot, who went out, promising to make haste, -and Jasmin asked Nicole: - -"Where is my young master?" - -"My _fieu_?" - -"My master, the young Marquis de Grandvilain. He is eleven years old -now, my dear Nicole, and it seems to me that he is rather large for you -to keep on calling him your _fieu_." - -"Oh! bless my soul! habit--what do you expect?--He's in the garden, -under the plum trees." - -"Alone?" - -"Oh no! Louise is with him, always with him. As if he could get along -without her!" - -"Ah! is that the little girl who was left here, and whose parents you -don't know?" - -"Mon Dieu! yes." - -"And you are still taking care of her?" - -"_Pardi!_ one child more. When there's enough for three, there's enough -for four." - -"That is what my father used to say, when he cribbed my share of -breakfast; and in our house, on the contrary, when there was four of us, -there was never enough for two.--Never mind, Dame Frimousset, you are an -excellent woman, and when Cherubin leaves you, we will make you a -handsome present." - -"Oh! don't speak of that; I should rather not have any present, if my -_fieu_ would never leave me." - -"Oh yes! I can understand that; but still, we can't leave him out at -nurse until he is thirty; that isn't the custom. I am going to present -my respects to him, while I am waiting for Monsieur Gerondif; and I will -inform him that he must become a scholar." - -Cherubin was at the farther end of the garden, which ended in an -orchard. There, trees which were never trimmed extended at pleasure -their branches laden with fruit, as if to prove to man that nature does -not need his help to grow and bear. - -The Marquis de Grandvilain's son had attractive, regular features; his -great blue eyes were exceedingly beautiful, and their soft and -languorous expression made them resemble a woman's eyes rather than a -man's; long dark lashes shaded those lovely eyes, which, according to -appearances, were destined to realize Jasmin's prophecy, and to make -many conquests some day. The rest of the face was agreeable, although -not especially remarkable, except his complexion, which was as white as -that of a girl who has a white skin; life in the country had not tanned -the young marquis, because Nicole, who had always taken the greatest -care of her foster-child, never left him exposed to the sun; and because -the little fellow, who was not employed in the arduous labor of the -fields, always had leisure to seek the cool shade. - -Little Louise, who was then nine years old, had one of those pretty -faces, gay and sad by turns, which painters delight to copy when they -wish to represent a young maiden of Switzerland or of the neighborhood -of Lake Geneva. It was a lovely face, after the style of Raphael's -virgins, in which however there was a melancholy and charm distinctly -French. Louise's eyes and hair were jet black, but very long lashes -tempered their brilliancy, and gave to them a sort of velvety aspect -which had an indescribable charm; a high, proud forehead, a very small -mouth, and white teeth set like pearls, combined with her other features -to make her one of the sweetest little girls whom one could hope to -meet; and when she laughed, two little dimples which appeared in her -cheeks added a new charm to her whole person; and she laughed often, for -she was only nine years old. Nicole treated her as her own child, -Cherubin as his sister, and she had as yet no suspicion that her mother -had abandoned her. - -When Jasmin walked toward the orchard, Cherubin and Louise were eating -plums. The little girl was plucking them and throwing them to her -companion, who sat at the foot of a tree so heavily laden that its -branches seemed on the point of breaking beneath their burden. - -Jasmin removed his hat, and humbly saluted his young master, uncovering -his head which was almost bald, though the few hairs which still -remained above the ears were brought together and combed with much care -over the forehead, and made the old servant look, at a distance, as if -he had tied a bandage around his head. - -"I present my respects to Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain," said -Jasmin. - -At that moment the girl shook a branch which extended over the old -valet's head, and a shower of plums rained down upon Jasmin's skull. - -Thereupon there was a roar of laughter from behind the tree, and -Cherubin mingled his laughter with it; while the old servant, who would -not have kept his hat on his head in his master's presence for anything -in the world, received with resignation the rain of plums that fell on -him. - -"My young master still seems to be in flourishing health," continued -Jasmin, after throwing to the ground a few plums which had lodged -between his coat collar and his stock. - -"Yes, Jasmin, yes. But just see how handsome they are, and good too; eat -some, Jasmin; you have only to stoop and pick some up." - -"Monsieur is very kind, but plums--sometimes they occasion -inconvenience.--I have come, first of all, to ask if monsieur wishes to -return to Paris with me at last; his house is, as always, ready to -receive him and----" - -Jasmin was unable to finish his sentence, because a fresh shower of -plums fell upon his head. This time he glanced angrily about, but the -mischievous girl had hidden behind a tree; meanwhile Cherubin exclaimed: - -"No, Jasmin, no, I don't want to go to Paris, I am so happy here; I have -told you already that I should be bored in Paris, and I have such a -pleasant time at my dear Nicole's." - -"Very good, monsieur le marquis, I don't wish to thwart you on that -point; but if you stay here, you must not pass all your time in playing -any longer; you must study, my dear master, you must become a learned -man; it is absolutely necessary and----" - -A shower of plums, heavier than the other two, once more cut Jasmin -short; and he, finding that he had two breaches in his band of hair, -turned round and exclaimed angrily: - -"Oh! this is too much; do you want to make marmalade of my head?--Ah! it -is that little girl who is playing these tricks on me. It is very -pretty, mademoiselle; I advise you to laugh; there is good reason for -it." - -Louise had run to hide behind Cherubin, laughing heartily; and he, -laughing also at the grimace made by his old servant, said to him: - -"It is all your own fault, Jasmin; leave us in peace. Louise and I were -eating plums, and having a good time; why did you come to disturb us, to -tell me a lot of foolish things? that I must study, that I must be a -learned man. I don't want to study! Go and drink with Jacquinot; go, go! -I don't need you." - -Jasmin seemed sorely embarrassed; at last he replied: - -"I am sorry to annoy monsieur le marquis, but you are too big now not to -know how to read or write; in fact, there are a lot of things which you -ought to know, because you are a marquis and--in short, your venerable -father's notary says that you ought to have prizes in Latin and Greek, -and it seems that it is customary to study in order to get prizes. I -have just sent after the schoolmaster of this village, Monsieur -Gerondif; he is coming here, and he is to teach you, for Nicole assures -me that he is a good scholar, although he is obliged to have his -potatoes baked in the baker's oven." - -Cherubin's brow darkened, and the little fellow replied with a very -pronounced pout: - -"I don't want the schoolmaster to come here; I don't need to be a -scholar. You tire me, Jasmin, with your Monsieur Gerondif!" - -It pained Jasmin greatly to have to vex his young master. He did not -know what to say or to do; he twisted his hat and twirled it in his -hands, for he felt that after all it was necessary to compel the young -marquis not to be a dolt, but he did not know what course to pursue to -that end; and if at that moment he had received another shower of plums -it would not have roused him from his stupor. - -But Nicole had followed the old servant at a distance; the nurse -realized that if Cherubin refused to learn anything at her house, they -would be obliged to make him go to Paris to learn. Dreading lest she -might lose a child whom she loved, and who had brought ease to her -household for eleven years, Nicole felt that some way must be found to -induce the boy to consent to take lessons of the schoolmaster. - -Women, even those in the country, speedily divine where our vulnerable -point is. Nicole, who had gradually drawn near, and was then standing -behind Jasmin, who had ceased to speak or move, advanced a few steps -nearer the children, and, taking Louise by the hand, said: - -"Look you, Monsieur Jasmin, I see the reason plain enough why Cherubin -don't want to work; it's because he plays all day with this girl. Well! -as I too want my fieu to be a scholar, I am going to take Louise to one -of our relations two leagues away; she'll be taken good care of there, -and then she won't prevent Cherubin from studying." - -Nicole had not finished when the little boy ran to her and taking hold -of her dress, cried in a touching voice, and with tears in his eyes: - -"No, no, don't take Louise away; I will study, I will learn whatever you -want me to with Monsieur Gerondif; but don't take Louise away, oh! -please don't take her away!" - -Nicole's ruse had succeeded. She embraced her foster-child, Louise -leaped for joy when she found that she was not to be sent away, and -Jasmin would have done as much if his age had not made it impossible; he -threw his hat in the air, however, exclaiming: - -"Long live Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain! ah! I knew perfectly well -that he would consent to become a learned man!" - -At that moment Jacquinot appeared at the garden gate and shouted: - -"Here's Monsieur Gerondif; I've brought him with me." - - - - -VIII - -MONSIEUR GERONDIF - - -The new personage who had arrived at Nicole's was a man of about forty -years of age, of medium height, rather stout than thin, with an ordinary -face, in which could be detected the desire to give himself an air of -importance, and the habit of bending the knee in servile fashion to all -those who were above him in social rank or in fortune. - -Monsieur Gerondif had long, thick, greasy brown hair, which was cut -straight in front, just above the eyebrows, and which hid his coat -collar behind; on the sides it was held in respect by the ears. The -teacher had gray eyes, the size of which it was difficult to discover, -because he kept them lowered all the time, even when speaking to you. He -had a very large mouth, which was abundantly furnished with very fine -teeth, and whether for the purpose of displaying that attractive -feature, or to afford a favorable idea of the affability of his -disposition, he smiled almost continually when he talked, and never -failed to open his mouth so far that one could see his whole supply. - -A nose much too large for the rest of the face, and almost always -adorned by a number of small pimples, impaired infinitely the general -aspect of the professor's countenance; and the habit which he had -adopted of scratching it, and of stuffing it with snuff, gave to that -protuberance a very conspicuous red and black appearance, which would -have been in some degree repellent, if Monsieur Gerondif's soft and -honeyed voice had not lessened the unfortunate impression produced at -first by his nose. - -The schoolmaster's costume was rather severe, for it was supposed to be -all black; the coat, trousers and waistcoat were in fact originally made -of cloth of that color; but time had wrought such ravages upon them all, -that it had often been necessary to apply patches upon each of those -garments; and whether from carelessness on the part of the person who -had made the repairs, or because black cloth was scarcer than any other -color in the neighborhood, blue, green, gray, and even nut-colored -pieces had been used to patch Monsieur Gerondif's coat, trousers, and -waistcoat; so that he bore some resemblance to a harlequin; add to all -this, socks and wooden shoes, and a generally dirty aspect, and you will -have an idea of the individual who had been sent for to act as tutor to -the young Marquis de Grandvilain. - -As for what he wore on his head, we have not mentioned that, for the -reason that Monsieur Gerondif never wore hat or cap, and that no one -could even remember having seen him with any sort of head covering in -his hand. He had an old umbrella, which boasted of but three ribs, -beneath which our schoolmaster bravely sheltered his head when it -rained, without fear that the old thing would collapse, because it was -divided into several pieces. - -The schoolmaster suffered terribly from chilblains and corns on his -feet, so that he had been obliged to lean heavily upon Jacquinot's arm, -which was doubtless the reason that Nicole's husband had announced that -he had _brought_ Monsieur Gerondif. When he learned that he had been -sent for on the part of Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain, the -professor had not taken the time to remove his potatoes from the baker's -oven, nor had he deemed it necessary to wash his hands, a task which he -performed in fact only on Sundays and holidays. - -Jasmin pushed his young master in front of him. Cherubin did not release -Louise's hand, as if he still feared that they proposed to separate him -from his dear companion. The old valet followed him, still holding his -hat in his hand; Nicole walked behind; and they all went to receive the -professor, who had halted on the threshold of the street door, sorely -embarrassed to know whether he should remove or retain his wooden shoes -before presenting himself to the distinguished persons who had sent for -him; at last he decided to appear in socks. - -When he perceived the bald head of Jasmin, whose respectable costume had -nothing about it to indicate the servant, Monsieur Gerondif rushed to -meet him, smiling in the fashion best adapted to show his molars and his -incisors, and saluted him with: - -"Honor to whom honor is due! _Salutem vos._ Monsieur le marquis, I -consider myself very happy to be before you at this moment." - -While Monsieur Gerondif made his complimentary address, bowing to the -ground, Jasmin, who saw that the professor had made a mistake and had -taken him for the marquis, hastily changed places with his young master; -Cherubin did not release Louise's hand, so that when he raised his head, -Monsieur Gerondif found himself with the two children in front of him; -he thought that he had made a mistake, and pushed the little boy and his -friend aside with little ceremony, to place himself once more in front -of Jasmin, who was at the other end of the room, saying: - -"Pardon the blunder; _errare humanum est._ I place myself at your -commands, monsieur le marquis. I did not even take the time to finish my -slight collation, in order that I might be instantly ready for your -orders." - -While the schoolmaster was speaking, Jasmin once more left his place and -stepped behind his master; Monsieur Gerondif seemed inclined to follow -him into every corner of the room, when Nicole said laughingly: - -"But you are making a mistake, Monsieur Gerondif; the marquis is my -_fieu_, my foster-child, this pretty boy here." - -"And I am only his very humble servant, former valet to monsieur le -marquis, his father, who deigned when he died to entrust the care of his -heir to me," said Jasmin, saluting Cherubin. - -Monsieur Gerondif took the thing very well; he smiled anew and hastened -to place himself in front of Cherubin, saying: - -"I make my excuses _ut iterum_, and that does not prevent me from saying -once more that I am the very humble servant of monsieur le marquis -_junior_." - -"Not Junior! de Grandvilain," said Jasmin solemnly. - -"One does not prevent the other," replied Monsieur Gerondif, with a sly -smile, "permit me to inform you, brave Eumaeus; for you remind me much of -that virtuous and royal retainer of Ulysses, King of Ithaca. I do not -know whether he was bald too--Homer does not say, but it is very -probable. I am at the orders of Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain, who -can now tell me what he wants of me instantly." - -The schoolmaster's long sentences, and the quotations with which he -seasoned his discourse, produced the best effect upon Jasmin, who, like -most fools, placed a high estimate on whatever he did not understand; so -he nodded his head to the nurse, muttering: - -"He is a learned man! a very learned man, in fact; he will do very well -for us." - -As for Cherubin, who was not of his old servant's opinion, and who found -Monsieur Gerondif very tiresome, he answered without hesitation: - -"I don't want you at all; it was Jasmin who insisted on sending for you, -to make me study--I don't know what! I am perfectly willing to learn, -but Louise must stay with me during my lessons." - -Having said this, Cherubin abruptly turned his back on the schoolmaster; -Louise did the same, laughing heartily at Monsieur Gerondif's nose; and -the two children ran from the room, to return to the garden and eat more -plums. - -The others deemed it best to let them go, and Jasmin asked Monsieur -Gerondif, with a respectful air, if he were willing to give lessons to -his young master, who had learned nothing as yet, and to whom it was -high time that some attention should be paid if they wished him to have -any education. - -Monsieur Gerondif received the proposal with delight; he shook Jasmin's -hand warmly and said: - -"Trust me, we will make up for lost time. I will make the young marquis -work like a horse." - -"Oh, no!" cried the old servant, "my young master is very delicate; he -isn't used to studying and you will make him ill; you must go gently -with him." - -"Of course, of course!" replied Gerondif, scratching his nose. "When I -say like a horse, I use a figure of speech--a metaphor, if you prefer; -we will go _piano et sano--ecce rem!_ In addition to writing and -mathematics, I will teach monsieur le marquis his own language, root and -branch, so that he may speak it as I do; that is to say, with elegance; -also Latin, Greek, Italian, philosophy, history, ancient and modern, -mythology, rhetoric, the art of versification, geography, astronomy, a -little physics, and chemistry, and mineralogy, and----" - -"Oh! that is enough, monsieur le professeur!" cried Jasmin, bewildered -by all that he heard, and aghast with admiration at Monsieur Gerondif's -learning. "When my young master knows all those things, he will be quite -learned enough." - -"If you wish for anything more, you have only to speak; I venture to say -that so far as learning is concerned, I am a well, a genuine well. At -the age of five, I took a prize for memory, and at seven I had three -wreaths on my head, wreaths of oak, like the Druids, ancient priests of -Gaul, who worshipped Teutates, or Mercury, and the mistletoe, a parasite -which, according to them, cured all diseases. I don't agree with them, -for I have corns which pain me terribly; I put mistletoe on them, and -they hurt me worse than ever." - -Jasmin dared not breathe while Monsieur Gerondif was speaking; the nurse -and her husband shared his admiration, and the schoolmaster, well -pleased with the effect that he had produced, was listening to himself -with much complaisance when the old servant interrupted him to say: - -"A thousand pardons, monsieur, if I venture to slip in a word, but it -seems to me necessary to agree upon terms; how much will you take a -month to teach my young master all these things, it being understood -that you will come every day except Sunday?" - -Monsieur Gerondif reflected a few moments, and replied at last in a -hesitating manner: - -"For imparting to Monsieur de Grandvilain as much knowledge as it is -possible for me to impart, it seems to me that if I charge you fifteen -francs a month I----" - -"Fifteen francs!" cried Jasmin in a tone of disgust; "fifteen francs for -all that; why, you must be joking, monsieur." - -Monsieur Gerondif ceased to smile; he lowered his eyes and muttered: - -"Well, then, if you think that is too much, we will reduce the amount -and----" - -"Think that it's too much!" replied Jasmin; "on the contrary, monsieur, -I think that it isn't enough! Thank heaven, my young master is rich, he -is able to pay those who give him lessons. What! I, a valet de chambre, -earn six hundred francs a year, with board and lodging, while a man as -learned as you, who is going to teach my master so many fine things, -receives less than that! Oh, no! I offer you a hundred and fifty francs -a month, monsieur, and I consider it none too much for all that you -know." - -"A hundred and fifty francs--a month!" cried Monsieur Gerondif, whose -features expressed indescribable bliss. "A hundred and fifty francs! I -accept, Monsieur Jasmin, I accept with gratitude, and I will prove -myself worthy. I will pass almost the whole day with my pupil--my school -will not prevent, for I have a sub-master, to whom I pay three francs a -month; I will increase his salary if necessary, and at need I will give -up my school entirely, to devote my whole time to the interesting child -whom you entrust to me." - -The schoolmaster seized Jasmin's hands and shook them effusively; then -he shook hands with Jacquinot, then with Nicole, and finally, finding no -more hands to shake, he began to clap his own, crying: - -"Hosanna! Hosanna! _applaudite cives!_" - -Jasmin whispered to Jacquinot: - -"I think that Monsieur Gerondif said: 'Apportez du civet.' Bring some -jugged hare." - -"We haven't got any jugged hare," replied Jacquinot, "but we've got some -of our wine to drink, and the schoolmaster will drink with us, I know." - -Nicole brought wine and glasses. Monsieur Gerondif gladly accepted the -invitation to drink, but he asked the nurse for a crust of bread, -because, as he had not had time to have his potatoes baked, he was -conscious of a void in his stomach. Nicole fetched what provisions she -had and placed them on the table, whereupon Monsieur Gerondif began by -cutting an enormous slice of bread, then attacked a dish of beef and -beans with a vehemence in which there was something appalling. - -But while eating, the schoolmaster found time to talk; he said to -Jasmin: - -"We have talked about knowledge, but there is another subject upon which -we have not touched,--I mean morals. In that matter too you may rely -upon me. I am extremely rigid upon that point; for you see, Monsieur -Jasmin, morals are the curb of society. I venture to say that mine are -beyond reproach, and I propose that it shall be the same with my pupil." - -"Oh! as for that," said the old servant with a smile, "it seems to me -that we have no reason to fear as yet, considering my young master's -age. Later perhaps! for look you, a young man is not a girl!" - -"He's much worse, Monsieur Jasmin, much more dangerous! Because the -young man, being more free, can do more wrong things. But I will -inculcate in him principles which will keep him in the right path; I -will be the Mentor of this Telemachus!--But I beg pardon, it just occurs -to me that in order to begin monsieur le marquis's studies, I shall have -to buy some elementary books, grammars and dictionaries; those that I -use in my school are worn out, and I believe that I have not enough -money at this moment to make these purchases. If Monsieur Jasmin could -pay me a month's salary in advance, why then----" - -"With pleasure, Monsieur Gerondif; I always bring money when I come -here, in case my master should ask me for some. See, here are a hundred -and twenty francs in gold, and thirty in five-franc pieces." - -The schoolmaster gazed with a covetous eye at the money which was -counted out to him. He took it, and counted and recounted it several -times; he put it in his pocket, then took it out to count it once more. -He did not tire of handling that gold and silver, for never before had -he been in possession of so large a sum. They spoke to him, he did not -hear, he did not answer, but he jingled his gold pieces and his silver -pieces, and after he had finally placed them in a pocket of his -trousers, he put his hand over them and kept it there all the time. - -Meanwhile, as it was late, Jasmin, having taken leave of his master and -received from him renewed promises that he would study, returned to the -carriage which had brought him thither and drove back to Paris, -delighted that he had found a way to make a scholar of Cherubin. - -As for Monsieur Gerondif, having saluted his future pupil and informed -him that he would come on the morrow, he left the nurse's house, and -went home, still keeping his hand in his pocket and jingling the money -which was there. - - - - -PART II - - - - -IX - -A COALITION - - -We will pass rapidly over the years following that during which Monsieur -Gerondif became the young marquis's tutor. Cherubin had kept his word; -he had consented to study, but he had insisted on Louise's presence -during his lessons; at first, Monsieur Gerondif had tried to keep the -little girl from the room, but Cherubin had shrieked and wept and -refused to listen to his tutor; so that it was found necessary to yield -to him. By slow degrees Louise's presence had evidently come to seem -less inconvenient to Monsieur Gerondif, for if she were not there when -he arrived, he was the first to send for her. - -The fact is that Louise had grown too, and that she had improved even -more rapidly. At thirteen, she seemed at least fifteen; she was slender, -well-built, and possessed of many graces; not studied and affected ones -such as so many young ladies in Paris assume, thinking that they will be -deemed natural; but those naive, simple graces which one recognizes -instantly but vainly tries to imitate. - -Monsieur Gerondif was not a genuine scholar, but he might have passed -for such in the eyes of many people. He had tried everything, having in -his youth essayed a number of professions, but having fixed upon none; -after making a pretence of becoming a doctor, a druggist, a chemist, an -astronomer, a geometrician, a tradesman, and even a poet; after -stuffing his head with the first rudiments of many forms of knowledge -and succeeding in none, he had ended by turning schoolmaster. The man -who knows one branch thoroughly has much more merit than he who talks -glibly about all branches, and yet, in the world, the preference is -often given to the latter. - -At fifteen, Cherubin knew a little of a great many things; in the eyes -of the village, in the eyes of the Frimoussets, the young man was a -phenomenon who had learned with extraordinary ease. As for Jasmin, he -opened his eyes in amazement when he heard his young master use a Latin -word, or mention some historical or mythological fact, and he bowed -before Monsieur Gerondif, exclaiming: - -"He knows as much as you, and that is a great deal to say." - -Monsieur Gerondif puffed himself out, for he had purchased an entirely -new costume; he no longer resembled a harlequin, and he was seen now -with a hat and a real umbrella. - -But with well-being ambition had come; that is usually the case. When a -man has nothing, he becomes accustomed to forming no wishes, to not -looking above himself; he remains in his shell and tries to be happy -there forever; he even succeeds sometimes. But when he becomes -well-to-do, then he indulges in a multitude of little luxuries hitherto -unknown; but they are no longer enough; every day he desires others, -forms a thousand new aspirations, becomes ambitious, in short; and it -often happens that he is less contented than when he possessed nothing. - -Such was substantially Monsieur Gerondif's story; when he had nothing to -live upon but the paltry profits of his school, he wore clogs, went -without hat or cap, very often dined upon nothing but potatoes baked in -the oven, and yet seemed perfectly contented with his position. - -Since he had become young Grandvilain's tutor and was earning eighteen -hundred francs a year, a sum which it is rather difficult to spend in -the village of Gagny, the schoolmaster had formed new desires; and first -of all he hoped not to remain forever in a village where he could not -even find means to spend his money, a state of affairs which is very -annoying to one who has not been accustomed to having money to spend. - -Monsieur Gerondif had been shrewd enough to obtain his pupil's -confidence, and even to inspire affection in him; for Cherubin's heart -was easily won; he flew to meet all those who showed the slightest -attachment to him. While enjoining virtue and good morals upon the young -man every day, Monsieur Gerondif, whose eyesight was very good although -he constantly kept his eyes lowered, had perceived that Louise was -growing, developing, and becoming a charming girl; and more than once, -as he looked at the sweet child, he had thought: - -"What lovely eyes! What an exquisite oval face! What a correct chin!" - -And then, whether to make sure that Louise's chin was in fact correct, -or for some other reason, the tutor would pass his hand over the young -girl's face, and sometimes go so far as gently to pinch her cheek, which -did not amuse Louise at all; whereas Cherubin, on the contrary, was very -glad to hear a complimentary remark addressed to his faithful companion. - -"Isn't Louise lovely, my dear master?" he would say at such times. - -And Monsieur Gerondif would hasten to assume a sanctimonious air, and -would reply, lowering his eyes: - -"Yes, this girl has the type of Jael in all its beauty; she seems to me -to have the very appearance of a Madonna." - -Thereupon Cherubin would smile again, as he glanced at Louise, and -Monsieur Gerondif, thinking of something very different from madonnas, -would say to himself: - -"This girl will be perfectly bewitching! but if my pupil remains much -longer with her--hum! The flesh is weak, the devil is very powerful, -especially when he takes the face of a pretty girl. I am not always -here; Jacquinot is almost always drunk, and Mere Nicole allows these -children to run about together in the fields, looking for flowers among -the grain, playing together in the grass,--all very hazardous -amusements. I absolutely must look to all this. The best way would be to -induce my pupil to return to Paris. I should go with him, there is not -the slightest doubt, for his education is not yet complete enough for -him to do without a tutor. I shall take care that he needs one for a -long time yet, forever, if possible. I shall live in my pupil's mansion -at Paris. That will be infinitely pleasanter than to live in this -village; and then I can continue to keep an eye on little Louise at a -distance; I will protect her, I will push her on in the world. As for -Cherubin, after a few months in Paris, he will have forgotten his little -friend of the fields.--All this is reasoned out with the wisdom of Cato, -and it only remains to put it into execution." - -And to attain his object, Monsieur Gerondif for some time past had not -failed to talk constantly of Paris while giving Cherubin his lessons; he -drew a fascinating, enchanting picture of that city; he praised its -theatres, its promenades, its monuments, and the innumerable pleasures -which one finds there at every step. - -Young Cherubin was beginning to listen to these observations. The idea -of going to Paris terrified him less; and his tutor would say: - -"At least, come and spend a little time in the capital, to see your -mansion, the house of your fathers, it is all so close at hand, and we -will come back at once." - -But Louise always wept when she saw that Cherubin was on the point of -consenting to go to Paris; she would take her playmate's hand and -exclaim: - -"If you go to Paris, I am very sure that you won't come back here again; -you'll forget Gagny and those who live here." - -Nicole said the same, as she lovingly embraced her foster-child, -whereupon Cherubin would instantly cry out: - -"No, no, I won't go, since it makes you feel sad; I am happy here, and I -shall always stay here." - -At that, Monsieur Gerondif would bite his lips, trying to smile; but in -the depths of his heart, he consigned nurses and childhood friends to -the devil. - -As for Jasmin, when the professor reproached him for not seconding him -and urging his young master to go to Paris, he would reply, with that -air of good humor which was natural to him: - -"What do you expect me to do about it? My dear monsieur le marquis has -passed his fifteenth birthday; he is his own master; he can do whatever -he chooses; he can even dispose of his whole fortune, thirty thousand -francs a year. But if it's his choice to remain with his nurse, I have -no right to oppose him." - -"When a man has such a handsome fortune as that, it's perfectly -ridiculous for him to pass his best years out at nurse!" cried the -tutor; "and then what good does it do my pupil to become learned, to -learn so many useful things, if he continues to live with peasants? -Monsieur Jasmin, history offers no example of remarkable men who have -remained at nurse until they were fifteen. It is all very well to love -the woman who reared us, but _est medius in rebus_." - -"Monsieur le professeur, I am not good at guessing rebuses; but I am my -master's very humble servant, and I have no right to give him orders." - -At Paris, too, Jasmin had frequent discussions with Mademoiselle -Turlurette on the subject of his young master. The former lady's maid -had become housekeeper; she had grown so stout, although she was not yet -forty, that it was very difficult for her to walk from one room to -another; that state of corpulence nailed her to her chair, and prevented -her from going to see her young master at Gagny. And Jasmin was not at -all anxious to take her with him, because he always feared that -Mademoiselle Turlurette would usurp a part of his authority, which he -did not propose to stand. The bulky housekeeper asked the old servant -every day why their young master did not leave his nurse; and sometimes -sharp quarrels arose between them on that subject; but Jasmin always put -an end to them by saying in a morose tone: - -"Mademoiselle, after all, I am the one that the late Monsieur le Marquis -de Grandvilain intrusted with the care of his son; in fact, I have the -right to turn you out of the house if I choose; so be kind enough to -allow me to guide young Cherubin as I please." - -Thereupon Turlurette held her peace, although she knew perfectly well -that Jasmin was not capable of discharging her. - -"A foster-child of sixteen years!" she would mutter between her teeth; -"that's a funny thing!" - -Things were at this point when a servant appeared at the hotel de -Grandvilain one morning, asked for Jasmin, and told him that the late -monsieur le marquis's notary desired him to call at his office during -the day, because it was very important that he should speak with him. - -The old valet wondered what the notary could have to say to him; then he -remembered that his young master had long since passed his fifteenth -birthday, and that that was the time that his father had desired that he -should be put in possession of his fortune. All this worried Jasmin, who -said to himself: - -"Thirty thousand francs a year, to say nothing of the additions due to -the savings that I have made in fourteen years! It is a fact that it -would be a pity to waste that at his foster-father's. But still, if -Monsieur Cherubin insists on staying with Nicole, I can't use violence -to compel him to return to Paris, for after all, he is his own master." - -Jasmin decided to comply with the notary's wish. He put on his best -coat, pulled a bit of his ruff out beneath his waistcoat, donned his -silver buckled shoes, although they had long since ceased to be in -style, and in that garb, worthy of the confidential valet of a great -family, he betook himself to the office of Monsieur d'Hurbain, the -notary. - -When Jasmin appeared at the office, the notary was not alone; two -persons were with him. - -One of them, by name Edouard de Monfreville, was a man apparently -thirty-six or thirty-seven years of age, who still had the bearing, the -manners and all the dandified aspect of a young man. He was tall, -well-built, as slender as if he were but twenty, and wore with much -grace the costume of a young exquisite. His face was handsome and -attractive at the same time; his features were regular, and his brown -hair of a fineness and gloss which a lady might have envied; but in his -great eyes, which were black and piercing, one could read sometimes a -mocking expression which harmonized perfectly with the faint smile that -played about his mouth; and upon his brow, which like his face bore -signs of weariness, there were lines which indicated that ennui and -grief had passed that way. - -The other person was a man of twenty-eight, a faded blond, with a very -fair complexion, light-blue eyes, a nose with dilated nostrils, and a -large mouth with thick lips. That assemblage of features did not make -what could be called a handsome man; but his face exhibited a constant -succession of expressions which enlivened it wonderfully; it was a -combination of gayety, raillery, cunning, libertinage, indifference, and -shrewdness, all accompanied by most distinguished manners; and although -his costume was a long way from the elegance of Monsieur de -Monfreville's, and although, in fact, certain parts of his dress were -too much neglected, he wore his soiled and shabby coat with so much ease -of manner, he held his head so straight in his faded cravat, that it was -impossible not to recognize in him a man of birth. His name was Comte -Virgile Darena. - -When a clerk entered the private office and announced that old Jasmin -had obeyed the summons that he had received, Darena burst out laughing. - -"Jasmin!" he said; "who in the devil can have such a name as Jasmin? Can -it be, my dear notary, that you have clients named Jasmin? Why, that -name is only fit for a stage servant!" - -"No, Monsieur Darena," replied the notary, with a smile, "this man is a -servant in a most excellent family; he is one of that race of old -retainers such as we used to see; unfortunately the race is almost -extinct in our day." - -"Ah! he must be an amusing character; an old groom, eh, Monfreville?" - -The person to whom this question was addressed barely smiled as he -replied: - -"I don't see what there is so amusing in all this!" - -"Oh! nothing amuses you when you are in one of your _days of humor_, as -the English say.--Well, tell me, will you buy my little house in -Faubourg Saint-Antoine? I will sell it to you for thirty thousand -francs." - -"No, I should blush to accept such an offer. Your house is worth nearly -twice that, and I do not care to take advantage of your need of money to -buy it at a low price." - -"Oh! mon Dieu! that isn't the question at all! If the bargain is -satisfactory to me, why shouldn't you take advantage of it? I make you -the offer before a notary, and it seems to me that your conscience -should be tranquil. I don't like the house; it is occupied by water -carriers, Savoyards, the commonest of the common people! What the devil -do you suppose I can do with it? They move without paying, or else they -stay and don't pay; they insult whoever goes to ask them for money, or -they threaten to beat you! Such tenants are delightful!" - -"But you have a principal tenant who looks after all those details." - -"No, no, I tell you that I want to sell, that is the quickest way out of -it; it's too much of a nuisance to me! And then, there's another -inconvenience: if I have among my tenants a pretty grisette or two, or a -pretty face, why, you understand--I give them a receipt after -obtaining, not their money, but something else. Upon my honor, I am not -fitted for a landlord, my heart is too susceptible!" - -"You are arranging your affairs in such a way that you won't be a -landlord much longer," said the notary, shaking his head, "you are not -reasonable, Monsieur Darena. Only six years ago your father left you a -very pretty fortune!" - -"Of which I have nothing left but the little house that I want to sell," -said Darena, laughingly. "Well, that is the fate of all fortunes; they -vanish, but one constructs another! I am never disturbed, for my -part!--Well, Monfreville won't take my house, and so Monsieur d'Hurbain -must sell it for me. But pray admit your old Jasmin! I am curious to see -this fossil!" - -"In whose service is this model retainer?" asked Monfreville. - -"He was in the service of Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain, who died -ten or eleven years ago." - -"The Marquis de Grandvilain!" cried Darena, throwing himself into a -chair and laughing until the tears came. "What delicious names they -have!" - -"Grandvilain!" muttered Monfreville, "why, I knew the old marquis; my -father was a friend of his. He used often to speak of a party at his -house, of a display of fireworks to celebrate the birth of a son; of a -frying-pan that was thrown into the air, and of saucepan covers that -wounded several people." - -"Nonsense! nonsense! it is impossible! Monfreville is making fun of us!" -said Darena, stretching himself out in his chair. - -"It is all true," replied the notary; "what Monsieur de Monfreville says -really happened. But the Marquis de Grandvilain is dead, and so is his -wife; nobody is left now of the old family except a son, who is sixteen -years and a half old, and who already has more than thirty thousand -francs a year; I manage his property. But his father, obeying a whim, a -most incredible piece of folly, provided that at fifteen years his son -was to have control of his whole fortune, and he left him no guardian -except old Jasmin, his valet de chambre." - -Darena straightened up in his chair and assumed a singular expression, -as he exclaimed: - -"Thirty thousand francs a year at fifteen! That deserves consideration." - -"Was the poor old marquis mad?" asked Monfreville. - -"No, but he was very old when the child was born, and he wished him to -be his own master early in life." - -"Pardi! that doesn't strike me as so foolish, after all!" said Darena. -"In fact, why shouldn't one be reasonable at fifteen, when one is so far -from it at sixty? But how does the heir manage his fortune? He is -consuming it doubtless in cakes and _marrons glaces?_" - -"Thank heaven, so far as I know, he has given his time thus far only to -his rhetoric and the humanities. But it was with a view to learning -something about him that I sent for the faithful Jasmin. With your -permission I will have him come in." - -"We beg that you will do so. For my part, I am very curious to know how -this little Grandvilain behaves himself. Oh! what a devil of a name! But -no matter, I would gladly change with him now, if he would throw in his -father's coin with the name.--What do you say, Monfreville? Oh! you are -a philosopher; and besides, you are rich, which makes philosophy come -very easy." - -Jasmin's arrival put an end to this conversation. The old servant bowed -low to all the company, then said to the notary: - -"Has monsieur any questions to ask me?" - -"Yes, my dear Jasmin. I want first of all to hear about our young -marquis." - -"He's very well, monsieur; he is in excellent health, and he's a very -fine-looking boy." - -"That is well; and his studies?" - -"Well! so far as I can learn, monsieur, he seems to be a great scholar." - -"Do you know, Jasmin, that your young master was sixteen more than six -months ago?" - -"Oh yes, monsieur, I know it very well." - -"Does he know the terms of his father's will?" - -"Why, yes, monsieur." - -"I fancy that he is too sensible to think of entering into possession of -his property yet; but for all that, it is my duty to go to him and -render an account of my administration of it, and to ask him if it is -his intention that I should continue to handle it. Moreover, I have long -desired to see the young marquis, and I do not propose to postpone that -pleasure any longer. At what college is he?" - -Jasmin opened his eyes in dismay and looked toward the door. - -"Don't you hear me?" continued the notary. "I ask you to what college I -must go to find Monsieur Cherubin de Grandvilain?" - -"The model valet seems to me as if he were deaf," said Darena, laughing -at Jasmin's expression; while Monsieur de Monfreville, who had been -scrutinizing the old servant closely, walked toward him and fastening -his eyes upon him, said in a half-serious, half-mocking tone: - -"Do you mean that you don't know what you have done with your young -master?" - -"Yes, yes!" replied Jasmin; "monsieur le marquis is at Gagny." - -"At Gagny! Is there a college there?" demanded the notary. - -"Gagny, near Villemonble. Oh! I know that place," said Darena; "it's a -small village; there are some fine estates in the neighborhood, but not -a restaurant in the whole region. I went there with two dancers from the -Opera, and we could not even obtain a rabbit stew, the inevitable dish -in the country. But there never was a college at Gagny; I don't even -know of a boarding-school there." - -"Tell us, Monsieur Jasmin," said the notary in a stern tone, "where is -young Grandvilain staying at Gagny?" - -The old servant made up his mind and replied with an almost proud air: - -"At his nurse's, monsieur." - -At those words the notary was speechless, Monfreville began to laugh, -and Darena rolled about in his chair. - -"At his nurse's!" repeated the notary at last. "Is it possible, Jasmin, -that the young marquis is still at his nurse's, at sixteen years and a -half?" - -"Yes, monsieur; but never fear, he is none the less well educated; I -found a teacher for him, the village schoolmaster, Monsieur Gerondif, -who teaches him all that it is possible to teach." - -Darena roared with laughter anew, when he heard the name of the tutor. - -"Educated at his nurse's!" he cried; "that is delicious; it's a new -method, and perhaps it will become fashionable. I am tempted to return -to my nurse myself." - -"Monsieur Jasmin," said the notary, "I cannot understand how you can -have left your master's son with peasants up to this time. I consider -you very reprehensible; you should at least have consulted me." - -The old servant, who was sorely vexed, began to shout at the top of his -lungs: - -"Monsieur, I am my master's servant! I am not the man to thwart him and -to use force upon him, and it is not my fault if Monsieur Cherubin does -not want to leave Nicole, his nurse, and his little foster-sister." - -"Aha! so there's a little foster-sister, is there? I begin to understand -the young man's obstinacy," said Darena; "and how old might the -foster-sister be?" - -"Two years younger than my young master,--about fourteen and a half." - -"And is she pretty?" - -"Why, yes, monsieur, she's a fine slip of a girl." - -"Monsieur Jasmin," continued the notary, "things cannot go on like this; -it is my duty to straighten out this affair; my friendship for the late -Monsieur de Grandvilain imposes that duty upon me, and you too must -understand that a child of a good family, the son of your former master, -ought not to pass his best years in a village." - -"I assure you, monsieur le notaire, that I tell my master so very often. -I say to him: 'You have a house at Paris, a beautiful apartment with -crimson hangings, solid mahogany furniture, a night table with carved -corners, and the inside of gilded porcelain.' But all that doesn't tempt -him. He turns his back on me and won't listen." - -"I should think not!" cried Darena; "the idea of the old fool expecting -to tempt his master with a night table and all its accessories! If you -wish, Monsieur d'Hurbain, I will undertake to persuade the young marquis -to return to Paris." - -"You, Monsieur Darena; by what means, pray?" - -"That's my business. Will you trust me?" - -"I shall be very much obliged to you if you will assist me, but I -propose to act for myself also. Monsieur de Monfreville, will not you -lend us your assistance too? Won't you go to Gagny with me, as your -father was a friend of the old marquis?" - -"I am very much inclined to join you. Indeed, I am already trying to -think how we can induce the young man to come back with us; for after -all, this is not a case for resorting to violence. The young man is his -own master, by his father's express desire; and if he should persist in -remaining at his nurse's, we should be obliged to leave him there." - -"But it is impossible that the marquis should not give way to our -arguments, to our entreaties." - -"Arguments! ah! my dear Monsieur d'Hurbain, I fancy that we shall need -something stronger than arguments to captivate a boy." - -"Messieurs," cried Darena, "I suggest a wager. A magnificent dinner at -the Rocher de Cancale, to be given by two of us to the one who triumphs -and who brings young Cherubin to Paris. Is it a bargain?" - -"With all our hearts." - -"When do we start for Gagny?" - -"I will arrange to leave my office at noon to-morrow, messieurs. Will -you call for me? Shall I expect you?" - -"No," said Monfreville, "let us go each on his own account; we shall be -able to find this nurse's house." - -"Nicole Frimousset," said Jasmin; "a narrow street leading into the -square. Anyone will point out her house." - -"Very well," said Darena; "Nicole Frimousset; the names are engraved on -my memory. Monfreville is right, it is better for us to go each on his -own hook." - -"But take care, messieurs," said the notary; "if you delay, you may make -the journey for nothing, and I shall already have started for Paris with -Cherubin." - -"Oh! I don't think so," said Monfreville. - -"As for me, messieurs, I am a bold player," said Darena, "and I will -give you the start. I will not leave Paris until a full hour after you, -and even so I am sure that I shall arrive in time." - -Jasmin, who was bewildered and somewhat alarmed by all that he heard, -exclaimed with an air of dismay: - -"I say, messieurs, I hope that you won't do my young master any injury -in all this; I mean, I hope that you won't make him unhappy?" - -"Ha! ha! ha! this old fellow is enchanting with his innocence!" said -Darena.--"Never fear, venerable retainer! We shall employ only pleasant -methods! As for you, all there is for you to do is to find a way to get -Monsieur Cherubin's little foster-sister out of the way to-morrow -morning. That is indispensable for the success of our excursion." - -"You hear, Jasmin?" said the notary. "Remember that the happiness, the -future of your young master is at stake, and that you will be very -blameworthy if you do not try to help us." - -The old servant bowed and went out, saying that he would obey. - -Monfreville and Darena also left the notary's, saying to each other: - -"Until to-morrow, at Gagny." - - - - -X - -THE ARMS OF ACHILLES - - -Jasmin returned to the house utterly upset; the old servant did not know -whether he ought to rejoice or to grieve; he would be very glad to see -his master at Paris, so that he might be always with him, and serve him -as he had served the old marquis; but he was afraid that that would -grieve the youth whom he called his dear child; and he was also afraid -that life in Paris would not be so good for Cherubin's health as life in -the village. - -While making these reflections, he summoned all the servants in the -house. It will be remembered that Jasmin had kept all those who had been -in the employ of his former master, and that is why Cherubin's household -consisted entirely of mature persons. The cook had passed his sixtieth -year; the coachman was approaching his sixty-fifth; there was a little -jockey of fifty; and Mademoiselle Turlurette, who was a child compared -with all the rest, was in her thirty-seventh year, none the less. - -"My children," said Jasmin to the servants, "I think it my duty to -inform you that our young master will come among us to-morrow." - -"To-morrow!" cried Turlurette, with a joyful exclamation; "is that -certain?" - -"It is very certain--perhaps. However, arrange everything so that -Monsieur Cherubin will be pleased; see that everything is rubbed and -polished with more care than ever. Cook, prepare a dainty dinner. -Coachman, let the carriage and horses be ready, in case he should want -to use them. Have flowers placed in the hall, as on the days when my -late master gave a ball." - -"Are we going to have a display of fireworks?" asked Turlurette in a -quizzical tone. - -"No, mademoiselle, no, I have had enough of fireworks!" replied Jasmin, -passing his hand over his face; "and unless Monsieur Cherubin orders, -not even a rocket will ever be fired in this courtyard again. But still, -we must see that it is very lively here. By the way, we will have some -music--three organ grinders, and as many violin players, who will be -stationed in the courtyard; they must play their best pieces when our -young master enters the house; that cannot fail to be agreeable to him." - -"Do you want singers too?" asked the old jockey. - -"Well! if you can find any singers, men or women, it seems to me that -they will not do any harm. You understand, all this for the afternoon." - -The next morning, Jasmin started early for Gagny, where he arrived about -ten o'clock. First of all, he asked for Cherubin, and Nicole informed -him that he had gone to walk with Louise toward Maison Rouge. The old -servant was about to go in search of the young people when he met -Monsieur Gerondif in the square, and hastened to inform him as to what -was to happen during the day. - -The professor clapped his hands, tossed his new hat in the air, and -seemed inclined to cut a caper. - -_"Tandem! Denique! Ultima cumaei venit jam carminis aetas! Jam nova -progenies coelo demittitur alto!_" - -"Why no, that isn't it," replied Jasmin; "I tell you that the notary and -two of his friends are coming." - -"Very good! perfect! more than perfect! We must now find my pupil at -once." - -"I was going to look for him; he is walking with little Louise in the -direction of Maison Rouge." - -"With little Louise, who is already large. How imprudent it is! It is -high time to separate the man from the serpent!" - -"Did you see a serpent?" - -"The serpent, my dear Jasmin, is woman, the apple, sin! You don't seem -to understand; I will explain it to you some other day, but now we must -find the child at once." - -"Especially as those gentlemen requested me to send the little girl away -this morning, while they were talking to my master." - -"You see, those gentlemen think as I do; they understand that this -little girl is now a dangerous companion, most certainly. We will get -her out of the way, virtuous Jasmin, we will find a pretext, a -subterfuge. Come, take my arm and let us run." - -"Run! the devil! that's very easy to say! However, I'll try." - -"Men run at all ages, worthy Jasmin, and you were built for a runner." - -As he spoke, the professor took the old servant's arm and hurried him -away in the direction where they hoped to find Cherubin. As they walked -rapidly along, Jasmin asked Monsieur Gerondif: - -"Have you thought of any excuse for sending the girl away?" - -"No; have you?" - -"No, I have not." - -"Let us go on, that will come in due time." - -That rapid march lasted for three-quarters of an hour. Jasmin could hold -out no longer, he was entirely out of breath. But the professor still -pulled him along, saying: - -"_Macte puer! macte animo!_ Our dear Cherubin's happiness is at stake. -Look out, excellent Jasmin, you are stumbling; you are putting your feet -in the ruts, in pools of water!" - -The excellent Jasmin's breath was exhausted, and he decided to fall in -the middle of the road. - -"I can't go any farther," he stammered; "I must get my breath." - -But at that moment Monsieur Gerondif glanced at a clump of trees a short -distance from the road and exclaimed: - -"There they are! the little girl is eating apricots; she offers one to -my pupil, who stands lost in admiration before his apricot! It is time -that we arrived." - -Cherubin had gone out early with Louise that morning; they had taken a -basket containing bread and fruit, and looked forward to eating their -luncheon in the woods; that frugal collation seemed most delicious to -them. And, in sooth, what more could they desire? they were together, -and they loved each other; that is the most enjoyable repast to which -one brings a contented heart. - -The relations between Louise and Cherubin at this time were so pleasant, -so pure, that they were happy to be together and aspired to no other -happiness. It may be, however, that young Louise's affection was more -eager, more expansive, because there was already a tinge of sadness in -it. She was afraid that Cherubin would decide to go to Paris; she was -afraid that she was going to lose her friend; and that fear made her -love him even more, for our affections are strengthened by the sorrows -that they cause us. - -The two young people were greatly surprised when the professor and -Jasmin suddenly appeared in the midst of their open-air repast. - -"We were looking for you, attractive youths," said Monsieur Gerondif; -"we were perturbed in spirit. The adventure of Pyramus and Thisbe has -been running in my head; I have mistaken every dog I met for a lioness. -I am well aware that my pupil has no inclination to fly, like the young -Assyrian, with any Thisbe; but anyone may make a false step." - -"Tell me, why did you come to look for us?" said Cherubin; "I have time -enough to study, I should think. I know enough already. Is anyone sick? -Has anything happened, that Jasmin comes with you?" - -Monsieur Gerondif seemed struck by a sudden thought; he glanced at -Jasmin and said: - -"In truth, my noble pupil, there has been an accident--not at all -serious, I trust. Your nurse's oldest son has hurt himself; he is at -Montfermeil--he has written; and Nicole would like to have Louise go to -him at once; she will come too very soon." - -"We'll go with Louise," said Cherubin. - -"No, we had better go back to poor Nicole, who is in grief--she doesn't -know where to go for a doctor. Louise can go to Montfermeil alone; you -can see the first houses from here." - -"Oh, yes! yes! I will be there in a few minutes," said Louise; "but -where is dear mother Nicole's son?" - -"At Madame Patineau's, on the main street. Here, here is her address, -and a line for her." - -Monsieur Gerondif scrawled a few words in pencil, wherein he requested -the lady to whom he was sending the girl to keep her at her house, and -not to let her go until she was sent for. The girl took the note, bade -Cherubin adieu and ran off toward Montfermeil. The professor rubbed his -hands and glanced at Jasmin, who said to himself: - -"I should never have thought of that." - -They returned to Gagny; as they approached the square, they saw a -carriage stop and a gentleman alight: it was Monsieur d'Hurbain, the -notary. - -"Here's a visitor for you," said Jasmin to his master. "This gentleman -is your notary, in whose care your venerable father placed his -testament." - -"And it was to prevent your attention being distracted so that you might -receive some gentlemen who are coming from Paris to see you, that we -sent little Louise to Montfermeil," said Gerondif with a smile. - -"What? the accident to Nicole's son----" - -"Was all a joke." - -Before Cherubin had time to reply, Monsieur d'Hurbain came up and bowed -low to him. The notary's solemn manner made an impression on the young -man, who faltered a few words in reply to the flattering remarks that -were addressed to him. They walked toward the nurse's house, and for the -first time Cherubin had a feeling of something like shame when the -notary said: - -"What, monsieur le marquis, is this where you are studying? You are -sixteen and a half years old, you belong to a noble family, you have a -handsome fortune, and you pass your life beneath the roof of these -village folk! I honor the laboring man, I esteem all honest persons, but -everyone should keep to his own rank, monsieur le marquis, otherwise -society would fall into confusion and anarchy; and there would no longer -be that desire to rise, to succeed, which, by implanting in men's hearts -a praiseworthy ambition, makes them capable of noble efforts to attain -the end at which they are eager to arrive." - -"Bravo! _recte dicis!_" cried Monsieur Gerondif, smiling at the notary; -"monsieur talks now as I used to talk." - -Cherubin blushed and did not know what to reply. Monsieur d'Hurbain -continued his efforts to make the young man listen to reason, displaying -the utmost amiability and suavity in his arguments. He was careful, -however, to dwell on the marquis's rank and wealth, and he always ended -with these words: - -"You agree with me now, do you not, and you are coming back to Paris -with me?" - -But Cherubin, although he seemed to listen with great deference to the -notary's speeches, replied in a very mild tone: - -"No, monsieur, I prefer to stay here." - -"It certainly isn't my fault!" cried Monsieur Gerondif, raising his eyes -heavenward. "Every day I say to my pupil the same things that you have -said, monsieur; but I reinforce them by example from history, ancient -and modern; it's as if I were teaching a blind man to draw!" - -Monsieur d'Hurbain was beginning to doubt the success of his visit, when -they heard a horse's footsteps. They ran to the door to see what it was, -and discovered a very stylishly dressed gentleman in a dainty tilbury, -accompanied by his groom only. - -It was Edouard de Monfreville, who was driving himself. He stopped, -jumped lightly to the ground and approached the party, bowing -courteously to Cherubin, to whom the notary said: - -"Allow me to introduce the son of one of your father's old friends, -Monsieur de Monfreville, who has come to add his entreaties to mine, to -induce you to go to Paris." - -Monfreville took Cherubin's hand and pressed it; and after scrutinizing -the young man for some time, he said: - -"When, in addition to a name and a fortune, a man also possesses such a -charming face, it is really inexcusable for him to hide in a village." - -"Most assuredly!" murmured Gerondif, smiling at Monfreville; "if Helen -had hidden, we should not have had the siege of Troy; if Dunois had -remained with his nurse, he probably would not have been called 'le beau -Dunois.'" - -Monfreville bestowed an ironical glance on the professor, and continued -to address Cherubin: - -"My dear monsieur, my father was a friend of yours, and that made me -desire your acquaintance; it rests entirely with you whether we shall be -friends as our fathers were. Oh! I realize that the difference between -my age and yours may make my suggestion seem absurd to you, but when you -know the world, you will find that such differences vanish before -congenial tastes and temperaments; I am certain even now that we shall -get on very well together. But deuce take it! what sort of costume is -this? A good-looking young fellow, with a fine figure, rigged out in -such style! It is pitiful!" - -"My young master employs his late father's tailor," murmured Jasmin; "I -thought that I ought not to take him anywhere else." - -"You were wrong, my faithful servant; a tailor is not a relic to be -preserved with respect; evidently this particular one is out of touch -with the styles of the day.--Franck! bring what I told you to put under -the seat of the tilbury." - -Monfreville's servant soon appeared laden with clothes; he laid out on a -table a beautiful coat made in the latest style, a waistcoat of -bewitching material, black satin stocks, dainty cravats, and a little -blue velvet cap, with gold lace and tassel. - -Cherubin could not restrain a cry of admiration at sight of all those -things. Without asking his permission, Monfreville removed his jacket -and waistcoat and made him put on what he had brought; then he put a -richly embroidered cravat about his neck and tied it rakishly; and -lastly he placed the charming little velvet cap on his head and arranged -the curls which it did not hide. Then he led the young man in front of a -mirror and said: - -"Look at yourself! Aren't you a hundred times better-looking?" - -Cherubin blushed with pleasure when he saw how comely he was; and in -truth his new costume did impart a wholly different expression to his -pretty face. He was so handsome that Nicole, although distressed to find -that her _fieu_ was to be taken away from her, could not help crying -out: - -"Jarni! how fine he is! Why, he's superb in that rig! He's a hundred -times better-looking than he was!" - -"He doesn't look at all like his late father," murmured Jasmin. - -"He resembles the son of Jupiter and Latona, Diana's brother, otherwise -called Apollo,--Phoebus, if you prefer," cried Monsieur Gerondif, -still smiling. - -Monsieur d'Hurbain glanced at Monfreville with an air of satisfaction, -as if to congratulate him on having discovered the means of seducing -Cherubin, who, in truth, seemed delighted with his costume. He -constantly gazed at and admired himself; and Monsieur de Monfreville, to -encourage his favorable disposition, made haste to say to him: - -"I was told that you lived in a village, but I was loath to believe it! -The son of the Marquis de Grandvilain, who ought to be noted for his -style, his dress, his manners, who, in short, was made to be a shining -light in Parisian society, cannot remain buried in a peasant's house! It -is an anomaly--a crime! These trifling specimens of clothes will give -you an idea of what you would have in Paris. I have come in my tilbury -to fetch you, and I propose that within a week you shall be the best -dressed, the most stylish young man in the capital. You will set the -fashion; you are rich enough and handsome enough for that." - -Cherubin seemed to be captivated by Monfreville's words, and the latter, -assured of his triumph, said in a moment: - -"Let us start, my young friend, let us not delay any longer. The tilbury -is waiting for us, and Paris is beckoning to you." - -But at that Cherubin's face became clouded, and instead of following -Monsieur de Monfreville and the notary, who had risen, he resumed his -seat, saying: - -"No, I don't want to go away, for I want Louise to see me in these -clothes." - -The two gentlemen from the city were in despair; they believed that they -had fully persuaded the young marquis to accompany them, and again he -refused. - -The notary argued, Monfreville put forth all his eloquence and drew -fascinating pictures of the pleasures of Paris, but Cherubin refused to -go with them. - -Monsieur Gerondif was in dismay, Nicole was triumphant, and Jasmin -muttered under his breath: - -"I had an idea that these men wouldn't be any smarter than me." - -No one spoke, for no one knew what course to adopt. Suddenly they heard -another carriage approaching. Thereupon a gleam of hope shone in -Monfreville's eyes, and Monsieur d'Hurbain exclaimed: - -"Faith! it's high time that Monsieur Darena arrived, but I doubt very -much his having any better success than we have had." - -"Perhaps he will," murmured Monfreville; "Darena is one of those people -who dare to do anything." - -The carriage stopped in front of the nurse's house, and Nicole's guests -ran to the door to see who alighted. - -The cab, for it was a vulgar cab that had arrived, seemed to contain a -number of people, to judge by the noise inside. Several voices could be -heard speaking at once, and continual bursts of laughter. At last the -door opened. Monsieur Darena alighted first, dressed even more shabbily -than on the previous day; which fact did not deter him from exhibiting -the most distinguished manners, as he assisted his companions to alight. - -First came a young woman dressed as a Spaniard, then one dressed as an -Odalisk, a third in a Swiss costume, and a fourth in the piquant garb of -a Neapolitan. And they were all young, pretty, graceful and shapely; -their eyes were bright, mischievous, and most alluring; and there was in -their manner of jumping from the carriage, a surprising lightness and -grace, and in their general bearing an uncommon absence of restraint. - -The villagers gazed at them in wide-eyed amazement. Monsieur Gerondif -affected to lower his eyes, but he hazarded a glance nearly every -minute. The notary glanced at Monfreville with an air of surprise, -muttering: - -"What does all this mean?" - -Monfreville laughed heartily, as he replied: - -"Faith! I believe that he is cleverer than we are." - -Meanwhile, Darena took two of the ladies by the hand. - -"Come, Rosina and Malvina; follow us, Coelina and Foedora. We have -come to pay our respects to the young Marquis de Grandvilain. Where is -he? Ah, yes, I see him; this charming young man with the melting eyes -is he. _Peste!_ be on your guard, mesdames; those eyes will make -terrible havoc in your ranks." - -As he spoke, Darena entered the house with his companions. After -ushering in his four ladies, who seemed not in the least embarrassed, -and who scrutinized laughingly the interior of the rustic dwelling, -Darena saluted Cherubin as if he were an old acquaintance, and said: - -"My dear marquis, your notary, Monsieur d'Hurbain, is mine as well; your -friend Monsieur de Monfreville is also a very intimate friend of mine; -so you see that I too should be your friend--that is a title which I -should deem myself fortunate to deserve. Shake hands, marquis--men like -us understand each other instantly. You are young, but we will form -you." - -Cherubin was bewildered by all that he saw and heard; moreover, the -Spaniard and the Neapolitan were already flashing glances at him of a -sort to which he was not accustomed; while the Odalisk smiled at him in -a most enticing fashion, and the Swiss constantly passed the tip of her -tongue over her lips and winked at him. All this caused him a -perturbation which he could not define. - -"Marquis Cherubin," continued Darena, "I have ventured to bring with me -four fascinating ladies; they are artists, dancers of the greatest -talent, connected with the Grand Opera in Paris; they had a most eager -desire to see you and to drink milk in the country.--Is it possible to -obtain milk here, virtuous villager?" - -While Darena put this question to Nicole, who ran off at once to the -dairy, the little woman dressed as a Swiss jumped up and down on her -chair, crying: - -"Yes! milk's splendid! I'm going to drink it hard." - -Darena walked to where she sat and nudged her with his elbow, saying in -her ear: - -"Be kind enough to keep quiet, Malvina, for you can't say anything but -nonsense." - -And Monfreville, biting his lips to avoid laughing, whispered to Darena: - -"You have the face to say that these women are from the Opera!" - -"Three of them are, my dear fellow; I swear that those three are -_figurantes_. The Swiss is at one of the boulevard theatres, it is true, -but she has a bewitching leg.--I have brought these ladies in their -stage costumes," Darena continued, addressing Cherubin, "because they -promised to give you a slight specimen of their talent. Come, my -goddesses, give us a pretty _pas de quatre_ for the young marquis, who -has no idea of what is to be seen at the Opera. I realize that this -isn't as convenient a place for dancing as the stage; the floor isn't -parqueted; but you will have all the more credit." - -"It isn't even tiled!" cried the Swiss, looking at her feet; "how do you -expect us to slide on such a floor? No, thanks! it's too much work! We -shall come down on our backsides!" - -"Ha! ha! very pretty! very pretty!" cried Darena, affecting to laugh -heartily in order to lessen the effect produced by the Swiss girl's -expression; "you must excuse madame; she isn't a Parisian and she -doesn't know our language very well; she doesn't understand the -comparative value of words." - -"Tibullus, Petronius and Ovid sometimes employed the equivalent," said -Monsieur Gerondif, perpetrating an immense smile, so that the four -dancers might see all his teeth. - -"I ain't a Parisian!" cried Mademoiselle Malvina; "well, upon my word! I -was born on Rue Mouffetard--just where my mother sells Brie cheese." - -Darena trod on her foot and whispered to her: - -"If you don't hold your tongue, Malvina, I'll put you in the cab, you -shan't have any milk, and you shan't come to the dinner." - -The Swiss held her tongue, and the count, taking a kit from his pocket, -prepared to play. - -"I'll be the orchestra," he said; "I have thought of everything, you -see. Come, mesdames, ready." - -Meanwhile, Monsieur d'Hurbain went to Monfreville and said to him in an -undertone: - -"Really, Monsieur le Comte de Darena has employed an expedient which--I -don't know whether I ought to assent to this. His scheme seems to me -rather shady." - -"Why so?" rejoined Monfreville. "Darena is cleverer than we are. I think -that his method of seduction is all right. After all, the young fellow -would go to the Opera, if he went to Paris; so what is the harm of -letting him see here what he would see on the stage? In fact, it seems -to me that the illusion is much less." - -"Very well," said the notary, resuming his seat; "after all, the end -justifies the means." - -The four dancers were on the point of beginning their performance, when -Nicole appeared with milk and cups. They pounced upon the latter and -declared that they proposed to have something to drink first. - -While they were drinking, Cherubin kept his eyes constantly on those -four women, who were so utterly unlike all the women he had ever before -seen. Monsieur Gerondif poured the milk for the dancers with his own -hands. - -"Assuredly I bear a resemblance to Ganymede at this moment," he said to -them. "He served Jupiter, I serve Terpsichore and her sisters." - -"I say," said Malvina, snatching the pail from the professor's hand, -"you make us sick, pouring it out so, drop by drop! I'd rather drink as -much as I like--it's a quicker way." - -"It's amazing how thirsty they are, for fashionable ladies," said old -Jasmin, rolling his eyes in wonderment. - -When the milk was exhausted, the four dancers took their places. The -others were seated, Darena with his kit. He played the air of the _Jota -Arragonaise_, and the ladies began to dance with much grace and -lightness of foot. - -The peasants were lost in admiration. Jasmin applauded; Monsieur -Gerondif no longer lowered his eyes, and his whole face was as red and -inflamed as his nose. - -Monfreville and the notary watched Cherubin; he seemed fascinated, -enchanted by the novel spectacle presented to him, and his eyes did not -grow weary of gazing at those young and pretty women, whose steps, whose -attitudes, whose slightest movements were instinct with pleasure and -licentiousness. Darena, observing the effect produced by the dance, -played a livelier air, then another in even quicker time. The dancers -followed the change of tempo, and their dance became more rapid, more -seductive. They seemed to vie with one another in grace and litheness; -their eyes, enlivened by the violent exercise, shone brighter and with -more fire. Jasmin applauded wildly, Monsieur Gerondif scratched his nose -as if he would demolish it, and Cherubin became much moved. At that -moment, excited by the zest with which she danced, Mademoiselle Malvina -began to hurl her legs into space with such vigor that it was impossible -for the spectators to avoid seeing that she wore no drawers. - -"They are bayaderes!" cried Monsieur Gerondif, whose eyes were almost -out of his head; "it's the Mozambique dance! it's very interesting!" - -Monsieur d'Hurbain, considering that the Mozambique dance went -altogether too far, rose and said: - -"Very good, mesdames, but that will do; you must be tired." - -"Bah!" cried Mademoiselle Malvina, "I'd like to dance the cancan myself! -I'm rather good at the cancan." - -Darena, who was desirous that the effect produced by the dance should -not be wasted, ran to Cherubin and took his arm, saying: - -"Now we are going back to Paris; we are to dine at the Rocher de Cancale -with these ladies, and they hope that you will join us, for the party -would not be complete without you." - -Cherubin was excited, and he hesitated. Darena made a sign to the -dancers, who at once surrounded the youth, saying: - -"Oh, yes, monsieur, come to Paris with us!" - -"You must go to the Opera to-night; you will see us dance there, and it -will be rather different from what it was in this room." - -"It would be very mean of you to refuse us." - -"And then," cried Malvina, "at the Rocher de Cancale! That's the place -to get a good dinner! I'm going to stuff myself, I am!" - -"Come, come, you must be one of us!" exclaimed Darena. - -The Spaniard and the Neapolitan each seized one of Cherubin's arms; he -let them drag him away and they carried him, almost dancing, to the cab, -which he entered with Darena and the four dancers. - -"But I have a carriage," cried the notary; "you will be too crowded with -six in there! Let some of the ladies come in my carriage." - -"No, no!" said Darena; "we'll sit in one another's laps--it's all the -more fun!--Off you go, driver; founder your nags--we'll pay you for -them. To the Rocher de Cancale!" - -The cab drove away with Cherubin, who had not even had time to bid his -nurse good-bye. - -"Darena has succeeded!" said Monfreville; "the bird has left his nest." - -"Yes," replied Monsieur d'Hurbain, "but this sort of thing must not go -too far. And this dinner--with those women; really, I can't be there. I, -a notary, dine with ballet dancers!" - -"Oh! bless my soul! just once; you can go _incog_. Besides, it's for a -good motive, and your presence will prevent the dinner from being too -indecent. Let us take my tilbury, we can follow them better." - -Monsieur d'Hurbain entered the tilbury with Monfreville, and Monsieur -Gerondif and Jasmin jumped into the carriage. - -"They are taking my young master to the Rocher de Cancale," said the old -servant, "and I have ordered a sumptuous banquet at the house, and a -reception, with music and flowers and----" - -"Never mind, worthy Jasmin," rejoined the tutor, "all those things will -serve as well later; my pupil will have to go home eventually. As for -myself, I am Mentor, and I must not abandon Telemachus, even when he -goes to dinner at the Rocher de Cancale." - - - - -XI - -MONFREVILLE.--DARENA.--POTERNE - - -A handsome salon had been engaged and a sumptuous banquet ordered at the -Rocher de Cancale, by Comte Darena, who had said to himself before he -started for Gagny: - -"Whatever happens, we shall surely come back to dinner; to be sure, if I -happen to be one of those who are to pay, it will be rather hard for me -just at this time; but that doesn't worry me much; I'll order the dinner -none the less." - -To give no thought to anything but pleasure, to pay no heed to the -future, to be, in truth, often indifferent concerning affairs of the -present, such was Darena's nature. Born of a noble family, he had -received an excellent education and had studied diligently. His father, -a man of a proud and stern character, having observed in his son early -in life a decided taste for independence and dissipation, had thought -that he could correct him by depriving him of those amusements and that -liberty which are the ordinary means of relaxation after toil and study. -Thus, when Darena was nineteen years of age, he had never had a franc -that he could call his own, or a half hour of freedom. At that time his -father died; his mother had died long before, and he suddenly found -himself his own master and possessed of a very pretty little fortune. He -plunged recklessly into pleasure and dissipation, trying to make up all -the time that his father's severity had caused him to lose, and bade -adieu forever to study and to serious things. - -Cards, women, horses, the table, became his idols. At first he -frequented the best society, to which his name and his wealth gave him -access; from the very beginning he had a multitude of love intrigues; -but Darena was not sentimental, he looked for nothing but pleasure in -such affairs, and broke them off as soon as he foreshadowed the -slightest exaction or annoyance. - -As ladies in good society are not always disposed to form a liaison of a -few days only, and as Comte Darena's behavior was no secret, since he -plumed himself on not becoming attached to any woman, his amatory -triumphs gradually became less numerous in the fashionable world, and he -was compelled to pay his addresses to _petites bourgeoises_, then to -ladies of the theatre, then to grisettes, then to courtesans; and -finally he had grown to be so unexacting on that point that he had been -known to take his mistresses from the most humble ranks of society. - -Darena's fortune, like his love-affairs, had sunk constantly lower and -lower. At last, at the age of twenty-eight, the count had squandered his -whole patrimony and had nothing left save the house in Faubourg -Saint-Antoine, which he desired to sell, and upon which he had already -borrowed more than it was worth. - -But, far from worrying concerning his present plight and his future, so -long as he was able to dine well, to drink champagne with a ballet -dancer, a figurante, a lace-maker, or even a lady's maid, Darena snapped -his fingers at all the rest. To obtain those enjoyments, he was often -obliged to resort to doubtful expedients; but the man who is not -particular in choosing his acquaintances is not always particular as to -his means of existence. - -A person named Poterne had seconded Darena's dissipation and ruin to the -utmost of his power. This Poterne was a man whose age it was impossible -to guess, he was so ugly and unshapely. A gaunt, bony, angular body, -supported by thin, knock-kneed legs, was surmounted by an oblong head of -excessive length, a nose broken in the centre and hooked at the end, a -mouth without lips, a protruding chin, and small eyes of a dull green -hue, shaded by bushy eyebrows, and turning incessantly in every -direction. Add to these an enormous quantity of thick, dirty brown hair, -always cut like the quills of a hedgehog, and you have a faithful image -of Monsieur Poterne. - -This man had become attached to Comte Darena when he was still wealthy; -he had offered his services in any capacity; he knew all the places in -Paris where a young man of family can ruin himself with the least -difficulty. If Darena spied, at the play or on the street, a woman who -attracted him, Poterne undertook to follow her, and to hand her a letter -containing information concerning him. Later, Poterne made it his -business to find usurers, money-lenders, accommodating tradesmen; so -that he had become indispensable to the count, who treated him sometimes -as his friend, sometimes as his servant, cajoled him occasionally, -despised him always, and could never do without him. - -The reader will assume perhaps that it had been this gentleman's aim to -enrich himself at the expense of the person whom he was assisting to -ruin himself. That was Poterne's idea at first; but his own vices -prevented him from taking advantage of another's failings. As inveterate -a gambler and libertine as Darena, while the latter was losing -thousand-franc notes in a fashionable salon, Poterne was gambling away, -in some wine-shop or low resort, the money he had extracted from his -intimate friend. While Darena entertained some charmer at Vefour's or -Very's, Poterne betook himself to a gin-shop to squander what money he -had with a street peddler, and he was too ugly not to be compelled to be -open-handed. And when Darena was without a sou he sometimes abused his -friend, and accused him of being the author of his ruin. At such times -he unceremoniously appropriated all that Poterne possessed; and that -worthy, who was also a coward, allowed himself to be despoiled without a -murmur, promising himself that he would have his revenge ere long. - -It may seem strange that the refined Monfreville should be on intimate -terms with a man whose tastes, whose conduct, whose very dress, proved -his disorderly mode of life. But there are people who, after knowing a -person when he was rich and fortunate, dare not turn their backs on him -when they meet him with a soiled coat and dingy hat. Moreover, Darena -still had intervals of prosperity; when the cards had been favorable to -him, or when his friend Poterne had discovered some new resource, he -instantly reappeared, elegantly and stylishly dressed; he frequented the -theatres, the ballrooms and the best restaurants in Paris; and a few -days later, a perceptible falling off in his toilet, a certain lack of -neatness in some part of his costume, indicated that the situation had -changed. But even with a wretched hat and dirty linen, Darena succeeded -so well in retaining the manners of good society, that it was hard to -believe that he consorted with the very lowest. - -Indeed, does anyone know aught of the private life of the great majority -of the persons with whom he has only a passing connection? Meeting -Darena arrayed as in the days of his prosperity, seeing him squander -money madly in some pleasure resort, no one asked him by what blessed -change of luck he had become rich; and for the same reason, when he was -seen, in shabby garments, slinking into a wretched twenty-two sou -restaurant, no one took pains to inquire what hard luck he had had. In -Paris, people do not try to worm themselves into other people's secrets; -and in this respect, discretion very often resembles indifference. - -Monfreville, who had known Darena when he was rich, was well aware that -he had squandered his fortune, but he did not believe him to be entirely -without resources, having no idea that he would resort to indelicate -methods of obtaining money. The count had frequently borrowed a -thousand-franc note of him, however, none of which had he ever returned; -but Edouard de Monfreville was wealthy and attached little importance to -those trifling services. And then, too, Darena's society amused him; his -sallies, his indifference, sometimes carried to the point of cynicism, -made him laugh and banished the melancholy humor which now and then took -possession of his mind. - -Sometimes people wondered what could be the cause of that pensive air, -of that smile, rather bitter than mocking, which often played about -Monfreville's mouth. He was rich, he had everything calculated to -attract. In society he was sought after, women schemed to gain his -notice; he had been known to have a great number of love-affairs, and he -was still at an age to have more. But his merriment rarely seemed -genuine, and in his conversation he avoided speaking of a sex of which -he could hardly have had reason to complain. Some thought that -Monfreville had reached the point of being surfeited with all sorts of -pleasure, and attributed to that fact the clouds that sometimes darkened -his brow; others, when they heard him sneer at those of his friends who -believed in the constancy of their mistresses, concluded that the -handsome and fascinating Monfreville had had some unfortunate passion, -had been the victim of some treachery. Finally, when he was seen to pass -his thirtieth year, and even to approach his fortieth, without -apparently thinking of marriage, all sorts of conjectures were indulged -in. - -"He must have a very low opinion of women," people said, "as he doesn't -choose to do like other men, and settle down, under the yoke of hymen." - -But Edouard de Monfreville paid no heed to what people might think or -say of him; he continued to live according to his taste, to do exactly -as he chose; sometimes after passing a month in a succession of -uproarious debauches, surrounded by a jovial, dissipated crowd, all -whose follies he shared, he would hold himself aloof from society for -weeks at a time, finding pleasure only in solitude. His friends had -finally become accustomed to the eccentricities of his humor, because in -society a rich man is always entitled to be original; only the poor -devils are denied that privilege. - -Now that we are better acquainted with the people whom we are to join, -let us enter the Rocher de Cancale, where Cherubin had just arrived with -the priestesses of Terpsichore. - - - - -XII - -A DINNER AT THE ROCHER DE CANCALE - - -Cherubin found himself in Paris, and at the Rocher de Cancale, before he -had had time to collect his thoughts. All the way to town the ladies had -talked so much nonsense, their conversation was so lively, their remarks -so amusing, that the boy had not ears enough to hear, and he glanced -constantly from one to another of the dancers, to make sure that he was -not dreaming. - -When they entered the cab, the ladies enveloped themselves in ample -cloaks, which concealed their costumes, and pulled hoods over their -heads, so that their headdresses could not be seen. - -"Why do these ladies all disguise themselves in hoods?" Cherubin asked -Darena in an undertone. - -"My dear marquis," the latter replied aloud, "they do it so that their -stage costumes may not be seen when they go into the restaurant, for the -Carnival hasn't come yet.--A modest dress is the correct thing in -Paris." - -"Bah! I don't care a fig for your correct thing!" said Mademoiselle -Malvina; "for my part I'd just as lief walk about Paris in a Swiss -costume. I say, why mightn't I be a real Swiss?" - -"If you wore an oyster woman's costume, my dear girl, it's much more -probable that no one would think that you were disguised." - -"Well! well! that's a joke, I suppose! how ugly you are! When you're -out-at-elbows the way you sometimes are, you don't look any too much -like a count yourself!" - -Darena laughed heartily and tapped Malvina on the cheek, saying: - -"Come, come, hold your tongue, and above all things behave decently, -mesdames; in the country a mild sort of freedom is permissible, but at -the Rocher de Cancale, and in the honorable company with which you are -to dine, remember, my little shepherdesses, that if you are not discreet -I shall be obliged to turn you out of the room." - -"Bless my soul! we know how to behave, monsieur! Do you think we never -go into swell society?" - -"Why, I often dine with my friend and his brother, who's one of the -biggest butchers in Paris!" - -"And I sometimes keep my cousin's desk; she's a baker and sells pastry, -and only gentlemen with canary-colored gloves come to her little place -to eat." - -"Very good, mesdames, very good; we are certain now that you are worthy -to go into good society, and that you know how to behave decorously. Oh! -if Monsieur d'Hurbain had not come to dine with us! But he has come, for -I see him and Monfreville getting out of the tilbury. We have arrived; -come, my young marquis, hand out the ladies." - -The carriage stopped and the door was opened; a porcupine's head -appeared, surmounting a body clad in an old nut-colored box-coat, the -collar of which was marred by some very extensive spots of grease. It -was Monsieur Poterne, who had stepped forward to assist the ladies to -alight. - -Malvina drew back, crying: - -"Great God! what sort of thing is that? An owl, a hedgehog?" - -"It is my--my business agent," replied Darena; "he has looked to it that -everything is properly prepared, and now he has come to assist you to -alight; he is an extremely obliging man." - -"He may possibly be obliging, but he is very ugly; isn't he, Rosina?" - -"Yes. Oh! how stupid it is to be ugly like that!" - -"And when you look from him to our charming little Monsieur Cherubin!" - -"Gad! there's as much difference as there is between the sun and a -flea!" - -"Come, mesdames, get out of the carriage; you can talk upstairs." - -The company soon assembled in the salon where the table was laid. -Messieurs d'Hurbain and Monfreville had arrived at the same time with -the cab containing Cherubin and the dancers. The notary went to Darena -and said in his ear: - -"I trust, my dear count, that your dancers will behave properly here. I -agree that by their graceful dancing and their bright eyes they have -fascinated this young man; but he is still a mere child, who ought not -to consort with ballet dancers----" - -"Mon Dieu! don't be alarmed! You surprise me! It is due to me that this -baby of sixteen years and a half consented to leave his nurse, and, -instead of thanking me, you preach at me. Be of service to people--exert -your imagination--so that they may lecture you afterwards!" - -"I say, Darena," said Monfreville, scrutinizing Monsieur Poterne, who -was sidling by the ladies, casting furtive glances at them, to which -they replied by wry faces, "is that horribly dirty person a friend of -yours? Do you expect us to dine with him? I must confess that I am not -charmed by the prospect of his company. Who is the fellow? He looks very -like a hawk." - -"He is my steward." - -"Ah! so you still have a steward? I thought that you had ceased to keep -up an establishment." - -"I have kept nobody else. This man looks after my affairs--he's an -invaluable fellow for expedients." - -"In that case, he would do well to devise an expedient for obtaining -another coat." - -"Well! aren't we ever going to dine?" asked Malvina, trying a _pas de -seul_ in a corner of the salon. - -"Yes, indeed, madame. Come, Monsieur Cherubin, be kind enough to take -your seat." - -Monsieur d'Hurbain was about to sit beside Cherubin, but Monfreville -stopped him, saying in an undertone: - -"Let these girls sit by our pupil, or else we may lose all the fruit of -our trouble. I have been watching Cherubin among all these people; he -sighs sometimes, and if he should have an attack of homesickness, he -might absolutely insist on returning to his nurse, and we should have -much difficulty in keeping him in Paris." - -Monsieur d'Hurbain submitted; he allowed Mesdemoiselles Rosina and -Coelina to seat themselves on each side of Cherubin; Malvina, who was -too late to obtain a seat next the young man, attempted to force Rosina -to give up her chair to her and threatened to strike her; but a stern -glance from Darena put an end to the dispute, and Mademoiselle Malvina -seated herself at the other end of the table, humming: - -"You shall not take him away, Nicolas! 'Tis I whom he will love, -tradera!" - -There was one vacant place, for Monsieur Poterne had ordered the table -laid for nine, and, despite Darena's signs, the gentleman in the -box-coat seemed to be on the point of taking the vacant chair, when the -door opened and Monsieur Gerondif appeared, accompanied by Jasmin. - -The professor bowed to the company, saying: - -"I humbly salute the gentlemen, and I lay my homage at the feet of the -ladies simultaneously." - -"What is the man doing to our feet?" Malvina asked Darena, who was -seated beside her, and whose only reply was a violent blow with his -knee. - -But Cherubin's face lighted up when he saw the new arrivals, and he -cried: - -"Ah! here you are, my dear tutor! How glad I am that you came to Paris -too! What a pity that--that you----" - -Cherubin did not finish the sentence; he was thinking of Louise, and -something which he could not define told him that his innocent playmate -would not be in her proper place in the company of those young ladies -who danced so prettily. Monsieur d'Hurbain, who was greatly pleased by -the tutor's arrival, because he saw therein an additional safeguard for -Cherubin, saluted Monsieur Gerondif with a gracious smile, and said: - -"You did well to follow your pupil, monsieur, and we relied upon your -doing so. Pray take a seat at the table--there is a place awaiting you." - -"Yes, yes, sit there, Monsieur Gerondif," cried Cherubin, pointing to -the vacant seat. "And you, my good Jasmin, stand by me." - -"I know my duty, monsieur le marquis, and I will take my proper -station." - -As he spoke, the old retainer put a napkin over his arm and planted -himself behind Cherubin's chair. As for Monsieur Gerondif, he did not -wait for the invitation to be repeated; he pushed Monsieur Poterne -aside, took his seat at the table and swallowed the soup that was -placed before him, crying: - -"This is the banquet of Belshazzar! It is the feast of Eleusis! the -wedding festival of Gamache! Never assuredly was there a more sumptuous -repast!" - -"I say! that gentleman is talking in poetry," said Malvina to her -neighbor. - -"Yes," replied Darena, "I believe that it was monsieur who wrote the -tragedy called the _Earthquake of Lisbon_." - -Monsieur Gerondif smiled graciously at the count, murmuring with an air -of modesty: - -"I write verse rather easily, but I never wrote a tragedy, that is sure, -certainly." - -"I beg pardon, monsieur, I took you for Master Andre; you have much -affinity with him.--But let us drink to monsieur le marquis's health, -and to the pleasure of having him in Paris at last." - -Darena's proposition was eagerly welcomed; the glasses were filled with -madeira, and emptied in Cherubin's honor; the four dancers drank without -heel-taps, and poured down madeira in a way to arouse an Englishman's -envy. - -Meanwhile Monsieur Poterne, having been cheated out of the seat to which -he aspired, had decided to remain on his feet and to assist Jasmin, in -preference to retiring. So he took his stand behind Darena; but while -making a pretence of passing him a plate now and then, he asked him in -undertones for whatever he saw on the table. Darena passed him well -filled dishes, and Poterne, instead of serving them to the guests, -turned his back and rapidly made away with the contents. - -The beginning of the repast was lively, but free from anything offensive -to the proprieties; the young women, upon whom Darena had enjoined the -most rigidly correct behavior, gave their whole attention to doing -justice to the dinner, and maintained an irreproachable demeanor, -although they bestowed an amiable smile on Cherubin from time to time. -Malvina alone let slip an occasional remark or jest of a somewhat -obscene flavor; but Darena always made haste to cover it by beginning to -talk. His conversation, which was always piquant or rambling, -Monfreville's, who was in an unusually cheerful mood, and the quotations -of Monsieur Gerondif, who, while eating for four, found time to display -all that he knew, did not leave Cherubin a moment for reflection. -Surprised to find himself the hero of that impromptu fete, he was -dazzled, fascinated, taken captive; the glances that were darted at him, -the witty remarks that he heard on all sides, the flattering things that -were said to him, and the delicious, dainty, toothsome dinner, which -gratified his sense of smell and of taste alike, prevented him from -giving a thought to the village; for when his face became grave and -indicated the arrival of a memory, his companions redoubled their -attentions, their gayety and their pranks, to banish the cloud that had -dimmed his eyes. - -"I say," suddenly exclaimed Malvina, who, as she turned her head, -happened to see Monsieur Poterne taking away a plate that Darena passed -him, "so your man of business waits on you at table, does he? Is he your -servant too?" - -"He serves me in every capacity," said Darena; "I tell you he is an -invaluable man; I make whatever I choose of him!" - -"Then you'd better make a good-looking man of him!" - -"Socrates, Horace, Cicero and Pelisson were hideously ugly," said -Gerondif, filling the little Swiss maiden's glass; "a man may be very -plain and still have a brilliant intellect." - -"Ah! you fox, you have your reasons for saying so," retorted Malvina, -tossing off her champagne. - -The tutor, who did not expect that reply, scratched his nose and called -for truffles. - -The crash of a breaking plate interrupted the conversation; Jasmin, -while trying to remove his young master's plate, had dropped it on the -floor; it was the fourth which had met that fate at his hands, together -with two bottles and a carafe. - -"I say, is that old fellow Jocrisse?" cried Malvina, with a roar of -laughter. - -"Such a valet de chambre must be very expensive!" said Monfreville, with -a smile. - -"Excuse me, my dear master," said Jasmin, who turned scarlet at each new -mishap caused by his awkwardness. "You see, it is a long while since I -have waited at table; but I shall soon get used to it--it is simply a -matter of renewing an old habit." - -"The devil!" said Darena, "if he means to go on until he gets used to -it, it will be very fine!" - -"But why do you stand behind me, my good Jasmin? It is altogether too -fatiguing for a man of your years. Sit in the corner yonder; I will call -you if I should need you!" - -"The idea of it!" said Jasmin, trying to stand erect. "Does monsieur -think that I do not know my duty? I will not quit my post, monsieur; I -will die first!" - -"In other words, all the landlord's crockery will die!" said Darena, -laughingly.--"Honor to unlucky pluck!" he added aloud, raising his -glass. - -"This old servant's attachment is greatly to his credit and to his -master's," said Monfreville, "I propose a toast to fidelity; it is so -rare that we cannot do it too much honor, in whatever guise it appears." - -The toast was drunk with enthusiasm by the company. Monsieur d'Hurbain -proposed a toast to the late Monsieur de Grandvilain, and Darena to the -ballet dancers at the Opera. Monsieur Gerondif rose and exclaimed with -great earnestness: - -"To the progress of the culinary art in France! The old Romans may have -had more dishes than we on their tables, but probably they were less -satisfying." - -Mademoiselle Malvina, determined to propose a toast of her own, raised -her glass and cried: - -"I _toast_ for very long ballets and very short skirts, in the interest -of the dancers and of everybody who likes a high kick." - -None of the ladies chose to lag behind; Coelina drank to her -squirrel's health, Rosina to her cat's, and Foedora to her cousin's, -who was in the Chasseurs d'Afrique. Monsieur Poterne drank to nobody's -health, but he kept his back turned to the table, and swallowed an -appalling quantity of champagne. A terrible crash interrupted the -toasts: Jasmin had dropped a pile of plates that time, and the floor was -strewn with debris of crockery. - -"This will be rather an expensive dinner," said Darena; "one must needs -be very rich to indulge in such servants as this old Jasmin." - -Meanwhile the frequent toasts had excited the guests to some extent. -Malvina, who could not keep still, began to dance a very pronounced -cancan; Coelina and Rosina attempted the Cracovienne; Foedora -waltzed with Darena, and Monsieur Gerondif, finding that everything -about him was in a whirl, although he did not leave his chair, called -loudly upon Malvina for a second performance of the Mozambique dance, -with all its accessories. - -Monsieur d'Hurbain, who had retained his presence of mind, thought that -it was time to take Cherubin away; he took the young marquis's arm, -motioned to Monfreville, and to the tutor, who left the table with -regret, and, picking out a path through the broken crockery, they left -the restaurant and entered a carriage which took them to the hotel de -Grandvilain, not observing that Jasmin, who had followed them, had -succeeded in climbing up behind, with the assistance of a messenger. - -"Aren't we going back to Gagny?" inquired Cherubin, when he found -himself in the carriage. - -"It is impossible to-night, my dear friend, it is much too late," said -Monsieur d'Hurbain. "To-morrow, or a few days hence, you will think -about it. Since you are in Paris, you should at least get acquainted -with the city." - -"Yes," mumbled Monsieur Gerondif, whose tongue was very thick, "_Cras_, -to-morrow; _cras mane_, to-morrow morning; _perendinus dies_, day after -to-morrow--no matter when!" - -"And with your permission," said Monfreville, "I will undertake to be -your guide, and to show you all that a young man of your rank should -know." - -Cherubin made no reply; he would have liked to return to Gagny; but the -delicious repast of which he had just partaken had aroused a new train -of ideas in his mind, and he had heard so much of the pleasures that -awaited him in Paris, of which he had already had such a pleasant -specimen, that he finally said to himself: - -"After all, as long as I am in the city, I may as well see at once all -the wonderful things I have heard so much about; and when I go back to -Louise I shall have lots of things to tell her, at all events." - -The cab arrived at the mansion in Faubourg Saint-Germain; the porte -cochere was thrown open. The equipage had no sooner entered the -courtyard than the ears of the young marquis and his companions were -assailed by some most extraordinary music. They heard the strains of -several barrel-organs, several violins and two or three clarinets, -playing at the same time, but playing different tunes. Male and female -voices too, shrill and false, roared ancient airs, laments, or -vaudeville choruses. The general result was a horrible medley of sounds. - -The occupants of the carriage were asking one another what it could -mean, when they heard a dull thud on the pavement, as if caused by the -fall of a heavy body. They recognized Jasmin, who, when he attempted to -climb down from behind the cab, had fallen in the middle of the -courtyard. But the dauntless retainer was already on his feet, crying: - -"It's nothing; I just slipped.--Monsieur le marquis, I ordered this -concert--musicians and singers--in honor of your return to your paternal -mansion. Long life to the new Marquis de Grandvilain!" - -Cherubin thanked Jasmin for his kind intentions, but begged him -instantly to dismiss those people, who were making such a horrible din. -Monsieur d'Hurbain and Monfreville bade the young man good-night, -commending him in whispers to the care of his tutor, who was not in a -condition to understand what they said; then they left him to enjoy the -repose which he was likely to need. - -When the strangers had gone, Jasmin asked Cherubin if he wished to pass -his servants in review; and Mademoiselle Turlurette, who was overjoyed -to see her young master, proposed that he inspect the linen closets and -the servants' quarters, so that he might become acquainted with his -establishment and see how things had been managed since his father's -death. But Cherubin had no desire to take all that trouble; pleasure is -fatiguing when one is not accustomed to it, and the young marquis wanted -nothing except to go to bed. - -When he saw the immense room which was to be his bedroom, where there -was an old-fashioned bed, reached by a set of steps, and surrounded by -enormous curtains of crimson velvet, Cherubin made a wry face and -exclaimed: - -"Oh! how ugly it is here! I liked my little room at my nurse's much -better; it was more cheerful! I am going back there to-morrow, for it -seems to me that I can't sleep well here." - -But at sixteen years and a half, after a tiresome day, one sleeps well -anywhere; and that is what happened to Cherubin. - -As for Monsieur Gerondif, after bestowing an affable smile on -Mademoiselle Turlurette, whom he called "mesdames," because, his -eyesight being a little blurred, he took her for two persons, he was -escorted to his apartment, and was radiant with delight when he saw the -fine room that had been prepared for him. He stretched himself out -luxuriously in a soft bed, and gently laid his head on a pile of -pillows, saying: - -"I never slept in such a bed as this! I sink in, I drown! It is -enchanting! I would like to pass my life in bed, and dream of the -Mozambique dance!" - - - - -XIII - -TO-MORROW - - -Cherubin woke late; he gazed about him in amazement and tried to collect -his thoughts. He asked himself why he had left Gagny, his dear Nicole, -and Louise, whom he loved so dearly. Then he thought of the magnificent -dinner of the day before and of those four young women, who were so -pretty and gay and amusing, and who danced so gracefully, casting soft -glances at him the while. It was all well calculated to engross so -inexperienced a head and heart. - -Suddenly the crash of breaking furniture made Cherubin start; he turned -his head and saw Jasmin standing in dismay beside a washstand that he -had overturned. - -"What is all this?" cried the young man, who could not help laughing at -the grimace made by his old valet. - -"It's I, monsieur--it was because I didn't want to make a noise and wake -you." - -"So you call that not making a noise?" - -"I was walking so carefully that I ran into that little piece of -furniture, and it fell. But no matter; you can find those things at all -furniture shops." - -"Oh! I am not at all alarmed, Jasmin. I am going to dress and go back to -Gagny." - -"What! already, my dear master? Have you examined your cash-box?" - -"No; why should I?" - -"That is all full of gold, monsieur," said Jasmin, pointing to the cash -drawer in the secretary; "and it's all yours. And when it's all gone, -there is plenty more; you have only to apply to your banker. And one can -enjoy so much in Paris with money." - -"Jasmin, you know that I don't like to be thwarted. Where are my clothes -and my shoes?" - -"I threw them all out of the window, monsieur, except what Monsieur de -Monfreville brought you yesterday." - -"What does that mean? Do you mean that I haven't any trousers to put on? -Are you mad, Jasmin?" - -"It was Monsieur de Monfreville who advised me to throw away all -monsieur's old things. But there's a tailor waiting outside, and a -boot-maker and a shirt-maker and a hatter, who have brought some things -that are more in style. It was Monsieur de Monfreville again who sent -them all here; they've been waiting an hour for you to wake." - -"Let them come in then." - -The tradesmen were admitted. Each of them was attended by a boy laden -with merchandise. While Cherubin selected those things which pleased him -and which he was told were the most fashionable, Comte Darena was -announced. - -Darena wore his old ragged coat, his shapeless hat, and his rumpled -cravat of the night before; but he appeared with his usual charming and -playful manner, and shook the young man's hand with great heartiness, -crying: - -"Here I am, my dear fellow; I intended to be here to salute you when you -woke. I have come to breakfast with you.--Ah! you are making purchases? -You should have left that to me; I would have sent my tradesmen to you. -You left very suddenly last night, did you not? The ladies were all -terribly surprised when they found that you were no longer there." - -"Monsieur d'Hurbain told me it was time to go--that we ought not to stay -any longer at a restaurant," replied Cherubin artlessly. - -"Ah! charming! delicious!--In Paris you stay at a restaurant as late as -you choose--you even pass the night there when the fancy strikes you. -Your Monsieur d'Hurbain is a most estimable man, but he is not of our -time, nor on the level of the age we live in. Luckily he won't always be -with you, for he would be a terrible bore.--Aren't you going to take -this blue coat?" - -"I have already selected two sack coats and two frock coats." - -"Then I'll take it; I can see at a glance that it will look well on me. -I am also attracted by this little polonaise--it's a whim. Parbleu! I -like the color of these trousers; I'll take them and these two -waistcoats. When I am once started, there is no good reason why I should -stop. Here are some shirts which should fit me perfectly. They make -shirts now that fit as tight as a coat; I will take this dozen. These -boots look as if they were well made.--You have a very pretty foot, -Cherubin, of the same type as mine. I will take this pair of boots. Are -they the same size as the ones selected by monsieur le marquis?" - -"Yes, monsieur," the boot-maker replied, with a bow. - -"Then I will keep them.--I am curious to see if my head is the same size -as yours, also. Let me see the hat you have chosen." - -Doing his utmost to squeeze his head into a hat which the hatter handed -him, and which was much too small for him, Darena cried: - -"It will fit me--oh! it will end by fitting me. Have you another one -like it there, hatter--but a little larger?" - -"Yes, monsieur." - -"Let me see--that is just right; I will take it." - -The tradesmen glanced at one another with some uneasiness; one could see -in their eyes that they were wondering whether they ought to trust this -gentleman, who selected so many things without even asking the price, -and whose costume did not inspire unbounded confidence. Darena put an -end to their uncertainty by adding: - -"By the way, here I am buying and buying, and I have no money with me! -Parbleu! my friend the young Marquis Cherubin will pay for my purchases -with his own; it is useless to make two bills. Then I will settle with -him.--Will that inconvenience you, my young friend?" - -"No, monsieur, it will give me great pleasure," replied Cherubin, as he -proceeded to dress; "I am delighted to accommodate you!" - -And Jasmin whispered to his young master, as he assisted him to put on -his waistcoat: - -"It's very good form, too, very noble, to lend to your friends; the late -Monsieur de Grandvilain, your father, did it all the time! I will settle -with monsieur's tradesmen." - -Jasmin paid the various accounts. - -Darena gave the dealers his address, so that they might send him what he -had selected, and they took their leave, greatly pleased. - -While the old servant went out to give orders for breakfast, Darena said -to Cherubin: - -"Now you are dressed in perfect taste--that is very good so far; but it -isn't enough; I propose that my young friend shall have all the little -trifles, all the jewelry that is absolutely essential for a Parisian -lion." - -"What do you say? a lion?" - -"That is the name given to-day to a young man of fashion. Have you a -watch?" - -"Yes, this one; it belonged to my father." - -As he spoke, Cherubin showed Darena a gold watch as thick as it was -broad. The count roared with laughter as he glanced at it. - -"Why, my dear fellow, if you should be seen carrying such an onion, -people would laugh in your face." - -"What's that? Why, it's gold!" - -"I don't doubt it; and I may add that it is a most respectable watch, as -it came from your father; but such watches are not worn now. Put it away -carefully in your desk and have a stylish one, as thin as a sheet of -paper. I have instructed my steward to find one for you, and to bring -you this morning all the jewelry that you ought to have. Stay, I hear -him asking for you now in your reception room.--This way, Poterne, this -way; monsieur le marquis is visible." - -Poterne's villainous face appeared at the bedroom door, and Cherubin -invited him to come in. As he passed Darena, he said to him rapidly and -in an undertone: - -"The dealer wouldn't trust me with anything; he's waiting at the door." - -"All right, you will be able to pay him. They're not false, of course?" - -"No, they're genuine stones." - -"How much does he want for them?" - -"Eight hundred francs." - -"Call it two thousand." - -Monsieur Poterne took a pasteboard box from his pocket, containing a -very pretty, flat watch, a gold chain, which looked very light but was -of beautiful workmanship, and a diamond pin. Cherubin uttered a cry of -admiration when he saw the baubles. - -"These, monsieur le marquis, are the finest and most stylish things to -be had," said Poterne, passing the chain about the young man's neck, and -doing his utmost to assume an honest expression. - -"Yes, they're in the latest style," said Darena. "My dear Cherubin, you -must have these things; a well-dressed man cannot do without them. I -have several chains myself; they are all broken just now, but I am -having them mended." - -"Oh! I will buy all these jewels," cried Cherubin. "Who would believe -that there was a watch inside of this? What a pretty pin!--How much for -them all, monsieur?" - -Observing the young man's enthusiasm over the jewels, Poterne thought -that he might add a little more to the price. - -"Twenty-five hundred francs in all," he said. - -Darena turned his face away and bit his lips, while Cherubin ran to his -cash drawer. - -At sight of that drawer filled with gold pieces, Monsieur Poterne turned -blue, his brow became wrinkled, his eyes increased in size and his nose -shrunk. Darena, observing his excitement, took advantage of the fact -that Cherubin's back was turned to administer a kick to his friend, -muttering: - -"I trust, you villain, that you have no detestable intentions; if I -thought that you had, I would break every bone in your body." - -Poterne had no time to reply; he rubbed that portion of his anatomy -which had been attacked, received the amount which Cherubin counted out -to him in gold, and hastily took his leave. But he had hardly passed -through the bedroom door when Darena ran after him, saying: - -"Excuse me, my young friend, I will return in a moment; I forgot to give -my steward an important order." - -Hurrying after Poterne, who seemed anxious to avoid being overtaken, -Darena caught him on the stairs and seized him by his coat collar. - -"Don't go so fast," he said; "you're in a great hurry, you old -scoundrel. Come, give me two thousand francs, in a hurry." - -"Two thousand francs!" muttered Poterne; "why, I've got to give eight -hundred to the jeweler, who is waiting downstairs." - -"You can give him five hundred; he will be satisfied to wait for the -rest." - -"But I----" - -"I'll break you into six pieces, if you argue. Come, Poterne, be decent! -You know that when I am in funds, you never lack anything." - -Monsieur Poterne complied, looking as if he were about to weep. Darena -pocketed the gold and returned to Cherubin, who was admiring himself in -the mirror. Jasmin came to say that breakfast was served, and the -gentlemen took their seats at the table. They were hardly seated when -Monsieur de Monfreville was announced. - -When he saw Darena at table with their young friend of the preceding -day, Monfreville moved his head imperceptibly and said to the count: - -"Here already? The deuce! you must have come quite early." - -"When I am fond of my friends, I am always in haste to see them," -replied Darena.--"What wine is this, faithful Jasmin?" - -"Beaune, monsieur," replied the old servant, bowing. - -"It is very good; but I like sauterne and chambertin at breakfast. You -must have a fine cellar here?" - -"Oh, yes, monsieur; and all old wines." - -"I imagine so, if they were laid in by our young friend's father.--Come, -O model of old retainers, go and bring us several more bottles. When a -cellar has been left in peace for a generation, it seems to me that it -is high time to empty it." - -Jasmin hastened to do as he was requested, and Monfreville said to -Darena: - -"But you give orders without even consulting the master of the house!" - -"My friend has given me carte blanche, and I am making the most of it." - -"Yes, monsieur," said Cherubin; "pray do whatever you choose in my -house." - -Darena leaned toward Monfreville and said in his ear: - -"He was already talking of going back to Gagny this morning; if we don't -make the young fellow giddy, he is capable of returning to his nurse, -and that would be downright murder!" - -"Aren't you going to breakfast with us, monsieur?" Cherubin asked -Monfreville. - -"Thanks, my young friend, but I have breakfasted. Were you satisfied -with the tradespeople whom I sent to you this morning?" - -"Oh, yes, monsieur; everything was beautiful. I bought a lot of things, -and so did monsieur le comte." - -Monfreville glanced at Darena, who pretended not to hear and seemed -busily occupied helping himself to partridge pie. - -"And look at my watch and my gold chain, and this pin. Monsieur Darena -sent them all to me by his steward. How pretty they are, aren't they?" - -"Did you pay much for them?" Monfreville inquired. - -"Why, no, only two thousand five hundred francs; I don't call that -dear!" - -Monfreville looked again at Darena, who continued to stuff himself with -partridges. - -"Why, yes, it was quite enough," he said; "in fact, it was very dear. In -the future, with your permission, I will advise you in your purchases; I -fancy that I know at least as much about such matters as monsieur's -steward." - -Jasmin returned with a number of bottles; he broke one when he attempted -to put it on the table, and dropped a cream cheese on Darena's head. -Cherubin was terribly distressed by his servant's awkwardness; and the -old fellow, overwhelmed with confusion by what he had done, slunk out of -sight behind a screen. Darena was the first to laugh at the accident. - -"It's of no consequence," he said; "I am not dressed yet.--For all that, -my dear marquis, if I may venture to give you a piece of advice, I -advise you to relieve your old Jasmin from the duty of waiting at table. -His services will be ruinous to you and fatal to your friends. The -excellent fellow has abundantly earned retirement and you must give it -to him. I will go home to dress, and come back for you; for we will pass -the day together, eh, Monfreville?" - -"That is my wish, if it will not annoy our young friend." - -Cherubin hesitated a moment, then said falteringly: - -"But I intended to--to go to Gagny--to see my--my nurse." - -"Oh! to-morrow! to-morrow!" cried Darena; "we have too many things to do -to-day; I will hurry home to dress and return at once." - -Darena took his leave. Monfreville would have liked to hint to his young -friend that he would do well not to place too much confidence in the -count's manifestations of friendship for him; but if he attempted so -soon to destroy the young man's illusions, if he told him to be on his -guard against false friends, selfish affections, the wiles of -shopkeepers, and all the perils of Paris, would he not run the risk of -disgusting him with that city, which he had consented to visit only with -regret? - -"After all," said Monfreville to himself, "Darena is jovial and bright; -he has the art of inventing some new pleasure every day, and even if his -friendship should cost Cherubin a few thousand-franc notes, the -youngster is rich, and one must needs pay for one's apprenticeship in -everything. Besides, I will keep an eye on our pupil, and I will try to -see to it that his inexperience is not over-abused.--By the way, my -young friend," he said aloud, "what have you done with your tutor? He is -to remain with you, is he not? Is he not well?" - -"Dear me! you are right!" cried Cherubin. "I had entirely forgotten -Monsieur Gerondif!--Jasmin, go and inquire what my tutor is doing; ask -him why he doesn't come to breakfast." - -Jasmin went to Monsieur Gerondifs room. The ex-schoolmaster was buried -in his bed, sound asleep, and entirely hidden by the bedclothes and the -pillows, which had fallen over his head. There was nothing save his -snoring to indicate that the bed was occupied. - -The old servant put out his hand toward the pillow; it came in contact -with Monsieur Gerondifs prominent nose, which he laid hold of and pulled -violently, crying out: - -"Come, monsieur le savant, wake up; my master is asking for you." - -Monsieur Gerondif opened his eyes and rescued his nose from the fingers -that had grasped it. - -"What's the matter?" he muttered; "what's the meaning of this violence, -and why wake me by the nose? That's a new way, surely; rosy-fingered -Aurora doesn't treat the fair-haired Phoebus so." - -But, on learning that his pupil had breakfasted, Monsieur Gerondif -decided to rise; he made a hasty toilet and went down to pay his -respects to the marquis. - -"The delights of Capua enervated Hannibal's soldiers," he said, eying -the remains of the breakfast, which were very appetizing. "My dear -pupil, I became even as a woman on my downy couch. Accept my apologies; -hereafter I will certainly rise with the chanticleer." - -And Monsieur Gerondif seated himself at the table to make up for lost -time, while Cherubin, to content Mademoiselle Turlurette, went to cast a -glance at the different parts of the establishment. Monfreville, who had -declined to accompany him, went to the tutor and said: - -"Monsieur, you have a most important duty to perform; I doubt not that -you will do your utmost to succeed." - -Monsieur Gerondif looked up at Monfreville, opened his enormous mouth, -apparently annoyed at having to reply instead of eat, and said at last: - -"In truth, monsieur, I have a very hearty appetite at this moment; but I -hope to succeed in satisfying it with what is on the table." - -"That is not what I referred to, monsieur, but to your pupil, to this -young man who should be the object of your utmost care here in Paris, -because, although it was absolutely necessary that he should come here, -we must see to it that he is not made the dupe of his innocence and his -amiable disposition." - -After taking time to swallow a chicken wing, the tutor replied in a -magisterial tone: - -"In that respect, young Cherubin could not be in better hands! Never -fear, monsieur, I will draw for my pupil a most appalling picture of the -seductions in which people may seek to ensnare him. Morals before -everything! That is my motto. St. Paul said: _Oportet sapere ad -sobrietatem!_ But I say that, at the marquis's age, one must be virtuous -first of all." - -"No, no, monsieur, that isn't what I mean," rejoined Monfreville, with a -shrug; "it isn't a question of terrifying the young man and trying to -make a Cato of him. Let him enjoy such of the pleasures suited to his -years as his means will allow; but prevent his abusing them, and see to -it that he is not made the dupe of the schemers and swindlers with whom -Paris is overflowing." - -"That is just what I say, monsieur; I will be constantly on the lookout; -I will keep my eyes and ears open and my nose in the air, and it will -not be my fault if the child succumbs to temptation. Moreover, I have an -entirely novel system of education--always in the interest of good -morals.--Pardon me if I continue my breakfast." - -"Clearly the man is either a fool or a hypocrite," thought Monfreville, -as he turned on his heel. "I trust that he is not both!" - -Cherubin concluded his inspection of his family mansion, which seemed to -him old, dark and dismal. Monfreville advised him to have it painted, -furnished and decorated according to modern ideas. - -Darena returned, arrayed in the latest fashion; he had donned a part of -the purchases he had made that morning without untying his purse -strings, and with the money received from Poterne he had bought what he -still lacked. So that his costume was beyond reproach, and he wore it -with as much ease and unconstraint as he displayed in his old coat. - -Cherubin admired Darena's elegant appearance and the grace with which he -wore his clothes. Monfreville made similar reflections, regretting that -a man possessed of so many advantages sometimes descended so low and -frequented such wretched company. - -"Here I am, at your service," said Darena. "We must take Marquis -Cherubin somewhere. I can't make up my mind to say 'Grandvilain'; -indeed, the name doesn't fit our young friend at all, and if he takes my -advice, he will be content with Cherubin alone, which is a most gallant -name." - -"What!" murmured Jasmin, "is monsieur going to drop his father's name? I -tell you, I object!" - -Nobody paid any heed to the old servant, and Darena continued: - -"First of all, our friend must see everything in Paris that deserves to -be seen. That will take time; for a shrewd observer there is a great -deal to see." - -"And then," said Monfreville, "Cherubin will do well to give a few hours -every day to the masters who are quite indispensable; for his education -is far too incomplete for him to go into society." - -Monsieur Gerondif's fork stopped in the act of conveying food to his -mouth, and he cried: - -"Who says that my pupil's education is incomplete? He will surely know -as much as I do very soon." - -"Come, come, learned Master Andre, don't get excited," said Darena, with -a laugh; "I have no doubt that you are very strong in the dead -languages,--and in the art of carving a chicken; yes, you're very good -at that. But can you teach our friend music, dancing, riding, fencing, -boxing?" - -"Boxing?" muttered Jasmin, with an air of stupefaction. - -"Yes, boxing, and all the fashionable sciences which a young man of rank -and fortune must know, unless he wishes to be laughed at." - -"Trust me," said Monfreville, taking Cherubin's arm; "my father was a -friend of yours, and even without that, your youth and innocence would -be sufficient to awaken my interest and to arouse in me a wish to make -an accomplished gentleman of you." - -"And to begin with," said Darena, "a short ride in the saddle; there is -nothing pleasanter in the morning. Do you know anything about riding?" - -"Oh! I can ride very well, and I'm not afraid," Cherubin replied; "at -the village I used to ride all our neighbors' horses." - -"Good! there's a livery stable close by where there are some very good -horses; let us go there and hire, pending the time when you have horses -in your stable--another indispensable thing." - -Cherubin went out with his two friends; he was beside himself with -delight at the thought of a riding party. Being still a novice in all -sorts of pleasure, Nicole's foster-child had never before ridden -anything but plough horses. - -They went to the stable-keeper, who ordered his three best horses -saddled. Just as the gentlemen were mounting, they heard a voice -calling: - -"Well! isn't there a horse for me too?" - -Thereupon they discovered Jasmin, who had followed his master, after -tightening the waistband of his breeches as much as possible, covering -his head with a long-vizored cap, which entirely concealed his eyes and -nose, and arming himself with a hunting crop. - -Cherubin and his friends could not help laughing at the aspect of Jasmin -in the garb of a groom, and Monfreville exclaimed: - -"This old servant's devotion is becoming very painful." - -"But I don't need you, Jasmin," said Cherubin; "go back to the house; -you can't come with me, it would tire you too much." - -"I know my duty, monsieur," replied Jasmin; "my place is always in your -rear." - -"Yes, yes, he is right," said Darena; "and as he insists on coming with -us, why, let him come.--A horse for this faithful retainer--a good -little trotting horse. Jasmin has the look of an excellent rider." - -"He will certainly be thrown," said Cherubin, in an undertone. - -"That is what I expect too; but it will do him good. This fellow needs a -lesson; he is extremely pig-headed; he insists on breaking your dishes, -capping your friends with cheese, climbing up behind carriages, and -riding horseback; we must try to cure him of this exuberant zeal." - -A horse was saddled for Jasmin, and, with the aid of two hostlers, he -succeeded in climbing to its back. The cavalcade started; in the streets -of Paris they went slowly and the old servant was able to follow his -master, which he did with much pride, sitting erect in his saddle and -bearing heavily on his stirrups; but when they reached the -Champs-Elysees, Cherubin and his two companions started off at a gallop. -Jasmin, seeing his young master disappear in a cloud of dust, was -determined to follow him, and began to strike his steed with his crop. -The beast, desiring nothing more than to join his stable companions, -sprang forward and darted in pursuit. - -But his old rider had presumed too much on his strength; in a few -seconds the horse was galloping alone and Jasmin was rolling in the -dust. - -When they reached the Bois de Boulogne, Cherubin turned and said: - -"Well! where on earth is Jasmin?" - -"I was certain that he couldn't keep up with us," said Darena. - -"If only he has not fallen and hurt himself!" - -"Don't be alarmed; at his age one falls gently. Somebody must have -picked him up, and we must hope that this lesson will correct the old -fellow a little, for his attachment needs to be toned down." - -They rode on, the two gentlemen admiring the confidence of their young -companion, who needed only a few lessons in grace and style to become an -excellent horseman. - -After their ride they returned to Paris, sauntered along the boulevards, -visited several cafes, then went to one of the best restaurants in the -Palais-Royal, and after dinner to the play. About midnight Cherubin -returned home, not having had a single moment during the day to think of -the village. - -He found that Jasmin was not hurt by his fall, but he admitted to his -young master that he should not try again to attend him to the Bois de -Boulogne. - -The following days were no less thoroughly occupied; Monfreville and -Darena were almost constantly with Cherubin; the former sent him -teachers in all the social accomplishments; the second talked to him -incessantly of the lovely little dancers with whom they had dined. - -"Which of the four do you prefer?" he would ask. - -And Cherubin would reply, lowering his eyes: - -"They are very pretty, all four." - -"I understand, you liked them all. That can be arranged, and I will take -you to see them whenever you choose; you will be received with open -arms." - -At that suggestion Cherubin would turn as red as a cherry and stammer: - -"Oh, yes! in a few days." - -And while his pupil was being taken about and entertained and dazzled, -Monsieur Gerondif lay idly in his bed, sat for hours at a time at the -table, showed his teeth to Mademoiselle Turlurette, and said to Jasmin -every day: - -"Above all, worthy Eumaeus, do not forget the orders to the concierge: if -anybody from Gagny, even Madame Frimousset, should call and ask to see -monsieur le marquis, she must be told that Monsieur Cherubin de -Grandvilain is absent, that he is travelling; for if my pupil should see -her again, above all if he should see little Louise, although he is -beginning to like the city, he might allow himself to be lured away -again, and all the fruit of our efforts would be lost! And that would be -the greater pity, because, thanks to the advice of his two friends and -the lessons I give him, he must necessarily become ere long a most -preponderating cavalier." - -Jasmin, who always humbled himself before the tutor's learning, did not -fail to do exactly what he recommended, saying to himself that it could -not be wrong to send the nurse away without allowing her to speak with -his master, because a man who educates children must be perfectly -familiar with the rules of courtesy. - -And the days and weeks and months passed in that life of enjoyment, of -constant occupation, and of dissipation, which Cherubin led at Paris. -Whenever he spoke of going to the village, his new friends said: - -"Yes, to-morrow; you haven't time to-day." - -But when Darena proposed to Cherubin to take him to see one of the -little ballet dancers whom he thought so attractive, the marquis -replied, blushing to his eyes: - -"Yes, to-morrow, to-morrow!" - - - - -XIV - -A CHILD'S LOVE - - -While Cherubin was enjoying himself in Paris, making merry and thinking -of nothing but pleasure, at Gagny his friends were dismal and bored, and -shed frequent tears. It is often so in life: the happiness of one is -acquired only at the expense of others' misery. Is it not too high a -price to pay? If we always reflected upon causes and effects, we should -sometimes regret being happy. - -On returning from Montfermeil, where, it will be remembered, she was -sent by Monsieur Gerondif, Louise, who had discovered that he had had no -other object than to get her out of the way, asked anxiously where -Cherubin was; and Nicole, weeping bitterly, told her that the youth whom -she still delighted to call her fieu had gone to Paris with several -gentlemen, and some charming ladies, evidently foreigners, judging from -their costumes, who had danced in her house in a style utterly unlike -any village dance. - -Louise wept a long while; her heart was torn. There was one pang more -cruel than all the rest in her suffering; at fourteen and a half a girl -may well know what it is to love; and with love jealousy had made its -appearance. - -"You let him go!" said Louise, sobbing; "but he promised never to leave -me; those people must have taken him by force." - -"No, my child, Cherubin went away of his own free will, in high spirits, -in fact, and almost dancing with those little hussies, who twirled round -and round longer than the tops my boys used to spin when they were -little." - -Louise wept more bitterly still. - -"Why did you let those horrid women come into your house?" she cried. -"Oh! I detest them!" - -"Bless my soul, child, it was one of the gentlemen who brought 'em; they -drank milk just like cats; and then they danced like kids." - -"And Cherubin went away with them!--But he'll come back to-morrow, won't -he, mother dear?" - -"Let us hope so, my child." - -But the morrow and several more days passed without bringing Cherubin -back to the village. Louise was so depressed that Nicole forgot her own -grief to comfort her. - -"But something must have happened to him!" the girl constantly -exclaimed. "Probably they are keeping him in Paris against his will; -for, if not, he would have come back. Let's go after him, mother, let's -go after him." - -Nicole tried to make Louise listen to reason. - -"Listen, my dear," she would say, "it's a long, long while since -Monsieur Jasmin began to tell me: 'My young master will have to go to -Paris some time; he can't pass his whole life out at nurse! If it was -known that he's still with you, I should be scolded.' And a lot of -things like that. The fact is, my child, that they usually take children -away from a wet-nurse when they begin to talk, unless--unless----" - -And the good woman stopped, for she was on the point of saying: - -"Unless they do like your mother, and don't take 'em away at all." - -Louise had that instinct of the heart which enables its possessor to -read one's inmost thoughts; she divined the words that died on Nicole's -lips, and she said, sobbing and pressing her hand convulsively: - -"Nobody came for me, I know that. My mother didn't want me, and yet I -couldn't have been naughty then--I was too young. And if it hadn't been -for you, for your kindness, what would have become of me? Oh! dear -Nicole, how can a mother ever abandon her child? I would have loved my -mother so dearly, and she didn't want to take me back, or even to kiss -me! Oh! she must have died, I am sure, or else she'd have come after me, -or at least have come to see me sometimes." - -"Yes," said Nicole, kissing Louise, "you are right, my child, your -mother must have died and not had time to send for you; perhaps she -wasn't able to tell where her child was. Bless my soul! people die so -sudden sometimes! That's the way it must have been. But let's not say -any more about it; you know, I don't like to get into that subject, for -it always makes you sad." - -"That is why I so seldom mention it, my dear Nicole, although I think -about it almost all the time; but when Cherubin was with me, I used to -forget sometimes that I don't know who my parents are. He told me that -he would always love me--and now he has abandoned me too." - -After this conversation Louise went to the end of the garden, where she -could weep at her ease. In vain did Nicole say to her: - -"He'll come back, my child, he'll come back!" - -Time passed and they saw nothing of Cherubin. - -At last, yielding to the girl's entreaties, Nicole started with her for -Paris one morning; and all the way Louise kept saying: - -"We are going to see him. I'll tell him how sad I am when I am away from -him; I'll tell him that I cry almost all the time, that there's nothing -to amuse me in the village, and he'll come back with us, mother; oh! I -am sure that he'll come back with us." - -Nicole shook her head with a doubtful expression, and murmured: - -"At any rate, we shall find out whether he's happy and well; that's the -main thing." - -In due time they reached the old mansion in Faubourg Saint-Germain. - -"This is his house," said Nicole; "I recognize it all right! This is the -very house where I came to get him when he was a spindling little thing, -as thin as a rail. I made a fine boy of him, thank God! And then I came -here two or three times to bring him to his father, when the old -gentleman was alive." - -Louise gazed wonderingly at the old structure, whose severe aspect and -time-blackened walls almost frightened her. Meanwhile, they had entered -the courtyard, and Nicole said to the concierge: - -"Monsieur, I've come to see my _fieu_--my nursling, young Cherubin, your -master. He left us to come here, but we don't like not having a chance -to kiss him for so long; we couldn't stand it any longer, so here we -are." - -The concierge, who had his orders, replied: - -"You can't see monsieur le marquis, my master, for he isn't in the -house." - -"Gone out, has he? Oh well! he'll come back! We'll wait, won't we, -Louise?" - -"Oh, yes, mother, we will wait; for we must see him when we came to -Paris on purpose." - -The concierge rejoined with exasperating indifference: - -"It won't do you any good to wait; Monsieur de Grandvilain is travelling -and he may not come home for ten days or a fortnight." - -"Travelling!" cried Louise; "oh dear! it's very annoying! Where is he -travelling, monsieur? in which direction? Has he gone far?" - -"My master didn't tell me." - -"But tell us at least whether he's well?" said Nicole; "is he happy? is -he enjoying himself in Paris?" - -"Monsieur le marquis is in perfect health." - -"Thank God! But why does he go travelling without coming to see -us?--Monsieur, are those young foreign ladies who dance so well -travelling with--with Monsieur Cherubin?" - -"I couldn't tell you." - -Nicole and the young girl returned to Gagny, sadly disappointed that -they had not been able to embrace Cherubin; but the nurse said to -Louise: - -"Never mind, we know he's well, and that's a great deal." - -"Yes, dear mother, and no doubt he'll come to see us when he returns -from this journey; if he doesn't, we'll go to Paris again, for he won't -always be away." - -But once more the days and weeks passed without a word or a sign from -the youth whom they loved so dearly and whom they were always expecting. -Conquered by Louise's tears and entreaties, Nicole consented to go to -Paris again, but the second trip was no more fortunate than the first. -That time, however, the concierge said that monsieur le marquis had gone -to pass some time at the chateau of one of his friends. - -The two women returned to Gagny more depressed than ever. - -"My dear child," said Nicole, weeping with her, "I believe that the -little fellow I nursed doesn't mean to see me again. You see that he's -forgotten us, for he doesn't come to the village or send us any word. -And when folks in Paris don't want to see anyone, why they just say that -they're out." - -"O mother! do you really think that Cherubin doesn't want to see us, -that he would be ashamed of us?" - -"I don't say that, my child; but this much is certain: that I won't go -to his house in Paris again; for they must have told him that we came, -and if he still cared anything about us, it seems to me that he wouldn't -have lost any time before coming to see us." - -Louise could think of nothing to reply; she longed to defend Cherubin in -Nicole's mind, when in the depths of her own heart she retained only a -glimmer of hope. After the second trip to Paris, the girl's depression -became more and more marked; in the presence of her foster-mother she -tried to conceal her distress, her sorrow, but when she was alone she -gave way to them with a sort of enjoyment; for, in extreme unhappiness, -it is almost a consolation not to be disturbed in one's musings, one's -regrets, one's memories. - -Louise did like all those who have lost a beloved object--she haunted -all the spots which she had often visited and admired with him. When we -revisit the places where we have been happy, it seems that we must be -happy again; our memory recalls all the circumstances of our previous -visits, and the most trivial and futile things become of inestimable -value when they have some connection with the one we love. By dint of -identifying ourselves with our memories, we fancy that we are still -living in that bitterly-regretted past--our heart dilates with a thrill -of joy. But alas! how brief its duration! The present returns with its -overwhelming truth; we look about--we are alone, all alone--we find in -the depths of our hearts naught save a ghastly void, and no unalloyed -joy in the days to come. - -One morning Nicole was working, Jacquinot sleeping, and Louise in the -garden, where she was thinking of Cherubin as usual, when a gentleman -entered the rustic dwelling. - -"O _agrestis_ and _rusticus_ abode!" he cried; "I salute thee, but I do -not regret thee. My tastes do not agree with Virgil's, I prefer the city -to the country." - -Nicole uttered a joyful exclamation at sight of Monsieur Gerondif, and -she made haste to call Louise, saying: - -"Come quick, my child, here's the schoolmaster come back; no doubt -Cherubin will soon be here too." - -It was in fact the tutor, who wore a hat so shiny that it looked as if -it were varnished, with his hair carefully oiled beneath it; his gloves -were glazed and his handkerchief drenched with Portugal water, but his -nose was redder than ever. - -Louise rushed into the house. Never had Monsieur Gerondif's presence -caused her such pleasure; she longed, yet feared to speak to him, but at -last she gave him her hand and said in a hesitating tone: - -"Ah! what happiness, monsieur! You are going to tell us about _him_." - -Monsieur Gerondif, for his part, was speechless with admiration at sight -of the girl, for it was eight months since he had left Gagny, and in -that period a tremendous change had taken place in Louise, altogether to -her advantage. She was no longer a child, a little maid; she was a tall, -well-built, charming girl, who had every qualification to attract, and -to whom anybody would have given credit for seventeen years and a swarm -of suitors. - -"It is most extraordinary!" cried the tutor; "it is sorcery surely! What -a gratifying change!" - -"You find Louise grown, don't you, monsieur?" - -"Grown at least twelve centimetres, and her figure much more solid, more -palpable!" - -"But Cherubin, monsieur, tell us about Cherubin! Never mind me. Is he -coming, monsieur? Shall we see him soon? Does he think about us? Does he -speak of us sometimes?" - -"Is he very fat and healthy, and happy, the dear _fieu_? And when shall -we have a chance to embrace him? Why don't he come to Gagny?" - -"Monsieur le marquis is very well indeed," replied Gerondif, still -ogling Louise. "You ask why he doesn't come to see you? Why, my dear -Madame Frimousset, it's plain that you know nothing of life in Paris, -and especially the life led by a young man in fashionable society! My -pupil hasn't a moment to himself: in the morning he fences, rides -horseback, dances, sings and boxes; why, he hardly has time for his -meals. Then he has to go into society--theatres, concerts, balls! How in -the devil do you expect him to find a moment to come to this village? -It's impossible! Even I had infinite difficulty in making the trip -to-day; I was obliged to hurry my breakfast, and I don't like to eat -fast." - -"So we shan't see him any more?" murmured Louise, whose heart had grown -heavy again, and whose eyes were filled with tears. - -"I do not say that, adorable lass! but I say that you must be sensible -and not expect monsieur le marquis to interrupt his important -occupations for you." - -"Oh! I don't expect anything! We'd have gone to Paris again to see him, -but they always tell us he's away." - -"Don't come to Paris, you will simply waste your time; how do you expect -to catch a young man on the wing who has five hundred things to do in -the day?" - -"Five hundred things! Bless my soul! but the poor boy must get all tired -out!" - -"As if he went on foot! He's always in a carriage or on horseback; and -he rides at full speed." - -"And he can't come as far as this!" said Louise, with a profound sigh. -"And those lovely ladies who dance so well--he goes to see them, of -course?" - -"The ballet dancers! fie, fie! What about morals! We used those -mountebanks just as we use the magnet to attract a lot of things; but -afterward--_retro, Satanas_!" - -"But I hope he still thinks of us!" said Nicole. - -"The proof that he thinks of you, Dame Nicole, is that he has instructed -me to hand you this; for he wants you to be happy and to have everything -you need. And he's very generous, is my pupil. Here, take it; there's a -thousand francs in it. That's a very pretty sum." - -As he spoke, Monsieur Gerondif handed Nicole a bag of money. She took -it, exclaiming: - -"A thousand francs! Oh! that's too much, a thousand francs. It's a -handsome present, but if I could have given him a kiss at the same time, -I'd have enjoyed it much better." - -Jacquinot, who had just waked up, looked at the bag of money and -muttered sleepily: - -"A thousand francs! How many casks does that make at six sous the -litre?" - -"And didn't he give you anything for me, monsieur?" inquired Louise. But -in a moment she added hastily: "Oh! it's not a present, it's not money -that I mean; but a kind word, a remembrance, a word to show me that he -hasn't forgotten me. Pray try to remember, monsieur." - -Monsieur Gerondif scratched his nose and replied: - -"No, my sweet girl, the marquis gave me no message for you in -particular, but he told me to wish you all the best of health." - -Louise turned pale and averted her eyes. Whereupon the tutor went to her -side and said in an undertone: - -"Pray do not grieve, _mia cara bella_. Although the marquis forgets you, -there is one who will never forget you, who will watch over your future, -and will not allow you to vegetate in obscurity in this village. -Patience; you are still very young, although perfectly developed -already. Let us wait a bit; Penelope waited a long while for the return -of Ulysses, but he came at last and killed all her suitors. That man -shot perfectly with the bow!" - -Louise gazed at Monsieur Gerondif in surprise, as if to ask him what he -meant; but he had turned to Nicole. - -"Now, I must bid you adieu," he said. - -"What, already, Monsieur Gerondif, without eating a mouthful, and -without taking a drop to drink?" - -"Have a glass of wine," said Jacquinot; "nobody ever refuses that." - -"Pardon me, my dear Frimousset, but it's very easy to refuse it, when -you are in the habit, as I am, of drinking fine wines; your _sour_ stuff -would make me sick now." - -"But why are you in such a hurry to go?" - -"Excellent Nicole, I know that there are potted quail for dinner -to-day,--Mademoiselle Turlurette told me so,--and it would be uncivil to -myself not to take my share of them. Au revoir, virtuous country folk; -Nicole, watch over this little pearl--_margarita_; I commend her to -your care. And you, sweet Louise, do not give way to sorrow; you have a -grand future before you assuredly! _This oracle is more reliable than -the oracle of Calchas._ I wish you all the best of health, and I fly to -Villemonble to take the diligence." - -As he spoke, Monsieur Gerondif bestowed an expansive smile upon each in -turn; he added to the young girl's smile an exceedingly ardent glance, -and took his leave, resuming his shiny hat and his glazed gloves. - -"He tells me not to give way to sorrow," thought Louise, when he had -gone; "and Cherubin gave him no message for me!" - - - - -XV - -MONSIEUR POTERNE'S TRADE - - -Cherubin must inevitably appear ungrateful and fickle in his affection, -for he seems to have forgotten very quickly good Nicole, who had reared -him, and little Louise, his playmate, whom he said that he loved so -dearly. But such ingratitude and inconstancy are too natural in man for -us to be surprised at finding them in a mere boy. Cherubin had just -entered his eighteenth year; he was surrounded by people whose only aim -was to make life in Paris attractive to him, who were constantly -occupied in affording him new pleasures, and who did not fail to make -sport of him and rally him on account of the time he had passed at his -nurse's. Ridicule is a very potent weapon among the French; grown men -fear and do everything to avoid it; could a child of seventeen be -expected to set it at naught? - -However, Cherubin was not so forgetful as one might suppose. He had -often longed to go to see Nicole and Louise; but, in order to divert him -from that design, they had, in the first place, carefully concealed from -him the nurse's two visits to the house; then they had told him that -Madame Frimousset had sent Louise away to a kinswoman in Bretagne, in -order to help her to forget the grief caused by her young friend's -departure. - -The prospect of not finding Louise at Gagny had considerably cooled the -young man's longing to revisit the village. But, as he was still -desirous that his nurse should be happy, he had, as we have seen, -despatched Monsieur Gerondif to her with money, begging him also to -inquire about Louise, to ascertain whether she was likely to return to -Gagny soon--in short, to satisfy himself concerning her future. - -On returning from his visit to Nicole, Monsieur Gerondif did not fail to -inform his young master that Louise was still in Bretagne, in the family -of a respectable, well-to-do farmer, who treated her like his own -daughter; and that she was very happy there. - -Cherubin smiled faintly at the thought that his former playmate had -entirely forgotten him so soon; he felt a pang of sadness and regret, -and for a moment he thought of going to Bretagne, to reproach Louise for -changing so and for ceasing to love him. - -For we are like that at every age: we are quite ready to forget other -people, but we are not willing that they should forget us; we are -inconstant and unfaithful, but we hope that others will be constant and -faithful to us; in short, we have no hesitation in deceiving, but we do -not wish to be deceived. - -Darena's arrival always brought animation to the hotel de Grandvilain; -and, while seeking to divert Cherubin, he availed himself of the -acquaintance to turn Monsieur Poterne's talents to account. - -For instance, the ugly hanger-on brought the young marquis two saddle -horses one morning, and, assuring him that it was a magnificent -opportunity, which he must not let slip, induced him to pay three -thousand francs for a pair of nags that were worth five hundred at the -very most. - -At another time, it was a tilbury which Poterne had bought from a -Russian prince; at another, some fine hunting dogs of a very rare breed; -in short, Monsieur Poterne had reached the point where he dealt in -everything; he never appeared at the house without offering Cherubin -something at a bargain; he even brought canes, silk handkerchiefs, -parrots and cats. The young man bought everything, and paid with the -most absolute confidence. But Jasmin, who was beginning to consider that -Monsieur Poterne's bargains were terribly extravagant, was in very ill -humor whenever he saw him enter the house; and he tried to devise some -means by which he could rid his master of his visits. Unfortunately the -old servant had never had a brilliant imagination, and as he grew old -that faculty had become more confined instead of developing. - -Monfreville might have thwarted Darena's schemes and Poterne's little -commercial ventures; but he had been obliged to go for some time to an -estate that he owned in the neighborhood of Fontainebleau, where -considerable repairs were necessary. When he left Paris, however, he -urged his young friend to distrust Monsieur Poterne's services and -obliging disposition; but Cherubin was too young not to be trustful; and -moreover, Darena always seemed amazed at the good bargains which his -steward found for the young marquis. - -While Monfreville was absent, the mansion became crowded with horses, -hunting-dogs, birds of all varieties, gothic vases, and objects said to -be rare or curious, which Monsieur Poterne brought thither every day. - -At last, Jasmin said to his young master, one morning: - -"If this goes on, monsieur, your house will look like a bric-a-brac -shop! You can't turn around here! This Monsieur Poterne induces you to -buy too many things; these antique, rare vases look very ugly to me; the -hunting dogs make a frightful noise, and when they are let go, they bite -everybody's legs. And then the parrots shriek so, and you have five of -them! That so-called Spanish cat he sold you has changed color, and is -nothing but a common white cat now. And you have nineteen canes, my dear -master; I have counted them. What do you mean to do with nineteen canes? -Monsieur le marquis, your father, had only one, and he never carried -more at one time." - -"Hush, Jasmin," Cherubin replied, laughing at his old servant's -distress; "am I not rich? haven't I the means to gratify my whims?" - -"Excuse me, my dear master, but you buy all these things because -Monsieur Poterne tells you they're magnificent, great bargains, and a -thousand other things to tempt you; why, you would never have taken it -into your head to have ten dogs, nineteen canes, five parrots and a -turtle, and to fill this house with old vases and strange looking jugs, -which I call hideous, as I do the turtle, which frightens me." - -"Because you don't know about such things. Monsieur Darena always -congratulates me on my purchases; he thinks everything is very fine and -not dear." - -"Oh! as to Monsieur Darena," said Jasmin, shaking his head, "I don't -call him economical! By the way, my dear master, has he ever repaid the -money that you paid the tailor, the shirt-maker and the boot-maker for -him?" - -"No; but that isn't very important. He has probably forgotten it. -Besides, Jasmin, you told me then that it was very good form to lend -money to one's friends, and that my father often did it." - -"That is true, monsieur, but all the difference is that your father's -friends paid back what they borrowed." - -This conversation was interrupted by Poterne's arrival; he still wore -his shabby box-coat, beneath which he carried something of considerable -size, which he kept carefully out of sight. Jasmin made a very -significant grimace at the appearance of the very person of whom he had -been speaking. But Monsieur Poterne came forward with a most humble air, -bowing to the ground, and trying to assume a pleasant expression. - -"Ah! it's Monsieur Poterne!" said Cherubin, laughing at his old -servant's pantomime. "I was just talking about you with Jasmin, who -declares that my Spanish cat is turning white." - -Monsieur Poterne replied, with a sneering laugh that sounded like the -rattling of copper sous in a saucepan: - -"Monsieur Jasmin is joking! The cat that I had the honor to sell you is -very valuable; he used to belong to a Spanish grandee. It is possible -that he may turn white temporarily; he may not be well; but the color -will all come back if you take good care of him." - -"Do you mean that you think that animals aren't well fed in our house?" -demanded Jasmin haughtily. - -"I didn't mean that, my dear monsieur; but Spanish cats are very -delicate, and----" - -"All right," said Cherubin, "we have talked enough about a cat. -Doubtless you have come to offer me something new, Monsieur Poterne? -for you are an invaluable man! With you one has no time to form a wish." - -"Monsieur le marquis is too kind; as it happens, I have something." - -As he spoke, Monsieur Poterne bestowed a savage glance on the old valet, -whose presence embarrassed him; but Jasmin did not budge, and as his -master did not tell him to go, Monsieur Poterne was fain to make up his -mind to exhibit before him what he had under his coat. - -"Well, what have you brought me to-day?" asked Cherubin. - -"What I have brought you, monsieur le marquis,--is a bargain." - -"Always bargains," muttered Jasmin; "we know all about that." - -"I have just come from the sale at an ex-minister's house; he was a -great epicure. At your age, monsieur le marquis, young people like -sweetmeats--good things--especially those that are hard to get. Faith, -when this was put up for sale, I thought that you might like it." - -As he spoke, Monsieur Poterne produced from beneath his coat a huge jar -of blue china, carefully sealed with parchment. - -"What is there in that, Monsieur Poterne?" - -"Indian preserve, monsieur le marquis; it's a very popular sweetmeat in -hot countries, and very rare in France, on account of the difficulty of -bringing it here; this is made of pineapples." - -"The deuce!" muttered Jasmin; "he's taken to bringing us eatables now! -This is the finishing touch!" - -"A jar of this size is ordinarily worth a hundred francs at Chevet's, -when he has any. I got this for fifty, and I bought it with the -intention of offering it to you." - -"Thanks, Monsieur Poterne; pineapple preserve should be delicious, in -very truth.--Jasmin, give Monsieur Poterne fifty francs, then take this -preserve to the pantry." - -Jasmin took the jar which the ugly knave handed him. - -"We don't need preserves," he muttered. "Mademoiselle Turlurette makes -very good ones, and it wasn't worth while----" - -A glance from Cherubin imposed silence on the old retainer, who walked, -still grumbling, to the secretary and took out the money, while Poterne -said to the young man: - -"I shall soon have something very interesting to offer to monsieur le -marquis. It's a monkey of the large species, extremely bright and -intelligent, whose owner would not dispose of him except that he has -failed in business. I mean to seize the opportunity, and you will have a -monkey worthy of a king." - -"A monkey!" cried Jasmin; "that would be the bouquet! Our house would be -a complete menagerie then!" - -"Hush, Jasmin," said Cherubin; "and do you, Monsieur Poterne, bring me -the monkey as soon as you obtain it. I am very anxious to own it." - -Monsieur Poterne bowed, took the fifty francs which the old servant, -with a horrible grimace, counted out to him, and left the room, -repeating that he would try to get the monkey at a reasonable figure. - -Cherubin, who had an appointment with Darena and several other young men -to breakfast at the Cafe de Paris, hastily completed his toilet and -dismissed his old servant, who was in despair at the idea of having a -monkey. He left the room, after casting an angry glance at the jar for -which his master had just paid fifty francs. - -A few minutes later, Cherubin, attended by a genuine groom, entered his -tilbury and drove away, paying no heed to Jasmin, who shouted to him -from a window in the pantry: - -"He's taken us in, monsieur! It's grape jelly and nothing else!" - - - - -XVI - -MONSIEUR POTERNE CONTINUES HIS LITTLE TRICKS - - -At the Cafe de Paris, Cherubin found Darena and two young dandies whose -acquaintance he had made in the foyer of the Opera. Intimacies are -quickly formed at eighteen years; we proffer and give our friendship as -if it were the most commonplace thing in the world. As we grow older, we -often discover that we gave nothing and received nothing. - -Cherubin's two new friends were only a few years older than he. One of -them, whose name was Benoit Mousseraud, called himself _de_ Mousseraud, -and never mentioned his Christian name, which he considered vulgar. The -other, on the contrary, whose name was Oscar Chiponard, used his -Christian name only, and never mentioned his family name. - -The former was a tall, slender young man of twenty-two, not ill-looking, -although his eyes lacked expression and his hair, which he declared to -be blond, bordered closely on the red; he was a brainless chatterbox, -who boasted of making a conquest of every woman he saw, and of being the -best dressed man in Paris. - -The other was twenty-four years of age; he was small, dark, -yellow-skinned, and would have been decidedly ugly, except that his -black eyes were so full of fire and animation that they imparted much -expression to his countenance. He might have passed for a clever fellow, -if he had not had the folly to blush for his family and to lose his -temper whenever anyone mentioned the name of his father. - -Both these gentlemen belonged to wealthy families. Mousseraud was the -son of a provincial notary and proposed to purchase a brokerage business -in Paris; Chiponard, whose father was a retired watchmaker, proposed to -do nothing at all. - -They both displayed great friendliness to Darena because he was of noble -birth, and he reciprocated because they were rich. In society there is -an almost constant interchange of these selfish sentiments. - -"Come, come, Marquis Cherubin," said Darena, "we are waiting for you; -the breakfast is all ordered, and it will be rather fine; I understand -such matters." - -"You're a little late," said Oscar. - -"He has probably been to bid one of his mistresses good-morning," added -the tall Mousseraud, stroking his chin. - -"My mistresses!" repeated Cherubin artlessly; "oh! I haven't any." - -"Hasn't any, indeed!" cried Darena, nudging him; "I trust that you don't -believe that! The fact is that he has them in all quarters; he is a -downright villain with the women already.--Don't say that you have no -mistresses," he added in Cherubin's ear; "people will laugh at you and -point their fingers at you as a curiosity. And it's a fact, my dear -fellow, that for a young man of eighteen, you are very backward." - -Cherubin blushed and hastily took his seat at the table. During the -breakfast Mousseraud talked incessantly of his _bonnes fortunes_, while -Oscar from time to time made malicious comments upon what his friend -said. Darena ate, drank, and laughed at their speeches. Cherubin -listened to everything with the utmost good faith, simply uttering -exclamations of wonder when their adventures seemed to him -extraordinary. - -"Yes, messieurs," said the tall red-blond, "at this moment I have five -mistresses, without counting two others who are on the waiting list." - -"Waiting for what?" sneered Oscar. - -"Parbleu! that is plain enough: waiting for the intrigue to be -consummated; it will be arranged this week, or next at the latest." - -"Then you will have seven mistresses, just like a rooster!" - -"Oh! you may pretend to joke, Oscar, but it's the truth. Indeed, I -sometimes have more." - -"You are getting to be a terrible fellow, Monsieur de Mousseraud!" said -Darena; "however, if your conquests are pretty, accept my -congratulations." - -"Four of them are enchanting, two very nice, and one passable. But I -shall let the last three go; I intend to keep only the first quality." - -"What's that! can you let a mistress go?" inquired Cherubin with a -surprised expression. - -"I say, marquis, where have you come from? One would think, to hear you, -that you are a novice in love; whereas monsieur le comte assures us that -you are his pupil. That would not do him credit." - -Darena emptied his glass and cried: - -"Do you mean to say that you believe our young Adonis? Don't you see -that he's making sport of you--a man who keeps a damsel three days at -most? He takes us all in with his little innocent expression! And if he -deceives us men, tell me whether the women are not likely to fall into -his toils?" - -"Monsieur Cherubin is favored in every respect," said Oscar. - -"Monsieur is not the only one!" rejoined tall Mousseraud, with a -conceited air; "I only say this, because it's a fact, but, on my word of -honor, I have never met a woman who could resist me." - -"Oh! that's not surprising with you!" retorted Oscar, in a mocking tone; -"you have such an ardent nature--anyone can see that from the color of -your hair." - -"What do you mean by that?" demanded the tall young man, while his -cheeks became as red as his locks. "Do you dare to say that I have red -hair?" - -"It seems to me that there is no need for me to say so." - -"Come, come, messieurs; are we going to quarrel?" said Darena. "We met -here to breakfast, to laugh and talk nonsense; and we lose our temper, -and sulk! That is most execrable form--and all about a matter of hair! -Mon Dieu! I wish that mine were red; I should be delighted! It is much -less common in France than dark or fair hair. And it proves too that the -hair is not dyed.--Fill my glass, Oscar, and you, de Mousseraud, serve -what is on that dish." - -"Yes, yes!" cried Cherubin; "instead of losing your temper, tell me what -you do with your seven mistresses?" - -"Parbleu! what you do with yours, I presume." - -"I? Why, I haven't----" A glance from Darena checked Cherubin, and he -continued: "I don't do anything at all with mine." - -"In that case they must play some amusing tricks on you." - -"I," said Oscar, "have a fascinating little grisette just now; I give -her a cap every week and a dress every month, and she is perfectly -satisfied." - -"Among my seven mistresses," said Mousseraud, "there is an Englishwoman -who costs me a lot of money; but she is an admirable creature!" - -"What a braggart he is with his seven mistresses! He reminds me of Blue -Beard. Take them all out walking some day--you'll look like a -boarding-school master." - -"I give women nothing but my heart now," said Darena; "and they are much -more fond of me since I put them on that diet." - -"And you, Cherubin, do you squander money on your charmers?" - -"I--I don't know--that depends," stammered Cherubin, playing with his -knife. - -"Really, you are too close-mouthed," said Mousseraud; "one can get -nothing out of you." - -Cherubin, who was much embarrassed by the turn that the conversation had -taken, drew his watch, pretending that he had an appointment. - -While he was looking at the time, Oscar Chopinard, who was beside him, -examined his watch. - -"It's very pretty, very thin, isn't it?" asked Cherubin, holding the -watch for his neighbor to see. - -That gentleman took it, scrutinized it again very closely, and -exclaimed: - -"This is very strange! Is it a wager? Let me see the chain. Parbleu! the -chain too. It would be curious if the pin--Allow me, my dear Cherubin." - -And Monsieur Oscar, who, after examining Cherubin's watch, had -scrutinized and weighed in his hand the chain that he wore about his -neck, turned his attention to his diamond pin. - -"What makes you stare at me like this?" queried Cherubin; "what is there -about me that is so extraordinary?" - -"You have upon you objects that I am much surprised to see you wear," -replied Oscar; "a young man as rich as you are. You certainly didn't pay -much for your watch and chain and pin?" - -"Why, no, not too much--twenty-five hundred francs in all. To be sure, I -got them at a bargain." - -"Twenty-five hundred francs!" cried Oscar, bringing his hands together -violently; "well, my dear fellow, in that case, you have been robbed! -yes, absolutely robbed! The three articles are worth about sixty francs; -the stones are imitation, and the watch and chain are gilded copper." - -"Copper!" cried Cherubin; while Darena muttered between his teeth: - -"Ah! the villain! I almost suspected as much!" - -"Why, it's impossible! Monsieur Darena's man of business sold me all -these things." - -"I promise you that I am sure of what I say." - -"Parbleu!" cried tall Mousseraud, in a sneering tone, "Oscar ought to -know: his father was a watchmaker, and he was brought up in the shop." - -"How can this be?" said Cherubin, addressing Darena. "You are well aware -that it was Poterne who brought me all these things." - -Darena broke a plate with his glass, crying: - -"If it is true, Poterne is a miserable villain who has deceived me -outrageously; but I will shatter him like this plate." - -Cherubin could not believe that they had told him the truth. They left -the restaurant and entered the first jeweler's shop they saw. The -jeweler had no sooner examined the objects produced by the young man -than he said in a most courteous, but slightly sarcastic tone: - -"Oh! how can you wear such trash, monsieur? I would not give fifteen -francs for the whole lot." - -Cherubin took off his chain, his pin and his watch, and dashed them all -on the floor, in a passion which was due, not to the loss of his money, -but to his vexation at being deceived. Then he gave the jeweler his -address. - -"Please bring me to-morrow," he said, "all that I believed that I really -owned--the handsomest things that you have; you will see, monsieur, that -I have the means to pay for genuine jewels." - -The jeweler bowed, assuring him that he should be obeyed; and they left -the shop. - -"As for your Monsieur Poterne," cried Cherubin to Darena, "I advise him -not to show his face at my house again." - -Darena, making a show of being furious, seized Cherubin's hand and shook -it violently. - -"My friend," he said, "I am the involuntary cause of all this; that -rascally Poterne deceived me as he did you. I am sure that he is robbing -me shamefully too. But it is for me to punish him; I am going to find -him now and give him a thrashing." - -With that, he hastily took his leave of the three young men and went -home. - -Darena at this time occupied a small, but attractive apartment on Rue -Neuve-Breda. Thanks to Poterne's transactions with the young marquis, of -which Darena received a share of the profits, he had been in funds for -some time. His man of business occupied a small room above his -apartment. - -"Is Poterne in my rooms?" asked Darena, as he passed the concierge. - -"In yours or else in his, monsieur," was the reply; "he's upstairs. I -just saw him go in with the little boy who's been coming to see him -every day for a fortnight." - -"Aha! so a little boy comes to see him every morning? About how old a -boy?" - -"Oh! perhaps ten or twelve years old; but he's got a very sharp face. He -ain't handsome, but in spite of that, he's got such a sly expression -that you'd almost call him good-looking." - -"What in the deuce can Poterne be doing with this boy?" said Darena to -himself as he went upstairs. "Can it be his son? Oh, no! a man like him -never acknowledges a child; he would have to take care of him. It's -probably some urchin whom he has hired to do his errands and polish his -boots; but I supposed that he did all that himself." - -Darena entered his room, and, not finding Poterne there, went up another -flight and knocked at the door of his agent's chamber. - -Instantly there was a great commotion inside; it was as if chairs were -being upset, and closet doors opened and shut. At last Monsieur -Poterne's shrill, unmusical voice inquired: - -"Who's there?" - -"Parbleu! it's I. Let me in, you old scoundrel." - -"Why don't you let me know who it is at once?" asked Poterne, as he -opened the door. "I was very busy--your knock disturbed me--as I didn't -know who it was." - -Darena glanced about the room, which was in great disorder; then, -fastening his eyes on Poterne, who seemed to be anxious to set things to -rights, he said: - -"You weren't alone here, you had a small boy with you. What devilish -mystery are you brewing now, with this child? Come, answer quickly; I -am in no joking mood, I promise you!" - -Monsieur Poterne's only reply was to call out: - -"Come, Bruno, come; you can show yourself; it was my intimate friend, -there's no danger!" - -Instantly a closet opened and a small boy of twelve years or more -emerged and rolled across the floor, uttering a shrill noise not unlike -the cry of a savage. The singularity of his behavior was intensified by -the fact that he was clad from head to foot in a sort of greenish skin, -hairy in spots; that that skin, which covered his hands and feet as -well, ended at those extremities in something like claws; and that a -very slender and exceedingly long tail depended from his posterior. His -face alone was uncovered. - -"What in the devil is this?" asked Darena, examining the boy, who went -through a multitude of leaps and capers on the floor, and seemed -perfectly accustomed to walking on his hands. - -Monsieur Poterne emitted a hollow rumble, as if he were laughing -internally, and replied: - -"This is a monkey I am training." - -"A monkey! For whom, pray?" - -"For our young marquis. I wanted to sell him a large and handsome -monkey, but I had no desire to put out the money for one. I had noticed -this little bootblack at the corner; the rascal always did what errands -I gave him, to my entire satisfaction; I saw that he was a bright little -devil, so I proposed to him to play the monkey, for a handsome -remuneration. I bought this orang-outang's costume, which is very -lifelike; Bruno comes here every morning and puts it on; then he -practises jumping and capering. He is doing very well, and he's more -amusing than a real monkey. I have a mask, but I haven't made up my -mind whether to have him wear one. As he is horribly ugly, I think that, -by staining his face and gluing hair on his eyebrows and chin, I could -make a fine monkey of him! Ha! ha!" - -Darena threw himself into a chair; he could not help laughing with his -agent, as he rejoined: - -"This is shocking! it is horrible! and yet I cannot help laughing! -Really, this idea of manufacturing a monkey--Poterne, it's a pity that -you are such a vile knave, for you have much imagination. But let us -suppose that Cherubin has bought this counterfeit monkey--is Monsieur -Bruno inclined to remain an animal all his life?" - -"Why, no," replied Poterne; "once in the house, he will cleverly choose -the moment to take flight; he will escape in one way or another--by the -chimney, if need be; for he has been a sweep, and he is perfectly at -home climbing chimneys. That part of it doesn't concern me, you see; I -sell a monkey and get my money; it isn't my fault if you let him escape. -Ha! ha!" - -The boy, hearing Poterne laugh, followed his example, imitating anew the -monkey's wild chatter, and leaping over all the furniture in the room in -order to develop his talent. - -"Well," said Darena, after a moment, "you will lose the expense of -educating him, Poterne; this little scamp may play the monkey on the -boulevards, but he won't do it in our young pupil's house!" - -"Why not, pray?" - -"Why not? Because you are a villain, a swindler, a thief!" - -Monsieur Poterne looked at the count with an expression which said -plainly enough: "You've known that a long while; why pretend to be so -surprised?" - -"I have no objection to your selling things at rather a high figure to -my young friend, because tradesmen always get as much as they can. That -is business and nothing else. But I do not propose that you shall abuse -Cherubin's confidence to the point of cheating him outrageously; and -that is just what you have done, master thief!" - -Poterne rolled his eyes in amazement, muttering: - -"I don't see where the great harm comes in! I told him they were -preserved pineapples, and they're turnips; but they can't hurt him; on -the contrary, they're less heating." - -"I am not talking about turnips--I don't know about that episode, you -must tell me about it!--I am talking about the watch and chain and pin; -they are all sham, horribly sham; and you had the face to tell me that -they were worth eight hundred francs! You robbed me too, you villain!" - -"It's very lucky that they weren't worth as much as that!" replied -Poterne coolly; "for, out of the twenty-five hundred francs I got for -them, you left me only five hundred to pay the dealer on account, and -you've never given me the rest since." - -"Because I had a sort of presentiment of your knavery! The idea of -selling trash, gilded copper, to my young friend! it is infamous!" - -"Bah! look you, it seems to me that you've been living comfortably at -your young friend's expense for eighteen months past." - -"Hold your tongue, Poterne, hold your tongue. I am tempted to break -every bone in your body, and you deserve it. See what a fine thing you -have done in not being content with the honest profits you might have -made on such things as you sold Cherubin; now you can never go to his -house again. I had thrown open an excellent house to you, and you have -closed it by your thirst for gold--and as a result you have injured me -considerably. I have derived some profit from your little -transactions--and that was no more than fair; as it was I who made you -acquainted with this rich youngster." - -"Some profit! In other words, you took the whole!" muttered Poterne, -with a horrible grimace. - -"Once more, hold your tongue, or I cannot restrain myself!--Now, how -shall I maintain my position, my life of luxury? I can borrow of -Cherubin occasionally, to be sure, but that resource will soon fail me: -the most obliging people get tired of lending, especially when they are -never paid. I have tried to instil into my young friend a taste for -cards, telling him that it was the passion of fashionable people; but I -could not do it, cards are a bore to him; and then that devil of a -Monfreville has strongly advised him not to touch them. So that there is -but one way left for me to feather my own nest by making myself useful -to Cherubin, and that is--love. When a wealthy young man is in love, he -usually does all sorts of foolish things for the woman he loves. If -there are obstacles, he spends money lavishly to overcome them,--and we -should have had no difficulty in placing obstacles in his path whenever -we chose. Well! by some fatality which I cannot understand, Cherubin, -who exclaims in admiration at sight of a pretty face, who seemed to be -dead in love with my four little ballet dancers, who cannot look at a -grisette without a thrill, who, in short, acts as if he were -tremendously in love with all women, hasn't yet engaged in any intrigue -or taken a mistress. I have proposed twenty times to take him to -Malvina, or Rosina, or Foedora; he will agree at first, then refuse, -saying: 'Later; we'll see about it; I don't dare!' And my sarcasms, my -jests, fail to overcome his timidity.--That is where I stand now, -monsieur; I was justified, you see, in saying that your knavery has -placed me in an unpleasant position." - -Poterne, who had listened very attentively to Darena, reflected for some -moments on what he had heard, and replied at last: - -"If the young man has no love-affairs on hand, it is probably because he -has not yet met a woman who has really attracted him. Those dancers of -yours who seemed to be throwing themselves at his head--that's not the -way to captivate a wholly inexperienced heart, which wants illusions, -ardent passion. Never fear, I'll find what he needs, and before long I -will involve him in a most romantic and complicated intrigue." - -"Remember that you cannot show your face before Cherubin, who is quite -capable of kicking you downstairs. He is in a terrible rage with you, I -warn you." - -"Oh! don't be alarmed; if I appear before him, I will take good care -that he doesn't recognize me." - -"Poterne, if you succeed in arousing a passionate love in our young -man's heart, I will give you back my esteem." - -"Oh, yes! I shall succeed! But first, you must give me time to find a -pretty girl, and then to learn whether--I say, Bruno! Bruno! where are -you going, you little rascal?" - -During the foregoing conversation between Darena and Poterne, the small -boy, who had understood that he was not to play the part of a monkey, as -he had been led to expect, had resumed his ordinary garb; but, when he -had finished his toilet, Monsieur Bruno, presuming that no one was -paying any heed to him, rolled the monkey's skin around the mask, put -it under his arm, and left the room. - -"My skin! my monkey's skin, Bruno!" cried Monsieur Poterne, running out -to the landing. "Ah! you little vagabond! don't you mean to give it back -to me?" - -But Monsieur Bruno, who had become very skilful in gymnastic exercises, -thanks to the lessons he had taken in playing the monkey, ran down the -stairs so rapidly that he was at the foot before Poterne had covered -three stairs. The latter ran after the little thief none the less; and -while Darena returned to his room, laughing at the episode, Monsieur -Poterne ran through the street after the bootblack, crying: - -"My skin! my skin! stop that little scamp--he's stolen my skin!" - - - - -XVII - -ADVICE OF A FRIEND - - -On returning home, Cherubin sent for Jasmin and said to him: - -"If Monsieur Poterne should ever dare to appear here again, I order you -to have him thrown out of doors; you may even go so far as to order the -concierge to thrash him; but you must not undertake it yourself, for you -are too old and he would return the compliment." - -Jasmin uttered a joyful exclamation, and said: - -"What! really, monsieur? And without taking the monkey?" - -"Oh! I forbid you above all things to take anything whatever from him." - -And Cherubin told his old servant what had happened. - -"You see, monsieur," said Jasmin, "that Poterne is an outrageous -swindler--I was sure of it. His so-called Indian preserves--I gave 'em -to Mademoiselle Turlurette to taste; they gave her a very bad stomach -ache, and she's been out of order ever since. I'm very much afraid, -monsieur, that everything you have bought of that Poterne is like your -watch!--And this Monsieur Darena whose man of business he is--hum!" - -"Darena was even more furious than I with that man; he swore that he'd -thrash him. He was deceived too; it isn't his fault." - -"All the same, my dear master, I very much prefer your other friend, -Monsieur de Monfreville. Ah! such a difference! he doesn't borrow your -tailor; he doesn't induce you to buy things; he doesn't let his steward -loose on you." - -Cherubin smiled at Jasmin's reflections, but it did not enter his mind -that Darena could be a confederate in his agent's wrongdoing. His heart -was too frank, too trustful, to suspect cunning and perfidy, and he -would have been unable to believe in Monsieur Poterne's shameless -rascality had it been less abundantly demonstrated to him. - -As for Monsieur Gerondif, who passed a large part of his time in sleep, -and another large part at the table, and who had adopted the habit of -reading Voltaire or Racine to Mademoiselle Turlurette of an evening, -telling her that he had composed the lines that morning, when he learned -what Monsieur Poterne had done, he exclaimed: - -"That man never read _Deuteronomy_, where it says: _Non furtum facies_; -or else he mistranslated it." - -A few days after this adventure, Monfreville, returning from the -country, came at once to see Cherubin. When he spied the pack of -hounds, the parrots, the turtle, the canes, the gothic vases, and all -the alleged rare objects with which his young friend's house was filled -to overflowing, he uttered an exclamation which was not of delight, and -said to Cherubin: - -"Mon Dieu! what on earth induced you to buy all this stuff?" - -"They are all bargains. I was told that they were very fine." - -"Fine! Why, they are all horrible, in wretched taste, and of no value -whatever. Your parrots are wretched cockatoos, your dogs are miserable -curs that I would not have to guard chickens! Even your canes are common -sticks of wood; this rattan is an imitation, it was never what it -pretends to be." - -"What did I say?" cried Jasmin; "that Poterne is an infernal pickpocket; -he has taken us in with everything, just as he did with the -jewels.--Tell monsieur the story of our watch, my dear master." - -Cherubin told Monfreville what had happened to him. - -"If it was Monsieur Poterne who sold you all this," said Monfreville, "I -am surprised no longer! But Darena--do you still see him?" - -"Yes," replied Cherubin; "he was indignant at his agent's conduct, and -he has told me since that he had beaten him and dismissed him from his -service." - -Monfreville smiled faintly; then he took Cherubin's hand and said: - -"My friend, you are still very young, and you cannot be expected to -understand men; the knowledge of the world which one acquires only by -experience and familiarity, unless one is blessed in youth with a most -observant mind, that knowledge is rather melancholy than agreeable! For -men are rarely what they choose to appear; frankness is not esteemed as -a virtue in society; on the contrary, the man would be considered a fool -or a boor who should say frankly what he thought, at the risk of -wounding the self-esteem of this one or the susceptibility of that one. -We consider those people delightful who never have any but agreeable and -flattering words in their mouths, and we do not worry as to whether they -mean what they say. In the world, every man acts as his interest or his -passions impel him, and they who make the most parade of their virtues, -their honor, their good faith, are the ones whom we should trust least; -for people who are really virtuous and upright deem it perfectly natural -to be so, and quite unnecessary to proclaim it. I have not said all this -to you earlier, for I regret to deprive you of the illusions which make -a large part of the charm of youth, and with which we begin life; but I -take too deep an interest in you not to try to put you on your guard -against the snares which may be laid for you." - -"What, my dear Monfreville," said Cherubin sadly, "can't we trust -anybody in the world?" - -"I don't mean to go so far as that. I do not want to make a misanthrope -of you--God forbid! But I warn you that you must be particular in the -choice of your friends." - -"Monsieur Gerondif has often told me that when a man became learned he -became a man to be feared, because a learned man can never be cheated by -anybody, as he knows more than other men." - -"I don't know whether your tutor is very strong on his authors, but he -is rather weak in knowledge of the human heart. In the first place, a -person may be very learned without a spark of wit--we have proofs of -that every day; and in the second place, those who have the most wit -are almost always the ones who are most easily cheated; doubtless -Providence so ordained as a recompense to fools." - -"So you feel sure that people will try to cheat me?" - -"You are young and rich, and you have had very little experience. There -are numbers of people who would like to take advantage of that -combination. All this that I am saying is very sad--but you will realize -later that I am right." - -"Have you been caught often, Monsieur de Monfreville?" - -This artless question brought a smile to the lips of him to whom it was -addressed; he heaved a sigh, however, as he replied: - -"Like other men, my friend. Take my advice and do not form an intimacy -with Darena. I dislike to speak harshly of anyone; but the more I -observe the count, the more strongly I feel that his acquaintance is not -at all suitable for you." - -"But he is very amusing, very agreeable, very clever." - -"I know it, and that makes him all the more dangerous. He has already -borrowed money from you, has he not?" - -"Why, yes--sometimes." - -"He will never pay you." - -"Do you think not?" - -"I am sure of it. He will urge you to play." - -"Yes, he has often proposed it." - -"It is the most fatal of passions. He is a gambler and he has ruined -himself. When a man has reached that point, he tries too often to ruin -others; for an unlucky gambler is sometimes far from delicate in the -methods to which he resorts to obtain money, in order to gratify his -passion. Darena has reached that point." - -"As you have so bad an opinion of Darena, how does it happen that he is -a friend of yours? Why did he come to Gagny with you?" - -"Your question is perfectly just; but in society one accepts a man's -good qualities and does not concern oneself enough about his bad ones. -Darena bears an honorable name; he is able to behave most becomingly -when he chooses; in fact, he has most agreeable and fascinating manners; -and nobody asks for anything more in society. But, I tell you again, one -should look for something more in a friend." - -"And the women, my dear Monfreville, the women--must I distrust them -too? Ah! that would be a great pity, women are so pretty!" - -"It's different with women! As a general rule, men are too fickle to be -exacting in the choice of their mistresses, and for that reason such -liaisons are not at all dangerous. What does it matter that you are in -love with a coquette, with a woman whose reputation is more than shady, -with an actress who will make a fool of you? That love will soon be -replaced by another, which, in its turn, will be as quickly forgotten! A -man's reputation has nothing to fear from all that; on the contrary, the -more love-affairs you have, the more flattered the ladies will be to win -your love; that fact says more for their self-esteem than for their -hearts." - -"What do you say? to attract the women, one must deceive them?" cried -Cherubin, gazing at Monfreville with an incredulous expression. "Do you -mean that it is all the same to them whether we forget them and abandon -them?" - -Monfreville turned pale, his brow darkened, and he kept his eyes on the -floor for a long while; not for some moments did he reply: - -"There are women who never forgive inconstancy, but they are not -ordinarily the ones who love you the best; for true love makes one -indulgent. It forgives, provided that you return in all sincerity. I -tell you, Cherubin, that the shrewdest man knows nothing about a woman's -heart. There has been much discussion of the subject, and no two persons -ever agreed. Tertullian declares that the devil is not so spiteful as -woman, and Confucius says that a woman's soul is the masterwork of -creation. Cato maintains that wisdom and virtue are incompatible with -the female mind, and Tibullus that woman's love brings us back to -virtue. How are we to form an opinion about it?--But I believe that at -this moment I am too much like your tutor, who overwhelms you with his -learning. I conclude, my young friend, by informing you that the best -way to be happy is to form no attachment. Love all women! Your life will -glide along amid pleasures and folly. But if you love only one, you must -expect much sorrow in exchange for a little happiness." - -"Love all women, you say! I ask nothing better! I fall in love with all -I see--when they are pretty." - -"But I believe that you have not yet formed any liaison? I have not -heard that you have any mistress!" - -"No--you see--it seems to me that I shall never dare to tell a woman -that I love her. A man must be very bold to say that, do you know?" - -"Ha! ha! this is the result of a sojourn of sixteen years with your -nurse. But you must cast off this timidity, which will be much more -injurious than advantageous to you, especially with the fair sex. You -are more than eighteen years old--you must make a start, show yourself -in society. You must not serve your apprenticeship in love with -grisettes or supernumeraries from the theatre. You will find something -better than that. In the fashionable society to which I propose to -introduce you, a thousand women will contend for your favor, and they -will do you credit, at all events. Moreover, it is high time that you -should know something besides the theatres, cafes and restaurants of -Paris; the salons are where a man gets his training, and I will take you -to those where refined manners are the rule. With your name you will be -welcomed everywhere. This is the season for receptions; Madame Celival -has resumed her assemblies, which are very brilliant affairs; the best -people in Paris go there. I will introduce you to her house." - -Cherubin trembled at the idea of going into society; he was afraid of -being awkward and clumsy, and of being unable to talk. But Monfreville -encouraged him, promised to be his guide and to stay with him, and the -young man consented to allow himself to be taken to Madame Celival's -reception. - -The day arrived too quickly for Cherubin, who, having never attended any -such function, was greatly excited at the mere thought of finding -himself in the midst of a large company, exposed to everybody's glances -and remarks. - -"What shall I say?"--That was always the result of Cherubin's -reflections; and, pending Monfreville's arrival, he went to Monsieur -Gerondif, to consult him as to what a young man may find to say when he -makes his first appearance in society. - -Monsieur Gerondif was learning some of La Fontaine's poetry by heart, -intending to recite it to Mademoiselle Turlurette as his own. The tutor -was not enamored of the housekeeper; he considered her over-developed -for him, and he had views elsewhere; but Mademoiselle Turlurette's -functions included the department of preserves, sweetmeats and liqueurs, -and Monsieur Gerondif was very fond of all such dainties. - -When he saw his pupil enter his room, the tutor was thunderstruck; it -was the first time that Cherubin had paid him a visit since they had -been in Paris. He imagined that he wished to resume his studies, and he -said: - -"Everything is ready, my noble pupil. I am always expecting you. I have -prepared abstracts of history, mythology and geology for you. I am -always at work in your service. At this moment, as you are taking -lessons in _savate_, I am trying to find the origin of that form of -exercise in Plutarch's lives of illustrious men. I find the _cestus_, -boxing and wrestling, but I haven't yet found _savate_." - -"I thank you, Monsieur Gerondif," replied Cherubin, "but that is not -what I have come about. This evening Monsieur de Monfreville is to take -me into society; he declares that it is necessary for me to go there, -that I shall acquire refined manners there; he is probably right, and I -have promised to let him take me. But what do people say at a -fashionable reception? How should one behave? Do you talk with people -whom you don't know?--I thought that you could tell me that, you know so -many things; for as yet I haven't been anywhere except to the theatre -and concerts, and to cafes; and I must confess that I am terribly afraid -of cutting a foolish figure in company." - -"Foolish!" cried Gerondif; "that is impossible! You forget that you are -my pupil; you are not equal to me in Horace and Virgil, but you know -some passages--you must repeat them when you are talking with men. With -the ladies, it is different; employ those figures of speech, those -metaphors, which embellish discourse; compare them to Venus, Diana, -Juno, Hebe, and you will certainly win a surprising triumph. But, if you -wish me to go with you, I will stand behind you and prompt you." - -Cherubin did not consider it necessary to be attended in company by his -tutor; he believed that Monfreville would keep his promise and would not -leave him. - -Monfreville called for his young friend at the hour appointed. He was -dressed in the most perfect taste; his slender and shapely figure was -encased in an exquisitely fitting coat, which he wore with much grace. -His youthful bearing, his beautiful dark hair and his still charming -face made him seem barely thirty years old, although he was near forty. - -Cherubin, who was dressed in the latest style, still retained a trace of -the awkwardness characteristic of village youths; but as he was -well-built and had a most attractive face, the awkwardness of his -carriage sometimes resembled the innocent coquetry of a schoolboy. - -They entered the carriage, and Monfreville said: - -"I am taking you into fashionable society, but, in order to dispel any -feeling of shyness, that may injure your prospects, say to yourself -first of all that you are of as good family as any of the people you -will see there; say to yourself in the second place, that, thanks to -your fortune and your rank, you need no support. When a person can say -that to himself, my dear Cherubin, he should be perfectly self-possessed -in society; indeed, some people are too much so. In default of the -advantages which you have, and which everybody cannot have, a -philosopher would say: 'Why should I allow myself to be awed by this -man's title, or by that man's fortune? Are they not men like myself, -after all? Imagine all these vain, proud people in the costume of our -first parents in the Garden of Eden; strip them of these decorations, -these jewels, these costly clothes, in which their whole merit often -consists,--will they be so imposing to me then? No, indeed; it is -probable that they will make me laugh, and that is all.'--My dear -fellow, a few such reflections are enough to put one entirely at his -ease in the most exalted company." - -"You encourage me," said Cherubin; "I shall talk Latin with the men, and -with the ladies I shall talk about Venus, Diana and Phoebe. Monsieur -Gerondif advised that." - -"If you want to make people laugh at you, that would be the best of all -ways. I suspected that your tutor was a fool, now I am sure of it." - -"Mon Dieu! what shall I say then, if anyone speaks to me?" - -"Reply to what they say." - -"But suppose I don't know what to reply--suppose I can't think of -anything to say?" - -"Keep silent then. A person is never stupid in society when he knows how -to keep silent; indeed there are people who owe their reputation for wit -to their silence." - -"But suppose I see any lovely women, who take my fancy?" - -"Tell them so with your eyes; they will understand you perfectly." - -"But if I want to make their acquaintance, to pay court to them?" - -"Say whatever comes into your head; but above all things don't try to be -bright, for you would make yourself a terrible bore." - -"But suppose nothing comes into my head?" - -"You still have the resource of silence and eloquent glances; there are -many people who stop there." - -"But this lady to whose house you are taking me?" - -"True, I must tell you something about her. Madame Celival must be about -thirty-six, but she is very good-looking; she is an alluring brunette; -her eyes are most expressive, she has a lovely figure and graceful -outlines; there is something fascinating, something voluptuous in her -whole aspect, which seduces all the men. Madame Celival is a coquette, -too, and is not supposed to be too cruel to those who sigh for her; but -that is whispered only. She is her own mistress, however; she is the -widow of a general, yes, a real general, who actually lived and left her -a handsome fortune and no children. You may judge that the lovely widow -does not lack adorers.--But, attention; here we are." - - - - -PART III - - - - -XVIII - -FIRST APPEARANCE IN SOCIETY - - -In an elegant, brilliantly-lighted apartment on Rue Saint-Lazare, a -fashionable company, already quite numerous, was engaged in conversation -that was rarely of a private nature, but often piquant and satirical. At -intervals, some witty person interjected a word or two, while the -undaunted chatterers, who never had anything clever to say, persisted in -holding the floor. - -Madame Celival was just as Monfreville had described her: lovely, -amiable, coquettish, glancing at a mirror from time to time, to be sure -of the effect of her gown; paying due attention to all her guests, with -the talent of a woman accustomed to society, but reserving softer and -tenderer smiles for the men who were paying court to her. - -Near the couch on which the mistress of the house had just taken her -seat sat a young and pretty blonde, dressed in muslin and crepe, and -entangled in veils and scarfs that almost concealed her charming -features; it was all pink and white and formed so becoming a frame for -this lady that at a distance she resembled one of those engravings of a -woman's face surrounded by clouds. - -Madame Celival thanked the pretty blonde for consenting to come to her -reception, despite the torture caused by her nerves. A few steps away -was a tall gentleman wearing a decoration; he was very thin and very -ugly; his chin was surrounded by a sparse necklace of jet-black beard; -moustaches no less glossy, and carefully waxed and twisted at the ends, -made his face resemble a cat's in some measure. He was addressed as -colonel. - -A young man whose hair was parted and curled with as much care as a -woman could possibly take, and whose regular, but somewhat harsh -features recalled the faces which our historical painters love to give -to the heroes of ancient Rome, was standing by the fireplace; he rarely -removed his eyes from the ladies who were talking on the divan, but he -seemed not to be observing either of them more particularly than the -other. - -Near the piano, for there was necessarily a piano in the salon, several -young persons were assembled, turning over the leaves of albums, or -looking at the music; they were not all good-looking, but they were all -dressed with so much taste, there was so much reserved grace in their -manners, that even those who were not pretty were not without charm. - -In another part of the room the mammas were chatting together; some were -dressed with a coquetry which seemed to indicate a purpose to outshine -their daughters; others displayed a simple but tasteful elegance, suited -to their age, which made them the more attractive when they were still -young enough to attract. - -Some young men were fluttering about the younger ladies, while others -contented themselves with standing very straight and stiff in order to -call attention to the finished elegance of their clothes and the good -taste with which their hair was arranged. Some had assumed a smile which -remained as if stereotyped on their faces throughout the evening. Then -there were men of uncertain age standing and talking in the middle of -the room; among them a gentleman, whose gray hair, very scanty over his -forehead, curled luxuriantly about his temples. He possessed a -distinguished and intellectual face, but there was an over-curious, -over-inquisitive expression in his little eyes, which gleamed with the -vivacity of youth, although his face indicated that he was in the -neighborhood of sixty. This gentleman talked incessantly, with much -energy, and while carrying on a conversation in one part of the salon, -managed to hear what was said elsewhere, and thus took part in most of -the other conversations, sustaining his share of the discussion on -several different subjects at the same time, with the same facility with -which Caesar dictated several letters at once in different languages. - -Another salon, smaller than that where the ladies were sitting, and -reached by passing through a lovely little room furnished with the most -delicious luxury, was set aside for those of the guests who wished to -play cards. Whist and bouillotte tables were prepared, but there were as -yet no players. - -Monsieur de Monfreville and the Marquis Cherubin de Grandvilain were -announced. All eyes were turned toward the door. The names Cherubin and -Grandvilain formed such a strange contrast that everybody was curious to -see the person who bore them. - -"Monsieur de Grandvilain!" said one; "Gad! how ugly he must be! He must -be an elderly man." - -"But the footman said Cherubin too; that's a very pretty name." - -"They can't belong to the same man." - -"Probably there's a father and a son." - -While the guests indulged in these reflections, Madame Celival said to -those who were nearest her, but speaking loud enough to be overheard by -everybody: - -"Monsieur de Monfreville did ask my permission to introduce a young man -who has never been out at all; and I granted it the more willingly -because this young man, who is the last of a noble family, deserves, so -it is said, all the interest that Monsieur de Monfreville takes in him." - -"Ah! very well done!" murmured the gray-haired gentleman; "a little -announcement preceding the introduction." - -At that moment Cherubin entered the salon with Monfreville. Despite all -that his mentor had said to him, he was far from self-possessed, and the -deep flush that covered his cheeks sufficiently betrayed his -embarrassment. But his eyes were so lovely and soft, his features so -refined, his face so interesting, that a flattering murmur greeted his -entrance into the salon, and everyone felt prepossessed in his favor at -once. The young men who were standing stiffly erect to display their -fine points were the only ones who did not seem to share the general -feeling. - -"He has a very awkward manner," said one. - -"He carries himself badly," said another. - -"He looks like a woman in man's clothes," murmured a young dandy, -bristling with beard, moustache and side-whiskers. - -And Monsieur Trichet, the gray-haired gentleman, smiled maliciously and -said: - -"Cherubin! a most appropriate name. He is Comte Almaviva's little page -to the life! He still lacks the gallantry and self-assurance of his -namesake; but those will soon come. The ladies will ask nothing better -than to train him." - -Madame Celival greeted the young man with a charming smile when -Monfreville presented him. She made several of those complimentary -remarks which captivate instantly the person to whom they are addressed. -Cherubin tried to reply to her compliments, but he went astray and -tangled himself up in a sentence which he was unable to finish. Luckily -Monfreville was at hand and interposed to relieve his embarrassment, and -Madame Celival was too well-bred not to do her best to put him at his -ease. So that, after a few moments, Cherubin began to venture to look -about him. - -"What a lot of pretty women there are here!" he whispered to his -sponsor. "I say, my friend, do you mean to say that one can love them -all?" - -"You are perfectly at liberty to love them all, but I cannot promise -that they will all love you." - -"The mistress of the house is very beautiful; she has eyes that--I don't -dare to say it." - -"Say on." - -"That dazzle one, intoxicate one--excuse me, but I can't think of the -right word." - -"Intoxicate isn't at all bad; in fact, you have unwittingly hit upon the -most apt expression; for if wine deprives us of our reason, a pretty -woman's eyes produce precisely the same effect. I am tempted to tell -Madame Celival what you just said about her eyes; she will be flattered -by it, I'll wager." - -"Oh! my dear fellow, don't do that--I shouldn't dare to look at her -again. But the lady opposite is very pretty too! That blonde almost -hidden by pink and white muslin." - -"That is Madame la Comtesse Emma de Valdieri; she is a fascinating -creature, in very truth; she has something of the sylph about her, -something of a daughter of the air. She is perfectly proportioned: small -feet, small hands, small mouth, small ears; only her eyes are large. -She is the perfect type of tiny women. But she is exceedingly nervous -and flighty, and, above all, capricious; to-day she will greet you with -a tender glance, to-morrow she will act as if she did not know you; -adulation has spoiled her. Comtesse Emma is French, but her husband is a -Corsican. He is that stout gentleman with whiskers, who is singing at -the piano. He has a superb bass voice, so that he is always anxious to -sing; and, although he's a Corsican, he seems to be very little -disturbed by the homage paid to his wife." - -Monsieur Trichet, who was at some distance from Monfreville, succeeded -none the less in overhearing what he said to Cherubin; and he approached -the two friends, saying in a sarcastic tone: - -"True, true. Valdieri, the handsome singer, is not at all jealous; but -it isn't safe to trust him! With these Corsicans, there is always the -vendetta to guard against. Is your health good, Monsieur de -Monfreville?" - -"Very good, monsieur, I thank you." - -"It is some time since you have shown yourself in society." - -"I have been obliged to pay a long visit to my estate near -Fontainebleau." - -"Oh, yes!--So you are introducing monsieur in society? He could not find -a better guide." - -Cherubin bowed and attempted to say a few words in reply; but after a -vain effort, he deemed it more prudent to hold his peace. Monsieur -Trichet was about to continue the conversation, when he saw, at the -other end of the room, three gentlemen talking with great earnestness; -he instantly ran toward them, crying: - -"That isn't so--you're wrong! I know the story better than you do, and -I'll tell it to you." - -Monfreville smiled at Cherubin and said: - -"I need not tell you that that gentleman, whose name is Trichet, is the -most inquisitive and loquacious mortal whom it is possible to meet. He -can't see two people talking together without joining their -conversation, which is not always agreeable. However, as Monsieur -Trichet is a very wealthy old bachelor, who gives very handsome fetes, -and as, aside from his curiosity, he doesn't lack wit and tells a good -story, he is made welcome everywhere, in salons and at the theatres." - -Cherubin was still engaged in looking about at the assembled company, -when the door opened and the footman announced: - -"Monsieur, Madame and Mademoiselle de Noirmont." - -A lady above middle height, but of dignified and refined bearing, -entered first, with a girl of some fourteen or fifteen years. The lady, -whose dress, although rich, was almost severe in its simplicity, seemed -to be rather more than thirty years of age; her features were beautiful, -but grave; her large dark eyes, surmounted by heavy eyebrows, wore a -vague and thoughtful expression which might lead one to think that her -thoughts were often busy with something different from what she was -saying; her lips, somewhat too tightly closed, hardly ever parted in a -smile. That cold and haughty face was framed by beautiful tresses of -black hair, which fell very low. - -The young lady had the winning charm of her age; although she was not -very pretty, her features attracted one by their fascinating expression -of playfulness and mischief, which was often moderated by her mother's -stern glances. - -Monsieur de Noirmont, who came after them, was a man of fifty; he was -very tall and stooped a little; his temples were shadowed by a few dark -hairs, but the top of his head was entirely bald. His appearance was -stern, supercilious and far from attractive; his regular features had -probably been handsome, but his steely glance, his sharp voice and his -shortness of speech inspired neither affection nor confidence. - -The arrival of these three persons seemed to cause Monfreville profound -emotion; his brow became wrinkled, his eyebrows drew together, and a -veil of melancholy covered his eyes. But in a moment, surmounting his -sensations, he succeeded in resuming the amiable and unruffled air which -he wore on his arrival; indeed one would have said that he made it a -point to seem more cheerful than before. - -Monsieur Trichet, who had returned to Cherubin's side, did not fail to -comment on the new arrivals: - -"That's the Noirmont family; they have left their estate in Normandie, -and they live in Paris now. They must have found it very dull in the -country. They are not a very hilarious family. That De Noirmont is stiff -and sour and overbearing! Just because he was once in the magistracy, -you would think that he was always sitting in judgment on you. However, -he's a man of the strictest probity; he deserves his reputation, but -he's not an agreeable companion. As for his wife, she is a worthy mate -to her husband--she talks very little and never smiles. I don't know -whether she has any wit, but at all events she never compromises it. As -for her virtue--oh! that is intact, as far beyond reproach as her -husband's probity. And yet Madame de Noirmont, who is very handsome -still, although she may be thirty-three or thirty-four years old--yes, -she must be quite that--must have been an enchanting creature at -eighteen, assuming that she deigned to smile occasionally then. Their -daughter, young Ernestine, is a mere child still. She is a nice little -thing, merry and playful--which proves that she takes after neither -father nor mother. But that is often seen.--Stay, colonel, I knew the -person you are talking about, and I will explain the matter under -discussion." - -At that, Monsieur Trichet joined the tall gentleman with the waxed -moustache, who was talking with two ladies; and Cherubin, turning his -head, saw that Monfreville was no longer by his side. - -Finding himself alone, in the midst of that numerous assemblage, the -young man felt sorely perturbed and lost the assurance which he derived -from his friend's neighborhood. As he preferred not to stand there, -awkward and embarrassed, by the fireplace, where he was exposed to every -eye, he succeeded in extricating himself from the circle by slipping -behind an easy-chair, and thence made his way to a window recess, where -he was prevented from going farther by several persons who were seated -there. He tried to retrace his steps, but Madame de Noirmont and her -daughter had seated themselves in front of him and closed the way by -which he had come; so that he was blockaded in a very confined space, -which he could not leave except by compelling the ladies in front of him -to rise. As he was incapable of such an audacious act, he decided to -remain in the corner where he was, until it should please chance, or -Monfreville, to release him from his prison. - -The ladies who were seated in front of the recess in which Cherubin -stood had no suspicion that there was anybody behind them. The -conversation continued in the salon; the guests walked hither and -thither, laughing and chatting. Cherubin alone could not stir, and he -was at a loss what to do in his little corner. Several times Madame -Celival passed the people who were blockading him, but she did not see -him. He congratulated himself that she did not, for he would not have -known what reply to make, if she had asked him what he was doing there. -Monfreville too had reappeared in the salon, but he did not see the -suppliant glances which his young friend cast at him, and, instead of -approaching him, he seemed to avoid that part of the room in which -Madame de Noirmont had seated herself. - -Nearly an hour passed thus. Poor Cherubin was terribly fatigued by -standing so long, and terribly bored in his little nook. He could hear -what Madame de Noirmont said to her daughter; but that lady did not -enter into any sustained conversation; she simply replied in few words -to Ernestine's questions. - -"Mamma," said the latter, after a young lady had sung a ballad, "don't -you want me to sing?" - -"No, my child, you are too young to put yourself forward; besides, -unless your father insists upon it, you will never sing in company." - -"Why not, mamma?" - -"Because I prefer in a young lady the modesty which keeps itself -concealed, to the vanity which makes itself conspicuous." - -"But in that case, mamma, why did you give me a music teacher?" - -"Such accomplishments are more useful in solitude than in society." - -"Oh!--But, mamma----" - -"That is enough, my child." - -A glance from Madame de Noirmont imposed silence on the girl; but, after -a few moments, she returned to the charge. - -"Don't they dance here, mamma?" - -"Of course not. Did I tell you that we were going to a ball?" - -"Oh, no! but sometimes they dance at receptions; it's much better fun -then." - -"You think of nothing but pleasure and dancing!" - -"Oh! I am so fond of it! Father told me that he would give a great ball -next winter." - -"A great ball! Oh! I hope that he will change his mind." - -"Why don't you want to give one, mamma?" - -"No matter; hush!" - -The girl held her peace, but indulged in a pretty little pout; whereupon -her mother seized her hand and pressed it, and said in a gentler tone -and with an expression of the deepest melancholy: - -"I distress you, Ernestine; you don't love your mother." - -The girl replied by putting her mother's hand to her lips and murmuring: - -"Oh! you know that I do!" - -Suddenly, happening to turn her head, Mademoiselle de Noirmont caught -sight of Cherubin, who did not know which leg to stand on. When she saw -that young man standing behind her and cutting such an amusing figure, -young Ernestine only half restrained her longing to laugh. - -"What is the matter?" her mother asked her; "what has happened to you? -You should not laugh so in company--it is not proper." - -The girl replied by nudging her mother gently and whispering: - -"Look--behind us--there's a young gentleman." - -Madame de Noirmont turned and saw Cherubin, who, having no idea which -way to turn, bowed low to her. Amazed to see the young man in hiding in -a window recess, Madame de Noirmont was about to move so that he might -pass; but at that moment, Monfreville, having just discovered his young -friend, for whom he had been searching the salons in vain, drew near to -assist him in escaping from his prison. - -When she saw Monfreville coming straight toward her, Madame de Noirmont -seemed to experience a nervous convulsion; but her face changed very -slightly. - -"Pardon me, madame," said Monfreville, "and permit me to release a young -man who, I am sure, has stood here a long while, afraid to stir because -he was unwilling to disturb you." - -Madame de Noirmont's only reply was to motion to her daughter to rise, -which she instantly did. Cherubin thereupon took advantage of the path -thus opened, apologizing profusely to young Ernestine; then he walked -quickly away with Monfreville, not remarking the extreme pallor that -covered Madame de Noirmont's face, and his friend's forced gayety. - -"I have been there for more than an hour," whispered Cherubin to his -mentor. "Oh! I was awfully uncomfortable! such torture!" - -"Well, my dear fellow, why do you creep into little nooks like that? -Did--did Madame de Noirmont speak to you?" - -"That lady in front of me, who looked so stern? No, indeed; she had only -just discovered me. Oh! I should never fall in love with her, although -she is very handsome! I don't think she looks at all agreeable. How -different from Comtesse Valdieri, and Madame Celival, and that one, and -that one." - -While Cherubin turned his amorous glances upon those ladies who -attracted him, Monsieur de Noirmont, who was talking with Monsieur -Trichet, left that gentleman and walked to meet the young marquis, to -whom he made a solemn and ceremonious bow, saying: - -"I have just been told that the son of the late Monsieur le Marquis de -Grandvilain is here, and I wish to say to him that I am delighted to -meet the son of a person whom I esteemed and honored in every respect. -Yes, monsieur, I was well acquainted with monsieur your father; he was a -most excellent man; I have no doubt that his son resembles him, and I -trust that he will do me the honor to call at my house. Here is my card, -monsieur; I look forward to the pleasure of a visit from you." - -Cherubin, bewildered by this unexpected invitation, bowed and muttered a -few commonplace words; but Monsieur de Noirmont took his hand and led -him away, saying: - -"Allow me to present you to Madame de Noirmont." - -Cherubin made no resistance; he allowed himself to be led back, -shuddering, to the little recess where he had stood so long; but that -time he was not compelled to enter it. Monsieur de Noirmont introduced -him to his wife, saying: - -"Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain, son of a man who honored me by -calling me his friend." - -Madame de Noirmont, recognizing the young man who had been her prisoner, -repressed a gesture of surprise, bowed coldly to Cherubin, and seemed to -hesitate to look at him, as if she dreaded to see Monfreville with him -again. - -Little Ernestine bit her lips to keep from laughing, when she heard her -father give the name of Grandvilain to the young man whom he presented. - -At last Cherubin found himself at liberty once more, and returned to -Monfreville, who said to him: - -"You have been introduced to Madame de Noirmont?" - -"Yes, my friend." - -"What did she say to you?" - -"Nothing; indeed her greeting was decidedly cold." - -"Shall you go to her house?" - -"Faith, I have no inclination to do so; it seems to me that it must be a -horribly dull place. That Monsieur de Noirmont has a stiff sort of -courtesy that turns one cold. After all, I am not obliged to visit all -my father's friends; they are hardly of my age." - -"You must leave your card at his door, that will be enough; I think with -you that it will be as well for you not to go to that house. But Madame -Celival is looking for you, she was asking just now what had become of -you; I think that you have made a conquest of her." - -"Really! Oh! if that were true!" - -"Look, there she is yonder. Go and say something to her." - -"What shall I say?" - -"Whatever you choose; she will help you to keep up the conversation. -Don't be bashful, my dear fellow; that isn't the way to get ahead in the -world." - -Cherubin made an effort to overcome his diffidence, and resolved to join -Madame Celival; she, when she saw him coming toward her, bestowed a -charming smile on him and at once motioned him to a seat by her side. -Encouraged by this greeting, Cherubin took his place beside the lovely -brunette, faltering some words which it was impossible to hear, but to -which Madame Celival replied as if she had heard them. A clever woman -always finds a way, when she chooses, to impart assurance to the most -bashful man, by taking upon herself substantially the whole burden of -the conversation. Cherubin gradually felt bolder, better pleased with -himself; he had almost reached the point of being entirely at ease with -his companion, when the inevitable Trichet planted himself in front of -them and exclaimed: - -"I don't know what you are talking about, and yet, I'll wager that I can -guess." - -Madame Celival, who appeared to be not at all pleased that Monsieur -Trichet had interposed in her conversation with Cherubin, answered the -old bachelor: - -"You always try to guess what people are saying, but in this case you -are quite likely to be mistaken. Tell me, what was monsieur saying to -me?" - -"That you are bewitching, adorable; for no man can say anything else to -you." - -Madame Celival smiled, with a less irritated air, while Cherubin, -blushing to the whites of his eyes, exclaimed: - -"Why no, I didn't tell madame that!" - -"At all events, you thought it," rejoined Monsieur Trichet, "and that -amounts to the same thing." - -Cherubin did not know what to say; he lowered his eyes and made such a -comical face that Madame Celival, taking pity on his embarrassment, rose -and said: - -"Nonsense, my dear Trichet; you are an old idiot! That is why we all -have to forgive you." - -The old bachelor did not hear these last words; he had run off to join a -gentleman who was declaiming at the other end of the salon, and whom it -gave him great pleasure to interrupt. Madame Celival left Cherubin, -saying, with a glance at once amiable and affectionate: - -"I trust, monsieur, that you find my house agreeable; you will prove -that you do if you come to see me often." - -"Well," said Monfreville, as he joined Cherubin once more, "your -business seems to be progressing." - -"Ah! my dear fellow, that woman is delightful! In her company, it seemed -to me that I actually had some wit. I have never been so well pleased -with myself." - -"It is always so! - -"'A great man's friendship is a boon of the gods;' but an agreeable -woman's love is the greatest blessing on earth! Come; you don't play, -nor I; it is time to go." - -They left the salon, which the Noirmont family had quitted just before. - - - - -XIX - -THE COMTESSE DE GLOBESKA - - -It was nine o'clock at night, and two men, who seemed to be waiting and -watching for somebody, were walking back and forth on Rue Grenetat. One -of them, whose beat was from the centre of the street almost to the -fountain at the corner of Rue Saint-Denis, wore a long frockcoat which -fitted his figure perfectly and was buttoned to the chin, together with -straw-colored gloves and the general outfit of a dandy; but when he -passed a lighted shop, one could see that his coat was worn and spotted -in many places, and that his gloves were no longer perfectly fresh. This -gentleman was smoking a cigar with all the grace of a regular customer -at Tortoni's. - -The second individual, who was enveloped in an old nut-colored box-coat, -with which we are already familiar, wore a round hat, with so broad a -brim and so low a crown, that at a short distance he seemed to be -arrayed in the headgear of a coal man. He walked only a few steps from a -house with a dark passageway, the gate of which was open, to the second -or third house on each side of it; but his eyes never lost sight of the -passage. - -In these two individuals the reader will already have recognized Darena -and his worthy friend Monsieur Poterne. - -Since his agent had been unable to do business with the young Marquis de -Grandvilain, Darena had fallen off lamentably from his former -magnificence; as his profits had been squandered in a very short time, -he had fallen back into what is called _noble indigence_; "completely -cleaned out," was Monsieur Poterne's way of stating it. - -Darena still had recourse to his young friend's purse from time to time; -but he was afraid of ruining himself entirely in Cherubin's estimation, -if he abused that method; for, despite his ingenuous candor, the young -man was possessed of some natural common sense which enabled him to -divine what was not in accordance with propriety; and Darena did not -wish the doors of the hotel de Grandvilain to be closed to him. - -"By God! is that beast of a Poterne making a fool of me?" said Darena, -stopping at the street corner to shake the ashes off his cigar. "The -idea of doing sentry-go on Rue Grenetat, where it's always muddy! It's -like the country! I ought to be in the foyer of the Opera now! But I -forget that my costume is a little seedy! What a beastly cigar! Pah! -there's nothing decent in this region!" - -Darena threw away the end of his cigar, retraced his steps, and, halting -beside Poterne, who was leaning against a post, with his eyes fixed on -the dark passageway facing him, nudged him with his elbow and said: - -"Are we going to say here long, old tom-cat? Do you know that I am -beginning to be deucedly bored?" - -"When you want to carry an undertaking through to a good end, you must -be patient," rejoined Poterne, without turning his head. - -"To a good end! I fancy that your end won't be very good, you old -rascal. But why does the damsel keep us waiting? Doesn't she know that -you are here? Come, Poterne, answer your friend." - -Poterne turned quickly and said in an undertone: - -"Don't call me by name, I beg you; there's no need of the girl's knowing -my real name; she might repeat it by accident, or from stupidity, and my -whole plan would be overboard." - -"You ought to be overboard yourself! But come, tell me what scheme you -have thought up, and let me see if it has any sense; for I didn't listen -to you very carefully this morning." - -"It is very simple; we propose to try to make young Cherubin fall in -love, in order to entangle him in an intrigue which may prove lucrative -for us." - -"Alas, yes! for although 'gold may be a mere chimera,' all these -rascally tailors refuse to make coats for me without some of that same -chimera!" - -"To make sure that our Adonis becomes deeply enamored, we must first of -all find a pretty girl." - -"That is true; it's the same way with jugged hare--first catch your -hare." - -"Well, I have discovered what we need; here, in this house, on the third -floor back, there is a rose, a genuine rose!" - -"A rose in this vile hovel--and on the back! I am terribly afraid that -your rose is only a hip!" - -"You will be able to judge for yourself directly. This is the time when -the work-girls leave their work; indeed, I am surprised that they -haven't come out yet." - -"And what does this blush rose do?" - -"She makes Italian straw hats." - -"Very good; and she is virtuous?" - -"Oh! I don't hold her out as a prize-winner; but she makes a very modest -appearance; she is very fond of a little _pays_[A] of hers, who was -obliged to go into the army as a simple _tourlourou_,[B] and it would -make her perfectly happy to be able to save up enough money to marry her -little pays when he comes home. So she won't listen to any of the young -men who run after her every night, because she knows that they're -ne'er-do-wells, who won't help her to set up housekeeping with her -little pays." - -[A] A native of the same province. - -[B] Infantryman. - -"Bravo! the young woman has excellent principles. How did you make her -acquaintance? by treating her to chestnuts?" - -"By defending her against a young wig-maker's apprentice, who, when he -pretended to take her arm, always took hold of something else." - -"Those wig-makers are sad villains. This is what the habit of making -curls leads to!--What proposition have you made to this rose-bud?" - -"In the first place, I represented myself as a Polish noble, the Comte -de Globeski." - -"You sinner! to presume to take the title of count!--What next?" - -"I told the girl that, if she chose, I would put her in the way of -making a very neat little sum. As she thought at first that I was in -love with her, she answered that I was too ugly." - -"That's good, I like that outspokenness." - -"I reassured her by telling her that I wasn't talking about myself, but -about a very comely young man, whom, for family reasons, we desired to -become amorous of her." - -"I adore family reasons! Go on." - -"My pretty working-girl did not seem to have a very alert imagination; -however, she almost understood. She's an Alsatian, and her name is -Chichette Chichemann. She has a slight accent, but it is not at all -disagreeable and will pass for a Polish accent, especially as Polish is -very like German. I have an appointment with her for this evening; we -will take her to a cafe, and there we will agree on our movements; you -will see that she is extremely pretty, and that she has a little -virginlike way about her that is most deceptive. When she is dressed as -a Polish countess, the young marquis must inevitably fall madly in love -with her." - -"We will hope so, and then we must act in all haste, for Monfreville is -taking Cherubin into society now. Our real marchionesses and countesses -will find the youngster very attractive; and he, in his turn, will fall -in love with one of them; and if his heart is once fairly caught----" - -"We should be our expenses out of pocket!" - -"Bah! that won't make any difference, if your damsel is really pretty; -there's always room for a new love in the human heart. At eighteen years -and a half, I could have loved all four quarters of the -globe.--Attention! I think the flock is coming out." - -As he spoke, several young women in little caps and modest aprons came -from the dark passage; some of them were soon joined by young men who -were waiting for them; others walked away alone. Darena and Poterne, -stationed on the other side of the street, let them all pass. The last -of all leaped the gutter with agility and walked up to Poterne, who -tried to impart an amiable tone to his voice as he said: - -"Did you recognize me, Mademoiselle Chichette?" - -"I should say so; you look like a coal man with your big hat." - -Darena laughed aloud, and the girl stepped back, saying: - -"Ah! there's someone with you, Messie Globeski?" - -"Yes, an intimate friend of mine, who is employed to manage the affair I -spoke to you about. We will go somewhere and talk it over." - -"Yes, my dear child," said Darena, taking the girl's arm and passing it -through his, "we will go and have a chat and a glass of punch. Do you -like punch?" - -"Oh, yes! ever so much!" the Alsatian replied, looking at Darena. - -"Very good; I see that we shall be able to come to an understanding! I -am not quite so ugly as monsieur; take my arm, I shall frighten you less -than he will. Is there a decent cafe hereabout? Let us go to Rue -Saint-Denis. I haven't looked at you yet, but I am told that you are -enchanting; however, I must satisfy myself. Here's a drug store." - -Darena led the little hat-maker in front of the drug store, and, placing -her under one of those blue globes which cast a sickly light into the -street, he scrutinized her, then exclaimed: - -"Excellent! Very pretty, on my word! And if we are like this, seen -through a colored bottle, what shall we be in a moment? Here's a cafe, -let's go in." - -The gentlemen entered the cafe with Mademoiselle Chichette; they chose a -table in the corner, so that they might talk with less constraint, and -Darena said to the waiter: - -"A bowl of rum punch--the very best that can be made." - -Poterne made a wry face and whispered to Darena: - -"The little one would be perfectly satisfied with beer; it isn't worth -while to----" - -"What's that? We are growing stingy, are we? Poterne, my friend, you -know that I don't like that sort of thing." - -"Don't call me Poterne, I tell you." - -"Then be quiet, and don't annoy me with your foolish reflections." - -Mademoiselle Chichette had taken her place at the table, where she -seemed to pay no heed at all to anything that was said by the gentlemen -who were with her. The Alsatian seemed about twenty years of age; she -was very small, but she had a very becoming measure of _embonpoint_; her -face was round, with dark eyes, not very large, but well-shaped and -surmounted by gracefully arched light eyebrows; a tiny mouth, pretty -teeth, a plump little chin adorned by a faint dimple, chubby cheeks, and -an extremely fresh complexion combined to form a charming village girl's -face; but there was no character to it, no expression in her eyes; -always the same placidity and the same smile. - -Darena scrutinized the Alsatian anew, then said to Poterne under his -breath: - -"She's very pretty, and as fresh as a rose. She looks respectable; in -fact, she has rather a stupid air; but that will pass for innocence. Do -you know, you have made a genuine find; when she is handsomely dressed, -Cherubin cannot possibly help falling in love with her.--Ah! here's the -punch--let's have a drink! Drink, young Chichette. Alsatians generally -have a well-developed gullet." - -Mademoiselle Chichette smiled and took a glass, saying: - -"Oh, yes! I don't object." - -"The accent is a little pronounced," muttered Darena. "However, it -doesn't matter, it's Polish--that's understood.--Some macaroons, waiter! -What! you see that we have a lady with us, and you forget the macaroons! -Haven't you any? If not, you should make some." - -"I have sent for some, monsieur." - -"That's lucky for you. Meanwhile, give us some cakes, or -gingersnaps--whatever you have." - -During this dialogue Poterne heaved a succession of stifled sighs. At -last a dish was brought and placed by Darena in front of the young -work-girl, and he himself stuffed himself with cakes as if he had not -dined. Whereupon Monsieur Poterne also decided to attack the plate, and -to devour all the gingersnaps. - -"You see, Comte de Globeski," said Darena, in a serio-comic tone, "that -I did well to order these trifles. But now let us talk business, and -come to the point.--Mademoiselle Chichette, you have one of the -prettiest faces to be met with in Paris or the suburbs. We desire a -young man to fall violently in love with you. That will be easy to bring -about; but we wish his passion to encounter obstacles. Why? That does -not concern you; the essential thing is that you should do exactly what -you are told to do. In the first place, you are Monsieur le Comte de -Globeski's wife--consequently you are the Comtesse de Globeska. That is -the usual custom in Poland: the man's name ends in _i_ and his wife's in -_a_." - -"Oh, no! I want to be my little pays's wife! I've promised him." - -"Sacrebleu! this is only a joke; it's part of the comedy we want you to -play." - -"Oh, yes, yes! a joke! I'll do it." - -"You are the Comtesse de Globeska, then, a Polish refugee; and your -friend here--this gentleman who is so ugly--is horribly jealous; stuff -all that in your head. We will give you a pretty costume; that can't -offend you; and you will live with monsieur for a few days, except at -night; but with honorable intentions!" - -"Oh, yes, yes!" - -"And when the young man is dead in love, you may love him too, if you -please; in fact, he is well worth the trouble--he's a charming fellow. -You don't dislike charming fellows, do you?" - -"Oh, yes, yes!" - -"And for all this you shall have twenty-five napoleons; in other words, -five hundred francs." - -"That's too much! it's too much!" whispered Poterne, nudging Darena, -"she would have helped us for two or three louis." - -"Yes, you shall have five hundred francs," continued Darena, "six -hundred, in fact, if the affair goes off well. I will guarantee you that -amount, and monsieur here will pay it.--Isn't that rather pleasant, eh?" - -"Oh, yes, yes!" - -"Sapristi!" said Darena, turning to his companion, "she strikes me as -being stupider than a flock of geese! However, it makes no difference; -Love is blind, and he is entitled to be deaf too.--Let's have a drink! -Another bowl, waiter." - -"But--but----" - -"Be quiet, Comte de Globeski! you are at liberty not to drink any more, -but you will still have the privilege of paying." - -The second bowl was brought; the young Alsatian's color became more -brilliant than ever; even her eyes began to show some life and Darena -exclaimed: - -"_Fichtre!_ if only Cherubin could see her now! What a conflagration she -would kindle! Comte de Globeski, see to it that Chichette has such eyes -to-morrow evening; make her a little tipsy." - -"Yes, with brandy!" muttered Poterne, blowing his nose. - -"Attention! as it is easier to become acquainted at the theatre than -anywhere else, the Comte de Globeski will take his wife to the theatre -to-morrow evening--to the Cirque; that is the favorite theatre of -foreigners." - -"Very good," said Poterne, "we will go to the Cirque; we will sit in the -second amphitheatre." - -"And why not in paradise, at once? Hum! you make me blush for you, -Globeski! You will take seats in the first balcony--in a box." - -"But----" - -"No buts!--Madame must be dressed in perfect taste." - -"I will do my best." - -"And you, count, will look to it that you bear no resemblance to a -certain hound named Poterne." - -"There's no danger." - -"We will sit in your box, behind you; the Comtesse de Globeska will -assassinate my young friend with her glances.--Do you understand, my -girl?" - -"Oh, yes, yes!" - -"And above all things she must not seem to know me." - -"Yes, yes!" - -"Comte de Globeski will go out during the entr'acte without his wife, -who will answer the sweet speeches my young friend will make to her. She -will not talk much, for fear of making a slip, but she will be loving -and passionate." - -"Oh, yes, yes!" - -"After the play the count will take his wife away, and we will follow -them. He will take a cab, we will do the like. The rest will go of -itself. It's all agreed and understood. There's no more punch; pay the -bill, count, and let's be off." - -Poterne paid with a groan; Darena even compelled him to give the waiter -six sous; then they left the cafe. Mademoiselle Chichette lived on Rue -Saint-Denis; they escorted her home and she promised not to go out on -the following day, but to await Monsieur de Globeski's coming. Then -Darena went to stroll in the Palais-Royal, and Poterne went home to bed. - -Darena had taken his measures in advance; he knew that Monfreville was -to attend a large dinner on the following day, so that Cherubin would be -free. He had seen him in the morning and had said to him: - -"I want to pass the evening with you to-morrow; surely you will -sacrifice your great ladies to me for one evening! You are always in the -fashionable salons now--they monopolize you. Monfreville is never away -from you; but my friendship demands its turn, and as I do not go into -society--for the moment! I have such seasons--why, we will go to the -theatre." - -Cherubin had agreed. But he was beginning to enjoy large parties; the -pleasant welcome that he received everywhere gradually dispelled his -shyness. Madame Celival was more amiable with him than with any other -man; which fact seemed to annoy several gentlemen, among others, the -colonel who resembled a cat, and the young dandy who had the look of a -Roman. - -Nor was this all: the fascinating Comtesse Valdieri, that fanciful, -nervous, ethereal creature, who often received as if by special favor -the homage that was addressed to her, had supposed at first that Marquis -Cherubin would speedily help to swell the crowd of her adorers; but the -young man had contented himself with admiring her at a distance, and in -this case his shyness had served him well. The little countess was -deeply offended by behavior which she attributed to indifference; for in -these days it is not to be presumed that young men are bashful, and -Madame Valdieri, seeing that Cherubin talked a great deal with Madame -Celival, did her utmost to steal that new conquest from her. With women -anger sometimes leads to love, and any other than Cherubin would already -have taken advantage of the rivalry he had caused. - -The pretty countess had invited the young marquis to come to her -receptions. Monsieur Valdieri, like a complacent husband, had seconded -his wife's invitation; and Cherubin waited upon the flighty Emma, who -was most affable to him and seemed to forget her nerves. - -And then, in a street near the hotel de Grandvilain, there was a rather -pretentious linen-draper's shop, and in that shop, among a number of -young women who were always at work at the counter, there was one -fair-haired damsel, somewhat red about the eyes, with a little turned-up -nose _a la Roxelane_, and an extremely wide-awake air. When Cherubin -passed, she always found a way to be at the door and smile at him; or to -go out into the street for a moment on the most trivial pretext; and -several times, as she passed the young man, she had said: - -"I come out at nine o'clock every night; if you would like to speak with -me, wait at the end of the street; my name is Celanire." - -And lastly Cherubin had met Mademoiselle Malvina several times, no -longer dressed as a Swiss, but very alluring with her little pink -tucker, her short skirt, and the black silk scarf, which was wound so -lightly about her waist that it caused her hips to stand out in a very -pronounced fashion. And Malvina had halted in front of the young man, -shot a burning glance at him, and said: - -"So you don't mean to come to see me, Monsieur Cherubin? Do you know -that that is very bad of you, and that you are an ungrateful wretch not -to cultivate my acquaintance? You know my address--come and breakfast -with me. I get up late, but I give you leave to come very early." - -Thus Cherubin was exposed to a rattling fire from a number of fair ones, -when Darena, who had found a way to freshen up his costume, called for -him and took him to the Cirque, on Boulevard du Temple. - -On the road the young man did not fail to tell Darena all that had -happened to him; and he, having listened attentively, said: - -"It seems to me, my dear fellow, that you are a regular Faublas--all -women adore you! And how is it with yourself?" - -"Oh! I adore them too!" - -"So you love Madame Celival, eh?" - -"Why, yes, I think so; I find her very fascinating." - -"And the languishing Comtesse Valdieri?" - -"Oh! I like her very much too." - -"And the grisette--otherwise called the linen-draper's apprentice?" - -"I think that she's very nice." - -"And Malvina, who dances so well?" - -"She is very much to my taste." - -"Well! if that is so, how do you stand with all these women? Men don't -make any secret of such things among themselves, parbleu!" - -"How do I stand? Why, no farther ahead than I was." - -Darena roared with laughter, to the great annoyance of Cherubin, and -rejoined at last: - -"Then, my dear fellow, it's because the will was lacking! and, according -to that, I am bound to think that all these ladies have made very -little impression on your heart. However, I understand that: salon -conquests--grisettes--lorettes--there's nothing interesting in any of -them! Sometimes chance brings us into contact with something better. But -here we are at the Cirque." - -Cherubin purchased the tickets--Darena always left that duty to him--and -they entered the theatre. - -"This is a very good place," said Cherubin, stopping at the entrance to -the balcony. - -But Darena, who had caught sight of the persons he was looking for in a -box, answered: - -"We shall be more comfortable in a box; besides, it's better form. -Come--let us go in here, for instance." - -And Darena bade the box-opener admit them to the box in which he had -recognized Poterne and Mademoiselle Chichette Chichemann. - -One must have had Darena's keen sight to recognize those two -individuals, and must have been certain that they were there, for they -were perfectly disguised, especially Poterne, who was absolutely -unrecognizable. - -Darena's intimate friend had sacrificed the bristly hair that covered -his head; he had been shaved, and so closely that he resembled a poodle -returning from Pont Neuf. He wore on his nose green goggles, the sides -of which were screened by silk of the same color; and he had stuffed -something in his mouth, which transformed his hollow cheeks into chubby -ones. The change was complete. The false Comte de Globeski was suitably -attired in a blue frockcoat with frogs, buttoned to the chin, so that it -almost made a cravat unnecessary. - -Mademoiselle Chichette wore a silk dress of faded pink, a long cloak -trimmed with fur, and a sort of little toque of green velvet, with silk -tassels and bows of the same color, which fell over her left ear. Her -costume was not new, but her plump face was prettier than ever under -the velvet toque, and her astonishment at finding herself in such fine -array gave an almost piquant expression to her eyes. - -Darena grasped all this at a glance. - -"That miserable Poterne bought everything at the Temple!" he muttered. -"However, the little one is very pretty, luckily, and if my young Cupid -doesn't take fire, I shall begin to believe that there's something wrong -in his make-up." - -Poterne nudged Mademoiselle Chichette with his knee, calling her -attention with his eyes to the young man who had seated himself behind -her. The supposititious Pole turned, and after eying Cherubin, she -murmured: - -"He's very pretty--almost as pretty as my little pays!" - -Cherubin, on his side, glanced at the lady in front of him, and -whispered to Darena: - -"Pray look at that pretty creature, my dear fellow!" - -Darena put his head forward, pretended to be moved to admiration, and -replied: - -"Upon my word, I never saw anything so perfect! The freshness of the -rose and the splendor of the lily! She's a pearl! At your age I would -have stormed the moon to possess that woman." - -Cherubin made no reply, but he paid much more attention to the young -lady in the green cap than to the play that was being performed. For her -part, Mademoiselle Chichette, faithful to her instructions, turned -constantly to look at Cherubin. Her glances lasted so long sometimes -that Poterne was compelled to pull her dress, and whisper: - -"That's enough, you're going too far! Anyone would think that you did -nothing else on the boulevards." - -After some time Darena said to his young friend: - -"It seems to me that you are making progress, and that your business -with this rose-bud is in a fair way to end in a bargain." - -"Why, it is true, she does look at me rather often. I don't know whether -I ought to hope." - -"You don't know! What in the devil more do you expect a woman to do at -first sight than to return your glances--yes, and with big interest! You -have made a conquest of her, that is evident.--Gad! what a lucky fellow -you are! I have an idea that she's a foreigner; that man isn't a -Frenchman; he must be her husband." - -"Do you think so?" - -"However, he has a very respectable look." - -"Do you think so?" - -"It seems to me that nobody can help seeing it." - -During the entr'acte Monsieur Poterne did not fail to leave the box, -alone; Darena followed him at once, saying to Cherubin: - -"Here's an excellent opportunity to start a conversation. Go at it -boldly." - -"Do you think that I might?" - -"I promise you that the lady wishes it too. You see it is hard to be -more hideous than that man who was with her, and she would not be his -wife if she did not deceive him." - -Cherubin, when he was left alone with the charming person with whom he -felt that he was very much in love, wondered how he should begin the -conversation. Meanwhile she was making eyes at him in a fashion which -invited him to speak, with an accompaniment of the most melting smiles. -The young man ventured at last. - -"Is madame fond of the theatre?" - -"Yes, _messie_." - -"Does madame come often?" - -"No, _messie_. But I used to go ever so much with my cuisine."[C] - -[C] _Cuisine_ means 'kitchen' or 'cooking'. She intended to say -_cousine_. - -Cherubin opened his ears, trying to understand. - -"My _cuisine_ liked the theatre ever so much." - -"Ah! you are speaking of a _cousine_, no doubt?" - -"Yes, yes, my _cuisine_." - -"And this gentleman with you--is he your husband?" - -"Yes; Comte Glo--Globe--Oh dear! I have forgot his name! I am stupid!" - -"You are not French, madame?" - -"Oh, no! I am from Alsa--No, no, I'm from some other place! I have -forgot again; I am awful stupid!" - -Mademoiselle Chichette said all this so comically, and rested her eyes -on Cherubin so often, that the young man paid no heed to the incoherency -of her speech, but became more and more enamored of the lovely stranger. - -"Do you enjoy Paris, madame?" - -"Oh yes! I enjoy it; but I am always thinking of my little pays!" - -"Ah! you regret it?" - -"Yes! I would like to see my little pays again!" - -"You love your country--pays--that is perfectly natural." - -"Ah, yes! he's a _tourlourou_ now." - -Here Cherubin again failed to understand, but Poterne returned, luckily -for Mademoiselle Chichette, who was beginning to forget her part and to -talk at random. - -Darena soon returned also; he asked Cherubin whether he had carried -forward his affair with his pretty neighbor. - -"Yes, we talked; she seemed to ask nothing better. You were not -mistaken; the gentleman is her husband; she's a foreigner, she has a -very strong accent." - -"They're Poles; I found that out in the foyer." - -"She seems to be very much attached to her country--pays,--for she sighs -for it and talks about it all the time!" - -"Her country! oh, yes! Poland.--Did you make an appointment with her?" - -"An appointment? Oh! we didn't get so far as that!" - -"How did you amuse yourselves then? A woman who is mad over you, who -fairly eats you with her eyes!" - -"Do you think so? What good fortune! She is so pretty, and her accent is -so fascinating!" - -"Yes, the Polish accent has much charm." - -"I am quite mad over her, my dear fellow." - -"And you are right. It would be downright murder not to carry that -rose-bud away from that old caterpillar!" - -"Carry her away! What! do you think that it will be necessary----" - -"Hush! let me act; I will arrange the whole business." - -The play came to an end. Monsieur Poterne donned his umbrella-like hat, -and gave the fair Chichette his arm. She, although sorely embarrassed in -her costume, succeeded in holding her hand out straight behind her. - -Darena and his companion walked on the heels of the Poles, who took care -not to turn around. Darena almost compelled Cherubin to seize the hand -which the lady obligingly held behind her back, and the young man turned -crimson as he whispered in his friend's ear: - -"Ah! she squeezed my hand! she is squeezing it again! she keeps -squeezing it!" - -"Parbleu! what did I tell you?" rejoined Darena. "Sympathy--I believe -that you were made for each other." - -As he spoke, Darena kicked Poterne's legs viciously, to make him walk -faster and force Mademoiselle Chichette to drop Cherubin's hand, which -she seemed to have resolved never to release. - -The so-called foreigners entered a cab. Cherubin and Darena took another -and told the driver to follow the first, which stopped in front of a -modest, furnished lodging house on Rue Vieille-du-Temple. - -"Good," said Darena; "we know where they live, and that is enough for -to-night. To-morrow you must write an impassioned letter to that Pole; I -will undertake to see that she gets it without the knowledge of her -husband, and I promise you that she will reply to it." - -Everything being agreed between them, Cherubin went home, where Darena -left him, congratulating himself on the success of his stratagem. - - - - -XX - -LOUISE IN PARIS - - -Although fairly launched in fashionable society, although he had become -the object of the allurements of several women whose conquest was -desired of all; despite the ogling of grisettes and the assignation -proffered him by lorettes, Cherubin had not wholly forgotten the village -of Gagny, and little Louise, with whom he had passed his earliest years. - -He often spoke of going to Gagny to see and embrace his dear Nicole; he -had several times despatched Monsieur Gerondif to bring him news of her, -accompanying the commission with little gifts for the people of the -village, and bidding him inquire concerning Louise's position and -prospects. The tutor always half performed his errand: he went to Gagny, -delivered the presents, devoured with his eyes young Louise, who -improved every day, then returned and told his pupil that his former -playmate was still in Bretagne, where she was so happy that she did not -intend ever to return to Nicole. - -But on the day preceding his visit to the Cirque with Darena, Cherubin -had once more spoken about going to Gagny, and he had stated positively, -in Monsieur Gerondif's presence, that he should not allow the week to -pass without going to see and embrace his old nurse. - -At that the tutor was greatly disturbed. - -"If monsieur le marquis goes to Gagny," he said to himself, "he will -find young Louise there, and consequently he will see that I have lied -to him. He is quite capable of discharging me; for, notwithstanding his -usual mildness of manner, there are times when he is extremely quick to -take fire. I am not at all anxious to lose a place worth fifteen hundred -francs, in a fine house where I am boarded, lodged and coddled; where my -duties are confined to sleeping, eating and reciting poetry to the -mammoth Turlurette. Moreover, if my pupil sees young Louise again, it is -probable that his love for her will revive; and that would interfere -with my plans, for that girl has kindled a conflagration in my insides. -My designs are honorable, I propose to make her my wife, to raise her to -the honor of my name. But, in order to marry, I must obtain some advance -in my pay. If I stay with the marquis two years longer, I can save -money, for I can put aside almost all that I earn; the only thing is to -put little Louise in a safe place, so that she can't be whisked away -from me." - -Monsieur Gerondif mused upon this subject all day, and in the evening he -went to pursue his meditations in the company of the kindhearted -Turlurette, who fed him on brandied fruits which she prepared to -perfection; and while the professor was smacking his lips over his third -plum, old Jasmin, who became less active every day, but was sorely -aggrieved because his master had hired a young groom, entered the -housekeeper's room and said to her: - -"Do you happen to know a lady's maid who is out of a place?" - -"Why do you ask, Monsieur Jasmin?" queried Mademoiselle Turlurette. - -"Because not long ago I was waiting for my master at some reception.--He -always forbids me to do it, but that day his little groom was sick, and -I seized the opportunity to drive his cabriolet in the evening. In fact, -I ran into two booths; some people won't get out of the way." - -"Well, Monsieur Jasmin?" - -"Well, I was talking in the antechamber with the servants who happened -to be there--and we had time enough to talk; people stay so late at -these parties nowadays! To cut it short, one of them says to me: 'We're -looking for a lady's maid for mademoiselle. Her mother's gone to the -country for a while; monsieur insisted on keeping his daughter at home -with him; and just at that moment they had to dismiss the lady's maid, -because she talked too much with a floor-washer. As monsieur is very -strict, it didn't take long; but we are looking for another maid.'--At -that I proposed a person I know, who's as intelligent as can be; but -when I told them that she was sixty years old, they informed me that it -wasn't worth while to send her. It's surprising the way people act -nowadays; they want children to wait on them." - -"I don't know anybody who wants a place," Mademoiselle Turlurette -replied. - -Monsieur Gerondif, who had not lost a word of what Jasmin said, -interposed at this point, with an affectation of indifference. - -"Who were the people who wanted a lady's maid? I might be able to oblige -some acquaintance of mine in Paris by offering her the place; but before -I do anything about it, you will understand that I want to be sure that -it's with respectable people." - -"Oh! as to that, you needn't be at all afraid, Monsieur Gerondif," -replied Jasmin. "It's in the most honorable family you can imagine. -Monsieur de Noirmont, an ex-magistrate, a man who never laughs, and who -wouldn't wrong a bird. He was a friend of the late Monsieur de -Grandvilain, our marquis's father." - -"What does the family consist of?" - -"Monsieur de Noirmont, his wife, their daughter, who is fifteen years -old, a cook, monsieur's servant, and the maid they are looking for." - -"Is the man-servant young?" - -"Yes, he's the one I talked with. He's only fifty-six, but he seems to -be a very sensible fellow." - -Monsieur Gerondif smiled as he inquired: - -"Do they receive much company, give balls? Are they the sort of people -who pass their life in _varietate voluptas_?" - -"Never a ball, and no _volupetas_, as you call them. The lady doesn't -care for society, and Monsieur de Noirmont passes his life in his -library. So our young marquis doesn't care to go to the house, although -he has been invited." - -"Ah! he has been invited there, has he?" - -"Yes; but I've often heard him say when he's dressing in the morning: -'I've no desire to go to that house; it must be horribly dull there.'" - -"Are you sure that Monsieur Cherubin said that?" - -"Yes; and I've heard Monsieur de Monfreville answer: 'You are very wise; -it's a house which has little to offer that is attractive to a man of -your age.'" - -Monsieur Gerondif rubbed his hands and asked no more questions. The next -day, after procuring Monsieur de Noirmont's address, he went to his -house, asked to speak to his servant, introduced himself as coming from -old Jasmin and as having to suggest a lady's maid for Mademoiselle de -Noirmont. - -Jasmin was the Nestor of servants; his recommendation was most -influential, and that of so serious-minded a man as Monsieur Gerondif -seemed to be could only confirm the favorable opinion which was sure to -be entertained of Jasmin's protegee. - -The young servant of fifty-six informed the tutor that madame was -absent, and that, as monsieur never interfered in any domestic details, -the choice of another lady's maid was left to him; that he was perfectly -content to accept the one whom the venerable Monsieur Jasmin was kind -enough to send, and that his only wish was that she should arrive as -soon as possible. - -Sure of success in that direction, Monsieur Gerondif thanked the -servant, promised to bring the girl soon, and set out at once for Gagny -and Nicole's house. - -The tutor's presence always brought joy to the humble abode of the -villagers; for he brought news of Paris, and with him they talked -constantly of Cherubin. - -After answering the questions of Nicole and Louise, who inquired first -of all for the health of the object of their affections, Monsieur -Gerondif turned to the girl and said: - -"My child, it is principally on your account that I have come to Gagny, -for I am thinking about your future, your lot in life. You are seventeen -years of age, you are tall, and well-developed physically as well as -mentally; I mean by that that you have intelligence beyond your years; -and you have profited by being present at the lessons which I gave to my -pupil; you read and write very fairly and speak quite correctly. -Moreover, you handle the needle with facility, and you seem to be apt at -all the tasks suited to your sex; isn't that so, Mere Nicole?" - -"Why, yes, it's all true," replied the good woman, staring at the -visitor. "What scheme have you got in your head for our Louise; do you -mean to make a duchess of her too?" - -"No, not exactly; but I tell you again, I mean to assure her future. -What would it be if she remained in this village? She has no relations, -no fortune; so she must think herself very lucky if some uneducated -country clown should want to marry her." - -"Oh! never! never!" cried Louise; "I won't marry!" - -"Bless my soul, my dear child," said Nicole, "you know very well that -nobody'll force you to, and that I'll never turn you out of our house." - -"That is all very well," rejoined Gerondif. "But if Louise should find a -good place in Paris, in a respectable family, where she could lay by a -little money, and then find a good match, it seems to me that that would -be worth thinking about." - -"In Paris!" cried Louise, with a joyful exclamation; "go to Paris! Oh! -what bliss! how glad I should be! Oh! yes, yes! you'll let me go, won't -you, mother?" - -"What, my child, do you want to leave me too?" said Nicole sadly. - -But Louise kissed her again and again, crying: - -"Why, just think that _he_ is in Paris! If I live in the same city with -him, it seems to me that I may see him, meet him sometimes; and that -thought is the only thing that makes me want to go to Paris. Isn't it -true, Monsieur Gerondif, that people are sure to meet when they live in -the same place, and that I should see him sometimes if I was in Paris?" - -"See him? whom?" - -"Why Cherubin--monsieur le marquis. Whom do you suppose I am talking -about, if not him?" - -The tutor realized that the hope of seeing Cherubin was the sole reason -that led the girl to welcome his suggestion so joyously, and he was -careful not to undeceive her. - -"Certainly," he replied, "when two people live in the same place, there -is much more probability of their meeting than when one is at the north -and the other at the south--or, if you prefer, when one is _per fas_ and -the other _nefas_.--Well, my interesting young friend Louise, I have -found what I wanted to find for you; the place of lady's maid is offered -you in a first-rate family; and when I say 'lady's maid,' it's as if I -said 'companion;' and when I say 'companion,' it's as if I said -'friend,' to a young lady of fifteen who is said to be as amiable as she -is kindhearted. You will assist her to dress, and she will not assist -you; but we see that every day between friends: there's one who does -everything, while the other one strolls about. Lastly, you will be well -dressed; the friend who strolls generally gives the gowns and fichus -that she doesn't want to the friend who dresses her. And then you will -earn money, which is never a bad thing to have; for with -money--silver--you get gold, which is the purest of metals, when -there's no alloy in it.--Well! what do you think of my proposition? tell -me." - -"Oh! I ask nothing better--if my adopted mother consents!" - -"Dear me! my child," said Nicole, "if it will make you so happy to go to -Paris, I won't stand in your way; besides, I don't think that Monsieur -Gerondif, who's been the village schoolmaster, could propose anything -that wasn't for your good." - -"You are as wise as AEsop, Dame Nicole, although you are not hunchbacked! -My only desire is to assure a happy lot for this _puella formosa_,--and -the future will prove it." - -"And--Monsieur Cherubin?" ventured Louise, who no longer dared to say -"Cherubin" simply, when she spoke of the young man she loved; "does he -know of this plan that you propose to me? does he want me to go to -Paris?" - -Monsieur Gerondif scratched his nose a moment, then replied with -assurance: - -"Does he know it? why, of course he does; and he is very anxious that my -offer should please you." - -"Oh! in that case, there must be no hesitation; must there, dear -mother?--I accept, monsieur; I will start whenever you choose; I am -ready." - -"Then we will start at once." - -"What!" cried Nicole, "do you mean to say you're going to take the dear -child right away like this?" - -"I must, Dame Frimousset; the place I have secured for her is wanted by -a great many people; if we delay, it may be given to somebody else. We -are not flooded with good places in Paris, so that I must introduce her -and have her engaged to-day." - -"Oh, yes! let me go, mother! I know that it will make you unhappy not to -have me with you, and it makes me unhappy too to leave you. But, on the -other hand, I am so glad to be near--Monsieur Cherubin. Besides, he -wants me to come to Paris, and we mustn't vex him. But I will come to -see you; oh! I won't do as he did, I shall never forget the village and -those who have taken the place of my parents." - -Nicole embraced the girl lovingly, and said at last: - -"Go, my child; I am not your mother; I haven't any rights over you, and -even if I had, I wouldn't stand in the way of your future good. But do -at least come to see me sometimes. She'll be allowed to, won't she, -Monsieur Gerondif?" - -"Oh! certainly. She will enjoy a reasonable liberty, on condition that -she doesn't abuse it.--Come, sweet Louise, make a bundle of your -belongings--only those that are most necessary. You needn't carry your -wooden shoes--you won't wear that kind where you are going. Make haste; -I will wait for you." - -Louise hastily made a bundle of her clothes; she was so surprised, so -bewildered by what had happened to her, that it seemed to her that it -must be a dream. Her heart leaped for joy at the thought of going to -Paris. But the pleasures of the great city were not what she was -thinking about, nor beautiful dresses, nor a less laborious life than -she had led; in that journey she saw but one thing--that she was going -to live in the same city with Cherubin. - -While Louise was making her preparations for departure, Monsieur -Gerondif took the nurse aside and said to her in a grave and imposing -tone: - -"Now, virtuous Nicole, I must disclose a secret to you. My main purpose -in taking Louise to Paris is to remove her from the seductions which it -is proposed to employ in order to triumph over her virtue and pluck the -flower of her innocence. In two words, here are the facts: your -foster-child Cherubin has become a great libertine in Paris; he will not -endure resistance. Not long ago he remembered Louise, the playmate of -his boyhood, and he exclaimed: 'She must be a charming girl by now! I am -going to make her my mistress.'" - -"Great God! is it possible?" cried Nicole, opening her eyes to their -fullest extent. "My little Cherubin has got to be such a rake as that?" - -"It's as I have the honor to tell you. In Paris, with lots of money, a -man soon learns to be what they call a _lion_, and lion means seducer." - -"Cherubin, a lion! And he used to be a perfect lamb!" - -"I tell you there are no lambs in Paris now. To make a long story short, -I thought that you wouldn't lend a hand to the ruin of your adopted -daughter, and that you would approve my putting the child beyond the -reach of any attempt at seduction." - -"Oh! you did just right, monsieur le professor, and I approve of it." - -"Now, when Cherubin comes to see Louise, you must tell him that she's -been in Bretagne a long while, with a relation of yours, and that she's -very happy there." - -"All right, I'll tell him that! Great God! Cherubin a rake! so that's -why he's forgotten the village altogether!" - -Louise soon had her parcel ready. She put on the little hat of coarse -straw, which she sometimes wore to walk about the neighborhood, and -beneath which, although it was not of fashionable shape, her face was as -lovely as possible. - -She threw herself into Nicole's arms and whispered in her ear: - -"When I see him, I'll tell him that it's very wicked of him not to come -to see you!" - -Nicole covered Louise with kisses. - -"If by any chance you should get sick of it, my child," she said, "if -you ain't happy there, you know that there's always a place for you -here, and that we'll be very happy if you conclude to come back." - -Monsieur Gerondif speedily put an end to these farewells by taking the -girl's arm. Jacquinot was at the wine-shop as usual. Louise cast a last -glance at her adopted mother and went away with Monsieur Gerondif, who -had incurred the expense of a cab by the hour, in order to take the girl -to Paris more quickly. - -On the way he said to her: - -"I must give you some preliminary instructions, my lovely child, as to -your behavior in the place you are to fill. In the first place, if they -ask you what you know how to do, answer boldly: 'everything!'" - -"Everything! But that would not be true, monsieur, for I know how to do -very few things." - -"You can learn the others; you are saturated with intelligence, -therefore you will learn very rapidly; so that it's the same as if you -already knew. Do what I tell you--it is essential, to inspire -confidence; in the world you must never act as if you were uncertain of -yourself. Secondly, you must understand that you must not speak of the -young Marquis Cherubin and say that you were brought up with him. The -world is very unkind! people might think things; and you mustn't trifle -with your reputation." - -"What, monsieur? What could people think, pray? Is it wrong to love -one's foster-brother, then?" - -"Foster-brother! foster-brother! as much as you please! I must make you -understand me better: my noble pupil does not want it to be known now -that he remained out at nurse until he was sixteen; that annoys him -terribly. And then you must see that a marquis can't be the friend of -a--a--a lady's maid; if you should talk about him, it might make him -blush." - -"Blush!" cried Louise, putting her handkerchief to her eyes. "What! -monsieur le--Cherubin blush because of my friendship, my acquaintance? -Oh! never fear, monsieur; I shall never speak of him, I shall never -mention his name." - -"That is very well, _O flavia_!--No, you are not a blonde.--Come, come! -don't weep any more about that; what I say doesn't prevent the marquis -from still being interested in you, and myself as well. I will say no -more now, young Louise, but be virtuous and prudent; do not joke with -the young men; if anyone should presume to take any equivocal liberty -with you, scratch the insolent knave's face; for you must keep yourself -free from stain, like the Paschal Lamb, until--But, mum's the word! I -will go no farther now." - -Louise had ceased to listen; she was thinking of Cherubin, who was -ashamed of knowing her; and that idea destroyed all the pleasure she had -enjoyed in the fact of going to Paris. - -Meanwhile, the cab had entered the city; Monsieur Gerondif told the -driver to take them to Faubourg Saint-Honore, whereupon Louise -exclaimed: - -"Is it near Monsieur Cherubin's house?" - -"Not very far, my child; in fact there are no distances in Paris now; -the six-sou carriages take you to all quarters of the city, and you -don't even need to know the way, which is very convenient for -strangers." - -The carriage stopped in front of a handsome house which Monsieur -Gerondif pointed out to the driver, very near Rue de la Concorde. The -tutor helped Louise to alight and carried his gallantry so far as to -offer to carry her bundle. - -"Follow me," he said; "it's in this house, on the second floor; a -magnificent apartment; they're very swell people. See how this staircase -is polished! It doesn't look much like our village hovels, which are -floored with mud." - -As he spoke, the professor slipped down two stairs and nearly broke his -neck on the waxed staircase; perhaps it was a punishment from on high -for his ingratitude to the village. But he clung to the rail, muttering: -"_Ne quid nimis!_ They put on too much wax." - -Louise followed Monsieur Gerondif; she was slightly tremulous and -covered with confusion at the thought that she was about to appear -before people whom she did not know, and that she must remain alone amid -those surroundings which were so strange to her. She heaved a profound -sigh and invoked the memory of Cherubin to sustain her courage. - -It was Comtois--that was the name of Monsieur de Noirmont's servant--who -received Monsieur Gerondif when he introduced his protegee. Louise's -aspect could not fail to prepossess everybody in her favor, and the -valet smiled with satisfaction as he said: - -"Ah! mademoiselle seems to have every quality likely to give pleasure -here: a gentle, unaffected manner. I am sure that she will please our -young Mademoiselle Ernestine, who has said to me several times: 'Above -all things, Comtois, I want a young lady's maid, because if I have an -old one, I shall not dare to give her any orders, or to laugh in her -presence!'--Mademoiselle is a very merry young person; a little -quick-tempered, a little whimsical; but that is perfectly natural at her -age, and she isn't the least bit unkind with it all. When she loses her -temper, she asks our pardon; that isn't common with masters, I tell -you!" - -"This servant is very talkative!" thought Monsieur Gerondif, as he blew -his nose. - -Comtois, after looking at Louise again with a satisfied air, continued: - -"I will present mademoiselle at once.--By the way, what is your name?" - -"Louise, monsieur," replied the girl timidly. - -"Louise--very good; that is your Christian name. And your family name? -sometimes one is very glad to know that." - -The girl blushed and lowered her eyes, without replying; but Monsieur -Gerondif made haste to say: - -"Louise Frimousset; Frimousset is the name of this young woman's -parents." - -Louise glanced at the tutor; but he had assumed a solemn air, which -seemed to indicate that it would not be proper to contradict him, and -that it was only after mature reflection that he had replied; so the -girl said nothing. - -"Frimou--Frimousse--Friquet," said Comtois. "That's a queer name; -however, I only asked so that I might know it; for you understand of -course that mademoiselle will always be called by her baptismal name -here. As I was saying, I am going to present you now. If madame was -here, I should naturally take you to her first; but madame has been -absent a fortnight; she has gone to see an aunt of hers, who's sick. She -wanted to take her daughter, but monsieur insisted on keeping -Mademoiselle Ernestine with him; for, although he looks very stern, -monsieur is very fond of her--he never refuses her anything; and -sometimes I've even known him to be angry with madame, because he -claimed that she spoke to mademoiselle too sharply, and that she didn't -love her. But, to be just, I must say that monsieur is mistaken; I am -sure that madame's very fond of her daughter. However, it's true that -sometimes she hardly speaks to her, she responds coldly to her caresses; -but we all have days when we're in ill humor, more or less." - -Monsieur Gerondif blew his nose at great length, saying to himself: - -"Is this never going to finish?--My worthy man," he said to Comtois, -"excuse me if I interrupt you; but it seems to me that it is not -necessary for me to be present at the introduction of our young Louise, -as you tell me that the business is settled. So I will take my leave, -urging you to watch over this child, as if she were your niece." - -"Never fear, monsieur; mademoiselle is in a good family; I am quite sure -that she won't be unhappy here." - -"Adieu then, Louise, adieu! I shall come to inquire for you, to learn -how you are getting on; in short, I shan't lose sight of you; you will -always be my guiding star, my object, my--my polygon!" - -The girl offered her hand to Monsieur Gerondif, who seemed inclined to -kiss her, and said in an undertone: - -"You will tell him that I am in Paris; won't you, monsieur? that I -didn't hesitate to come, as he wished it, but that it makes me very -depressed not to see him, and that my only desire----" - -"I shall say all that it is my duty to say," replied the tutor, showing -his teeth, although he had no desire to smile. Then, turning quickly on -his heel, he saluted Comtois and went out. - -The valet escorted him to the door, and Monsieur Gerondif said in his -ear: - -"This girl is very pretty, and the men in Paris are terribly licentious. -I need not urge you to watch over her innocence and not allow her to -converse with floor-washers." - -"Monsieur," Comtois replied rather stiffly, "none but respectable people -are received in this house, and no young girl will ever be ruined here. -If the last lady's maid was a giddy creature, it wasn't our fault; and -at all events she was discharged at once, as well as the floor-washer." - -"Your reply scatters all the clouds which might have obscured my -firmament. Adieu, excellent Comtois, I repeat my assurances of esteem." - -Monsieur Gerondif took his leave, and Comtois returned to Louise, who -was standing, lost in thought, in the hall; he motioned to her to follow -him, led her through a salon, then opened the door of another room, and -said, standing in the doorway: - -"Mademoiselle, this is the lady's maid I was expecting; she has just -arrived." - -A voice replied at once from within the room: - -"Oh! let her come in, show her in at once! I am waiting so impatiently -for her!" - -Comtois let Louise pass him; she stepped forward, trembling and afraid -to raise her eyes; but she soon felt reassured when young Ernestine -exclaimed: - -"Oh! how pretty she is! I like her very much!--Come, mademoiselle; don't -be afraid of me; I am not a bit terrible, am I, Comtois? I am not stern, -like mamma! But, for all that, mamma's very kind, and papa too.--What is -your name?" - -"Louise, mademoiselle." - -"How old are you?" - -"Seventeen, mademoiselle." - -"Seventeen! Why, how tall you are! and so strong! I am fifteen--I am -rather small for fifteen, am I not?" - -Louise could not help smiling; and as she looked at her who was to be -her mistress, she felt a thrill of joy at the aspect of that dainty -creature, so like a child, whose sparkling blue eyes were fixed on hers -with a kindly expression that instantly dissipated the terror that she -had felt on entering. - -"Am I not very small for fifteen?" repeated Ernestine, after Louise had -looked at her. - -"You still have plenty of time to grow, mademoiselle." - -"Oh, yes! that is my only consolation. Have you been in service in Paris -before?" - -"No, mademoiselle, I am just from my village; I have never been in -service anywhere, and I have no doubt that I shall be very awkward at -first; but I promise to pay close attention to whatever you tell me, so -that I may learn quickly and be able to satisfy you sooner." - -Young Ernestine began to leap and dance about the room; she seized -Louise's hand and pressed it, crying: - -"Oh! I like to hear you talk like that! I feel that I shall love you -dearly; indeed I love you already. I either like a person instantly, or -never! You will like me too, won't you?" - -"That cannot be very difficult, mademoiselle, you seem so kind and -sweet!" - -"Ah! I am very happy, Comtois. But has Louise brought her bundle, all -her clothes? Can she stay here now?" - -"Yes, mademoiselle," said Louise, "I have brought all my clothes and I -can stay with you now, if you care to keep me." - -"Certainly; I don't mean to let you go.--Comtois, see that her chamber -is prepared--the little one behind mine, you know. Be sure that she has -everything that she wants or needs." - -"Never fear, mademoiselle." - -"At all events, I will go myself to see if everything is all right.--You -see," continued Ernestine with comical gravity, "during mamma's absence -I have to look out for everything and take her place here.--Go, Comtois, -and take Louise's things to her room; meanwhile I will take her to my -father. Is he in his study?" - -"Yes, mademoiselle." - -"Come, Louise, don't be afraid; he has rather a stern manner, but he -isn't unkind." - -"Suppose that monsieur your father should not like me?" murmured Louise -timidly; "suppose he should think me too young to be in your service, -mademoiselle?" - -"Oh! don't worry about that; as soon as I tell him that you suit me, -father won't think of sending you away." - -Ernestine led the way through her mother's bedroom, then through another -smaller room, and knocked at a door, saying: - -"It's I, papa." - -And Monsieur de Noirmont's sharp voice replied: - -"Well! what is it now?" - -The pretty minx opened the door of her father's study, passed her head -only through the opening, and said: - -"Are you busy? I have come to introduce someone." - -"Who is it?" - -"A new lady's maid who has been engaged for me, and who has just -arrived." - -"The idea of disturbing me for a lady's maid! What have I to do with -such matters? Really, Ernestine, you wear out my patience." - -"Oh! don't be cross with me, papa! But as mamma is away, you must see my -new maid; I can't manage the house all alone!" - -"Well! bring her in," rejoined Monsieur de Noirmont in a gentler tone; -"where is she? let us have it over." - -Ernestine led Louise into the room; the girl cast down her eyes, and -felt that she was trembling, for Monsieur de Noirmont's voice was far -from being as sweet as his daughter's. - -After scrutinizing for some time the village maid who stood before him, -Monsieur de Noirmont asked her: - -"How old are you?" - -Before Louise could reply, little Ernestine exclaimed: - -"She is seventeen; isn't she very tall for her age, papa? and isn't she -lovely? I like her so much! Her name is Louise; she has never been in -service, but I am glad of that, because I can train her according to my -ideas." - -Monsieur de Noirmont with difficulty restrained a smile, provoked by his -daughter's speech. - -"It seems to me," he said, "that this girl is too much of a child to be -in your service." - -"Why so, papa? On the contrary, see how sensible she is! Besides, I tell -you that I will train her, and Comtois has had only the best reports of -her." - -"All right, if she suits you.--What part of the country do you come -from?" - -"From Gagny, monsieur," replied Louise tremulously. - -"Gagny? Why, that is very near Paris. Your parents are laboring people, -no doubt?" - -"Yes--yes, monsieur," faltered Louise, in an almost unintelligible -voice. - -"And instead of keeping their daughter at home, they send her out to -service in Paris!--However, it seems to be the custom in the country! -and still people extol the morals of the rural districts! But you seem -modest and respectable, my girl, and I am glad to believe that your -conduct will not belie the promise of your face. Besides, I know -Comtois, and I rely upon his prudence. Go, go!" - -Monsieur de Noirmont motioned to them to leave him; but his daughter ran -to him and kissed him; then she hastened from the room with Louise, and -closed the door, saying: - -"That's over; I was sure that it would come out all right." - -Young Ernestine next took Louise to a pretty little room which was to be -her own. The sweet child made sure that her new maid was provided with -everything that she needed, and displayed so much interest in her that -Louise, who was deeply touched, thanked heaven for bringing her to that -house. - -The first day was employed by Ernestine in giving instructions to -Louise, and she, not knowing how to lie, frankly confessed to her young -mistress that she was entirely ignorant of the duties of her position, -and that she must beg her to be as indulgent as possible. Ernestine -repeated emphatically that she would have no difficulty in training her -and that she need not worry. - -In Monsieur de Noirmont's family, the valet ordinarily waited at table, -unless there were many guests at dinner; so that the duties of the -lady's maid were limited to waiting on the two ladies, assisting them to -dress, and working almost all the time for them, or at some household -work. - -Louise could sew very well; she was active and clever, and she very soon -learned what was expected of her; moreover, Ernestine taught her to -embroider, to make tapestry, and to do innumerable little things that -women do; things which are unknown in villages, but which it is -essential to know in Paris. - -Louise made rapid progress, and Ernestine said to her father: - -"Oh! if you knew how much I like my maid!" - -"Is she so very clever?" inquired Monsieur de Noirmont. - -"Clever--yes; but she knew nothing at all; I have shown her everything." - -"What do you say? that girl knew nothing?" - -"What difference does it make? When I show her anything, in two days she -does it better than I do. Oh! I am sure that mamma will congratulate me -for engaging her." - -Louise's modest and serious manner eventually won Monsieur de Noirmont's -good-will as well as his daughter's, and he spoke to her less coldly. -Comtois was delighted with his new fellow-servant, and the cook was -never tired of extolling her extreme sweetness of temper. As for -Ernestine, although she sometimes lost her patience and cried out, when -her maid was awkward about dressing her, the next moment she would run -to her and kiss her, and beg her not to be offended by her quick temper. -In fact, each day that passed increased her affection for Louise, and -the latter would have been happy in her new position, had not the -thought of Cherubin constantly filled her mind. But she was beginning to -lose all hope of seeing him in Paris, for she very rarely left the -house, and only to do errands for her young mistress in the shops -nearby. - -Louise had been in Ernestine's service three weeks, when her mistress -said to her one morning: - -"Mamma is coming home at last! Papa has just told me that she will be -here in three days. I am awfully glad, for she has been away nearly six -weeks, and I long to see her. Oh! what joy! Then I shall have everything -I want. And mamma will like you too; I am sure that she will be as -pleased with you as I am." - -Louise made no reply, but she felt deeply moved; she could not -understand her own perturbation when she learned that she was to see -Madame de Noirmont. - - - - -XXI - -THE FIRST RENDEZVOUS.--THE PERFUMERY - - -Cherubin followed Darena's advice; he wrote a very amorous, but very -timid, note for the young woman he had seen at the play. On the -following day Darena called upon his friend in good season and found him -finishing his lovelorn espistle. - -"Are you writing to the lovely foreigner?" asked Darena, dropping into -an easy-chair. - -"Yes, my dear fellow, I have just finished my letter, which you have -promised to forward to its destination." - -"Parbleu! cannot one do anything with money? Do not all obstacles vanish -before it? Valets, maid-servants can be bribed, duennas and concierges -corrupted. I will spend money in profusion." - -As he spoke, the count slapped his pockets, then exclaimed: - -"But in order to spend it, I must have it, and I find that my pockets -are empty." - -Cherubin went to his desk and took out several rouleaux of gold pieces, -which he handed to Darena, saying: - -"Take this, my dear fellow, take this; don't spare it. Reward generously -all who help to forward my love." - -"You do not need to give me that injunction; I will play the -magnificent, the Buckingham! After all, you are rich, and if you did not -use your fortune to gratify your wishes, really it wouldn't be worth -while to have it. Is your note very ardent?" - -"Why, I think that it is very honorable----" - -"Honorable! that's not what we want, my dear friend.--Come, read me what -you have written, and let me see if it's all right." - -Cherubin took up the letter and read: - - "'I ask your pardon, madame, for the liberty that I take in writing - you, but----'" - -Darena's roar of laughter interrupted Cherubin, who inquired: - -"What are you laughing at? Isn't it all right?" - -"Ha! ha! ha! Your innocence is enchanting; one would think that it was a -letter from a boy to his aunt on her birthday. Let's hear the rest." - -Cherubin continued: - - "'But I should deem myself most fortunate if I might have the - pleasure of making your acquaintance. My family is well known, I am - received in the best society, and----'" - -"Enough! enough!" cried Darena, rising. "That won't do, my dear fellow; -you are on the wrong track!" - -"Do you think that my letter is too bold?" - -"On the contrary, it isn't bold enough! She would laugh at you when she -read it." - -"Remember that this is the first time I ever wrote a billet-doux, and I -don't know how they are usually expressed." - -"Take your pen again and write what I dictate." - -"All right, I prefer that." - -Cherubin seated himself at his desk again and Darena dictated: - - "O woman more than adored! I burn, I wither, I languish! Your eyes - are the flame, your smile the brazier, my heart the conflagration! - You have set fire to my whole being. A word of love, of hope, or I - will not answer for the consequences--I will kill myself at your - feet, before your eyes, in your arms! Derision! damnation! if you - do not answer!" - -Cherubin ceased to write. - -"Great heaven, my dear count!" he exclaimed; "why, that is horrible!" - -"It is what you need." - -"And then, I must admit that I don't clearly understand the letter." - -"If you understood it, the charm would be destroyed." - -"Why not write simply, as one speaks?" - -"Because three-fourths of the women, who are impervious to seduction by -what is simple and natural, are delighted when a man seems to have lost -his head for love of them. Trust me; this note will deliver the heart of -the lovely Pole into your keeping. Sign that and give it to me." - -Cherubin did as he was told. - -"By the way," said Darena, as he took the letter, "don't mention this -intrigue to your Monsieur de Monfreville." - -"Why not?" - -"In the first place, because an intrigue with such distinguished persons -as these Poles requires to be conducted with the utmost secrecy. -Monfreville is very inquisitive and very talkative; he would want to see -the lovely foreigner and that would spoil everything." - -"But you are very much mistaken; Monsieur de Monfreville is neither -inquisitive nor talkative; on the contrary, he is a most sensible man, -and he gives me excellent advice." - -Darena bit his lips, seeing that it was useless for him to try to -destroy Cherubin's good opinion of Monfreville. - -"Monfreville, sensible, virtuous!" he retorted in a sarcastic tone. "At -all events, he hasn't always been; I remember a time when he was the -greatest ne'er-do-well; nothing was talked about but his conquests. To -be sure, it was fifteen or eighteen years ago. When the devil grows old, -he turns hermit. For my part, I am not changed, at all events; as I -always have been, so I propose to remain; I prefer that. However, my -dear fellow, I tell you again that, if I consent to act for you in your -love-affair with the young Pole, I do it solely on account of my -friendship for you; but you understand that the slightest indiscretion -would compromise me. I demand secrecy, or I will have nothing to do with -it." - -Cherubin swore that he would not mention his new conquest to a soul, and -Darena left him, promising to return as soon as he should have anything -to tell him. - -Darena had hardly left his young friend, when Jasmin entered his -master's presence. The old servant's manner was important and -mysterious, and at the same time showed much satisfaction with the -errand he had to perform. He tried to walk on tiptoe, as if he was -afraid of being overheard; he went close to his master, nearly falling -upon him because he lost his balance trying to lean over him, and said, -with an expression at once serious and comical: - -"There's a woman here, monsieur, who wishes to speak to us--that is to -say, to you--if you are alone." - -Cherubin could not help laughing at his old servant's expression and at -the malicious meaning which he tried to impart to his message. - -"Who is the woman, Jasmin? Do you know her?" - -"Yes, monsieur, I recognized her from having seen her in her mistress's -antechamber; you go to the house sometimes." - -"What do you say?" - -"Why, yes, she's a lady's maid. Oh! she doesn't come on her own account, -it's her mistress who sends her--I know all about it. Many of them used -to come to see monsieur le marquis, your father, before he was married. -There was sometimes a line waiting in our little salon. Ha! ha! I used -to toy with all the maids." - -"Well, from whom does this one come?" - -"Didn't I tell monsieur? From Madame de Valdieri." - -"The pretty countess! Show her in at once, Jasmin." - -Cherubin was very curious to know what Madame de Valdieri could possibly -want of him. Jasmin went to call the maid, a tall, stoutly-built girl of -some twenty years, with red cheeks and rather an attractive face, who -seemed not at all abashed at calling at a gentleman's apartments. After -ushering her into his master's room, the old servant, imagining -doubtless that he had gone back to the time when they used to stand in -line at Cherubin's father's door, essayed, as he left the room, to put -his arms about the waist of the pretty lady's maid; but his foot -slipped, and, to avoid falling, he was obliged to cling tightly to her, -whom he had intended simply to caress; luckily the girl was firm on her -legs, and able to sustain the weight of the old fellow, and she merely -laughed in his face as he slunk from the room in dire confusion. - -As soon as Jasmin had gone, the maid took from the pocket of her apron a -tiny scented note, which she handed to the young marquis, saying: - -"Madame told me to hand this to monsieur, and to request an immediate -answer." - -Cherubin quivered with pleasure as he took the note, and while the maid -discreetly stepped back, he eagerly read the pretty countess's missive, -which contained these words: - - "You are not agreeable; I have not seen you for several days. To - make your peace with me, will you give me a moment this morning, - and tell me your opinion of some verses which have been sent to me? - I shall expect you at one o'clock." - -Cherubin was beside himself with joy; he read that pleasant epistle once -more, then said to the maid: - -"I accept your mistress's invitation with great pleasure, mademoiselle; -I will be with her at one o'clock; I shall not fail." - -"Then monsieur will not write his answer?" asked the maid. - -Cherubin hesitated; he walked toward his desk, realizing that it would -be better policy perhaps to seize the opportunity to write something -agreeable to his charming friend; but he remembered that Darena had just -told him that he did not know how to write a love letter. Fearing that -he might make some blunder, he tossed his pen aside, crying: - -"No, I think not; I haven't time to write. Besides, I have too many -things to say to your mistress; I should not know where to begin; simply -assure her that I will not keep her waiting." - -The maid smiled, made a pretty little curtsy, and seemed to be waiting -for the young man to slip something into her pocket and take on her -cheek an earnest of what he was to take from her mistress. But, finding -that he did nothing of the sort, she shrugged her shoulders -imperceptibly and left the room, taking pains, as she passed through the -reception room, not to approach the old servant, who seemed inclined to -try again to pull her over. - -"The servant is terribly old," she said to herself, "but the master is -very young!" - -Cherubin was in an ecstasy of delight. Madame de Valdieri's note had -caused him to forget the Polish lady altogether. At nineteen years it is -common enough to think of present happiness only; the new love expels -the old; it is not always necessary to be nineteen years old in order to -experience that phenomenon; but can all these sentiments which are -constantly replacing one another properly be called love? - -Cherubin glanced at his clock; it was half after eleven; he was not to -be at Madame de Valdieri's until one, but he proposed to make an -extremely careful toilet. He rang for Jasmin, he rang for his other -servant, he ordered several suits to be brought, and could not determine -which one to wear. He had his hair dressed, crimped and curled, rising -constantly to look in a mirror. He told his old servant to perfume his -handkerchief, upon which Jasmin emptied several phials, smiling -cunningly, and murmuring: "What did I say? Our _bonnes fortunes_ are -about to begin. We are going to have some sport now! We are quite -good-looking enough for that." - -As he dressed, Cherubin thought of the pretty woman with whom he was -soon to be alone for the first time; he was not very composed in mind, -for he was wondering what he should say to her. He was well pleased to -have the assignation, but he regretted that Monfreville was not there to -tell him how one should behave with a lady of the most fashionable set, -who invites one to read poetry to her. - -It was too late for him to consult Monfreville; the appointed hour was -drawing nigh. Cherubin completed his toilet, but did not notice that -Jasmin had saturated him with perfumery: his coat was scented with -essence of rose, his waistcoat with patchouli, his handkerchief with -Portugal water; and, in addition, all his other garments smelt of musk. -He looked himself over, concluded that he was becomingly arrayed, -stepped into his tilbury, and soon reached the countess's abode. - -He was admitted by the same maid, and instead of taking him to the -salon, she led him through several secret passages to a delicious -boudoir, where the light was so soft and mysterious that one could -scarcely see. However, after a few seconds, Cherubin's eyes became -accustomed to that doubtful light, and he spied the pretty countess -half-reclining on a couch at the back of a little curtained recess, -which seemed intended to perform the functions of an alcove. - -Cherubin made a low bow and said: - -"I beg pardon, madame, but I did not see you at first, it is so dark -here." - -"Do you think so?" rejoined the fair Emma affectedly. "I don't like -broad daylight, it tires my eyes.--It is very kind of you, Monsieur -Cherubin, to consent to sacrifice a few moments to me--you are in such -great demand everywhere!" - -"It is a great pleasure to me, madame, and I--I--really I cannot promise -to read poetry very well. I am not much used to it." - -The countess smiled and motioned him to a seat beside her. Cherubin was -exceedingly perturbed in spirit as he entered the delicious little -recess and seated himself on the couch, which was not very broad, so -that he was necessarily very close to the other person upon it. - -There was a moment's silence. Emma, flattered by Cherubin's evident -emotion and embarrassment in her presence, decided to begin the -conversation, which she was not accustomed to do. - -"How do you like my boudoir?" - -"Exceedingly pretty, madame; but it seems to me to be a little dark for -reading poetry." - -The little lady arched her eyebrows slightly and rejoined: - -"Do you like Madame Celival's boudoir better?" - -"Madame Celival's boudoir? Why, I have never been in it, madame; I don't -know what it is like." - -"Oh! what a fib!" - -"I assure you, madame----" - -"You are lying!--However, I cannot blame you; discretion is the first -condition one should exact in love." - -"Discretion----" - -"Oh! you play the innocent to perfection; but I am not taken in by that -ingenuous air. Mon Dieu! there is such a strong smell of perfumery -here--a mixture of scents. Have you essence of rose about you?" - -"Rose? I don't know; it is possible. Does it affect you unpleasantly?" - -"My nerves are so sensitive! but it will pass away." - -The pretty countess lay back a moment, put her handkerchief to her face, -and drew a long breath. - -Cherubin looked at her, and dared not stir. There was another long -pause; the young man would have liked to say a multitude of things, but, -as he did not know how to express himself, he inquired at last: - -"Is your husband well, madame?" - -The pretty creature burst into laughter which seemed a little forced, -and replied: - -"Yes, monsieur, my husband is singing! So long as he is making music, -that is all that he wants.--Mon Dieu! there's a smell of patchouli here, -too, and musk. Ah! it gives me a sort of vertigo!" - -And whether as a result of the vertigo, or for some other reason, the -young woman half-reclined against Cherubin, so that her face almost -touched his, and he would have had to move very little nearer to kiss -her; but, deeply moved to find that lovely mouth so near to him that he -could almost feel her breath, he dared not move a muscle, and finally he -faltered: - -"Madame, I believe that I was to read poetry to you." - -The little countess abruptly raised her head and rested it on the back -of the couch, as she replied with a touch of spite in her voice: - -"Mon Dieu! what a memory you have, monsieur!--Well, take that album in -front of you and read." - -Cherubin took up an album that lay on a chair, opened it and saw a -medley of drawings, poems, portraits--everything, in short, that one -finds in a woman's album; and, after turning the leaves a moment, he -glanced at the countess and asked timidly: - -"What do you want me to read to you, madame?" - -"Mon Dieu! whatever you choose, it makes no difference to me!" - -Cherubin opened the album again, at random, and read: - - "Fair countess, on this page, - You bid me pen some verse: - Quick your commands engage; - For you the universe - Would rhyme.--But clear to see - My lines good sense ignore. - How could it other be? - You've reft me of its store." - -"Oh! that is that absurd Monsieur Dalbonne!" murmured Madame de -Valdieri, twisting about impatiently on the couch. "He is forever -writing such nonsense; he adores all women.--Are you like that, Monsieur -Cherubin?" - -"I, madame!" Cherubin replied in confusion; "oh, no! I--I--But I -continue: - - "'STORY OF A MOUSE.'" - -"Ah! this is much longer." - -The fair Emma, who evidently did not care to hear the story of a mouse -read at length, and who thought that Cherubin was making sport of her, -determined to resort to violent measures; she fell back on the couch, -murmuring: - -"Oh! I can't stand it any longer! these different scents set my nerves -on edge; I am fainting!" - -Cherubin uttered a cry of alarm, dropped the album, and gazed at the -lovely blonde, who had chosen the most bewitching attitude that a -coquette could devise in which to faint, and whose half-closed eyes wore -an expression which did not indicate any very serious danger. But -instead of admiring it all, Cherubin rose and ran about the room, -looking for smelling-bottles and crying: - -"Great God! you are losing consciousness, and I am the cause of it! I am -so distressed. I will call for help." - -"No, no, monsieur, just unlace me!" murmured the countess, with a sigh. - -"Unlace you! Why, I don't know how; still, if you think----" - -And Cherubin returned to the pretty creature, to do what she suggested; -and she, seeing him lean over her, closed her eyes altogether, presuming -that that would give him more courage and that he would succeed at last -in behaving himself more becomingly; but, when he saw that the countess -had closed her eyes entirely, Cherubin jumped back, ran to a bell cord -and jerked it violently, and cried: - -"She has fainted completely! what a bungler I am! As it's this perfumery -that I have about me that has caused Madame de Valdieri's illness, of -course she won't recover consciousness so long as I am here." - -The maid appeared, vastly surprised to be summoned so suddenly. Cherubin -pointed to her mistress stretched out on the couch, and said: - -"Come quickly and attend to madame la comtesse. I am going away; the -perfumery I have about me is what made her feel faint, so of course I -must not stay with her. Pray tell her that I am terribly distressed at -what has happened." - -And Cherubin took his hat and hastened from the boudoir, leaving the -lady's maid in utter amazement and the pretty little countess with her -eyes wide open. - -Cherubin returned home, cursing Jasmin for turning him into a perfumery -booth. He found Monfreville waiting for him, and told him what had -happened. - -When the young marquis had concluded, Monfreville looked at him with a -curious expression, and said: - -"My dear fellow, I have always been perfectly frank with you, and I must -tell you therefore that in this whole business you acted like an idiot." - -"An idiot!" cried Cherubin. - -"Yes, like the most idiotic of idiots! When a young and pretty woman -deigns to receive you alone in her boudoir, it is with the purpose of -having you make love to her, not to read. The poetry was only a -pretext." - -"Do you think so? Mon Dieu! I had that idea, too, but I dared not -venture to think--But if she had not fainted----" - -"Why, that was the time above all others when victory was in your grasp. -What! a lovely woman tells you to unlace her, and you ring for her maid! -Ah! my poor Cherubin, if this adventure becomes known, it will do you a -deal of harm in society." - -"Great heaven! you distress me! But I didn't know--However, I will -repair my blunder; in the first place, the next time that I go to see -the lovely Emma in her boudoir, I will have no perfumery at all; and -then--oh! I will be very enterprising." - -"I trust that you may be able to set yourself right with the countess, -but I doubt it." - -"Why so?" - -"Because with women, especially coquettes, a lost opportunity never -recurs. So I will bet that Madame de Valdieri won't speak to you again -and won't make any more appointments with you." - -"Do you think so? But what if I ask her for one?" - -"She will refuse it." - -"Oh! I can't believe that! What! just because I was afraid of making her -ill by staying with her?" - -"Poor Cherubin! what a child you are still!--But I'll tell you--let us -go to Madame Celival's to-night; the little countess is usually there, -and if she is, you will find out at once whether I am right." - -Cherubin accepted this suggestion; he waited impatiently for the -evening, for he was burning to see Madame de Valdieri again. He was -convinced that Monfreville was mistaken, and he could not believe that -he would be ill received because he had hurriedly left her when he -discovered that perfumery was unpleasant to her. - -The hour to go to the reception arrived. Monfreville called for his -young friend, and they went together to Madame Celival's. The salons -were already filled with people, but the young countess was not there, -and Cherubin, who was on the watch for her and hoped to see her whenever -the door of the salon opened, was restless and preoccupied to a degree -that did not escape Madame Celival. The sprightly widow declared war on -him and tried to keep him by her side; but at last Madame de Valdieri -appeared with her husband. - -Never had the little countess been dressed with better taste, with more -grace and coquetry; never had she worn a costume which set off her -charms to greater advantage; one would have said that the fascinating -Emma had sworn to make more conquests than ever that evening, in order -to be revenged for her discomfiture during the day. - -All the men vied with one another in extolling the charms of the new -arrival. Cherubin did not say a word; but he could not tire of gazing at -Emma, and he said to himself: - -"And I was sitting beside her this morning--and we were alone in her -boudoir--and her head was almost on my shoulder--and--Gad! I believe -that Monfreville is right; I was a great fool." - -Cherubin waited until the countess had received the homage which men -hasten to lay at a pretty woman's feet. When Madame de Valdieri was no -longer surrounded, he seized an opportunity to go to her, and said in an -almost familiar tone: - -"Well, madame, are you better this evening? Your indisposition had no -serious results?" - -The little countess bestowed a contemptuous glance on Cherubin, and -answered in an ironical tone: - -"I don't know what you mean, monsieur!" - -"You don't know what I mean? Why, this morning----" - -The countess rose, as if she did not choose to listen to Cherubin, and -seated herself beside a lady with whom she speedily began a very lively -conversation, judging from the frequent bursts of laughter with which it -was interspersed. - -The young man was speechless with amazement. - -"What a tone! what an expression!" he said to himself as he took a seat -in a corner. "One would think that she did not know me." - -Monfreville, who had taken his place at a card table, was not at hand to -console his friend, and Cherubin had been sitting by himself for quite a -long time, when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder, and a -penetrating voice said, almost in his ear: - -"What are you doing here? sulking? Madame de Valdieri doesn't seem to -treat you very well this evening." - -"Ah! is it you, madame?" - -"Haven't I guessed right, that you are at odds with the countess?" - -"Oh! I assure you that you are mistaken; I am not sufficiently intimate -with that lady to----" - -"You are discreet--that is right, and it will be a recommendation with -the ladies." - -"Well, well!" thought Cherubin, "they all seem to be agreed on that -point; Madame Celival says almost the same thing that the countess -said." - -The lovely widow seated herself for a moment by Cherubin's side, and -said in a very low tone: - -"You must have done something very bad, to be treated so--to be looked -at like that?" - -"I, madame? Why, I give you my word that I have done nothing at all." - -"Bless me! how innocently he answers! One would take him for a little -saint." - -"Well, she asked me if your boudoir was prettier than--than hers. I told -her that I knew nothing about it, and she told me that I lied; but you -know that I told the truth." - -"Ah! so she asked you if my boudoir was prettier, did she?" said Madame -Celival in an irritated tone. "You admit then that you go to her -boudoir? Ah! that little countess! But, on my word, I consider it very -inquisitive of her to ask you if you had seen mine!--And you said no?" - -"Why, I don't see how I could have said yes, madame; that would have -been a lie." - -"Great heaven! what an astonishing creature you are with your scruples! -As if people never lied in society! Why, you must know that one is -driven to it sometimes, that it is absolutely necessary. However, I -propose that you shall make the acquaintance of my boudoir, so that you -can answer that lady when she questions you again.--Come to breakfast -with me to-morrow." - -"Oh! how kind you are, madame!" - -"Will you come? will you be allowed?" - -"Will I be allowed! Am I not my own master, pray?" - -"Perhaps.--I shall expect you then to-morrow, at twelve o'clock; and we -will breakfast in my boudoir; so that you may have plenty of time to -make its acquaintance, and to tell madame la comtesse what you think of -it." - -"Oh! I am willing to bet in advance that it is prettier than hers, and -not so dark." - -Madame Celival smiled, placed her hand softly in Cherubin's, and walked -away, murmuring almost inaudibly: - -"Until to-morrow!" - -Cherubin, enchanted with his new assignation, incontinently forgot -Madame de Valdieri's disdain; he recovered his spirits and his -assurance, sought out Monfreville, who was at the card-table, and -whispered: - -"I have another, my friend." - -"Another what?" - -"Why, another appointment, in a boudoir, for to-morrow." - -"With the same person?" - -"No, with Madame Celival." - -"You are a lucky dog! Pray try to carry it off better than before." - -"Oh! make your mind easy! I shan't put on any perfumery at all this -time.--Are you going to play much longer?" - -"Yes, we are just beginning a game of whist; I shall play two rubbers at -least." - -"I will leave you then; I am going home to bed." - -"I don't see why you should be tired." - -"Madame de Valdieri keeps looking at me with that contemptuous -expression; I prefer to go." - -So Cherubin disappeared from the salons and went home, thinking -exclusively of Madame Celival, and engrossed by the appointment she had -made with him for the next day. - - - - -XXII - -THE PLUMS - - -One wakes early when one is in love and has an assignation with the -object of one's love. It is not absolutely certain that Cherubin loved -Madame Celival; indeed, it is probable that he felt for all his -conquests only those fleeting desires which all young men feel in the -presence of a pretty woman; a form of disease with which we often -continue to be afflicted when we have attained the age of maturity, and -of which it is very pleasant to be unable to cure oneself as one grows -old. But Cherubin was still too inexperienced to be able to draw -distinctions in his sensations; he believed himself to be passionately -in love with Madame Celival. - -He was no sooner awake than he rang. Jasmin, despite his years, was -always one of the first to answer his master's bell; but Cherubin did -not desire his services again to assist him to dress. - -"You made a fine mess of it yesterday, Jasmin," he said. - -"What did I do, monsieur?" asked the old servant, dismayed by Cherubin's -irritated manner. - -"Why, you drenched me with perfumery, Jasmin; you put it on all my -clothes; I was a regular walking scent-bag." - -"Did not monsieur smell good?" - -"Why, yes! I smelt too good--that is to say, too strong! In fact, I went -to people's heads. Nervous ladies can't endure that sort of thing, and -you are responsible for a lady's fainting away. It was exceedingly -unpleasant." - -Jasmin was in despair. To repair his blunder of the previous day, he -suggested putting camphor in all his master's pockets, because he had -been told that that was very good for the nerves, and he supposed that -it would cure the illnesses caused by perfumery. But Cherubin would not -have it; he expressly forbade Jasmin to perfume him in any way, and he -was obliged to lose his temper in order to deter his old servant from -slipping lumps of camphor into his pockets. - -When his toilet was completed, Cherubin assured himself that he did not -smell of anything at all; and, while waiting for the hour at which he -was to go to Madame Celival's, he thought about the lovely widow and -went over in his mind what he could say to her. The thing that worried -him most was the breakfasting with her. - -"When you breakfast with a lady you're in love with," he said to -himself, "I wonder if you should eat, if you should satisfy your -appetite? Mon Dieu! I forgot to ask Monfreville for instructions on that -point. I'm afraid I shall make more stupid blunders.--But after all, -what is it that I am always blamed for? For being too timid. If I don't -eat, I shall look like a fool; on the other hand, if I eat and drink -freely, it will give me assurance and presumption. Yes, I certainly must -eat." - -The breakfast hour arrived at last. Cherubin betook himself to Madame -Celival's; his heart throbbed violently as he followed the maid to the -boudoir, but he said to himself: - -"Well, I won't be timid to-day, at all events, and I'll eat a lot." - -The fair widow's boudoir was a charming retreat, hung on all sides with -violet velvet. A soft, thick carpet covered the floor, and the threefold -curtains allowed very little light to enter. - -"Evidently these ladies are very fond of the darkness," thought -Cherubin, as he entered the room; "but I am not to read poetry to-day, -and I can see well enough to eat breakfast. And then, I understand--the -darkness should make one bolder--that is the reason, no doubt, why these -ladies expel the daylight from their rooms." - -Madame Celival was awaiting Cherubin; her dress was simple, but well -adapted to display her good points to advantage: her lovely black hair -fell in long curls on each side of her face, and the amaranthine bows -that adorned the dainty little cap she wore gave even more animation to -her eyes, which were full of fire. - -The fascinating widow gave Cherubin such a pleasant welcome that any -other than he would at once have felt at his ease. He did what he could -to overcome his embarrassment, and the most judicious thing that he did -was to stand in rapt contemplation of the charms of his hostess. - -"Well, Monsieur Cherubin," said Madame Celival, after a moment, "what do -you think of my boudoir? not so pretty as the countess's, I suppose?" - -"Why, yes, madame, yes, I assure you, I like yours quite as well--in -fact, I think it even prettier." - -"Oh! you say that to flatter me!" - -"But they are equally dark." - -"A bright light makes my eyes ache; I detest it." - -"But, madame, you should not dread being seen; when one is so -lovely----" - -Cherubin dared not go on; he was tremendously surprised that he had said -so much; but Madame Celival, to whom the compliment seemed quite -natural, replied with a smile: - -"Really! do you think me lovely? Oh! but it costs you men so little to -say things that you don't mean!" - -And, as she spoke, Madame Celival leaned carelessly on the cushion of -the violet velvet couch on which she was half-reclining, and her bosom -rose and fell rapidly as she gazed at Cherubin, who was sitting on a -chair by her side; he lowered his eyes, dared not look at her, and held -his peace. - -After a long pause, Madame Celival, finding that Cherubin did not speak, -exclaimed: - -"But I am forgetting our breakfast! Perhaps you are hungry?" - -"Why yes, madame, I am very hungry," Cherubin at once replied. - -"And it seems that your appetite deprives you of the power of speech," -said Madame Celival with a smile. "Mon Dieu! why didn't you remind me? I -don't want to see you fall dead from starvation. Please ring that bell." - -Cherubin pulled a cord and a maid appeared. - -"Serve breakfast," said Madame Celival.--"We will breakfast here," she -added, turning to Cherubin, "because then we shall not be disturbed by -anybody; if any unwelcome visitor calls, they will say that I'm not at -home. Do you think that I have done well?" - -"Oh, yes, madame, it will be much pleasanter!" - -Madame Celival smiled again; perhaps she thought that their tete-a-tete -would become pleasanter; but this is mere conjecture. - -The maid quickly laid the table with two covers. Cherubin noticed that -she placed the dessert on a small table beside the large one, which was -covered with dishes. - -Then Madame Celival dismissed her, saying: - -"If I want you, I will ring.--And now," said the fascinating brunette, -offering her hand to the young man, who continued to gaze at her -admiringly, "take your seat, monsieur le marquis, and excuse me for -treating you so unceremoniously; but this is not a formal breakfast." - -Madame Celival's informal breakfast consisted of a _terrine de Nerac_, a -stuffed partridge, small birds _aux pistaches_, and a superb dish of -crabs; and on the small table were pastry, preserves, and a compote of -plums, for dessert; lastly, several decanters of choice wines indicated -that the hostess did not propose that her young guest should retain his -self-possession unimpaired. - -Cherubin was seated beside Madame Celival, who helped him to everything, -but ate very little; by way of compensation, the young man ate for two. -After he was at the table, he felt much less embarrassed, more inclined -to talk; he concluded that he had guessed aright, and that to eat and -drink freely would give him assurance; so he did honor to everything -that was set before him and drank whatever was poured into his glass. - -Madame Celival was very lively; she knew the art of keeping the -conversation from flagging; and she seemed delighted by the way in which -her companion did honor to the breakfast. - -"Really," she said laughingly, "I am not surprised that you didn't say -anything just now, that you seemed so taciturn! It was because you were -dying of hunger." - -"It is true, madame, that I have an excellent appetite; and then, with -you, it seems to me that one must needs always be hungry." - -"Oh! I don't feel sure whether I ought to take that for a compliment or -not! There is a proverb which would rather work against me." - -"What is the proverb, madame?" - -"As you don't know it, I won't tell you.--Now, we will proceed to the -dessert; I had it put within our reach, so that we need not ring; all we -have to do is to change tables. Don't you think that that is -pleasanter?" - -These last words were accompanied with such a tender glance that -Cherubin was greatly confused; to recover his self-possession, he -hastily pushed away the table on which they had breakfasted and replaced -it by the smaller one on which the dessert was all set out. - -Madame Celival, who was desirous that the breakfast should come to an -end, made haste to serve her guest, and offered him everything. Cherubin -scrutinized the compote of plums and asked: - -"What is that?" - -"Plums. Do you mean to say that you don't know this dish?" - -"Mon Dieu! no, I never saw it before. At my nurse's we never ate it." - -Madame Celival laughed heartily. - -"At your nurse's!" she repeated; "that is lovely! an excellent joke! One -would think, to hear you, that you had remained out at nurse to this -day." - -Cherubin bit his lips; he thought that he had made a foolish speech, and -was overjoyed to find that she took it for a good joke. He accepted the -plums which Madame Celival offered him. - -"Well!" said the lovely widow, after a moment, "how do you like what you -never had at your nurse's?" - -"Very well! delicious!" - -"Will you have some more?" - -"With pleasure." - -Madame Celival served him again to plums, and he said, as he ate them: - -"But you are eating nothing, madame." - -"Oh! I am not hungry." - -"Why not?" - -"Why not! what a strange question! Because women aren't like men, and -when they have anything on their mind, they live on their thoughts and -their feelings, and those are all they need." - -These last words were uttered in a tone of annoyance, for Madame Celival -was beginning to think that Cherubin passed an unduly long time at the -table; however, she continued to offer him the different dishes, like a -woman of breeding, who knows how to do the honors of her house. - -"Thanks," said Cherubin, "but I like the plums better than anything." - -"Very well, take some more." - -"Really--if I dared----" - -"You are not going to stand on ceremony, are you? I shall be offended." - -Cherubin remembered that he must not be timid, that it was that which -had been so harmful to him. So he helped himself to plums; in a moment -he took some more; and as Madame Celival laughed heartily over his -passion for plums, and he was delighted to entertain her, he did not -stop until the dish contained no more. - -The lovely widow seemed very well pleased when the plums were exhausted, -and the words: "That is very lucky!" escaped from her lips; but they -were almost inaudible, and Cherubin did not hear them. - -Meanwhile the pretty hostess had softly moved her chair away from the -table; she drank a few spoonfuls of coffee, placed her cup on the -mantel, then resumed her seat on her couch, saying to the young man, in -a voice that went to his heart: - -"Well! aren't you coming to sit by me?" - -Cherubin began to understand that the time had come when he must turn -his attention to something besides plums; he left the table and walked -about the salon, admiring divers lovely engravings, the subjects of -which, while not too free, were well adapted to appeal to the passions. -He went into ecstasies before Cupid and Psyche, the river Scamander, and -an Odalisk lying on her couch; and finally he seated himself beside -Madame Celival, who said to him: - -"Do you like my engravings?" - -"Yes, all those women are so lovely--especially the Odalisk!" - -"The painter has hardly clothed her; but to enable us to admire her -beauty, it was necessary to show her to us unclothed. That is allowed in -painting; artists have privileges; we pardon everything in talent--or in -love." - -These last words were accompanied by a sigh. Cherubin looked at the -lovely widow, and she had never seemed to him more alluring; for her -eyes shone with a fire that was at once intense and soft, and her -half-closed lips seemed inclined to reply to many questions. The young -man ventured to take a hand which was relinquished to him without -reserve; he gazed fondly at that soft, plump, white hand, with its -tapering fingers; he dared not put it to his lips as yet, but he pressed -it tenderly, and not only was it not withdrawn, but a very warm pressure -responded to his. Encouraged by that symptom, Cherubin was about to -cover that hand with kisses, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the -intestinal region. - -Cherubin was thunderstruck. - -"What's the matter?" queried Madame Celival, amazed to find him holding -her hand in the air, without kissing it. - -"Nothing, oh! nothing, madame!" - -And the young man tried to dissemble a wry face caused by a second pang, -less sharp, it is true, but followed by internal rumblings which -portended a violent tempest. - -Meanwhile, being completely engrossed by his sensations, and disturbed -by the thought of the possible sequel, Cherubin ceased to take any part -in the conversation and dropped Madame Celival's hand on the couch. - -"In heaven's name, what is the matter, monsieur?" murmured the pretty -widow, in a half-reproachful, half-melting tone. "You seem distraught, -absent-minded; you say nothing to me. Do you know that that is not -agreeable on your part?" - -"Mon Dieu, madame, I assure you that nothing is the matter; you are -mistaken." - -And Cherubin did what he could to mask another contortion; he was -attacked by gripes which fairly tortured him; he realized that he had -the colic, and not for anything on earth would he have had Madame -Celival guess what had happened to him. - -However, it is not a crime to feel indisposed! But we weak mortals, who -seek sometimes to exalt ourselves to the rank of gods, we blush because -we are subject to all the infirmities of the simplest of God's -creatures; there are times when we are sorely embarrassed to be at once -the man of the world and the natural man. Poor Cherubin found himself in -that predicament; the plums were playing him a very treacherous trick. - -Madame Celival could not misunderstand the young marquis's tone. Piqued, -too, because she could no longer read in his eyes either affection or -desire, she exclaimed after a moment: - -"Evidently, monsieur, you find it dull with me." - -"Why, madame, I swear to you that that is not true--far from it; -but----" - -"But you would prefer to be with Madame de Valdieri, wouldn't you?" - -"Oh, no! that is not where I would like to be at this moment!" - -"Indeed! where would you like to be at this moment, monsieur?" - -Cherubin did not know what to reply; he endured with difficulty another -sharp pain, and felt the cold perspiration standing on his forehead. He -cut a very sad figure at that moment, and did not in the least resemble -a lover. - -Madame Celival looked at him; she compressed her lips angrily, and -cried: - -"Oh! what an extraordinary face you are making! Such a thing was never -seen before--by me, at all events. Come, monsieur, speak, explain -yourself; something is the matter, certainly." - -And the fair widow, still impelled by the tender sentiment which spoke -in Cherubin's favor, walked toward him and would have taken his hand; -but he hastily drew back, faltering in a stifled voice: - -"Oh! don't touch me, madame, I implore you!" - -"What does that mean, monsieur? I beg you to believe that I have not the -slightest desire to touch you," retorted Madame Celival, offended by the -alarm depicted on the young man's face. "But, monsieur, I am justified -in being surprised by the ill humor that has suddenly taken possession -of you; I did not expect that I should--er--frighten you by showing you -what pleasure it gave me to entertain you.--Ha! ha! it is most amusing, -on my word!" - -Instead of replying to what she said, Cherubin abruptly sprang to his -feet, muttering: - -"Excuse me, madame, excuse me--but an appointment I had forgotten--I -absolutely must go." - -"What, monsieur! you made an appointment when you knew that you were to -breakfast with me! That is extremely courteous of you! You cannot make -me believe that it is so urgent that you must go at once." - -"Oh! yes, madame, yes! it is horribly urgent; I cannot postpone it any -longer. Adieu, madame, adieu!" - -And Cherubin, after running madly about the boudoir three times, in -search of his hat, spied it at last, seized it, rushed at the door, -threw it open with such force that he nearly broke it, and fled through -all the rooms of the suite, as if he were afraid of being pursued, -leaving Madame Celival aghast at his manner of taking leave of her. - -Cherubin reached home at last cursing the plums and the ill-fortune -which seemed to pursue him in his love-affairs. - -Toward evening Monfreville called upon his friend; he was curious to -know if he acquitted himself more creditably at his last assignation -than at the first. When he saw the young marquis, still pale and -exhausted, he smiled and said: - -"I see that your good fortune was complete this time, and that you won a -grand victory." - -Cherubin looked at his friend with such a piteous expression that he did -not know what to think. After carefully closing the door of his -apartment, Cherubin told Monfreville what had happened in his second -amorous tete-a-tete. Monfreville could not keep a sober face as he -listened to the story; and although Cherubin did not share his -merriment, it was a long time before he could restrain it. - -"So you consider it very amusing, do you?" said Cherubin, with a sigh. - -"Faith, my dear fellow, it is very hard not to laugh at the plight in -which you found yourself." - -"Agree that I am very unlucky." - -"It is your own fault. When you breakfast tete-a-tete with a lady, you -should not stuff yourself with plums, especially after you have already -eaten heartily, as you seem to have done." - -"I did it to give myself courage, nerve!" - -"What you did give yourself was very agreeable." - -"Well, no such accident will happen in my next tete-a-tete with Madame -Celival; I shall have better luck next time." - -"Oh! don't flatter yourself that you will obtain a second assignation -from the fair widow. You are ruined in her esteem, as well as in the -little countess's. That makes another conquest that you must abandon." - -"Do you think so? How unfair! Does a woman cease to love us because we -are suddenly taken ill?" - -"Not for that reason, but because you behaved so clumsily." - -"What would you have done in my place?" - -"I would have said frankly that my breakfast was disturbing me, that I -was feeling very sick; then she would have understood and excused my -departure." - -"Oh! I would have died of shame rather than say that!" - -"That is very poor reasoning, my dear fellow; remember that a woman will -forgive everything except contempt or indifference to her charms." - -Cherubin was very much cast down during the rest of the day; it seemed -to him that there was a sort of fatality about his love-affairs, and he -was afraid that it would continue to pursue him. But that same evening -Darena came to his house, to apprise him of the results of his -negotiations with the charming woman he had seen at the Cirque. - -"Victory!" cried Darena, bringing his hand down on the young marquis's -shoulder; "it's going on finely, my friend; your business is in good -shape." - -"Well, have you obtained an appointment for me?" inquired Cherubin, with -an almost frightened expression. - -"Deuce take it! not yet; such things don't go so fast as you think; the -young Polish countess is closely watched, surrounded by duennas and -Cerberuses." - -"Is she a Polish countess?" - -"Yes, the Comtesse de Globeska, wife of the Comte de Globeski, a man of -high social position who had to flee from his country because he was -accused of high treason. He's as jealous as a tiger! he's the kind of -fellow that talks of nothing but stabbing his wife if she should give so -much as one hair to a man!" - -"This is terrible!" - -"It's of no consequence at all! Women haven't the slightest fear of -daggers; on the contrary, they love to defy danger. I succeeded in -getting your letter to the fair Globeska. It was a hard task; I had to -scatter gold lavishly, and I did so; in fact, I borrowed some, as I had -not enough. I know that you will make it up to me, and I thought that -you would not blame me for being zealous in the service of your love." - -"Oh! far from it, my dear Darena; I thank you. But did the pretty Pole -write me a word in reply?" - -"No, she didn't write you; perhaps she doesn't write French very -well--that is excusable in a foreigner; but women abound in self-esteem; -they are afraid of being laughed at if they make a mistake in grammar; -in fact, the enchanting Globeska replied by word of mouth, and what she -said is worth all the billets-doux that ever were written." - -"What did she say?" - -"She said to her maid, whom I had seduced--I mean that I bribed her with -money: 'Say to this young Frenchman who has written me, that I share his -passion. Since I saw him, I dream of him all the time, even when I am -not asleep.'" - -"Did she say that? Oh! what joy!" - -"Let us finish: 'I am bound to a tyrant whom I detest. Let this -Frenchman devise some way to carry me off, and I am ready to go with -him--I will throw myself into his arms.'--Well, what do you say to that, -my lucky Lovelace? I should say that you had turned her head!" - -"Yes, my friend, I am very glad; for I feel that I like that young woman -better than all the rest. With her it seems to me that I shall be more -at my ease than with the women in fashionable society, who always -intimidate me." - -"You will be very much at your ease, I promise you; the Poles are very -unceremonious." - -"But she talks about my carrying her off. Can that be done? Is it -allowable to carry off a man's wife?" - -"Oh! what a child! In the first place, you don't ask leave; and -secondly, you see that she herself wants it done. Never fear, I will -look after the abduction; I make that my business." - -"My dear Darena, how much I am indebted to you!" - -"But the main point is to know where I shall take your charmer. You will -understand that it would be neither proper nor prudent to bring her to -this house, where your servants will see her, and----" - -"Oh! certainly not. But where can we take her then?" - -"Nothing can be simpler. All that we have to do is to hire a little -house near Paris, in the suburbs, in some lonely and quiet spot. Do you -wish me to attend to that too?" - -"Oh, yes! I beg that you will." - -"Very good, I will hire a house. If it isn't furnished, I will send some -furniture. Give me some money; I shall want quite a great deal." - -Cherubin ran to his desk, took out some bank-notes, and handed them to -Darena, saying: - -"Here, here are two thousand, three thousand francs--is that enough?" - -"Yes; but you may as well give me four thousand at once; I must not fall -short. Now, let me manage the affair. I will make sure of a house, first -of all, and have it arranged to receive your inamorata; then I will -watch for a favorable opportunity; as soon as it comes, I will abduct -the lady, then I will come here and tell you. All that you will have to -do will be to pluck the fruit of the victory, and that will not be an -unpleasant task." - -"It is delightful!" - -"But, above all, not a word of this to Monfreville, or I will have -nothing more to do with it." - -"Never fear, that is understood." - -"When your charmer has escaped from her tyrant's hands, I will take care -to order a dainty repast sent to your little retreat. It is always -essential that a lady should find something to eat when she arrives." - -"Yes, my friend, order a supper. But no plums, I beg! No plums! I have a -horror of them!" - -Darena stared at Cherubin in amazement as he replied: - -"Never fear. I was not aware of your aversion for plums; they are said -to be very healthful." - -"If I see any on the table, I shall run off at once." - -"All right--don't get excited. I will see that none are served." - -And the count left his young friend, after pocketing the bank-notes. - -"Well," said Cherubin, "this conquest shall not escape me, and it will -make up to me for all that I have lost." - - - - -XXIII - -A FAMILY INTERIOR - - -As Ernestine had announced to Louise, Madame de Noirmont returned home -on the day that she was expected. Her arrival was a festal occasion for -Ernestine, who flew to meet her mother the instant that she caught sight -of her, and threw herself into her arms. Madame de Noirmont responded -lovingly to her daughter's caresses; it was easy to see that she was -touched by them, and that she was genuinely happy to be at home once -more. - -Monsieur de Noirmont did not rush to meet his wife; such tokens of -affection were not in accordance with his nature; he feared that, by -indulging in them, he should compromise his dignity. However, when he -learned that she had returned, he went to her room and greeted her -pleasantly, but did not kiss her. - -"Did you have a pleasant journey, madame?" - -"Yes, thanks, monsieur." - -"And how is your aunt, Madame Dufrenil?" - -"She is much better, monsieur; her health is entirely restored. But it -was time for me to return, or I should have been really ill with ennui, -from being away from my daughter so long. I was very sorry that you did -not allow me to take her with me, monsieur." - -"The result of that, madame, is that you have the greater pleasure in -seeing her again, and I trust that it will make you love her dearly." - -With that, Monsieur de Noirmont saluted his wife and returned to his -study. - -When her husband had gone, Madame de Noirmont drew her daughter to her -and pressed her to her heart again and again: - -"Your father thinks that I do not love you," she murmured. "Do you think -so too, my love?" - -"Oh, no! indeed I don't, mamma," cried Ernestine. "But papa doesn't -think so, either; I am sure of it. I know that you love me; and why -shouldn't you? am I not your daughter?" - -Madame de Noirmont's features contracted nervously; her brow darkened, -and she hastily extricated herself from Ernestine's arms. But the cloud -soon vanished and she drew the girl to her again, saying in a melancholy -tone: - -"Oh, yes, yes! I love you dearly!" - -"I have never doubted it, mamma, and if you have sometimes--as you had -just now, for instance--moments when my caresses seem tiresome to you, I -am sure that it's just because you have a headache, or because you're -thinking about something else; but you don't love me any less, do you?" - -"No, of course I never love you any less. Did the time seem long to you -while I was away?" - -"Oh! yes, mamma! But luckily I have had a new maid for three weeks. -Father must have written you that he discharged the other one, didn't -he?" - -"Yes, dear." - -"Oh! I like the new one ever so much better! If you knew how nice she -is! and not a bit stupid, nor vulgar! She speaks very correctly, and yet -she came right from her village; she has never lived out, but she -learned her duties instantly." - -"Who brought her here?" - -"Comtois. He had excellent recommendations." - -Madame de Noirmont smiled at the serious tone in which her daughter -spoke. - -"My dear girl," she replied, "I know that we may rely on Comtois.--What -is your new maid's name?" - -"Louise--Louise Fre--Frenet--I never can remember her other name. But no -matter, she's a very nice girl, I tell you, mamma; I am sure that you -will like her too. I am going to call her, to show her to you. She's -very shy, that is why she hasn't come to pay her respects to you." - -"Mon Dieu! my dear love, I have plenty of time to see your maid; there -is no hurry about it." - -"Oh, yes! I want you to see her right away, mamma." - -Ernestine rang a bell; in a moment the door opened and Louise appeared -in the doorway, timid and with downcast eyes. - -"Did madame ring for me?" she murmured. - -Madame de Noirmont scrutinized the girl, whom she then saw for the first -time; she was struck by her beauty, by the dignified expression of her -features, by her modest and reserved demeanor, by her whole aspect, -which was not what one ordinarily sees in a lady's maid. She could not -tire of looking at her. - -Ernestine leaned toward her mother and whispered: - -"Well! what do you think of her?" - -"Lovely, my child, lovely; she has an air of distinction too; no one -would think that she was a servant." - -"I didn't flatter her, did I?--Mamma thinks that you are lovely, -Louise," continued the girl; "she likes you too. I told you that she -would like you." - -Louise made a curtsy and murmured: - -"Madame is very kind; I will do my best to satisfy her, and mademoiselle -too." - -"I don't doubt it, my child," replied Madame de Noirmont; "everything -prepossesses me in your favor, and I am convinced that my daughter is -not mistaken in all the good that she has told me of you." - -While Ernestine's mother was speaking, Louise raised her eyes and looked -at her. At sight of that beautiful, noble and stern face, of that pale -and haughty brow, of those great black eyes wherein one could always -detect a melancholy expression, the girl felt deeply moved and -impressed; her heart beat violently, whether with pleasure or fear she -did not know; she could not define her feelings, but she did not speak -or move. For some moments after Madame de Noirmont ceased speaking, she -continued to listen; they motioned to her that she might retire, and she -remained. At last Ernestine had to touch her arm and say: "You may leave -us, Louise," before she came to herself and left the room, casting a -last furtive glance at Madame de Noirmont. - -After a few more words concerning the new lady's maid, Madame de -Noirmont turned all her attention to taking up the threads of her usual -domestic occupations, and to superintending her daughter's education and -her studies with the different teachers who came to the house to give -her lessons. - -Madame de Noirmont's life was very regular; she rarely went out and -received few visits; she devoted herself to her daughter, overlooked her -studies and read a great deal: that was her greatest pleasure, her most -agreeable means of distraction. - -Monsieur de Noirmont passed the whole day in his study; his wife and -daughter saw little of him before dinner. At that repast they met, and -not infrequently some old friend of Monsieur de Noirmont dined with -them, but they very rarely had more than one guest. During dinner Madame -de Noirmont talked very little, while her husband discussed politics or -economic matters with his guest. Ernestine alone did anything to enliven -the party. She succeeded very well; her childish sallies and -observations often made her mother smile; and even Monsieur de Noirmont, -despite his gravity, could not always keep a sober face. In the evening, -the ladies worked, made tapestry, or sang, and the men played chess or -backgammon. When there were no guests at dinner, Monsieur de Noirmont -often went out in the evening to some party or reception; sometimes his -wife and daughter accompanied him, but rarely. Madame de Noirmont -preferred to remain at home with Ernestine; and when her husband was not -there, she seemed less serious, less pensive, and she manifested her -affection for Ernestine more freely. - -Louise's duties were very pleasant in that family, where the ladies did -not go to balls and received very little company. Comtois alone waited -at table. The young lady's maid assisted the ladies to dress; then, -during almost all the remainder of the day, she worked in her room, -making dresses for mademoiselle or keeping the linen of the household -in order. In the evening, she served at tea, then looked to it that her -mistresses had everything in their room that they required. This was not -very wearisome, and Louise sometimes told Ernestine that they did not -give her enough work to do; but the girl would reply, with a smile: - -"What makes you work so fast? We no sooner give you a piece of sewing to -do than it is done. Mamma says that your activity and skill are most -unusual. Other lady's maids don't work so fast, I promise you!" - -Louise felt a thrill of pleasure whenever she was told that Madame de -Noirmont was pleased with her. And although that lady always preserved a -grave and serious manner with her servants, which made the slightest -approach to familiarity impossible, she felt drawn to love her, and it -seemed to her that it would be a source of deep grief to her if she -should now be compelled to leave her. - -Meanwhile three months had passed since she came to Paris, and she had -not once seen Cherubin. But since Madame de Noirmont's return, Louise, -engrossed by the desire to please her, had felt her love-pangs less -sharply; although she still loved her old playmate as dearly as ever, -another sentiment had glided into her heart, to distract her thoughts -from her troubles. - -Monsieur Gerondif had called several times to inquire of Comtois what -Louise's employers thought of her, and each time the old servant put -forth all his eloquence in praise of the young lady's maid and begged -the professor to thank old Jasmin for the present he had sent them. -Monsieur Gerondif went away overjoyed that he had brought Louise to -Paris, although Cherubin, entirely absorbed by his _bonnes fortunes_, -had forgotten about going to see Nicole. - -One morning, when Monsieur Gerondif called at Monsieur de Noirmont's to -ask Comtois if they were still content with Louise, the valet replied: - -"Yes, indeed; Mademoiselle Louise is a model of virtue and industry. If -you would like to see her, monsieur, she is alone at this moment; the -ladies have gone out to do some shopping. She is working in her room, -and there is no reason why you should not go up and bid her -good-morning." - -Monsieur Gerondif joyfully accepted the proposition; he followed -Comtois, who led him to Louise's chamber and left him with her. - -Louise manifested the keenest delight at sight of the tutor, for she -would have an opportunity to talk with him about all those who were dear -to her. Monsieur Gerondif, who was, like most pedants, a conceited fool, -took to himself a pleasure of which he was the pretext simply; he -believed that he had kindled a tender sentiment in the breast of the -pretty lady's maid, and he smiled as if he would dislocate his jaw as he -took his seat beside her. - -Louise began by inquiring for her adopted mother. - -"She is perfectly well, and she is overjoyed that you are in such a fine -position in Paris," replied the tutor, lying with imperturbable -coolness; for he had not been to the village since Louise left it. - -"And Monsieur Cherubin?" continued Louise, "is he pleased to know that I -am in Paris as he wished? Hasn't he any desire to see me? Doesn't he -ever speak to you about me? Did he send you here to-day?" - -The tutor scratched his nose, coughed, spat, wiped his forehead, all of -which operations required much time with him, during which he considered -what he should say. Having made up his mind at last, he said to Louise: - -"My dear child, it rarely happens that childish loves come to a good -end. I might cite Paul and Virginie and a thousand other examples _ad -hoc_; I prefer to tell you _ex abrupto_--which means, without -preamble--that you are making a mistake to give any further thought to -Monsieur le Marquis de Grandvilain, because that young man never gives a -thought to you. In the first place, when you came to see him at his -house--when you came to Paris with Nicole----" - -"Well, monsieur?" - -"Well, the young marquis was at home; but as he didn't want to see you, -he gave his concierge orders to tell you that he was away." - -"O mon Dieu! is it possible?" - -"Amid the debauchery in which he is plunged, how do you expect him to -remember a young country girl with whom he used to play -puss-in-the-corner, and other more or less innocent games? He has become -a great rake, has my pupil; he has a lot of mistresses. It isn't my -fault. He receives so many billets-doux that it's perfectly scandalous, -and I should have left his house before this if my financial interests -did not oblige me to close my eyes,--which however, does not prevent my -seeing whatever happens." - -Louise put her handkerchief to her eyes and faltered: - -"So it's all over--he doesn't love me at all! Who would have believed it -of Cherubin?" - -"One must believe everything, expect everything from a beardless youth," -replied the tutor. - -Then, drawing his chair close to the girl's, and laying his hand on her -knee, Monsieur Gerondif tried to assume a mellifluous voice and began, -weighing his words: - -"I have made the wound, and it is for me to apply the balsam, otherwise -called the remedy.--Lovely Louise, although young Cherubin has not been -true to your charms, there are others who will be too happy to offer -incense to them, to cultivate them. I go straight to the point: I love -you, divine maiden! and I am not fickle, because, thank heaven, I am a -grown man. I have not come to make any base propositions to you--_retro, -Satanas_! which means: I have only honorable views. I offer you my hand, -my heart, my name, my rank and my title; but we will wait two years -before we marry. I will try to restrain my passions for that length of -time, which I require in order to amass a tidy sum of money. You will -contribute your wages, your savings; they are much pleased with you -here, and it is probable that you will receive a handsome present at New -Year's. We will put it all together and buy a little house in the -outskirts of Paris; I will take a few pupils to keep my hand in; we will -have a dog, a cat, chickens, all the pleasant things of life, and our -days will be blended of honey and hippocras." - -During this harangue, Louise had pushed away the hand that Monsieur -Gerondif had laid on her knee, and had moved her chair away; and as soon -as he had finished speaking, she rose and said to him in a courteous but -determined tone: - -"I thank you, monsieur, for condescending to offer me, a poor village -girl, without name or family, the title of your wife; but I cannot -accept it. Monsieur Cherubin no longer loves me; I can understand that, -monsieur, and indeed I was mad to imagine that, in Paris, in the midst -of pleasures, living in the whirl of society, he would remember me. But -it is altogether different with me! I have not become a great lady, and -the image of the man I love can never be effaced from my heart. I love -Cherubin; I feel that I shall never love anybody else! So, monsieur, it -would be very wicked of me to marry another man, as I could not give -that other my love." - -Monsieur Gerondif was greatly surprised by this speech; he recovered -himself, however, and replied: - -"My sweet Louise, _varium et mutabile semper femina_; or, if you prefer: -'_souvent femme varie, bien fol est qui s'y fie_.'--Woman changes ever; -he is a great fool who trusts her.--The latter lines are by Francois I; -I prefer Beranger's.--Tiresias declares that men have only three ounces -of love, while women have nine, which enables them to change oftener -than we do; and yet, with only three ounces, we do pretty well." - -"What does all this mean, monsieur?" - -"It means, my dear love, that you will do like the others: you will -change; your love will pass away." - -"Never, monsieur." - -"Never is a word that means nothing at all in love. However, you will -have plenty of time to think about it, as I give you two years for -reflection. Until then, allow me to hope." - -"Oh! it is useless, monsieur." - -"I beg pardon; by hoping one lives content, and I cling to my hope. -Adieu, fair Louise; continue to behave becomingly; your remuneration -will be increased doubtless, and I shall continue to put mine aside; -and, as a very trivial but very shrewd popular proverb says: 'Let's let -the mutton boil!'--I lay my homage at your feet." - -Monsieur Gerondif took his leave, and Louise was at liberty to weep -without restraint. She did not bestow a thought on the tutor's offers, -she thought only of Cherubin, who no longer loved her, who had ceased to -think of her, and who had mistresses. She had been afraid for a long -time that he had forgotten her; but now she was certain of it, and it -is a far cry from fear to certainty, in love. - -The return of Madame de Noirmont and her daughter forced Louise to -conceal her tears. She hastily wiped her eyes and tried to dissemble her -depression, for she felt that she must not betray the secret of her -heart. - -On that day Monsieur de Noirmont went out after dinner. Ernestine -remained with her mother, to whom, as they worked, she said whatever -came into her head, especially as she saw that it was one of her moments -of good humor. When Madame de Noirmont smiled at her daughter's -speeches, the latter was so delighted that she often laid her work aside -to throw her arms about her mother's neck, who sometimes held her -lovingly to her heart for some moments. - -Louise, for whom they rang to order tea, entered the salon at one of the -times when Madame de Noirmont's arms were about her daughter; and the -sweet child, in her joy at being so fondled, cried out: - -"See how happy I am, Louise! see what a dear, good mother I have!" - -Louise stood still in the middle of the salon; she was glad for -Ernestine's happiness, and yet, in the touching picture before her eyes, -there was something that hurt her, she did not understand why. Two great -tears escaped from her eyes; but she turned quickly, so that they might -not see her weeping. - -Meanwhile Madame de Noirmont had resumed her grave demeanor, and -Ernestine had had to return to her seat. Louise served the tea as -quickly as possible, then left the room, fearing that her sadness would -be noticed. - -Despite all her efforts to be calm, Louise was still crying when -Ernestine entered her room to ask her some question, before going to -bed. Seeing that Louise's face was wet with tears, her young mistress -ran to her, and said with the most touching interest: - -"Mon Dieu! crying, Louise! What's the matter?" - -"Oh! excuse me, mademoiselle. I know that I should not weep here, where -everyone is so kind to me; but I could not help it!" - -"Have you some reason for being unhappy? You would not cry like this for -nothing. Louise, I insist on knowing why you were crying." - -"Well, mademoiselle, it is because, when I saw you in your mother's arms -to-night, the picture of the happiness you enjoy made me feel more -keenly than ever the misery of my position. Oh! mademoiselle, it isn't -envy that makes me say it! I bless Heaven for making you so happy; but I -could not help crying when I remembered that my mother never kissed me, -that I shall never be able to throw my arms about her!" - -"What's that you say, my poor Louise? Doesn't your mother love you?" - -"It isn't that, mademoiselle. But listen, I am going to tell you the -truth, for I don't know how to lie. And then, I don't understand why I -should make a mystery of it; you won't be any less kind to me when you -know that I am a poor girl, abandoned by her parents." - -"Is it possible? you haven't any parents?" - -"At all events, mademoiselle, I don't know them." - -Thereupon Louise proceeded to tell Ernestine the story of how Nicole had -been employed to take care of her, and of the kindness of the village -people, who had kept her and treated her like their daughter, when they -found that she was abandoned by her mother. - -Ernestine listened to the story with the deepest interest. When Louise -had ceased to speak, she kissed her affectionately, saying: - -"Poor Louise! Oh! how glad I am you have told me that! It seems to me -that I love you even more since I know that your parents have abandoned -you. And that dear, good Nicole! those kind peasants! Ah! what splendid -people they are! I will tell mamma all about it to-morrow! I am sure -that it will interest her too." - -"Oh! that isn't worth while, mademoiselle; Madame de Noirmont may not -like it because I have told you about my troubles." - -"I assure you, on the contrary, that, for all her serious manner, mamma -is kind and good; and, besides, she likes you very much. She has said to -me several times that your manners were just what they should be, and -that is great praise from her, I tell you!--Well, good-night, Louise, -sleep soundly, and don't cry any more. If you haven't any parents, you -have some people here who love you dearly and who will take good care of -you." - -Ernestine left Louise, to go to bed, and the latter felt less unhappy -when she saw her young mistress's affection for her--an affection which -she shared with all the sincerity of her soul. - -The next morning the Noirmont family met at the breakfast table. -Ernestine had not seen her mother since the preceding night, because a -headache had kept Madame de Noirmont in bed later than usual; but her -father, who rarely appeared at breakfast, had just taken his seat, when -Ernestine, after kissing her mother, said in a mysterious tone: - -"I have something very interesting to tell you this morning, and I am -glad papa came to breakfast, to hear what I am going to say." - -"Really?" said Monsieur de Noirmont, smiling, and in a tone of mild -raillery. "From the way in which you say that, I imagine that it must -really be something most serious." - -"Why, yes, papa, it's very serious! Oh! you look as if you were laughing -at me, but when you know what it is, I'll bet that you will be as -touched as I was last night when I found poor Louise crying!" - -"What! is it something about Louise?" asked Madame de Noirmont, with an -air of deep interest; "can it be that anything has gone wrong with her? -I should be extremely sorry, for the girl is a very good girl indeed, -and seems to deserve our kindness." - -"This is what it is; listen. Louise didn't want me to tell you; but I am -very sure that you won't blame her for it; it isn't her fault." - -Monsieur de Noirmont, whose interest was aroused by this exordium, said -impatiently: - -"Come, my child, go on, explain yourself." - -"Well, papa, last evening, when Louise came to the salon to serve the -tea, she found me in mamma's arms, and we were kissing each other." - -"That is well, my daughter; what next?" - -"At night, when I went up to bed, as I couldn't find a fichu that I -wanted, I went to Louise's room to ask her where she had put it. I found -her crying hard, and I asked her why she was crying. She replied, -sobbing: 'Oh! mademoiselle, because, when I saw you in your mother's -arms to-night, I felt more keenly than ever my misfortune in never -having been kissed by my mother, and in being only an abandoned child.'" - -"An abandoned child!" murmured Madame de Noirmont, whose face instantly -became deathly pale. - -"But," said Monsieur de Noirmont, "if I am not mistaken, Comtois told us -that the girl's parents lived in the outskirts of Paris--I don't -remember in what village." - -"Yes, papa, that is what Comtois was told when Louise was brought here; -but that was a lie that her friends thought they ought to tell. Louise -thought it was better to tell the truth." - -"She is right. But call your maid, Ernestine; I want to hear the whole -story from her own lips. It has roused my curiosity. And you, -madame--are not you curious to hear this girl's story?" - -Madame de Noirmont replied with a few almost unintelligible words; it -was as if she were oppressed by some secret suffering, which she was -doing her utmost to conceal. - -Meanwhile, Ernestine had not waited for her father to repeat his -request; she had run off to call Louise, who soon appeared before the -assembled family. - -Monsieur de Noirmont looked at her with more interest than he had -previously displayed; Ernestine smiled at her affectionately; Madame de -Noirmont lowered her eyes and became paler than ever. From the -disquietude that had taken possession of her, from the anxiety that -could be read upon her features, one would have taken her for a criminal -awaiting judgment. - -"Come, Louise, come nearer," said Monsieur de Noirmont, motioning to -her; "my daughter has told us of what you told her last evening. Do not -tremble, my child; we shall not reproach you for telling us what was not -true when you entered our service." - -"Oh! it was not I, monsieur!" murmured Louise. - -"I know it, it was the person who obtained the situation for you, who -thought it his duty to tell that falsehood.--So you do not know your -parents, my poor girl?" - -"No, monsieur." - -"Where were you brought up?" - -"At Gagny, monsieur." - -"At Gagny. Ah! that's it; I had forgotten the name of the village that -you told me when you came here.--And the people who brought you up?" - -"A kindhearted peasant woman, Nicole Frimousset. She was nursing -Monsieur Cherubin de Grandvilain at the time." - -"Indeed! so this woman was the young Marquis de Grandvilain's nurse?" - -"Yes, monsieur, he is my foster-brother, and in my childhood we played -together all the time." - -"Very good! But that doesn't tell us how you went to Gagny." - -"Mon Dieu! monsieur, it was a lady--my mother, I suppose--who carried me -to dear Nicole's, and begged her to take me to nurse. I was then a year -old; she left some money with Nicole and went away, saying that she -would come again. The next year she sent a little more money by a -messenger from Paris; but she didn't come to see me, and no one ever -after came to inquire for me." - -"But what was the lady's name; where did she live?" - -"Nicole didn't think to ask her any of those questions; for she could -not dream that she would abandon me, that she would never come again. -The messenger from Paris did not know who the lady was who hired him on -the street, he could not tell my good nurse anything." - -"But was no paper, no mark found on you or on your clothing?" - -"Nothing, monsieur, absolutely nothing." - -"That is very strange.--Don't you agree with me, madame?" - -As he asked this question Monsieur de Noirmont turned to his wife, whom -he had not looked at while questioning Louise; Ernestine, whose eyes -followed her father's, uttered a piercing shriek. - -"Oh dear!" she cried, "mamma has fainted!" - -Madame de Noirmont's head had fallen against the back of her chair; she -had in fact lost consciousness, and the livid pallor of her face made -her condition seem most alarming. - -They hastened to her assistance; Ernestine wept and lamented as she -kissed her mother again and again. Louise shared her distress; she lost -her head, did not know what to do, and did not hear what was said to -her. But Monsieur de Noirmont, who retained all his presence of mind, -called Comtois, and, with his assistance, carried his wife to her room -and laid her on her bed. - -After some time, Madame de Noirmont came to herself; but there was a -look of gloom and anxiety in her eyes, which indicated that the cause of -her trouble still existed. She turned her eyes slowly on her husband and -her daughter; then, as she caught sight of Louise, who was a little -farther away and who seemed to share the general anxiety, she closed her -eyes and let her head fall back on the pillow. - -"Mamma, dear mamma, how do you feel now?" cried Ernestine, squeezing her -mother's hand. - -"Better, my dear, I feel better." - -"What was the cause of your sudden illness, madame?" asked Monsieur de -Noirmont with interest. "You gave us a terrible fright." - -"Why, I have no idea, monsieur. I had a sudden feeling of suffocation; -then a cold perspiration broke out all over me, and I lost the use of my -senses." - -"You didn't feel well this morning, you had a headache," said Ernestine. - -"Yes, that is true," replied Madame de Noirmont hastily. "I felt poorly -this morning, and that is the cause, no doubt----" - -"And then Louise's story must have grieved you, made your heart ache. -That probably made you worse." - -"Do you wish me to send for the doctor, madame?" - -"No, monsieur, it is not necessary; I need nothing but rest and -quiet--and a little sleep, perhaps." - -"We will leave you, then." - -"But I shall be close by," said Ernestine, "and I will come at the -slightest sound." - -Madame de Noirmont seemed most desirous to be left alone. All the others -went away, Ernestine still deeply moved because she had seen her mother -in a swoon, and Louise very much cast down because she feared that the -story of her misfortunes had touched her mistress too deeply. - -Madame de Noirmont passed the rest of the day in her room; she kept her -bed and expressed a wish to be alone. The next day passed in the same -way; and for several days she did not leave her bed. - -She refused to see a doctor, however, and declared that her trouble -required no other remedy than rest. - -But from the first moment of her illness, it was evident that Madame de -Noirmont's humor had changed: she hardly spoke; sometimes her daughter's -presence seemed irksome to her; she answered her curtly and received her -caresses without warmth. As for Louise, while her mistress kept her -room, she persistently declined her services on the pretext that she did -not require them. - -Poor Louise was greatly distressed. - -"Madame your mother," she said to Ernestine, "will not let me wait on -her, or even go into her room. I am afraid that I have displeased her, -mademoiselle; perhaps she does not like to have in her house a girl -whose parents are not known." - -Ernestine tried to comfort her, saying: - -"You are wrong. Why should you think that mamma has anything against -you? No, it is this trouble of hers, it's her nerves that make her -depressed and irritable. Why, she even pushes me away now when I kiss -her, and she doesn't kiss me; that makes me unhappy too, but I am sure -that mamma still loves me." - -As she spoke, the sweet child shed tears, and Louise mingled hers with -them, for she could think of no other consolation to give her. - -Madame de Noirmont made up her mind at last to leave her room, and she -went down to the salon. The first time that Louise saw her, she longed -to ask about her health, but she dared not; her mistress's eyes seemed -to avoid hers, and she did not display her former kindliness to her. For -the merest trifle, Madame de Noirmont lost patience, scolded and became -angry; sometimes she gave Louise ten contradictory orders in the same -minute. The poor girl lost her head, was bewildered, did not know what -to do, while Ernestine gazed at her mother with a surprised and grieved -expression, when she saw her treat her protegee so harshly. - -Sometimes, however, a violent change seemed to take place in that -strange creature; after speaking sharply and severely to Louise, Madame -de Noirmont, remarking the poor girl's heartbroken expression, would -suddenly change her tone; her eyes would fill with tears and follow -Louise's every movement; then she would call her in a gentle, -affectionate, even tender voice, and the girl would return instantly, -joyous and eager; but her mistress's face would already have resumed its -stern expression, and she would motion her away, muttering curtly: - -"What do you want? I didn't call you." - -Several weeks passed in this way. One morning, Madame de Noirmont, who -seemed even more thoughtful than usual, said to her daughter when she -came to kiss her: - -"Really, I don't propose to keep your maid; the girl is good for -nothing; we must dismiss her. We will pay her two or three months' wages -more than is due her. Tell her, and advise her to return to her village; -I think that she made a great mistake in coming to Paris to seek -employment. Do not try to change my decision, it would do no good." - -Ernestine was in despair; she was very fond of Louise, and it would be a -real sorrow to her to part with her; but her mother had spoken in such a -stern and decided tone that the poor child dared not reply. She said -nothing, but lowered her eyes with a sigh, and left the room to perform -the distressing duty with which her mother had entrusted her. As she -left her mother's apartment, Ernestine met Monsieur de Noirmont, who -came up to her and kissed her, and said, observing her sorrowful air: - -"What is it, my child? You look as if you had been crying!" - -"It's nothing, papa." - -"You know, Ernestine, that I do not like evasions or mysteries; I insist -upon knowing at once what makes you unhappy this morning." - -"Well, papa, it's because mamma is going to send Louise away, poor -Louise, our maid, who is so sweet, and whom I love so dearly. But mamma -doesn't like her any more; she says that Louise isn't good for anything; -but Louise works just as much as she ever did, and she sews like an -angel. But as mamma insists, I am going to tell Louise, so that -she----" - -"Don't go to her, my child, it is not necessary; Louise will stay in -this house." - -"But, papa, when mamma told me----" - -"I tell you the opposite, my child, and I am the only master here." - -Ernestine said no more, for her father had assumed a severe expression -which in him denoted that he had formed a resolution which no one could -change. Monsieur de Noirmont then went to his wife and said to her in a -cold and impressive tone: - -"Your humor is very capricious, madame, as anyone may see by the way in -which you treat your daughter sometimes; but you extend it to -defenceless servants also, and that is what I cannot endure. This young -Louise, who came here to wait upon Ernestine, is honest and virtuous; -her appearance is as becoming as her manners; I think that it would be -difficult to find another so satisfactory; and yet you propose to -dismiss her, madame--you expect me to turn a good girl out of my house, -because, for some unknown reason, she has ceased to please you; because -your fanciful humor makes you more difficult than ever to serve!--No, -madame, that shall not be; I propose to be just before everything, and -this girl shall remain in my house, because it would be unjust to send -her away." - -Madame de Noirmont had not a word to say in reply; she hung her head and -seemed completely crushed. - - - - -PART IV - - - - -XXIV - -THE POLISH INTRIGUE - - -Cherubin did not see Darena for a week; he fretted and fumed with -impatience, fearing that his intrigue with the pretty Pole had fallen -through altogether; and, as is always the case, he became immeasurably -more enamored of the object of his passion as his fear of not possessing -her increased. It was for the purpose of giving him time to reach that -climax of passion, that Darena, who was thoroughly acquainted with the -human heart, had allowed several days to elapse without going to see -him. - -At last Darena appeared at the hotel de Grandvilain one morning, hurried -and breathless, like a man who had galloped twelve leagues without a -halt. He pushed old Jasmin aside and almost knocked him down, when that -worthy retainer attempted to tell him that he did not know whether he -could see his master, who had not yet risen. - -"I don't care whether he's up or in bed, he is always visible to me," -replied Darena imperiously. "Learn, you old donkey of a valet, to know -the persons whom your master is always delighted to receive." - -As he spoke, Darena rushed into the young marquis's bedroom, leaving -Jasmin propped against the wall, muttering in a voice that trembled with -wrath: - -"Old donkey! he called me an old donkey! He's an impertinent knave. The -Grandvilains, father or son, never called me that. He's not a donkey, -but I have an idea that he's a much more dangerous animal!" - -Darena reached Cherubin's bedside and pulled the curtains aside, crying: - -"Up, Joconde! up, Lovelace, Richelieu, Rochester! The moment of triumph -has arrived at last!--Sapristi! I can fairly say, my dear fellow, that I -have made myself ill for you! Ouf! I can do no more!" - -And Darena threw himself on a couch, and mopped his face with his -handkerchief. - -"But what has become of you during these eight long days that I have not -once seen you, and have not known what to think of your silence?" asked -Cherubin, looking closely at his friend. "I thought that you had -forgotten me." - -"Ah! that is just like a man--a young man! Because things are not done -on the instant, you think that you are forgotten. Do I ever forget my -friends? Am I not absolutely devoted to you? If you have not heard from -me for a week, it is because I had nothing to tell you; but I have been -on the lookout, watching and waiting for the moment to act. It has come -at last; I have acted, and the fair Globeska is in our power." - -"Is it possible? Oh! do tell me how you did it, my dear Darena?" - -"Parbleu! by my ordinary method: I scattered money about. I know no -other way, especially as it always succeeds. Dress, and meanwhile I will -tell you how it all came about; but don't call your valet; you will -understand that I can't talk about it before a witness. I have already -compromised myself enough--but damn the odds!" - -Cherubin rose and began to dress, saying: - -"Go on, I am listening; I shall not lose a word." - -"You know that the pretty Pole lived with her husband in furnished -lodgings in the Marais; I succeeded in effecting the delivery of your -billet-doux by bribing a lady's maid and two concierges. The Comtesse de -Globeska replied that she was mad over you and asked nothing better than -to leave her tyrant. That was all very well, but how were we to abduct -the young woman from a man who left her no more than her shadow? It was -very difficult. Seven days passed thus; Monsieur de Globeski did not -leave his wife for an instant. At last, yesterday, I learned from a -concierge, by a further use of money, that the Polish count had decided -to leave Paris, and that he was going to take his wife to Norway; of -course, if we had had to pursue our conquest to Norway, it would have -taken us too far. I instantly formed my resolution, saying to myself: -'He shall not take her!' - -"I learned--still by the lavish use of money--that the post-chaise was -to call for our Poles at eight in the evening. I arrived just before the -hour; the carriage came and stopped in front of the house, and I went -boldly up to the postilion and led him aside. - -"'I adore the woman who is going with you,' I said. 'I am going to -follow with two friends to a lonely place on the road, one or two -leagues from Paris; we shall pretend to attack you, and fire a few shots -with pistols loaded with powder only. You will stop; we will open the -carriage door and seize the young woman; then you will start off at full -speed with the old gentleman, and if he shouts to you to stop, you will -pay no attention until you have galloped at least two solid hours.' - -"You will understand, my dear Cherubin, that I should not dare to make -such a proposition as that to a postilion, without supporting it by -convincing arguments. I handed him a thousand-franc note, and he turned -his back, saying: - -"'What do you take me for?' - -"I added five hundred francs. He remarked that it was a very ticklish -business! I added another five hundred. He agreed to everything. That's -the way things are done in Paris. I went off to choose two rascals on -whom I could rely, in consideration of five hundred francs, which I gave -to each. I also hired a post-chaise. When the Comte de Globeski started -off with his wife, we followed; and, about two leagues from here, -between Sevres and Chaville, in a place where nothing grows but melons, -we discharged our pistols. The bribed postilion stopped. It was dark, -and everything went off as I had arranged. We kidnapped the young woman. -The old Pole defended her like a genuine demon; indeed, he inflicted a -slight dagger wound on one of our men in the scuffle, which forced me to -disburse three hundred francs more. However, we captured the divine -Globeska, and I took her to the house I have hired, where she passed the -night and is now awaiting you." - -"Oh! what a series of events, my dear Darena! But great heaven! this -stealing a woman from her husband, and by force! Suppose it should be -known? Isn't it a crime?" - -"Bah! are you going to have scruples now?--At all events, there was no -other way, and then, if worse comes to worst, I am the only one -compromised; but my friendship is of the sort that defies danger." - -"And the pretty Pole--where have you taken her?" - -"To a little house that stands all by itself near Barriere de la -Chopinette; I could find nothing better. And then I considered that to -go into the country, at a distance from Paris, would incommode you too -much. The house I have hired is in a spot where very few people pass; -the outlook is not very cheerful, but what do you care for that? You -aren't going to shut yourself up with a woman, to look out of the -windows at people passing, are you? Isn't one always happy when with the -person one loves?" - -"Oh, yes! of course; but in what quarter is this Barriere de la -Chopinette?" - -"In the quarter of La Poudrette, and of lonely promenades, in the -direction of Menilmontant. However, we can go there in a cab. Remember, -my dear fellow, that your charmer is waiting for you; I told the -concierge of the house to order as toothsome a breakfast as he can -procure in that quarter, and some superfine wines. Make haste and finish -dressing--put on your best clothes, perfume yourself----" - -"Perfume myself? Indeed, I shall not; perfumery makes me sick." - -"As you please, but put on your armor. Lucky Cherubin! you are about to -possess one of the loveliest women I have ever seen; and her Polish -accent, too, is most fascinating." - -"And she loves me, you say? she has admitted it?" - -"Parbleu! how many times must I tell you? In fact, I should say that her -conduct was quite sufficient proof of it." - -"She didn't weep when she was kidnapped?" - -"Weep! She danced--she adores dancing, it seems. By the way, I need not -tell you that I have nothing left of the funds you advanced me. The -postilion and my men to pay--the hire of the post-chaise and the -house--and all the people I bribed. In fact, you owe me fifteen hundred -francs." - -"Fifteen hundred francs!" exclaimed Cherubin, as he walked to his desk; -"it costs a lot to abduct a woman!" - -"To whom are you telling that? to me, who have abducted a hundred -perhaps, in the course of my life? Indeed it was in that way that I -spent a large part of my fortune; but it is a princely pleasure all the -same, in which everybody cannot indulge." - -Cherubin handed Darena the sum that he required, and said: - -"I am ready." - -"Very good; send out for a cab; you will understand that we can't go to -your _petite maison_ with your tilbury and your groom. You should never -take your servants into the secret of a mysterious intrigue like this; -such people are too fond of talking." - -"You are right.--Hola! Jasmin!" - -The old servant appeared, still with a long face, and cast an angry -glance at Darena. Cherubin ordered him to send for a cab. - -"Will not monsieur take his cabriolet?" queried Jasmin, with an -expression of surprise. - -"Evidently not!" cried Darena, laughing at Jasmin's face; "as your -master orders a cab, he doesn't propose to take his cabriolet. Off with -you, old ruin, and make haste, if you possibly can." - -"Old ruin!" muttered Jasmin, as he left the room. "Still another -insult--and I must swallow it all! I am very much afraid that this -ne'er-do-well will ruin my young master. I should like to know why he -makes him take a cab, when he has his own tilbury and cabriolet." - -However, Jasmin did his errand; the cab was summoned. Cherubin went -downstairs with Darena, and they both entered the vehicle, which Jasmin -looked after, with a far from pleased expression, as it drove away. - -Darena told the driver where to take them. After quite a long drive they -stopped in front of a shabby house outside Barriere de la Chopinette, on -the outer boulevards. - -"Here we are!" said Darena, jumping out of the cab. - -Cherubin looked at the house, which had but one floor above the ground -floor, with two windows on the front. - -"This isn't a very handsome house!" he exclaimed. - -"It is very fine inside," replied Darena. "The principal thing is that -it's isolated; the devil himself would be in it if the husband should -unearth you here! My dear fellow, when you run off with a woman, you -must take the greatest precautions. And after all, what do you care -about the house? It's the woman that you come here to see. For my part, -I should have been perfectly happy in a shepherd's hut, with the object -of my love.--Send the cab away; I am going to ring." - -Cherubin made haste to pay the cab-driver, who returned to his box and -drove away. - -Darena pulled a wire beside the low door that gave admission to the -house. A little fellow of some thirteen years, with an impudent -expression, whose knavish and insolent bearing harmonized well with a -very dirty costume, answered the bell, his cap over his ear, his blouse -flapping in the wind, and his hands black with dirt. He bestowed a -glance of intelligence on Darena, who recognized little Bruno, the same -urchin of whom Poterne had tried to make a monkey, and who, on his side, -had conceived the idea of appropriating the skin which he had used in -studying his character. Later Poterne had found Bruno, who had -squandered his disguise; the business agent took the liberty of -thrashing the boy, then forgave him, and charmed by the happy talents -which young Bruno manifested, determined to employ him again when the -opportunity should present itself. In the scheme which had been devised -to dupe Cherubin, it was necessary to station some intelligent person, -who could be trusted, in the house which had been hired. Poterne -instantly thought of the urchin, to whom he did not pay much, and who -had all the qualities essential to forward their designs. - -"Ah! this is the concierge's son," said Darena, glancing at Bruno as -they entered the house, and leading Cherubin through a sort of -vestibule, toward the staircase. "Where's your father, my boy? is he -away?" - -"Yes, monsieur, he had to go to a place ten leagues from here, to see my -aunt, who is very sick." - -"And you are keeping the house?" - -"Yes, monsieur." - -"Has the lady who slept here had everything that she wanted?" - -"Oh, yes! monsieur; don't you be afraid; that lady hasn't wanted for -anything. She's upstairs. By the way, she says that she's beginning to -get tired of being all alone." - -"Patience! monsieur here has come to keep her company.--How about the -breakfast; is it ordered?" - -"Yes, monsieur; and it will be fine, I tell you. I was the one that went -to the restaurant----" - -"This little rascal is overflowing with intelligence," said Darena, -turning to Cherubin, "and I recommend him to you in case you need -anything.--Well, my dear friend, here you are with your charmer now, and -I will leave you." - -"What! you are going to leave me?" cried Cherubin, almost in an offended -tone. - -"Why, I don't see that there is anything more for me to do here; the -rest is your business. You are going to breakfast tete-a-tete with a -little foreigner, who is mad over you. Would not a third person be in -the way?" - -"Oh, yes! of course. Well, then, au revoir." - -"Au revoir, my dear marquis, and may love crown you with its sweetest -favors!" - -Darena smiled, almost ironically, as he shook hands with Cherubin; then -he flashed a glance at Bruno and left the house, closing the door behind -him. - -Cherubin felt intensely excited when he found himself in that strange -house, in a quarter which was entirely unfamiliar to him, with no other -company than a boy who stared at him with a sly expression, as he -cracked nut after nut which he took from under his blouse. - -The vestibule had two doors, both of which were open, disclosing the -interior of two rooms, in one of which the only furniture was several -rickety tables, and in the other, one table and a wretched cot bed; the -windows on the boulevard were supplied with iron bars, but entirely -unprovided with curtains. - -Cherubin, who had seen this at a glance, reflected that Darena had not -spent much money in furnishing the house. Then he turned to Bruno, who -was still breaking nuts, sometimes with his teeth and sometimes with his -feet, and humming at intervals a tune of which nothing could be heard -save: _tu tu tu tu tu tu r'lu tu_. - -"Where is madame la comtesse's apartment?" - -"Whose?" queried the ex-bootblack, looking up with an insolent -expression. - -"I ask you where the young lady is, who has been in this house since -last night?" - -The boy thrust his tongue into his cheek,--a street Arab's trick when he -proposes to lie--and answered: - -"Oh, yes; the young foreign lady, who was kidnapped, and who slept -here--_tu tu tu r'lu tu_--she's upstairs, on the first floor, in the -finest apartment in the house, where she's sighing and having a stupid -time--_tu tu tu r'lu tu!_" - -Cherubin asked no further questions; he went upstairs--there was but one -flight--and stopped at a door, the key of which was on the outside. His -heart beat very fast at the thought that he was about to stand in the -presence of the young Pole who had consented so readily to leave her -husband and go with him; but he remembered how pretty she was, and he -decided to knock. - -"Come in," cried a voice, "the key's in the door." - -Cherubin recognized Madame de Globeska's accent; he opened the door and -found himself face to face with the young woman. - -Chichette Chichemann wore a very simple costume, into which a few odds -and ends of lace, flowers and fur had been introduced, in an attempt to -set it off; but they produced the contrary effect in the eyes of a good -judge. But Cherubin was not as yet an expert in such matters; moreover, -a man in love pays no heed to such details. What impressed him at once -was Chichette's pretty face, over which was perched the same velvet -toque that she wore at the Cirque; and as he entered the room she -greeted him with a pleasant smile, crying: - -"Ah! here you are; that's very lucky! for I was beginning to be awfully -bored, all alone here!" - -Encouraged by this greeting, Cherubin seated himself beside the young -woman, and said to her in a very tender tone: - -"Ah! madame, then you will pardon what my excessive love has led me to -undertake? You have consented to trust my honor, to fly from him -who--from him who--that is, from that gentleman who looked so ugly and -who assuredly is not worthy to--to----" - -Cherubin had never said so much at one time; he stopped, for he did not -know how to finish his sentence. But Chichette gave him no time; she -instantly replied: - -"Yes, yes! I've fled from my tyrant. But let's talk about something -else." - -"She doesn't want me to talk about her husband!" said Cherubin to -himself; "she wants me to talk about something else--my love, no doubt. -She is charming.--And so," he continued aloud, "you do not regret having -entrusted to me the care of your happiness, and being here at this -moment, far from your native country [_pays_]?" - -"My pays? oh, yes, I always regret my little pays! but I hope to see him -again some day. Let's talk about something else." - -"Ah! how kind you are, madame! how lovely you are! If you knew -how--I--I--I love you!" - -It required a great effort on Cherubin's part to say that, and he dared -not look at the young woman, fearing that she would consider his -declaration rather abrupt. But Mademoiselle Chichette, far from seeming -offended, began to laugh idiotically, and replied: - -"Yes, yes! I know. Ha! ha! It's nice to love, and you have very fine -eyes. Ha! ha! I'd like right well to laugh with you." - -And the so-called Polish countess, who seemed, in truth, much inclined -to laugh, and who showed some very pretty teeth, looked at the young man -in a meaning fashion, and did not tell him to talk about something else. -For a moment Cherubin was tempted to kiss his enslaver, who almost -offered him her fresh, pink cheeks; he confined himself to taking a -hand, which he laid upon his heart and pressed it hard. - -Chichette, tired perhaps of having her hand pressed to Cherubin's heart, -said to him, still laughing: - -"How your thingumbob goes tick-tack! It's like a big clock." - -"Oh! it is emotion, madame; it is pleasure; it is----" - -"Aren't we going to breakfast?" cried Chichette suddenly; "I'm hungry, I -can hear my belly crying; it goes _flouc-flouc_!" - -These words brought Cherubin back to less romantic thoughts; he ran to -the door, opened it, and shouted: - -"I say, young one--what about that breakfast?" - -"Here it is, monsieur, here it is! Right away, smoking hot!" replied -Bruno; "the restaurant man's just this minute come." - -And a moment later a wine-shop waiter came up the stairs with the young -concierge. They laid a table with two covers; they produced a basket -filled with bottles, with seals of all colors; they covered the table -with freshly opened oysters, and placed several covered dishes on -another table. At sight of the oysters the so-called Pole indulged in -the most plebeian demonstrations of delight, and began to dance about -the room, crying: - -"Ah! oysters! I like oysters so much! I'd let myself be hamstrung for -some oysters." - -Cherubin was amazed to hear Madame de Globeska express herself in such -terms, but he attributed it to her ignorance of the language. - -The waiter was too much accustomed to such expressions to be surprised. -As for young Bruno, he contented himself with thrusting his tongue into -his cheek again and muttering: - -"Thanks! that's a fine sort of talk! This game will get spoiled!" - -The breakfast was served. The waiter left the room with the urchin, and -they took care to close the door behind them. Mademoiselle Chichette did -not wait for Cherubin to escort her to the table; forgetting all the -lessons she had had in behaving like a comme il faut person, she ran and -took her seat in front of one of the covers, crying: - -"Let's eat! let's eat! Oysters! ah! that's good!" - -"She seems to be very hungry!" thought Cherubin, as he took his seat at -the table. And he made haste to supply the young woman with oysters; but -she did not wait for him to select them for her; she put them out of -sight with wonderful rapidity, then held out her glass, saying: - -"White wine, please; I'm very fond of white wine too." - -Cherubin filled her glass with a white wine from a bottle which had been -supplied with a long cork, to give it the appearance of sauterne; but it -looked as if it were not drinkable with anything but oysters. - -The young man considered that they were very badly served, generally -speaking: the plates were the commonest china, the covers had not the -ring of silverware, and the linen was very far from being fine. The -wine, too, despite its yellow seal, seemed to him decidedly poor; but -his conquest thought it delicious; she swallowed oysters, emptied her -glass, called for more oysters and held out her glass to be filled, -without any perceptible interval. Cherubin could not keep up with her; -not until there were no more oysters on the table did Mademoiselle -Chichette conclude to make a little pause. - -"I will call the little concierge and tell him to take these things -away," said Cherubin. - -"No, no, I'll take 'em away myself!" replied Chichette; she rose, and -with a turn of the hand cleared the table of plates and shells, and -brought two of the covered dishes. The young man tried in vain to -prevent the lady from performing that task; she would not listen to -him, and did not resume her seat until it was all done. - -"Mon Dieu! how it distresses me to see you take all this trouble, madame -la comtesse!" said Cherubin; "but you seem to have been brought up to -household duties. In Poland, young ladies receive a less frivolous -education, I see, than in France; and your noble parents did not disdain -to teach you these little domestic details. They are dead, -doubtless--your noble parents?" - -"Yes, yes! Let's talk about something else! Let's see what's in this -dish. Ah! how good it smells! It's rabbit! Oh! I'm so fond of rabbit!" - -Cherubin did not fully agree with his inamorata; he did not like rabbit -himself, and he found that the breakfast which had been ordered for him -did not at all resemble what he ordinarily ate at restaurants in Paris. -But his companion was much less particular than he; she helped herself -to the rabbit and seemed to enjoy it hugely; she even exclaimed from -time to time: - -"It's mighty well fricasseed!" - -Cherubin offered her some wine with a different seal. Chichette drank -red as well as white, then uncovered another dish, and shouted, leaping -up and down in her chair: - -"Ah! chowder! Oh! I'm glad of that! I'm so fond of chowder!" - -"It seems to me that she's fond of everything!" thought Cherubin; "she -certainly has been very well brought up; she doesn't play the prude!" - -Chichette voted the chowder delicious; she helped herself several times -without waiting for Cherubin to offer it; she was particularly -enthusiastic over the sauce; finally she began to lick her plate, -unwilling apparently to leave the least particle of the sauce which she -liked so much. - -The young man was thunderstruck when he saw the Comtesse de Globeska put -her plate to her mouth and run her tongue over it; but he concluded that -custom in Poland permitted such behavior. When Chichette noticed that -her companion was watching her, she realized that she had made a -blunder, and instantly replaced her plate on the table, saying: - -"Oh! that was just a joke! I won't ever do it again! But let's see -what's under that other cover." - -Chichette uncovered the last dish, which contained fried fish. She -uttered a joyful exclamation: - -"Ah! gudgeons! fried gudgeons! Oh! I'm so fond of fried fish!" - -"I am delighted, madame, that you find all these things to your taste," -said Cherubin, serving his charmer to gudgeons; "but really you are not -hard to suit; to me it seems that our breakfast is not worthy of you. -Evidently there are no good restaurants in this quarter." - -"Oh, yes, yes! at La Courtille." - -"At La Courtille! I don't know that place; did your husband take you -there to dinner sometimes?" - -"My husband! Oh! let's talk about something else. I'd like something to -drink; gudgeons make you thirsty in a minute." - -Cherubin hastened to supply his guest with a wine decorated with a -different seal, which she drank and declared excellent. The young man -would have liked to lead the conversation back to his love, but his -conquest was so busily engaged in eating and drinking that he dared not -divert her from an occupation in which she seemed to take so much -pleasure; and then he recalled his breakfast with Madame Celival and -said to himself: - -"I ate heartily to drive away my bashfulness. Perhaps this pretty Pole -is doing the same; but God grant that she doesn't end as I did!" - -When there was no more fish, they passed to the dessert, which was very -modest, consisting only of biscuit, cheese and dried fruit. Again -Cherubin anathematized the restaurant keeper; but Chichette continued to -declare everything excellent; she stuffed herself with figs, raisins, -and biscuit; she drank several glasses in succession to wash it all -down; and at last she stopped eating and leaned against the back of her -chair. - -"It's strange," she said, "but I'm not a bit hungry now." - -"It would be much stranger if she were!" thought the young man, as he -moved away from the table in order to approach his companion. - -Having placed his chair close beside Chichette's, he ventured to take -her hand. - -"How fortunate I am," he said in a hesitating tone, "to be--to be with -you! What a lucky chance it was that led me to the theatre where you -were; for, but for that, I should never have met you; and yet, my -friend, the gentleman who was with me that evening says that we were -born for each other.--Do you think that, madame?" - -Chichette rose hurriedly, saying: - -"I am rather full; it's funny, for I didn't eat very much." - -She walked several times around the room. Cherubin went to her and said: - -"Do you feel ill?" - -"Oh, no! it will pass off." - -Chichette sat down again, not on her chair, but on an old couch, covered -with spots, the cushions of which looked as if they were stuffed with -chips. The girl stretched herself out on it, however. - -"I say, this is mighty comfortable," she said. - -Cherubin gazed amorously at her and cried: - -"Oh, yes! there certainly was sympathetic attraction in our meeting. My -tutor, Monsieur Gerondif, explained it to me once. He took a little -piece of agate, rubbed it hard on his coat sleeve, then held it toward a -straw, and the straw instantly jumped at the stone and clung to -it.--'Thus the magnet attracts iron,' said my tutor; 'thus sympathy -draws together two hearts that were made to love and understand each -other.'--Ah! madame, I am not a Pole, but I love you as dearly--more -dearly, perhaps; for my inexperienced heart feels a craving for love, -and if--and if----" - -Cherubin paused, because it seemed to him that his words were -accompanied by a dull, rumbling sound. That sound came from the couch. -He had noticed that his pretty companion closed her eyes while he was -speaking, but he supposed that it was from modesty. However, desirous to -learn the cause of the noise he heard, he approached the young woman and -saw with surprise that she was not only asleep, but was snoring heavily. - -The unfortunate lover gazed for some time at his sleeping enslaver; but -the snoring became louder with every instant; ere long it was like the -breath of a forge bellows, and Cherubin gradually drew away; he felt -that his amorous desires were vanishing; for a woman who is snoring like -a Swiss inspires infinitely less passion than one whose breathing is -soft and light. - -Cherubin seated himself on a chair. - -"She is asleep," he said to himself; "she is even snoring. Evidently my -remarks did not interest her much, as she went right off to sleep while -she was listening to me! It's very strange! This young woman has such -manners and uses such language--If Darena hadn't assured me that she was -a Polish countess, I should have thought her something very different. -The idea of going to sleep while I was talking to her about my love! If -that's the way she is mad over me!--Great heaven! what snoring! -Jacquinot used to snore, but not so loud as that. Perhaps I ought to -wake her--and kiss her; but she is sleeping so soundly, it would be too -bad. And then, I believe that listening to that monotonous noise is -putting me to sleep too." - -Cherubin dropped his head on the back of his chair; he closed his eyes, -and in a moment, he was in the same condition as Mademoiselle Chichette, -except that he did not snore. - -Let us leave the young couple asleep, and see what the engineers of this -whole intrigue were doing. - -On leaving Cherubin, Darena had gone in search of his friend Poterne, -who, still dressed as a Polish count, was waiting for him at a -restaurant in Menilmontant. The two gentlemen sat down to breakfast and -discussed their plot. - -"It goes as if it were on wheels," said Darena. "Cherubin is now with -the girl, whom he thinks that I kidnapped for him! I trust that -Chichette won't make any slips of the tongue. But no matter! with that -accent of hers, anything will go; and besides, a lover never pays any -attention to idioms!" - -"Was my little Bruno at his post?" - -"Yes; he is supposed to be the concierge's son. That boy has the look of -a famous scamp." - -"He has a lot of intelligence; he'll go a long way!" - -"So I believe." - -"Besides, for the last act of our comedy, it will be better to have -nobody there but a boy, who won't interfere with us at all. And then, -too, it will be much more probable that I was able to force my way into -the house, if there's nobody but a boy to guard it; for we must strike -the great blow now. A few thousand-franc notes, by the way, are all -right; but they're gone too soon. We have an opportunity to obtain a -good round sum and we mustn't let it slip; it won't come again." - -"You are perfectly right, Poterne. What we are going to do to-day is not -strictly honorable; but, after all, the little fellow is rich; sixty -thousand francs won't ruin him." - -"You don't want me to ask for more?" - -"Oh, no! we mustn't flay him. It's understood then--in two hours you -will go to the house." - -"Why not earlier?" - -"My dear Poterne, how impatient you are! we must give the lovers time to -breakfast and to abandon themselves to the joys of love. Deuce take it! -everybody must amuse himself, after all; and consider, Poterne, that by -leaving them together longer, you will inevitably take them _in -flagrante delicto!_ That is much the shrewder way. You are supposed to -be the husband; your wife has been spirited away, and you find her in -her ravisher's arms; you bellow and roar and swear that you will kill -them both--your wife especially! Cherubin pleads for mercy for her, and -you refuse to accord it unless he signs notes of hand for sixty thousand -francs.--You have some stamped paper, haven't you?" - -"Oh! I have all that I need. But suppose the young marquis defends -himself, suppose he refuses to sign?" - -"Nonsense! a mere boy! You must threaten him with prosecution for -abducting your wife; you will have your dagger, and you can still -insist on killing her; Cherubin is too generous not to try to save her." - -"I agree with you there." - -"In all this, Monsieur Poterne, take good care not to hurt anybody! Your -dagger isn't sharp, I trust?" - -"Oh, no! there's no danger." - -"And when you speak, assume some kind of an accent, so that he won't -recognize you." - -"I will be careful, and I will do a great deal in pantomime." - -Everything being arranged, the gentlemen breakfasted and conversed at -great length; ordered a pipe and cigars, and smoked to pass the time -away. - -More than two hours passed. Poterne replaced his green spectacles on his -nose, saying: - -"Now I can go and finish up our business." - -He rose; Darena did the same. - -"Yes, it is time; let us go." - -"But I don't need you," said Poterne; "besides, you mustn't go into the -house with me, it would be imprudent. If Cherubin should see you, he -would call on you to help him." - -"I know all that, you old sharper; but you don't imagine, I presume, -that I am going to let you go off all alone with notes for sixty -thousand francs in your pocket? No, my dear fellow, I love you too -dearly to lose sight of you. I propose to watch you into the house; I -know that it has but one door; I shall keep my eye on that door, and if -it should occur to you to run away too fast, I promise you that you will -soon be overtaken." - -"Oh! monsieur le comte! you have suspicions that hurt me terribly!" - -"Why, no, it's simply _savoir-vivre_, it's the way of the world, that's -all! Off we go." - -The two worthies passed the city wall to the outer boulevards, and -walked toward Barriere de la Chopinette. When they were within three -hundred feet of the house where he had left Cherubin, Darena stopped and -said to his companion: - -"Now, go on alone, illustrious Poterne, and manage the business -gracefully; remember that the whole thing must be carried through with -the courtesy and formality which betray men of breeding." - -Poterne went on to the house and knocked softly at the door, which Bruno -opened. - -"Are they upstairs?" queried Poterne in a low voice. - -"Yes." - -"Have they had their breakfast?" - -"It went up more'n two hours ago." - -"And they haven't called since?" - -"Not a call; and they don't even make any noise--you can't hear 'em -move." - -"All right." - -Poterne pulled his enormous hat over his eyes, made sure that his -spectacles were secure, stuffed bunches of flax into his mouth to fill -out his cheeks, and walked toward the stairs. He stole cautiously up, -reached the door, saw the key outside, and said to himself: - -"How imprudent lovers are! what a childish trick!" - -He turned the knob softly, then rushed into the room, shouting: - -"Ah! traitor! guilty wife! I have caught you! You must die!" - -Poterne expected shrieks of despair, as he had arranged with Chichette; -but, hearing nothing at all, he walked farther into the room and was -thunderstruck to see the lovers sound asleep at an extremely respectful -distance from each other. - -"Sapristi!" said Poterne to himself; "and I hoped to catch 'em in -flagrante--as monsieur le comte said. They are amusing themselves by -sleeping! If that's the way the young man makes love! Chichette must -have made some stupid blunder. But no matter! I must act; besides, I -surprise them together, that's the main thing; and if they're asleep, -it's because it suits them to sleep." - -Thereupon Poterne began to rush about the room with shrieks and -imprecations. He pulled Chichette's ear and she awoke; he pinched her -arm and she shrieked with him. Cherubin opened his eyes and saw that -man, whom he recognized as the Comte de Globeski, storming and -blaspheming and drawing from his breast a sort of dagger with which he -threatened the young woman. Cherubin realized at once that his charmer's -husband had run them to earth. He trembled and turned pale, and -faltered: - -"O mon Dieu! we are lost!--Don't kill her, monsieur, I entreat you! Kill -me rather--although I have respected your wife's honor." - -"Yes, yes, I will have my revenge, _per Diou!_ Bigre! Ah! you think, -villain, to steal my wife from me!" screamed Poterne, stamping on the -floor. "_Tarteiff sacre mein Herr!_ On the high road--stop my cab--no, -my carriage.--Ah! madame, you shall die by my hand--on the honor of a -Polish count!" - -Chichette did not seem greatly alarmed; she continued to yawn and rub -her eyes; Poterne passed her and pinched her with more force; whereupon -she gave a loud yell and exclaimed: - -"Oh! how stupid that is! I don't want you to do such things to me!" - -Poterne began to roar so that Cherubin might not hear what Chichette -said. He brandished his dagger with one hand, while with the other he -stuffed the flax back into his mouth, whence it had almost escaped. But -Cherubin had lost his head; the presence of that man, whose wife he -believed that he had abducted, his outcries, his oaths, and the dagger -he was brandishing, terrified the young man beyond words. Poterne, -seeing that he was in a condition to submit to whatever terms he might -impose, took the notes from his pocket, placed them on the table, found -a pen and inkstand and presented them to Cherubin. - -"If you wish to save this guilty woman, god dem!" he said, "there is -only one way to appease my wrath." - -"Oh! speak, monsieur, command--All you choose." - -"Fill out these notes of hand--here are four of them--make them -twenty-five thousand francs each. _Per Diou!_ that is too _poco!_" - -"Notes of hand--for a hundred thousand francs?" - -"Yes, signor." - -"Oh! you want me to----" - -"If you hesitate, sapermann! I will kill this guilty wife of mine, I -will kill you, I will kill everyone in the house--fichtre!--and then -myself." - -"Oh! no, no, I do not hesitate, monsieur. I will make them for whatever -sums you say." - -"Good! then you will make them for thirty thousand francs each.--Come! -write and sign--_per Dio!_" - -Cherubin seated himself at the table; he took the pen in his trembling -hand and cast a sorrowful glance at his conquest, who had thrown herself -on the couch, where he believed that she had swooned, whereas she was -simply trying to go to sleep again. But Poterne returned to his side, -ground his teeth and swore blood-curdling oaths. The young lover at once -began to write; he had already filled out the body of one note, and was -about to sign it, when they heard a loud noise below; then steps -rapidly ascended the stairs, the door was thrown open, and Monfreville -appeared, followed by old Jasmin, who uttered a cry of joy at sight of -his master. - -"Ah! here he is!" he cried; "God be praised! they have not destroyed -him!" - -Cherubin felt as if he were born again when he saw his friend; he threw -himself into his arms, while Monfreville, observing his confusion and -bewilderment and pallor, asked him: - -"Great God! my dear fellow, what are you doing here, in this house--this -den of thieves, to which a little rascal refused to admit me?" - -"Ah! my friend, the fact is that--that I have been very guilty!" -Cherubin replied in a voice broken by sobs. "I abducted madame--this -gentleman's wife; that is to say, it wasn't I who did it--Darena -abducted her for me. Monsieur is a Polish count, and he insisted that I -should give him my notes for a hundred and twenty thousand francs, or -else he would kill his wife! Ah! how glad I am to see you!" - -While Cherubin was speaking, Poterne, who was very ill at ease, tried to -sidle toward the door; but Jasmin had stationed himself in front of it, -after taking pains to lock it. - -As he listened to his young friend, Monfreville looked about the room in -keen scrutiny. He examined Mademoiselle Chichette and the supposititious -outraged husband, who acted as if he wished to crawl under the table. -Cherubin had no sooner finished speaking than Monfreville ran up to -Poterne, snatched off his hat and spectacles, and raised his cane -threateningly. - -"This creature a Polish count!" he exclaimed; "why, it's that vile -Poterne, the agent of that contemptible knave Darena! They plotted -together this infamous scheme to extort money from you!--Ah! I am -strongly tempted to break my cane over this cur's shoulders!" - -"Poterne!" cried Cherubin; "is it possible? Poterne!" - -"Why, yes," said Jasmin, "it's the dealer in preserves and dogs and -turtles. Ah! my dear master, I suspected that they meant to take you in -again; and that that man who called me an old donkey was fixing up some -treacherous scheme to catch you." - -When he saw Monfreville's cane in the air, Poterne fell on his knees. - -"Mercy, monsieur," he faltered, "all this was only a joke--nothing else; -it was a comedy!" - -"A jest, you villain! But your notes of hand were properly stamped! Oh! -we know now what you are capable of, you and your worthy friend, Comte -Darena, who has fallen low enough now to blush at nothing, and in whose -eyes all methods of procuring money are all right. We agree not to treat -you as you deserve. Go and join your confederate, and tell him that this -young man is able now to judge him as he is, and that if he should ever -presume to show his face at the hotel de Grandvilain, the servants will -be instructed to turn him out." - -"Yes, indeed, I will undertake to do it!" said Jasmin. "He called me an -old ruin too! but an honest ruin is worth more than a sharper in perfect -repair." - -Monsieur Poterne did not wait to hear any more; he picked up his hat and -spectacles, hastily opened the door, and fled; but he was not so quick -that he did not receive the toe of Jasmin's boot in his posterior; and -the old servant said to him at the same time: "There, you thief; take -that for your preserves!" - -Monfreville walked toward Chichette, who had remained on the couch, -without speaking or moving; he could not help smiling at her expression. - -"And you, madame la comtesse," he said, "in what shop do you usually -work?" - -"I make Italian straw hats on Rue de Grenetat. It wasn't my fault; they -promised me a lot of money if I'd make believe I was monsieur's wife; -and I consented so I could put it by and marry my little pays." - -Mademoiselle Chichette drew her handkerchief and looked as if she were -going to weep; but Monfreville reassured her by saying: - -"I have nothing against you, my girl; don't cry, and go back to your -Italian straw hats. But believe me, it is much better for one in your -trade to dance the cancan than to play the great lady." - -Mademoiselle Chichette blew her nose, made several curtsies, then left -the room with a shamefaced air, not venturing to glance at Cherubin. - -"And now, my friend," said Monfreville to the young marquis, "I think -that we too may quit this wretched barrack. I believe that there is -nothing to detain us here longer." - -"Oh, no! and I am so happy, my dear Monfreville, after having such a -terrible fright! I will tell you the whole story; but first tell me how -you succeeded in learning that I was here, and how you happened to -arrive so opportunely." - -"That's easily done; do you see that cab at the door?" - -"Yes." - -"It's the same one that brought you here. I called at your house after -you left; I found Jasmin very uneasy; he told me that you had gone away -in a cab with Darena, whose frequent visits of late, together with his -air of mystery, had aroused my suspicions! I asked Jasmin if he had -called the carriage himself, and when he said yes, I asked him to take -me to the cabstand. There we waited more than two hours for your cab to -return. It appeared at last. I gave the driver twenty francs and told -him to take us to the place to which he had taken you; he asked nothing -better, and he brought us to this house. Knaves are very shrewd, my dear -boy, but luckily there is a concealed power shrewder than they, who -defeats the most cunningly devised schemes at the moment when their -authors deem themselves most certain of impunity. Some call that power -Providence, others chance, fatality, destiny, luck. I don't know what -name to give it, but I bow before it and am only too glad to believe -that, if there are people here on earth inclined to do evil, there is a -power on high, ever on the watch to prevent or repair it." - -Cherubin pressed Monfreville's hand affectionately; then they left the -house on the outer boulevard, which even little Bruno had abandoned, for -they saw no sign of anybody. They entered the cab with Jasmin, upon whom -they were almost obliged to use force, because the old fellow insisted -on riding behind. - -When they reached home, Cherubin told Monfreville how Darena had managed -the affair, and how he had urged him above all things to preserve the -most absolute secrecy about it. - -"I am not surprised," said Monfreville, "that he urged you not to -mention it to me; he knew that I would not be taken in by the story of a -Polish countess who was anxious to be abducted by a young man whom she -had seen just once, at the theatre." - -"He said that you set yourself up now as a man of strict virtue, to make -people forget your former conduct; he declared that you used to be -famous for your love-affairs, your conquests, and that your principles -then were much less severe than they are to-day.--Forgive me--I am only -repeating what he said." - -Monfreville's brow had grown dark; his face wore an expression of deep -sorrow, and he was silent for some time. At last, fixing his eyes upon -Cherubin's, he said in a melancholy tone: - -"It is true, my friend, that in my youth I did many foolish things, and -I have some serious faults with which to reproach myself. But I was so -cruelly punished that I was cured in good season. That does not prevent -me from being indulgent to others, because I am well aware that it is a -part of our nature to be subject to passions and weakness, and to be led -astray by them sometimes. Some day, Cherubin, I will tell you a story of -my young days, which has had an influence on my whole life. You will see -that these love-affairs, which we treat so cavalierly at twenty, -sometimes have very bitter results." - -"Thus far," said Cherubin, with a sigh, "I haven't been lucky in my -love-affairs, and my amorous adventures have not afforded me much -enjoyment!" - - - - -XXV - -A GRAND DINNER - - -After Monsieur de Noirmont expressed in such decided terms his -resolution with respect to Louise, Ernestine's mother said not a word to -indicate that she still thought of dismissing the young woman; on the -contrary it seemed that, having made up her mind to submit to her -husband's desire, Madame de Noirmont had recovered from her apparent -prejudice against Louise. She still treated her with a coldness which -sometimes approached severity; but the tone of her voice, sharp and curt -at first, often softened so far as to seem almost affectionate. One -would have said that she was vanquished by the charm with which the -girl's whole personality was instinct, by her timid obedience, by the -eagerness with which she waited on her mistress, so that the latter was -sometimes, in spite of herself, drawn on to love her. - -Louise did not know that Madame de Noirmont had thought of sending her -away. Ernestine and her father alone were aware of the circumstance, and -the former, when she learned that her mother's determination would not -be carried out, had concluded that it would be useless to mention it to -Louise, that it would grieve her to learn that she was so far from -having succeeded in winning her mistress's favor by her zeal, that that -mistress had intended to dismiss her. As for Monsieur de Noirmont, after -making his wishes known, he was not the man to mention such domestic -matters to anybody on earth. - -But a thing that was easily noticed, and that Louise saw, together with -all the rest of the household, was that Madame de Noirmont became more -depressed and gloomy every day. A smile never appeared on her lips; she -avoided society; visits annoyed her and were a burden to her; spending -almost all the time in her apartment, she ordered the servants to say -that she was out, or not feeling well, so that she might not be -disturbed in her solitude; even her daughter's presence seemed sometimes -to oppress and irritate her. The sweet-tempered Ernestine, who had done -nothing to forfeit her mother's affection, was sometimes very much -distressed at being treated so coldly by her; when she went to Madame de -Noirmont, to kiss her, she would push her away impatiently, or receive -with listless indifference the marks of her affection; thereupon the -girl would turn away, forcing back the tears which rose to her eyes, but -which she would not allow to appear, for fear of angering her mother. - -Louise, seeing her young mistress furtively wipe her eyes, would say to -her: - -"You are unhappy, mademoiselle, and I am very sure that it's because -your mamma hasn't kissed you for some time past." - -Whereupon Ernestine would reply, with a deep sigh: - -"That is true; I don't know what mamma can have against me; it's of no -use for me to try to think what I can have done to displease her; I -can't remember anything. But for some time she hasn't called me her dear -child or taken me in her arms. It isn't possible, though, that she -doesn't love me, is it, Louise? It's her health that makes her like -this; her nerves are out of order; she doesn't complain, but I am -perfectly sure that she is sick; besides, anyone can see that she has -changed a great deal lately." - -"That is true, mademoiselle, I have noticed it too. Yes, you are right, -it's because madame isn't well that she is more melancholy and doesn't -caress you so much. But why don't you send for the doctor?" - -"Several times I have said to mamma: 'You are pale, you must be -suffering; you ought to send for Monsieur Derbaut, our doctor;' but -mamma always answers in a provoked tone: 'Nothing's the matter with me; -it's useless to have the doctor, I don't need him.'" - -The two girls exchanged their ideas thus, seeking a way to make -themselves useful, one to her mother, the other to her mistress; for -they both loved Madame de Noirmont, despite the harshness and -capriciousness of her temper, which so often made her unjust; Ernestine -loved her with all the clinging affection of a child who refuses to see -her mother's faults; Louise with a respectful devotion which would have -led her joyfully to undertake the most painful task, if it would have -earned her a smile from her mistress. - -But Madame de Noirmont seemed carefully to avoid giving Louise any -opportunity to wait upon her; only in her husband's presence, and when -it was impossible for her to do otherwise, would she give her an order -or two, or take something from her hand. The young lady's maid, who -would gladly have anticipated her mistress's slightest wish, sometimes -followed her with her eyes, in the hope of making herself useful to her; -but if Madame de Noirmont caught Louise's glance fastened upon her, her -own expression would become sterner, and she would instantly motion to -her to leave the room. - -One day, madame was in her room, as usual, holding a book of which she -read very little, because her thoughts absorbed her so completely that -she could give no attention to anything else. Ernestine was seated at a -little distance, embroidering, and from time to time glancing furtively -at her mother, in the hope of meeting her eyes and of obtaining from her -a smile, which had become a very infrequent favor. Madame de Noirmont -turned to her and said, holding out the book: - -"Ernestine, bring me the second volume of this; you will find it in the -library, on the second shelf at the left." - -The girl rose quickly, took the book and left the room, eager to obey -her mother. Having found the volume for which Madame de Noirmont had -asked her, she was about to take it to her, when she found her -drawing-master, who had just arrived, waiting for her in the salon. -Ernestine gave Louise the book and told her to take it to her mother; -then she sat down by her teacher to take her lesson. - -Louise took the book and went to her mistress's room. When she was about -to turn the knob, she felt that she was trembling; she was so afraid of -offending Madame de Noirmont, who had not sent her on that errand. -However, she went in. - -Madame de Noirmont was seated, her head fallen forward on her breast. -She did not raise her eyes when she heard the door open, for she had no -doubt that it was Ernestine; and Louise reached her side and handed her -the book without daring to utter a word. - -But at that moment, impelled by an outburst of maternal affection, she -took the hand that offered the book and squeezed it in her own, -murmuring: - -"My poor love, you must have thought me most unjust to you of late, and -you think perhaps that I no longer love you! Do not think that, my -child; I still love you as dearly as I ever did; but you cannot -understand what is taking place in my heart, and what I suffer. No, you -will never know----" - -At that moment she raised her head and drew the girl toward her, meaning -to kiss her. Not until then did she recognize Louise. She was speechless -and motionless with surprise; a terrified expression appeared on her -face, from which all the blood receded, and she raised her eyes to -heaven, faltering: - -"O mon Dieu! and I called her my child!" - -"Forgive me, madame, forgive me," murmured Louise, terribly alarmed at -her mistress's condition. "It was not my fault, it was mademoiselle who -sent----" - -Madame de Noirmont struggled to master her emotion, and rejoined in a -sharp, stern tone: - -"Why did you come into my room? Did I call you? Why are you here? To try -to surprise my thoughts, my secrets?" - -"O madame--mon Dieu! can you believe it?" - -"Have I not constantly found your eyes fastened on me of late, -mademoiselle--following, watching my slightest movements? What makes you -act so? Have you some hidden motive? Come, speak, mademoiselle." - -"If I have offended you, madame, it was entirely without intention; if -my eyes have sometimes rested on you, it is because I would have been -happy to anticipate some wish of yours, to do something that would -please you, to earn a word or a kind look from you; that was my motive, -when I ventured to look at you. And then too it was a joy to me, madame; -but I will do without it, since you forbid it." - -Louise bent her head before her mistress; she was almost on her knees, -and her voice trembled so that she could hardly finish what she was -saying. - -Madame de Noirmont seemed deeply moved; one would have said that a -conflict was raging in the depths of her heart; she rose, paced the -floor, walked away from Louise, then toward her. She gazed at her for a -long, very long time, but not with a stern expression; her eyes were -filled with tears. Suddenly she ran to the girl, who had remained on the -same spot, with downcast eyes and afraid to take a step; she took her -hand and drew her toward her--but almost instantly pushed her away -again, saying sharply: - -"Go, mademoiselle, go; I have no further need of you." - -Louise obeyed. She left the room, saying to herself: - -"Mon Dieu! what is the matter with her, and what have I done to her?" - -A week after this incident, Monsieur de Noirmont informed his wife that -he proposed to give a great dinner. He named the persons whom he had -invited, fifteen in number, and added: - -"I had an idea of inviting young Marquis Cherubin de Grandvilain too; -but I asked him to come to see me, and he has never come; and so, as he -has not shown the slightest desire to associate with an old friend of -his father, we will not have him." - -Madame de Noirmont could not conceal the annoyance which the -announcement of that function caused her. But Monsieur de Noirmont -continued in a very curt tone: - -"Really, madame, if I should leave you to follow your own desires, we -should have no company, we should live like owls. I am not a fool--a -devotee of pleasure; but still, I don't propose to live like a hermit. -Besides, madame, we have a daughter, and it is our duty to think about -her welfare; before long it will be time to think of marrying her, of -finding a suitable match for her; meanwhile we must not keep her -sequestered from society, of which she is destined to be an ornament -some day. Poor Ernestine! you refuse every opportunity that offers to -take her to balls or receptions or concerts. You are ill, you say. I -cannot compel you to go out, madame; but, as your health confines you -constantly to the house, we will entertain; such is my present -determination, madame." - -Madame de Noirmont made no observation, for she was well aware that as -soon as her husband had made up his mind to do a thing, nothing could -divert him from his resolution; and Monsieur de Noirmont left her, -having requested her to give the necessary orders so that everything -might be ready for the dinner, which was appointed for the Thursday -following. - -Madame de Noirmont resigned herself to the inevitable; when the day drew -near, she gave her orders and superintended the preparations for the -banquet. Ernestine, when she learned that they were to entertain many -guests and give a grand dinner, rejoiced greatly and looked forward to -it with the keenest pleasure. Pleasures and amusements had become so -rare in her life, that every departure from the customary monotony -seemed a blessing. Louise hoped that the dinner would afford her an -opportunity to make herself useful, to display her zeal, and she shared -her young mistress's childlike joy. - -At last the day came when the interior of that house, ordinarily so -placid, was to echo with the voices of a numerous company. From early -morning there was a great commotion in the Noirmont mansion; the master -of the house alone spent the day as usual, working tranquilly in his -study, awaiting the hour when the guests were to arrive; but Madame de -Noirmont issued orders, overlooked the preparations, made sure that -everything that she had ordered was at hand. Ernestine followed her -mother about, dancing and laughing, anticipating great pleasure for that -day. - -"You must make yourself very lovely for the dinner," she said to Louise, -"because you are to wait at table with Comtois; that is the custom when -we have company." - -"Never fear, mademoiselle," replied Louise; "I don't know whether I -shall be lovely, but I promise to do my best to wait at table well, so -that madame your mother will be content with me." - -But, a few moments before it was time for the guests to arrive, Madame -de Noirmont said to her daughter: - -"Ernestine, I don't want your maid to wait at table; tell her that she -may remain in her room; we shall not need her." - -Ernestine could not understand her mother's whim; she looked up at her -and said hesitatingly: - -"But, mamma, usually, when we have company--you know----" - -"I do not ask for your comments, my child; do what I tell you." - -Ernestine obeyed her mother; she went sadly to Louise's room, where she -found her finishing her toilet. - -"Do you like me in this dress, mademoiselle?" inquired Louise; "is it -suited to my position?" - -"Oh! yes, yes, my poor Louise, you look very pretty!" replied Ernestine, -heaving a deep sigh; "but it was not worth while to take so much pains -with your toilet, for mamma doesn't want you to wait at table; she says -that you can stay in your room." - -Louise's face expressed the disappointment caused by that command; -however, she did not indulge in a single murmur. - -"I will obey, mademoiselle," she replied; "doubtless madame your mother -has good reasons for wishing me not to do it. Ala! I am afraid that I -can guess them: she doesn't like to see me; my presence annoys her; I -will obey, she shall not see me." - -Ernestine did not feel equal to contradicting her; for, knowing that her -mother had once intended to dismiss Louise, she believed that the girl -had guessed aright. She simply pressed her hand, then left her, because -the time had come when the guests would probably begin to arrive. - -Monsieur de Noirmont had invited more men than ladies; however, the wife -of a certain advocate arrived with her husband; she was a tall, large -woman, of much pretension, very fond of listening to herself talk, but, -to balance matters, little inclined to listen to others. - -Another lady, young and rosy and affable, formed a striking contrast to -the first; she was the wife of a solicitor, who had just married in -order to pay for his office. The advocate had married the tall lady so -that he could afford to wait for clients. In society nowadays a marriage -is a matter of business, seldom of sympathetic sentiments. - -A few serious men, two young exquisites, and Monsieur Trichet, whom we -have met before at Madame Celival's, completed the party. Monsieur de -Noirmont received his guests with his customary phlegmatic manner. -Madame de Noirmont, who had made the best of it and had resigned herself -to receive all that company, tried not to allow her ennui to appear; she -did the honors of her salon with much grace; she forced herself to -smile; she was able, when she chose, to address a pleasant word to each -guest; and they were all the more pleased because they were not used to -it. - -Ernestine recovered her spirits when she saw that her mother seemed to -have recovered hers; at her age small vexations are soon forgotten; she -loved company, and of late she had had so few opportunities to enjoy -herself, that she joyfully seized every one that presented itself. As -the young lady of the house, she listened to those complimentary remarks -which it is not safe to believe, but which are always pleasant to the -ear. They said that she had grown and improved; they did not say it to -her, but they said it to her parents loud enough for her to hear. Madame -de Noirmont listened indifferently to the compliments paid to her -daughter, but Monsieur de Noirmont was enchanted by them. - -Monsieur Trichet was the same as always: talking all the time, -determined to know everything, taking part in every conversation, and -with his ear always on the alert to hear what was being said in all the -corners of the salon; that man was kept very busy in company. - -Comtois announced that dinner was served, and the whole company -adjourned to the dining-room. They took their seats and began to eat, -with the silence of good breeding, which is sometimes maintained until -the dessert. - -The first course was still in progress when Monsieur de Noirmont, not -being served quickly enough, looked about the room and said to Comtois: - -"Where is the maid? why is she not assisting you? I am not surprised -that the service is so slow! What is she doing, pray? Didn't you tell -her that she was to wait at table?" - -Comtois was sadly embarrassed; when he called Louise, she told him what -orders she had received from her mistress. He twisted his tongue about, -and answered half audibly: - -"Monsieur--I--madame said that--that it was unnecessary for----" - -Monsieur de Noirmont did not allow Comtois to finish his sentence; he -rejoined shortly: - -"Tell Louise to come at once; she must help you serve." - -Comtois did not wait for the order to be repeated, especially as he was -very glad, in the bottom of his heart, to have the girl assist him. - -Madame de Noirmont looked at her plate and turned ghastly pale; -Ernestine gazed anxiously from her father to her mother; and Monsieur -Trichet, who had comments to make on everything, exclaimed: - -"Ah! so you have a lady's maid who doesn't want to serve at table? You -are perfectly right to compel her to do it. Servants are amazing -nowadays! If we listened to them they would do nothing at all, and we -should pay them high wages! I am curious to see your lady's maid." - -Louise's arrival put an end to these remarks. The girl was much -embarrassed when she received the order sent through Comtois; she -hesitated to follow him at first, but Comtois said: - -"You must come, mademoiselle; monsieur says so, and when he gives an -order, you must obey." - -So Louise decided to go with the valet. The thought that she was going -to vex her mistress by obeying her master's commands caused her very -great distress; so that she entered the room with downcast eyes and with -her cheeks flushing hotly. But she was all the prettier so, and most of -the guests seemed impressed by her beauty. - -"Upon my word," said Monsieur Trichet, "this girl would have done very -wrong not to show herself! I have seen few servants so pretty.--What is -that you are saying, Monsieur Dernange? Oh! I hear you: you said: 'A -Greek profile.'--True, very like it. But Greek or not, it is very -distinguished for the profile of a lady's maid." - -The two young men did not make their reflections aloud, like Monsieur -Trichet, but they seemed not to weary of gazing at Louise, and they were -delighted to have their plates changed by her. - -The tall, pretentious lady cast a disdainful glance at Louise and -muttered: - -"I cannot understand how anyone can call a servant pretty!" - -"That girl is fascinating!" cried the other lady; "and she has such a -modest air! Everything about her speaks in her favor." - -"Oho!" said Monsieur Trichet, "it isn't safe to trust to such airs; -they're often very deceptive. I know what I am talking about; I have had -two hundred maids, and they have all stolen from me." - -Madame de Noirmont made no reply to all these reflections inspired by -the sight of her pretty lady's maid. But it was plain that she was -suffering, that she was holding herself back, that she was doing her -utmost to appear calm and amiable as before. - -Ernestine was no longer in a merry mood, for she saw that something was -wrong with her mother. - -As for Monsieur de Noirmont, content to be obeyed, he turned his -attention to his guests and did not observe his wife's pallor. - -The subject of conversation soon changed however, and Madame de Noirmont -was able to breathe a little more freely. - -Louise performed her duty as well as she could, lowering her eyes when -she passed her mistress, not daring to look at her, and taking care -never to stand opposite her. - -But suddenly Cherubin's name fell on the girl's ear. Monsieur Trichet, -speaking of a reception at the Comtesse de Valdieri's, observed: - -"The young Marquis de Grandvilain was not there. I have noticed too that -he doesn't go to Madame Celival's any more. That seems strange to me, -for everybody knows that the little marquis was making love to those -ladies; he is still too new at the game to conceal his feelings; he used -to stare at them too much--it was absurd." - -At that moment Louise had in her hands a plate of chicken with olives, -which she had been told to carry to the advocate's tall wife. But when -she heard Cherubin's name, Louise forgot what she was doing; she dropped -the plate on the pretentious lady's shoulder, and a large portion of -chicken with olives fell on that lady's dress. - -"What a stupid idiot you are!" cried the tall lady, with a savage glance -at Louise. "If you don't know how to pass a plate, you should stay in -your kitchen." - -Louise stood like a statue, confused and distressed. The men, thinking -her prettier than ever, tried to excuse her; Ernestine rose hastily and -wiped the lady's dress, which it did not even occur to Louise to do. As -for Madame de Noirmont, when she heard Louise called stupid and an -idiot, her eyebrows contracted and her eyes shot fire for an instant; -she half rose, then fell back in her chair, as if she were dead. -Monsieur Trichet, who was beside her, exclaimed: - -"Madame de Noirmont is certainly ill.--Do you feel ill, madame?" - -"It is nothing, I hope," said Madame de Noirmont, rising; "just an ill -turn; I will go and take a breath of air." - -Ernestine was already beside her mother; she supported her, gave her her -arm, and they left the dining-room together. - -This episode caused Louise's awkwardness to be forgotten, although the -tall lady continued to grumble about her dress; but nobody seemed to -listen to her. After ten minutes Madame de Noirmont returned to the -table. She was still very pale, but she insisted that she no longer -suffered. The dinner came to an end dismally enough; the accident that -had happened to the mistress of the house had dispelled all merriment. - -They returned to the salon. The men conversed among themselves, and the -tall lady thought of nothing but her damaged gown. Madame de Noirmont -forced herself to smile as she listened to Monsieur Trichet; Ernestine -kept her eyes on her mother, and the young men looked frequently toward -the door, disappointed that the pretty lady's maid did not appear again. -A game of whist was organized, but it was not kept up very long, and the -guests took their leave well before midnight, because Madame de Noirmont -was ill and must need rest. - -It was two hours after midnight. All the members of Monsieur de -Noirmont's household had long since withdrawn to their apartments, and -should have been buried in slumber. Louise, still excited by the -emotions of the day, had just closed her eyes, thinking of Cherubin, who -was said to have been in love with two women. - -Suddenly someone opened the door of her room, and entered cautiously, -holding a light. Louise opened her eyes and recognized Madame de -Noirmont, in her night dress, as pale as she had been at dinner; she -walked to the bed after pausing to listen and make sure that no one was -following her. - -"Mon Dieu! is it you, madame?" cried Louise; "can it be that you are -ill? that you need my services?--I will get up at once." - -"Stay where you are, and listen to me." - -As she spoke, Madame de Noirmont went to the door and closed it, then -returned to the bed, sat down beside it, took Louise's hand and pressed -it in both of hers, saying in a broken voice: - -"Louise, you must leave this house, unless you want me to die--to die of -grief. Oh! my suffering has been horrible! and I feel that I shall not -have the strength to endure it any longer." - -"What! can it be that I am the cause of your suffering, madame? Indeed I -will go; yes, be sure of it. Mon Dieu! if I had known it sooner, I would -have gone long ago and spared you much annoyance. Forgive me; for, far -from seeking to make you unhappy, I would give my life to prove my -zealous attachment to you. But no matter--I will go." - -"Poor Louise! then you do not hate me--me who have treated you so -harshly, who have never said a kind or gentle word to you?" - -"Hate you, madame? Oh! that doesn't seem possible to me; it seems to me -that it is my duty to love you.--Oh! pardon--I forget that I am only a -poor servant." - -"A servant--you! Ah! that is what is killing me, that is what I cannot -endure! You, a servant in my house! O my God! I was very guilty, I know, -since Thou hast inflicted this punishment on me; but to-day it was too -heavy.--Great heaven! what am I saying? I am losing my wits.--Louise, my -poor child, you have believed that I detested you, that that was the -reason why I was constantly trying to keep you away from me, have you -not?--Ah! if you could have read in the depths of my heart!" - -"Is it possible, madame, that you do not dislike me? Oh! I am so glad!" - -"Listen to me, Louise. You ought not to be a servant; you ought to be -rich and happy, poor girl! You have suffered enough for faults committed -by others; your lot will soon be changed. Here, take this letter which I -have just written, and hand it to the person whose name is on the -envelope, to whom you will go at once on leaving here. I do not know -where the--the person to whom I am sending you lives now, but you can -learn by going to Monsieur Cherubin de Grandvilain's house; he is his -friend, and he will tell you at once where he lives. You know Monsieur -Cherubin's house, do you not?" - -"Oh, yes! I have been there twice, madame.--And the person to whom I am -to give this letter?" - -"That person will--at least, I think so--restore you to your father." - -"To my father! O my God! What, madame! I shall find my parents? Do you -know them, madame?" - -"Ask me nothing more, Louise; what I am doing now is a great deal. I -swore that I would never write to this person; but since I have seen -you, I have felt that it was wicked, very wicked, to deprive you of your -father's caresses; for he will be happy to recover you! Oh, yes! I am -sure that he will surround you with love and care." - -"And my mother, madame--you say nothing of her? Shall I not see her too? -Oh! it would be so sweet to me to hold her in my arms!" - -"Your mother? Oh, no! that is impossible; your father will conceal her -name from you--he must. If, however, he should disclose it, remember -that a heedless word would kill her!--But I have said enough. To-morrow, -at daybreak, before anyone in the house is up, you will go away; you -promise me that, Louise?" - -"Yes, madame, I promise." - -"That is well; and now, kiss me." - -"May I?" - -Madame de Noirmont's only reply was to put her arms about Louise's -waist, strain her to her heart, and hold her so a long time, covering -her with kisses. The poor girl was so happy that she thought that she -was dreaming, and she prayed heaven not to wake her. - -But Madame de Noirmont, whose eyes were filled with tears, made a -superhuman effort, and extricating herself from the arms that enlaced -her, deposited one more kiss on the girl's forehead and hurriedly left -the room, saying in a voice overflowing with affection: - -"Do not forget anything of all that I have said to you!" - -Louise lay in a sort of trance; the kisses she had received had made her -know such unalloyed happiness that she tried to prolong it; she dared -not reflect, or seek to solve the mystery of Madame de Noirmont's -conduct; but she repeated again and again: - -"She loves me! oh, yes! she loves me, for she held me to her heart a -long while, and she said: 'Don't forget anything that I said to -you!'--Ah! I shall never forget those words; I shall remember them all -my life." - -Louise did not close her eyes during the rest of the night. As soon as -the day began to break, she rose, dressed hastily, made a bundle of her -clothes, placed in her bosom the letter that Madame de Noirmont had -given her, and, softly opening the door, left her room, stole -noiselessly through several rooms to the staircase, and so down to the -courtyard; she knocked on the concierge's window, he opened the gate, -and at daybreak she stood in the street. - - - - -XXVI - -FEAR - - -Since his adventure with Chichette Chichemann, Cherubin had been less -quick to take fire; or, rather, he had begun to understand that what he -had taken for love was simply those desires which the sight of a pretty -woman arouses in a man's heart; desires which are certain to be renewed -often in a wholly inexperienced heart, whose sensations have the charm -of novelty. - -But the checks he had met with in his amorous essays had made Cherubin -even more shy and timid; instead of taking advantage of the lessons that -he had received to bear himself more gallantly in a tete-a-tete, poor -Cherubin was so afraid of being unfortunate or awkward again, that the -bare idea of an assignation almost made him tremble. On the other hand, -as love, at his age, is the first joy of life, the young marquis, not -knowing how he could procure that joy, became sad and melancholy. At -twenty years of age, with a noble name, a handsome fortune, with good -looks and a fine figure; in a word, possessed of everything that is -supposed to make a man happy, Cherubin was not happy; he lost his good -spirits and even his fresh coloring. He no longer had that bright, ruddy -complexion which people used to admire in him; for it is useless to try -to conceal the fact that, while excessive dissipation sometimes destroys -the health, excessive virtue may produce the same result; excess in -anything is to be deplored. - -The young marquis no longer visited the Comtesse de Valdieri, or Madame -Celival, because the frigid greeting he received from those ladies was -equivalent to a dismissal; but he sometimes met them in society. When he -did, it seemed to him that all the ladies looked at him in a strange -fashion, that they whispered together and even went so far as to laugh -when he appeared. All this tormented and disturbed him; he told his -troubles to his friend Monfreville. - -"Do you suppose that that little countess and Madame Celival have been -saying unkind things about me?" he said. "I don't know what I have done -to them." - -"That is just the reason!" replied Monfreville, with a smile. "I beg -you, my young friend, do not persist in this apathy, which is ill-suited -to your years. You have everything that a man needs, to be agreeable to -the ladies; form other connections. Have three or four mistresses at -once, deceive them all openly, and your reputation will soon be -reestablished." - -"That is very easy for you to say, my dear Monfreville, but, since my -misadventures, I am so afraid of being--er--awkward again with a woman, -that it makes me shudder beforehand. It is enough to kill one with shame -and despair! I prefer not to take the risk. And yet I feel that I am -terribly bored." - -"I can well believe it--to live without love, at your age! when one has -not even the memory of his follies! that is perfectly absurd. But if you -are afraid that you are not yet sufficiently enterprising with a great -lady, why, my friend, make a beginning with grisettes and actresses. I -assure you they will train you quite as well." - -"Yes, I thought of that at first; and last week, happening to meet -Malvina--you know, that lively little ballet girl?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, I spoke to her. At first she called me Monsieur Jack Frost; but -when I told her that I wasn't as cold as she thought, she said: 'To make -me believe that, you must prove it.' And she invited me again to -breakfast with her--at six o'clock in the morning--and we appointed a -day." - -"Good! that is excellent!" - -"Oh, yes! but the day came long ago, and I didn't go." - -"Why not?" - -"Because I reflected that I had no more love for Malvina than for the -others, and that I should no doubt make as big a fool of myself with her -as I had done at my previous tete-a-tetes." - -"You were altogether wrong! your reasoning is ridiculous! The idea of -reflecting about an amourette, a passing fancy! But stay--didn't you -tell me once of a grisette, a girl who worked in a linen-draper's shop -near by, and who used to ogle you? she even told you her name, I -believe." - -"Yes, my friend, that was little Celanire, with the fair hair and the -nose _a la Roxelane_." - -"Well, there's your chance; ask Mademoiselle Celanire for a rendezvous. -Judging from what you have told me, she won't refuse you." - -"That is what I did, my friend. The day before yesterday I saw the young -grisette in the street; when she found that I was walking behind her, -she pretended to make a misstep; then she stopped and clung to me to -keep from falling." - -"That was very clever." - -"So I thought; after that, we talked, and finally she agreed to meet me -that evening on Boulevard du Chateau d'Eau, a long way from her quarter, -for the express purpose of not meeting people who might recognize her." - -"That was very prudent; grisettes think of everything. Well, how did -matters go at that meeting?" - -"Mon Dieu! my friend, I didn't go there either. As I was about to start, -I made the same reflections that I had made concerning the little -dancer. Then I was afraid and I stayed at home." - -"Oh! this is too much, my poor Cherubin! If you give way to such -terrors, there is no reason why you should not be bewildered by them all -your life! In old times, the old women would have said that someone had -cast a spell on you, and they would have sent you to see some famous -exorcist. For, in the good old days, spells were cast and destroyed -frequently; indeed, it was not uncommon to see prosecutions based upon -such affairs, and to see the judges order an inspection, in order to -make the man prove his innocence, who attempted to make so many honest -people forfeit theirs. But those barbarous days have passed--for they -really deserve to be so called. Now, we know no better sorcerer than a -pretty woman to discover whether a man is in love or not. So that I -persist in referring you to such a one." - -Monfreville's words did not console Cherubin in the least; he continued -in his state of depression and self torment; but one morning there came -to his mind a thought that roused and revivified him: he thought of -Gagny, of young Louise, of his kindhearted nurse, who loved him so -dearly; it occurred to him to revisit his childhood home. In his -melancholy and his ennui he remembered those who loved him; in the whirl -of dissipation he had forgotten them! Such cases are too common; they do -not speak well for our hearts, but why did Nature make us like that? - -Cherubin said nothing to any of his household; he took neither Jasmin -nor Gerondif, but ordered his cabriolet, bade his little groom climb up -behind, and started, after obtaining minute directions as to the -shortest way to Gagny. - -With a good horse it is not a long drive. Cherubin arrived at -Villemonble in a short time. His heart beat fast as he drove through the -village, for he recognized the country where his childhood had been -passed, and a large part of his adolescence. His heart was very full -when he spied the first houses of Gagny; he felt such a thrill of -pleasure, of happiness, as he had not known since he went to Paris, and -he was amazed that he could have allowed so long a time to elapse -without returning to the village. - -He recognized the square, the guard house, and the steep street leading -to his nurse's house; he urged his horse and drew rein at last in front -of Nicole's door. It was only three years since he had left it, but it -seemed to him a century, and he scrutinized everything about him to see -if anything had changed. - -He alighted from his carriage, crossed the yard where he had played so -often, and hastily entered the room on the ground floor, where the -family usually sat. Nicole was there, working, and Jacquinot asleep in a -chair; nothing was changed; one person only was missing. - -Nicole raised her eyes, then gave a shout. She gazed earnestly at the -fashionably dressed young man who had entered the room; she was afraid -that she was mistaken, she dared not believe that it was Cherubin. But -he did not leave her long in uncertainty; he flew into her arms, crying: - -"My nurse! my dear Nicole! Ah! how glad I am to see you again!" - -"It's him! it's really him!" cried the peasant woman, who could hardly -speak, she was so overcome by joy. "He has come to see us, so he still -loves me, the dear boy! Forgive me for calling you that, monsieur le -marquis, but habit is stronger than I am." - -"Call me what you used to call me, dear Nicole. Do you suppose that that -offends me? On the contrary, I insist upon it, I demand it." - -"Oh! what joy!--Wake up, Jacquinot, my man, here's our _fieu_ Cherubin -come back, and in our house again." - -Jacquinot rubbed his eyes and recognized the young marquis, but dared -not offer him his hand. But Cherubin warmly grasped the peasant's rough -and calloused hand. He, in his delight, ran off, as his custom was, to -bring wine and glasses. - -Cherubin seated himself beside Nicole; he kissed her again and again, -then glanced about the room and said: - -"What a pity that someone is missing! If Louise were here, my happiness -would be complete. Is she still in Bretagne--a long way off? Doesn't she -mean to return?" - -"Oh, yes, my boy," murmured the peasant woman with evident -embarrassment. "But you do still care for us a little bit, my dear -child, although you have got used to finer folks than we are?" - -"Do I care for you! Indeed I do! I understand why you ask me that, dear -Nicole; I have been an ungrateful wretch, I have acted very badly. To -think of not coming once to embrace you in three years! Oh! that was -very wicked of me. I planned to do it very often, but one has so many -things to do in Paris! Society, and all the amusements that were so new -to me--it all bewildered me. You must try to forgive me." - -"Forgive him! How handsome he is! how handsome he is!" - -"And then, it seems to me that if you had wanted to see me, there was -nothing to prevent your coming to Paris, to my house.--You know well -enough where it is." - -"Why, we did go there, my dear child, we went there twice, Louise and I. -We asked to see you, and the first time they told us that you were -travelling; the second, that you were at some chateau and would be away -a long while." - -"That is very strange! In the first place, it isn't true; I have not -left Paris since I first went there, I have not travelled at all; and -then, I was never told that you came." - -"The idea! I told the concierge to tell you." - -"Ah! I will look into this, and I will find out why they presumed to -conceal your visits from me." - -"Bless me! that made Louise and me feel very bad, and we said: 'As long -as he knows we've been to see him but couldn't find him, and he don't -come to see us, why, we mustn't go again, because perhaps he don't like -to have us come to his house in Paris.'" - -"Not like it, my dear Nicole! The idea of thinking that of me! And poor -Louise too! But why did you send her to Bretagne, instead of keeping her -with you?" - -"Louise in Bretagne!" exclaimed Jacquinot, who returned to the room just -then with a jug of wine and glasses. "What's the sense of making up -stories like that to deceive my friend monsieur le marquis?" - -"What! Louise is not in Bretagne!" cried Cherubin. "Why, Monsieur -Gerondif has been telling me that for two years. What is the meaning of -that lie?" - -"Oh! dear me, my boy!" said Nicole, "I'll tell you the whole story, for -I don't like to lie! And then, the more I look at you, you look so good -and gentle, I can't believe that you've got to be a rake, a seducer, as -Monsieur Gerondif told us!" - -"I, a rake, a seducer! Why, that is not true, nurse, it is horribly -false! On the contrary, people laugh at me in Paris because they say I -am too bashful with the ladies. And to say that I am a rake! That is -abominable! And my tutor dared to say such things?" - -"My dear child, I am going to tell you the whole truth. Monsieur -Gerondif, who came to see us often and seemed to admire Louise's beauty, -came one day about nine or ten months ago, and offered the child a fine -place in Paris, which he said that you wanted her to take." - -"Ah! the liar!" - -"Louise liked the idea of going to Paris, because she said that that -would bring her nearer to you, and she hoped to see you once in a -while." - -"Dear Louise!" - -"So she accepted; but while she was packing her clothes, monsieur le -professeur whispered to me: 'I am taking Louise away to remove her from -the designs of my pupil, who means to make her his mistress.'" - -"What an outrage!" - -"'And if he comes here, make him believe that she's been with a relation -of yours in Bretagne a long time.'" - -Cherubin rose and paced the floor; he was so suffocated by wrath that he -could hardly speak. - -"What a shameful thing! to say that of me! to invent such lies! But what -could his object have been? Do you know where he took Louise?" - -"Oh! to some very fine folks, so he told us." - -"But who are they?" - -"Bless me! I didn't ask that, my dear child, because I had so much -confidence in the schoolmaster." - -"So you don't know where Louise is? Oh! I will find out! I will make him -tell me!--I am dying with impatience; I wish I were in Paris -now.--Adieu! my dear Nicole! adieu, Jacquinot!" - -"What, going already, my _fieu_? You have hardly got here!" - -"And he hasn't drunk a single glass!" - -"I will come again, my friends, I will come again--but with Louise, whom -I am wild to find!--Ah! Monsieur Gerondif! you say that I am a rake! We -will see! They have all looked upon me as a child hitherto, but I'll -show them that I am their master!" - -Cherubin embraced Nicole, shook hands with Jacquinot, and, turning a -deaf ear to all that those good people said to pacify him, he returned -to his cabriolet, lashed his horse and drove rapidly back to Paris. - -On reaching home, he at once summoned Monsieur Gerondif, Jasmin and the -concierge. From the tone in which he issued the order, and from the -expression of his face, the servants did not recognize their master, -ordinarily so mild and gentle. The groom went to call the tutor, who had -just finished dressing, although it was midday. He went down to his -pupil, thinking: - -"Monsieur le marquis undoubtedly wishes me to teach him something. -Perhaps he wants to learn to write poetry. Mademoiselle Turlurette tells -everybody in the house that my verses are so fine! I will have him begin -with free verses; they are certainly easier to write, most assuredly." - -But on entering the apartment of the young marquis, whom he found pacing -the floor with an impatient and angry expression, the tutor became -anxious, and began to think that he had not been summoned to give -lessons in poetry. Jasmin, who did not know where he was, his master -was scowling so at him, stood motionless in a corner, whence he dared -not stir, and the concierge, who was fully as terrified as the others, -remained in the doorway, afraid to go in. - -Cherubin addressed the latter first; he bade him come nearer, and said -to him: - -"A short time after I first came to this house, a worthy countrywoman, -my nurse, came to see me, with a young girl. They came twice; they were -most anxious to see me; and you told them, the first time, that I was -travelling, and the second time, that I was at the chateau of one of my -friends. Why did you tell that falsehood? Who gave you leave to turn -away people who are dear to me and whom I should have been glad to see? -Answer me." - -The concierge hung his head and answered: - -"Faith, monsieur, all I did was to follow the instructions Monsieur -Jasmin gave me; and I thought he was only carrying out monsieur's -orders." - -"Ah! it was Jasmin who told you to say that, was it? Very well; you may -go; but henceforth take your orders from me alone." - -The concierge bowed and left the room, delighted that he had come off so -cheap. - -Old Jasmin turned purple; he twisted his mouth, like a child about to -cry. Cherubin walked up to him and said in a tone in which there was -more reproach than anger: - -"And so, Jasmin, it was you who ordered my dear Nicole and Louise to be -turned away? It was you who arranged matters so that the people who -brought me up must inevitably think me proud and unfeeling and -ungrateful!--Ah! that was very ill done of you--and I don't recognize -your kind heart in that business." - -Jasmin drew his handkerchief and wept. - -"You are right, monsieur!" he cried; "it was a shame, it was downright -folly, but it wasn't my idea; I should never have thought of it. It was -your tutor who told me that we must prevent your seeing Nicole and -little Louise, because it would be very dangerous for you. As Monsieur -Gerondif is a scholar, I thought that he must be right, and I did what -he told me." - -While the old valet was speaking, Monsieur Gerondif scratched his nose -with all his might, as if to prepare for the attack that he was about to -undergo; and in fact it was to him that Cherubin turned after listening -to Jasmin, and there was the ring of righteous anger in his voice as he -cried: - -"So all this comes from you, monsieur? I should have suspected as -much.--So it was dangerous for me to see the people from the village, -who love me like their own child!" - -Monsieur Gerondif threw one of his legs back, puffed out his chest, -raised his head, and began with abundant assurance: - -"Well, yes, my illustrious pupil! and I consider that I was right. _Non -est discipulus super magistrum._--Listen to my reasons: You left the -village and the fields with great regret; you might have been tempted to -return thither, and it was necessary to remove that temptation--always -in your interest. The _Sadder_, abridged from the _Zend_, which contains -all the tenets of the religion founded by Zoroaster, ordains that every -man must make a strict examination of his conscience at the end of each -day; and mine----" - -"Oh! I am not talking about Zoroaster, monsieur! Was it in my interest -too, that, at the time of your last visit to the village, you told -Nicole that I had become a rake and a seducer in Paris; that I intended -to make Louise my mistress; and that it was absolutely necessary to find -a place for her in Paris, and to make me believe that she was in -Bretagne?" - -Monsieur Gerondif was petrified; he could think of no quotations to -make; he hung his head and did not know which leg to stand on; while -Jasmin, when he heard what the tutor had said of his young master, ran -to the fireplace, seized the tongs, and prepared to strike Monsieur -Gerondif: - -"You dare to tell such infamous lies about my master!" he exclaimed; "to -slander him like that! Let me thrash him, monsieur! I believe that I can -do that with as much force as I had at twenty years." - -But Cherubin stopped Jasmin, and said to the tutor: - -"What were your reasons for lying so, monsieur?" - -"To tell the truth, my noble pupil, I do not know;--a temporary -aberration, a----" - -"Well, I shall find out later. But, first of all, where is Louise?" - -"The young and interesting foundling?" - -"Come, come, monsieur, answer me, and no more lies; where is Louise?" - -"In an honorable family, I venture to flatter myself; I obtained her a -situation as lady's maid with Madame de Noirmont." - -"A lady's maid! my foster-sister! You have made my old playmate a lady's -maid!--Ah! that's an outrage!" - -"The wages are good, and I thought that, as she has no fortune----" - -"Hold your peace! Poor Louise! so this is the reward of your sworn -attachment to me!--But she shall not remain another day in that -position. Jasmin, call a cab at once, and you, monsieur, come with me." - -Monsieur Gerondif did not wait for the order to be repeated; he followed -Cherubin, who took his hat and hastened downstairs. Jasmin called a cab, -the young marquis stepped in, ordered Monsieur Gerondif to take his -place beside him and to give the driver Madame de Noirmont's address. -The tutor obeyed and they drove away. - -Cherubin did not open his mouth during the drive, and Gerondif did not -dare even to blow his nose. When the cab stopped in front of the -Noirmont mansion, Cherubin said to his tutor: - -"It was you who brought Louise to this house; go now and find her. Say -to the persons in whose service she is that she is not to work any more, -that she has found a friend and protector; say whatever you choose, but -remember that you must bring me my friend and sister. As for her, simply -say to her that I am here, waiting for her, and I am perfectly sure that -she will instantly make her preparations to come to me. Go, monsieur; I -will stay here and wait." - -Monsieur Gerondif jumped out of the cab, blew his nose when he was on -the sidewalk, and entered the house at last, saying to himself: - -"Let us do it, as there is no way to avoid it! The little one will not -be mine--unless, perhaps, later--no one knows. Perhaps he will endow -her, and I will imagine that she's a widow." - -Cherubin counted the minutes after the tutor entered the house; he -leaned out of the cab door and did not take his eyes from the porte -cochere; for he momentarily expected Louise to appear, and that hope was -constantly disappointed. At last two persons left the house and came -toward him; they were Monsieur Gerondif and Comtois. The professor's -face wore a most woebegone expression; he rolled his eyes wildly about -as he approached Cherubin: but the latter did not wait for him to speak. - -"Louise!" he cried, "Louise! why hasn't she come with you? Didn't you -tell her that I was here?" - -"No, my noble pupil," replied Gerondif, with an air of desperation, "I -did not tell her, for I could not. If you knew!" - -"I don't want to know; I want Louise--I came here to get her. Why -doesn't she come down? Do they refuse to let her go? In that case I will -go up myself----" - -"Oh, no! nobody refuses anything; but she has gone already, and that is -why she doesn't come down with us." - -"What do you say? Louise----" - -"Has not been at Monsieur de Noirmont's for four days; she went off one -morning, very early, before anyone in the house was up." - -"Ah! you are deceiving me!" - -"No, my noble pupil; but as I thought that perhaps you would not believe -me, I requested Comtois, Monsieur de Noirmont's confidential valet, to -come with me and confirm my story.--Speak, incorruptible Comtois; tell -the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." - -Comtois stepped toward Cherubin, and said, saluting him respectfully: - -"Since Mademoiselle Louise has been in our family, we had never had -anything but praise for her behavior. Her modest manner, her sweetness -of disposition, won all our hearts. Mademoiselle Ernestine de Noirmont -treated her more as her friend than as her maid; madame was the only one -who, for some unknown reason, was a trifle harsh with Mademoiselle -Louise.--Well, last Friday, the day after a large dinner-party that we -gave here, the girl went away. She took nothing with her but a little -bundle containing her clothes--not another thing. Mademoiselle Ernestine -was terribly unhappy over her going; but we supposed that Louise had -decided to return to her province because she was disappointed that she -had not been able to win madame's favor. That is the exact truth, -monsieur. However, if you will take the trouble to go upstairs, you can -see Mademoiselle Ernestine, or my master and mistress, who will tell you -just what I have told you." - -Cherubin did not deem it necessary to question Monsieur or Madame de -Noirmont; Comtois had no motive for lying to him, and in his eyes could -be read his personal regret for Louise's departure. - -"She must have returned to Gagny, beyond any question," cried Gerondif, -scratching his nose. - -"To Gagny!" exclaimed Cherubin, in despair; "why, I have just come from -there! You forget that I have been there this morning, that I am just -from Nicole's house, and that Louise has not been seen there." - -"Perhaps you may have passed each other on the road." - -"Why, he says that it was four days ago that she left the house!--four -days, do you understand? What has become of her during all that time? -Does it take four days to travel four leagues?" - -"Not usually--but, if she stopped often on the way." - -"Ah! it was you who induced Louise to leave the village, where she was -safe from all harm. It was you, monsieur, who brought her to Paris. But -remember that you must find Louise, that I must know where she is, what -has happened to her in the four days since she left this house; and if -she has met with any misfortune--then all my wrath will fall on you!" - -Cherubin leaped into the cab, gave the driver Monfreville's address, and -hastened to his friend. He longed to confide his troubles to him, for he -knew that his friendship would not fail him when he went to him to claim -his aid and support. - -Monfreville was at home; when his young friend appeared, deeply moved -and intensely excited, he instantly questioned him concerning the cause -of his agitation. Cherubin told him all that he had done since morning: -his visit to the village, his conversation with Nicole and her -disclosures of Monsieur Gerondif's conduct regarding Louise, and finally -the girl's disappearance from the house in which she had taken service. -When he had finished his narrative, he cried: - -"I must find Louise, my friend, I must find her, for I know now how -dearly I love her. Poor Louise, it was to be near me, it was in the hope -of seeing me, that she accepted that place in Paris. Nicole told me all, -for Louise still thought of me, she never let a day pass without -speaking of me, and I, like an ingrate, let three years pass without a -sign that I remembered her!" - -"That is true," said Monfreville, "and to-day you are in the depths of -despair because you don't know what has become of her! But from all that -you tell me, it seems to me that this girl is worthy of your love, and -that it would be a great pity that she should fall into some trap, that -she should be victimized by some miserable villain. Is she pretty, did -you say?" - -"She was lovely at fifteen, and Nicole told me that she had improved -every day." - -"The deuce! poor child! If she is very pretty and has lost her way in -Paris, it's very dangerous. As for your tutor, there is a very natural -explanation of his conduct: he was in love with Louise, no doubt, and -deemed it prudent to keep you from seeing her, which was sure to happen -sooner or later. For a pedagogue, that was rather clever." - -"In love with Louise! the insolent old idiot!--But where shall I look -for poor Louise--where can I hope to find her now?" - -"That will be rather difficult, perhaps; but rely upon me to help you, -to guide you in your search. You must set your servants at work; we will -not spare money, and that is a powerful auxiliary in all the emergencies -of life." - -Cherubin thanked his friend warmly for lending him his assistance, and -they began their search the same day. - -While these things were taking place at Monfreville's apartment, -Monsieur Gerondif stood in the street, as if turned to stone by his -pupil's anger and threats. Comtois had long since returned to his duties -and the tutor was still in front of the porte cochere. He decided at -last to go his way, saying to himself: - -"The Scripture says: 'Seek and ye shall find.' I am going to seek you, -Louise, but I probably shall not find you." - - - - -XXVII - -THE LITTLE DOG FANCIER - - -We left Louise at the moment when, in compliance with Madame de -Noirmont's wishes, she left the house before anybody had risen. - -Thus Louise found herself in the street at a very early hour. She had -her bundle of clothes under her arm, and in her breast that letter, of -such inestimable value, which would perhaps enable her to find her -father. - -When she was at a sufficient distance from the house that she had left, -her first thought was to learn the name of the person to whom Madame de -Noirmont had sent her. She took out the letter and read this address: - -"For Monsieur Edouard de Monfreville. To be delivered to him in person." - -"Monsieur de Monfreville," said Louise; "I have never heard of that -gentleman. But Madame de Noirmont said that he was a great friend of -Cherubin, and that they would give me his address at Cherubin's house. -So I will go there. Oh! I shall not ask to see him! I know that he no -longer cares for me, that he doesn't choose to know me any more; and -besides, as he has three or four mistresses at once, why, I haven't any -desire to see him either." - -The girl heaved a sigh as she spoke, for her heart was by no means in -accord with her words; but she started toward Faubourg Saint-Germain, -saying to herself: - -"I must not think any more about my old playfellow; I will think only of -what Madame de Noirmont said to me last night." - -Louise at last reached the street on which the hotel de Grandvilain -stood. When she realized that she was so near Cherubin's abode, she -stopped and began to tremble: - -"As Cherubin wouldn't admit us," she thought, "when I came with his dear -old nurse, perhaps they'll shut the door in my face. They will think -that it is he whom I wish to see, and that will make him even more angry -with me. Oh dear! what am I to do?" - -And instead of going toward the house, Louise retraced her steps, -walking very slowly. But in a moment she stopped again and said to -herself: - -"But I must ascertain this Monsieur de Monfreville's address! Suppose I -should wait until someone comes out of the house? Yes, I think that that -will be the better way. I shall not be so afraid to speak to someone in -the street. But it is still very early; people don't get up at this time -in these fine houses. I will walk back and forth, and wait; there's no -law against that, and, besides, not many people are passing yet. If I -should see him come out, I would hide so that he might not see me. But I -could look at him, at all events--and it is so long since I saw him!" - -Louise had been walking the street for some time, looking in vain for -somebody to leave the house, when two persons came toward her from a -street near by. They were not arm in arm; indeed, one of them allowed -his companion to keep always a few steps in advance, as if a certain -residuum of respect kept him from putting himself on a level with the -other. The first wore a long coat lined with fur, very stylish and sadly -soiled, and a hat which was almost new, but which seemed to have -received a number of blows; he had a cigar in his mouth; the second wore -his huge umbrella hat and nut-colored box-coat, a pair of shockingly -dirty trousers, and boots which were not made for him and in which his -feet and legs seemed fairly to dance. In addition, he had a black eye -and a bruised nose. - -Darena and Poterne had passed the night at a party where they had played -cards until daylight, and had indulged in a fight before separating. -Darena had chosen to pass through Cherubin's street on his way home; he -always took that road by preference, a fancy which did not please -Poterne, who muttered as he followed him: - -"If your former friend the young marquis should meet us, he might pay me -a few more compliments behind, and I can do without them." - -"Bah!" retorted Darena, "you always look at the dark side. For my part, -I would like to meet Cherubin. I would go up to him with a laugh, and I -would say: 'Who ever heard of friends falling out for a jest? I obtained -your introduction to a charming girl; instead of being a Pole, she was -an Alsatian, but what's the difference? And, faith, it isn't my fault -that you went to sleep in her company!'--I'll bet that he would shake -hands with me, and all would be forgotten." - -"Hum! I don't think it! If you knew how his friend Monfreville gave it -to you!" - -"Ta! ta! mere empty words! nonsense! I am above all that!" - -The two worthies were walking on when Poterne, spying Louise standing a -few steps from the hotel de Grandvilain, upon which her eyes seemed to -be fixed, put his hand on Darena's arm, saying: - -"Look--yonder, at the right." - -"Bigre! what a pretty girl! What in the devil is she doing there, in -rapt contemplation, before the door of Cherubin's house? Do you know, -Poterne, that girl is perfectly bewitching! The more one looks at her, -the more charms one discovers." - -"Yes, and it's not Parisian style; however, she's something more than a -peasant. She has a bundle under her arm--do you suppose she has just -arrived from the provinces?" - -"She is still staring at the house. I certainly must find out what she -is doing here." - -"What are you going to do?" - -"I don't know yet, but I am a Frenchman, and a lady's man before -everything; and I am bound to aid and protect the fair sex. Forward, and -you will see. Walk beside me, idiot!" - -Darena and Poterne crossed the street and walked toward Louise; when -they were near her, Darena stopped and said in a loud tone: - -"Monsieur Poterne, as we are passing through this street, suppose we -stop and bid our good friend, Marquis Cherubin de Grandvilain -good-morning? this is his house. You know that he is constantly asking -us to breakfast with him." - -Poterne enveloped himself closely in his box-coat and replied: - -"It's too early as yet; no one is up in the marquis's house." - -These words were not lost on Louise, who started at the name of -Cherubin. She approached Darena and said to him timidly: - -"Excuse me, monsieur, but as you are a friend of Monsieur de -Grandvilain, who lives in this house, perhaps you know Monsieur de -Monfreville also?" - -At that name Poterne made a wry face; but Darena replied as amiably as -possible: - -"Yes, my lovely maiden, I know Monfreville; indeed, I am intimately -acquainted with him. Have you business with him?" - -"I have a letter for him, but I do not know his address, and I was told -that I could learn it at Monsieur Cherubin's; but, although I know -Monsieur Cherubin, I dared not go into his house." - -"Ah! so you know my friend Cherubin, mademoiselle? In that case he must -have spoken to me about you, for I was his most intimate confidant." - -"Oh, no, monsieur!" replied Louise sadly, "he would never have spoken to -you about me, for he has forgotten me; he doesn't want to see us again. -I am Louise, Monsieur Cherubin's friend in childhood." - -"Young Louise!" cried Darena; "who was with Cherubin, at his nurse -Nicole's, at Gagny?" - -"Yes, monsieur." - -"You see that I am well informed, mademoiselle, that I did not deceive -you when I said that I was the marquis's friend." - -"Oh, yes! I see that, monsieur." - -During this dialogue, Poterne sauntered up to Darena and whispered: - -"There's a chance to make a turn here." - -Darena retorted with a blow of his elbow in the ribs, muttering: - -"So I see, you fool!" - -Then, turning to Louise, he continued: - -"Mademoiselle, if you do not wish to call at my friend Cherubin's, it -does not seem to me fitting that you should remain in the street. In -Paris, you see, there are certain proprieties that one must always -observe. Young and pretty as you are, you must not expose yourself to -the risk of being insulted by some scoundrel. Take my arm; you are my -friend's foster-sister, his playmate, and I naturally declare myself -your protector. Pray take my arm." - -"Oh! how kind you are, monsieur!" replied Louise, timidly putting her -arm through Darena's. "Are you really going to take the trouble to take -me to Monsieur de Monfreville's?" - -"I will take you wherever you choose--to the king if you have anything -to say to him.--Poterne, why don't you take mademoiselle's bundle?" - -"You are too kind, monsieur, but it does not trouble me." - -"No matter; I will not allow my friend Cherubin's foster-sister to carry -a bundle when she has my arm." - -Poterne had already taken the bundle from Louise's hands; and she, -confused by so much courtesy, walked on with her arm through Darena's, -while Poterne followed, feeling the bundle to find out what there was in -it. - -As they walked along, the girl told Darena how she had left Gagny to -enter Madame de Noirmont's service, and her grief because Cherubin had -forgotten her; in fact, she omitted nothing save the visit Madame de -Noirmont had paid to her during the night. - -"And what do you propose to do at Monfreville's?" asked Darena, fixing -his eyes on Louise's lovely ones. - -"I am going to give him a letter which was given to me for him." - -"To induce him to reconcile you and your dear friend Cherubin, no -doubt?" - -"Oh! no, monsieur! it's about something that he alone knows about." - -Louise said no more, deeming it improper to admit a third person to the -secret of what Madame de Noirmont had said to her. Darena paid little -heed to that matter; he was thinking what he should do with Louise. -Suddenly he remembered the little house on the outer boulevard, which he -had hired for the Polish intrigue, and which was still in his -possession, as he had been obliged to take it for six months. Turning to -Poterne, he said with a wink: - -"Monsieur de Poterne, my friend Monfreville is still living in his -_petite maison_ on the boulevards, outside the wall, is he not?" - -"He is, monsieur le comte," replied Poterne innocently. "But Monsieur de -Monfreville often goes away on short journeys about the neighborhood; I -can't vouch for it that he is at home now." - -"At all events, we will take mademoiselle there. If he is absent, we -will consider what Mademoiselle Louise, my friend Cherubin's -foster-sister, can do until his return. Ah! there's a cab; let us take -it, for it's a long way from here to Monfreville's." - -Poterne summoned a cab, and Louise entered it with her two chance -acquaintances; the girl was entirely unsuspicious; she was convinced -that the gentleman who had offered her his arm was a friend of Cherubin, -and in her eyes that title was enough to banish suspicion. - -The cab stopped in front of the house near Barriere de la Chopinette, -which had been occupied since the abortive Chichemann affair by little -Bruno alone, whom they left in charge. Darena whispered a word in -Poterne's ear, and that gentleman took pains to enter first. Louise -remained with Darena, who wasted a long time paying the cab-driver. At -last he ushered the girl into the house, the boy having received his -instructions. - -"We wish to speak with Monsieur de Monfreville," Darena said to Bruno. -"Here is a young lady, my intimate friend Marquis Cherubin's -foster-sister, who is most anxious to see him." - -Bruno eyed Louise impertinently as he replied: - -"Monsieur de Monfreville's away; he'll probably come back to-morrow or -next day; if anybody wants to wait for him, he told me to offer his room -to any of his friends who might come to see him." - -Louise was in despair; she looked at Darena and murmured: - -"The gentleman is away; what shall I do?" - -"In the first place, my child, you must go upstairs and rest," said -Darena; "then we will see, we will consider. Come, follow me without -fear; in Monfreville's house, I act as if I were at home." - -Louise went upstairs with Darena, who, to dispel every shadow of fear -from her mind, made a show of treating her with the greatest respect, -and kept always at a considerable distance from her. She was rather -surprised that the person to whom Madame de Noirmont had sent her should -occupy a house of such humble appearance, and so modestly furnished; but -she had not told her that he was rich, she had simply said that he could -tell her who her father was, and that was why she was so eager to see -him. - -"My lovely maid," said Darena, after a moment, "you know no one in -Paris--except Cherubin; and you do not wish to go to him to ask for -shelter, I presume?" - -"Oh! no, monsieur!" - -"To return to Gagny and then come here again would be a waste of time; -besides, if you travel alone, you expose yourself to a thousand -encounters that are most annoying to a young lady. It seems to me, -therefore, that the best thing for you to do, in view of your position, -is to wait here until Monfreville returns." - -"Here, monsieur! alone in this house, with nobody but the little boy I -saw downstairs," replied Louise, with a shudder of dismay; "oh! I should -not dare." - -"Alone, my child? no, indeed. If that were the case I would not make the -suggestion; but there is a concierge here, Monfreville's confidential -servant, a most respectable person. That little fellow is her nephew; -she probably is not far away, and he is watching the house during her -absence." - -"Oh! that is a very different matter! If there is a respectable woman -here, and she is willing to look after me until Monsieur de Monfreville -returns----" - -"Wait; I will go down and see what has become of her." - -Darena hurried downstairs and said to Poterne: - -"You will send this little rascal away instantly and find a woman -between forty and sixty years of age, who has a face that is somewhere -near respectable; that will give the girl confidence, and she will stay -here. I am not sorry to get rid of Monsieur Bruno anyway, after he -admitted so readily those people who ruined our last affair." - -"A respectable woman," said Poterne--"I don't know any such. How in the -devil do you expect me to find anything of the kind at La Courtille?" - -"Where you choose--nonsense--a dealer in old clothes--a -fortune-teller--a charwoman--and teach her her lesson." - -Darena returned to keep Louise company and told her that the concierge -had gone to the central market, because there was no market in that -quarter, but that she would soon return. - -Meanwhile Poterne began by discharging Monsieur Bruno, who was much -displeased to be turned out-of-doors, and who ventured to indulge in -some far from respectful gestures as he withdrew. But Poterne did not -amuse himself watching Bruno's antics; he went about to the neighboring -wine-shops, and from house to house, inquiring for what he wanted. At -last, after two hours search, he found it. He returned to the house with -a woman of about fifty years, tall as a grenadier, with a cap on her -head which certainly had not been washed for a year, and a dress the -color of which was no longer distinguishable; a pimply face, blear-eyes -and a nose smeared with snuff completed her portrait. - -"This is Madame Ratouille, Monsieur de Monfreville's confidential -servant," said Poterne, presenting his companion. - -Madame Ratouille, to whom Poterne had given careful instructions, -curtsied very low to Darena and greeted Louise most affably, assuring -her that the house was at her disposal, and that her master, Monsieur de -Monfreville, would approve of her having urged the young lady to wait -for him. Madame Ratouille, being extremely loquacious and anxious to -play her part well, because she had been promised six francs a day and -all that she wanted to eat, lost herself in a sea of words intended to -prove to Louise that she would be out of reach of insult in that house. -The girl, feeling certain that Madame de Noirmont could not have sent -her to any but respectable persons, thanked Madame Ratouille warmly, and -consented to await Monsieur de Monfreville's return under her care. - -Darena passed some time with Louise; Poterne seized the opportunity to -show the new concierge over the house, where she was supposed to have -lived for a long while. He urged her not to talk too much, for fear of -making some slip, and above all things not to allow anyone to have -access to the girl who was placed in her charge; then he went away with -Darena, who bade Louise adieu, informing her that he would come the next -day to find out whether his friend Monfreville had returned, and whether -she had everything that she needed. - -When they had left the house, Poterne said: - -"This girl has fallen into our hands to make up to us for the Polish -intrigue. She is a fascinating creature! It is impossible that young -Cherubin should not adore her; indeed, you have often told me how much -he used to talk about his little playmate--a proof that he hasn't -forgotten her, as she thinks; but we mustn't let him have her except for -her weight in gold." - -Darena made no reply; he seemed to be thinking deeply, and Poterne did -not dare to disturb him; he proposed to have the management of the -affair in his own hand. - -The next day Darena made a careful toilet and went with Poterne to the -little house. While he talked with Louise, Poterne remained below, -talking with Madame Ratouille, who assured him that the girl had not had -a moment of ennui as she had played cards with her all day. - -Darena remained with Louise until nightfall; when he went away with -Poterne, he was as silent as on the day before. - -The following day passed in the same way; but Poterne observed that his -dear friend was becoming more and more coquettish in his attire. Madame -Ratouille continued to play cards with Louise, who thought that Monsieur -de Monfreville was very slow about returning. But Darena said to her -every day: - -"Be patient; he must return at last, and as you have waited for him so -long, it would be absurd to go away just at the moment of his return." - -But Louise was beginning to be disturbed; it seemed to her that the -gentleman who came every day to keep her company, no longer addressed -her with the same respect or kept so far away from her; she considered -that he gazed at her too often and too long; and she had observed some -things in Madame Ratouille's manners and speech which materially -diminished her confidence in that woman. - -On the sixth day, when they left the house, where they had remained -later than usual, Poterne, surprised to find that affairs were still at -the same point, said to his companion: - -"I say! what's your plan? When shall you see the young marquis? What -fairy tale do you propose to tell him on the subject of the girl?" - -Darena puffed himself up and replied in a fatuous tone: - -"I have changed my mind! This girl is decidedly too pretty to turn over -to another man; she pleases me. I had forgotten what love was, and she -has revived that sentiment in my dilapidated heart! Louise shall be my -mistress; and then, later, when I am tired of her, we will see." - -"That's a fine idea!" cried Poterne. "Is that the way you hope to earn -money? Fall in love--you! why it's pitiful! just because you have a few -gold pieces in hand, and because you have been lucky at play these last -few days. But it will soon be spent; and if you miss this -opportunity----" - -"Poterne, if you don't stop annoying me, I'll break this stick over your -back! I mean to possess that child; perhaps it is only a whim, but it -suits me to gratify it. She's a little jewel, is this Louise, not a -false one, like the one you sold to Cherubin. To-morrow, you will order -a delectable repast, with wines which you will be kind enough not to -purchase at La Courtille; you will order it sent to my villa near -Barriere de la Chopinette; I will dine with Louise, and I will sleep -there. As to you, if Madame Ratouille tempts you, I turn her over to -you." - -"Sapristi! I should prefer five years at Toulon!" - -"You heard me, Poterne: a dainty feast at the little house to-morrow." - -"And you think that this young Louise will consent to----" - -"Why not, when I have induced her to drink a few glasses of champagne? -And if she doesn't consent, why, I will do without her permission. For -six days now I have been darting burning glances at her, and if she -hasn't understood them, so much the worse for her! it isn't my fault, -and I have no desire to take it out in sighs." - -"Well," thought Poterne, as he followed Darena, "he has taken it into -his head, and anything that I could say would do no good." - -While all this was taking place, Cherubin and Monfreville were searching -Paris, making inquiries, asking in all directions if anything had been -seen of a young woman, of whom they gave an exact description. All of -Cherubin's servants too had taken the field; Monsieur Gerondif started -out as soon as he had breakfasted and did not return until dinner-time, -swearing that he had travelled twelve leagues during the day in search -of Louise. Jasmin had gone to Gagny to inquire whether by any chance -Louise had returned there; but the girl had not been seen, and Nicole, -when she learned that the whereabouts of her adopted child were -unknown, shed tears, cursed the tutor, who was responsible for Louise's -going to Paris, and swore that she would find him and beat him if her -child was not found. - -Two days passed and no trace of her had been discovered; toward the end -of the third day, Cherubin had just left Monfreville, to return home, in -despair over the non-success of his search, when, as he crossed the Pont -Neuf, his eyes happened to fall on a small boy, leading an ugly dog, -which he offered for sale to the passers-by. - -The young dog fancier's face bore altogether too noticeable an -expression of craft and mischief not to attract the attention of a -person who had seen it before. Cherubin instantly recognized the little -scamp who was watching the house to which Darena had taken the so-called -Comtesse de Globeska; and, without any very clear idea in what way that -encounter might be of service to him, he walked toward Monsieur Bruno, -who recognized him and seemed delighted to see him. - -"Ah! it's you, is it, monsieur? I recognize you!" said Bruno, staring -impudently at the young man; "you're the man they tried to gull with a -German woman who made believe she was a Pole! Don't you want to buy my -dog? It's a terrier; he'll bring things back better'n I do, for I never -bring anything back at all. Six francs! that's not a high price. I found -him yesterday and I'm selling him to-day; we're both hungry, and that's -why I'll let you have him so cheap." - -"Ah! so you sell dogs now, eh?" said Cherubin. - -"Well! I've got to do something, as those fellows turned me -out-of-doors. You know who I mean--your friend that's such a bully, and -that old thief of a Poterne. You see they've taken another girl to the -little house yonder, but she's a very different kind from the Alsatian; -she's a mighty sight prettier." - -A sudden thought flashed through Cherubin's mind; he led Bruno aside, -put twenty francs in his hand, and said to him: - -"Here, that's for you; and ten times as much more if you will help me to -find the woman I am looking for." - -"Twenty francs! My eyes! what luck! I never had so much money at once. -The dog's yours." - -"Now answer my questions. Darena and Poterne, you say, have taken a -young girl to the house outside the barrier?" - -"Yes, in a carriage, an old cab." - -"How long since? do you know?" - -"_Pardi_, yes! I was there when they brought her. It was--let me see--a -week ago to-day." - -"A week--and we have been looking for her three days; oh! it must be -she! Is this young lady pretty?" - -"Lovely, and she don't look like a country wench like the other. They -made her believe that she was at a Monsieur de Monfreville's house; then -that old vagabond of a Poterne went off and found, I don't know where, -an old woman to play concierge; and they kicked me out." - -"Did they call her by name before you?" - -"Wait a minute--I remember now that, when they arrived, Monsieur Darena -said, as he brought the girl into the house: - -"'This is my friend Marquis Cherubin's foster-sister.'" - -"It is she! Ah! the villains! I'll make them give her back to me! Poor -Louise! in that infamous Darena's hands for a week! God grant that I may -arrive in time!" - -"Take me with you. If you appear at the door, they won't let you in." - -"I'll break the door down." - -"Oh! it's too strong; but I promise you that I'll find a way to make -them open it." - -"Come, then, come; I will double the reward I promised you, if Louise is -under my protection soon." - -"Ah! a fine trick! They'll kick me out, will they? Thanks! I guess I'll -have a little revenge.--Go on, Boudin, I give you your liberty--go find -a dinner." - -Bruno released his dog. Cherubin hesitated a moment, uncertain whether -he should inform Monfreville of his discovery; but every instant's delay -made him more and more fearful that Louise would fall a victim to some -plot, and he felt that he had sufficient resolution and courage to -rescue her, single-handed, from the dangers that threatened her. He took -a cab with Bruno, and was driven first to his house, which was not far -away; he took a pair of pistols, determined to make use of them, if -necessary to rescue Louise; then, without a word to any of his people, -he returned to the cab, which conveyed him and Bruno to Barriere de la -Chopinette. - -It was dark when they reached the outer boulevard. Cherubin quivered -with impatience, rage, and fear of not finding Louise. Little Bruno, who -thought of everything, said to him: - -"Have the cab stop before we're very near the house. If they should hear -it, it would put them on their guard." - -Cherubin realized the wisdom of that advice; he alighted with Bruno, -ordered the driver to wait for him, and walked toward the house with his -little companion. The shutters were closed on the ground floor and first -floor; but through the poorly joined boards it was easy to see that -there were lights on both floors. - -"There's somebody there!" said Cherubin, his heart beating violently. - -"Yes. Now is when we need to be cunning, in order to get in. Wait, and -don't breathe. Have your pistols all ready to frighten them when the -door is open. You'll see how I pull the wool over their eyes." - -And Bruno knocked on the door, beginning at the same time to whistle and -hum his favorite tune: _Tu tu tu tu r'lu tu tu tu_. - -Poterne was at table with Madame Ratouille, on the ground floor; Darena -had gone upstairs, where he had ordered Louise's dinner to be served, -announcing his purpose to dine with her. He had just declared his love -to Louise, who, terrified and trembling, began to understand that she -had fallen into a trap, and implored heaven to come to her aid. - -On the ground floor, where there was no talk of love, they ate much and -drank even more. Madame Ratouille's eyes had grown so small that they -were invisible, and Monsieur Poterne's tongue was beginning to thicken, -when Bruno knocked on the door. - -For some time no one answered; at last Poterne's voice inquired: - -"Who's there?" - -"It's me, Pere Poterne; it's your little monkey, Bruno; please let me -in." - -"What do you want, you scalawag? what have you come here for? We are not -in need of you. Away you go!" - -"I came to get a Greek cap that I forgot to take; I'm sure I can find -it, for I know just where I put it. Let me get my cap and I'll go right -away." - -"You annoy us. Go somewhere else and get a cap. Leave us in peace." - -"If you don't let me get my cap, which is in your house, I'll knock on -the door all night, and I'll make row enough to bring the watch here." - -That threat convinced Poterne; he opened the door, grumbling: - -"Well, come in and find your Greek cap; and make haste to clear out." - -But instead of the small boy whom he expected to see, Cherubin darted -into the house, with a pistol in his hand, the barrel of which he held -against Poterne's chest, saying in a low voice, but with fire flashing -from his eyes: - -"If you make a sound, I'll kill you!--Where is Louise?" - -Poterne was so frightened that he could barely murmur: - -"Upstairs--with Darena." - -Cherubin asked no more questions; he darted forward, rushed upstairs, -and with a kick forced the door of the apartment on the first floor. He -was no longer the weak, timid young man, who could neither speak nor -act, but a Hercules whom nothing could withstand. As he entered the room -he saw Louise struggling and doing her utmost to repel Darena, who was -trying to take her in his arms. Cherubin rushed upon the man who sought -to outrage Louise, and seizing him about the middle of the body, lifted -him up and threw him violently across the room, against the table on -which the dinner was served. - -Darena had no time to grasp what had happened, or to defend himself; his -head struck the corner of the table, his chin broke a plate which cut -his face, and he fell, murmuring Cherubin's name. - -"Cherubin!" cried Louise, staring at her rescuer, afraid to believe her -eyes, but shedding tears of joy. "Is it possible? It is he! it is you!" - -"Yes, Louise, it is I, Cherubin, your friend, your brother--so overjoyed -to find you! But come, come! Do not stay any longer in this infamous -house! As for you, villain, if there is any heart left in your body, and -if you wish to have the honor of dying by my hand, come to my house, and -you will find that the young man whom you believed to be so shy and -timid, knows how to use a sword and a pistol." - -Darena could not reply, for he was unconscious. - -Cherubin took Louise's hand and led her away; on the lower floor they -found Madame Ratouille still at table, while Poterne was trying to hide -in a butter firkin, and Bruno stood guard at the door. Cherubin did not -stay an instant with Darena's confederate; he led Louise from the house, -and told Bruno to call the cab to the door; he did so, and they entered. -But, before they drove away, Cherubin took a handful of gold pieces from -his pocket and gave them to Bruno, saying: - -"Take this; you have earned it by doing a good deed; I hope that it will -bring you luck, and that you will try to become an honest man." - -The cab drove off. Cherubin held both of Louise's hands in his; and for -some time those two, who had not met for three years, were so pleased -and happy to be together again, their hearts were so full, their emotion -so intense, that they could exchange only incoherent words and broken -sentences. - -"It is really you, Cherubin, who saved me," said Louise. "So you did -still think of me?" - -"Why, Louise, I have been searching Paris for three days, looking -everywhere for you, ever since I learned that you had disappeared from -Madame de Noirmont's. I have not lived, I have not had a moment's peace -of mind!" - -"Can it be true? Then you still love me, Cherubin?" - -"Love you, my Louise! Ah! more than I ever did--I realize it now! I let -a long while go by without going to see you, it is true; you must have -thought me indifferent or ungrateful; but I always intended to go to see -you, if Monsieur Gerondif had not told me that you were in Bretagne, -where you were so happy that you did not mean to return to Gagny." - -"Oh! the liar! And it was he who drove me to despair by telling me that -you never gave a thought to your old playmate, that you had no desire to -see her again." - -"The miserable villain! why, that was perfectly horrible!" - -"And it was not true, and you do still love your poor Louise? Oh! how -happy I am!" - -This time the drive from the barrier to his house seemed very short to -Cherubin. He alighted, led Louise into the house, and took her up to his -own apartment. She followed him trustfully; she was with the man she -loved--that was the only thought in her mind. - -Jasmin, who had come up to his master's apartment with a light, uttered -a cry of joy when he saw the girl, and Cherubin briefly explained to him -how he had found her. - -"So it was that blackguard Poterne again--the preserved turnips fellow!" -cried Jasmin; "and his master--another rascal! Do you know, monsieur, it -has occurred to me several times that they were mixed up in this." - -"Louise will remain here. I do not propose that she shall leave me," -said Cherubin; "I am too much afraid of losing her again. She will have -apartments in this house; but meanwhile she will occupy mine to-night. -Jasmin, you will have a room prepared for me upstairs." - -"Yes, my dear master." - -Louise tried to object to that arrangement; she disliked to disturb -Cherubin and said that the smallest room in the house would suffice for -her; but Cherubin paid no heed to her, and Jasmin went to carry out his -orders. - -The young people were left alone. It seemed that Cherubin would never -tire of gazing in admiration at Louise. She was so lovely, so charming, -so fascinating, in his eyes, that he cried: - -"And I forgot you for all those creatures that I thought that I loved. -Ah! Louise, there is not a single one of them who can be compared with -you!" - -The girl told her friend all that she had done since she left the -village; she concealed from him none of her thoughts; she had no secrets -from him. When she reached the time of her entering Madame de Noirmont's -service, she told him of all the incidents that had marked her life -there; then, suddenly putting her hand to her breast, she made sure that -she still had the letter which she was to deliver to Monsieur de -Monfreville, and which Darena was trying to make her give up to him when -Cherubin arrived so opportunely to rescue her. - -"I will take you to Monfreville to-morrow," said Cherubin, "for it is -too late to-night to send for him to come here. Madame de Noirmont told -you that he would tell you who your father is; but, my dear Louise, let -us swear that, whatever happens, we will never part again. If you have -no parents, I will take the place of them both; I will be your -protector, your friend, your----" - -Cherubin did not know how to finish, but he took Louise's hand and -covered it with kisses. The girl was so happy to find that her old -playmate still loved her, that she gladly took the oath that he -requested. They did not weary of telling each other of their love, and -of swearing that they would love each other always. Then they recalled -their childish delights, their first games, the happy moments that they -had passed together, those days, so brief and so blissful, which they -might perhaps know again. - -To two people who love each other sincerely and who have not seen each -other for a long time, the hours pass rapidly and unnoticed. Jasmin had -long since come to inform his master that a room had been prepared on -the upper floor, and Cherubin had dismissed him, making ready at the -same time to follow him. But he resumed his conversation with Louise, he -let his eyes rest in unalloyed delight upon hers, which were filled with -emotion and love. They exchanged more oaths of never-ending love and -thought no more about parting. - -Suddenly a neighboring clock struck two. - -"Mon Dieu! it is very late!" said Louise; "two o'clock! I would not have -believed it! My dear, I am keeping you from sleeping; we must say -good-night, but only till to-morrow." - -"Very well," said Cherubin, "I will leave you to sleep, Louise. -Good-night--since it must be." - -And the young man gazed lovingly at the girl--and did not go away. At -last he added with some embarrassment: - -"Louise, before we part, won't you let me kiss you? I have not dared to -do it since I found you; and yet, in the village, we used to kiss very -often." - -The girl saw no reason why she should deny the friend of her childhood -the sweet privilege which she used to accord him, and her only reply was -to walk toward him. Cherubin threw his arms about her and pressed her to -his heart; but his kiss was no longer the kiss of a child. Louise -realized her imprudence too late; how can one shun a danger which one -does not anticipate? And then there are sins which it is so pleasant to -commit, and Cherubin swore so earnestly that he would always love -her!--He had ceased to be bashful! - - - - -XXVIII - -MONFREVILLE'S LOVE-AFFAIRS - - -Daybreak found Cherubin still in Louise's arms; the apartment made ready -on the floor above had not been required. But when morning came, the -young man crept softly upstairs, so that his servants might think that -he had passed the night there. About nine o'clock he rang for Jasmin and -bade him go down and see if Mademoiselle Louise had risen and could -receive him. - -The old servant eagerly performed his errand and returned with a radiant -face to inform his young master that his dear friend had risen, that she -was as lovely and fresh as a rose, and that anyone could see that she -had slept soundly all night. - -Cherubin smiled at Jasmin's perspicacity, and went down at once to -Louise. - -The girl wept and hid her face on her lover's breast; but Cherubin said -to her in the tone which speaks true love and which reaches a woman's -heart so quickly: - -"Why should you regret having made me happy, when I propose to employ my -whole life hereafter to make you happy? We will never part, you will be -my faithful companion, my beloved wife." - -"No," replied Louise, weeping, "you are rich and of noble birth, and you -cannot marry a poor girl without father or mother. I shall love you as -long as I live, but I cannot be your wife; for perhaps a day would come -when you would be sorry that you had given me that title, and then I -should be too wretched." - -"Never! and it is very wicked of you to have any such idea!--But there's -the letter that you are to deliver to Monfreville--that should inform -you who your parents are. I will throw myself at their feet, and they -will have to consent to my becoming your husband." - -Louise sighed and hung her head. - -"But am I worthy _now_ to find my parents?" she replied. "It seems to me -that I no longer dare to deliver the letter to that gentleman; perhaps I -should do better to destroy it." - -Cherubin succeeded in allaying her fears; he decided to write to his -friend and to send him the letter that the young woman dared not carry -to him. So he at once wrote Monfreville the following letter: - - "My dear friend: - - "I have found my Louise; she is an angel who will embellish my - life. She cannot be another's now, for she is mine. O my dear - Monfreville, I am the happiest of men, and I was not frightened - this time. But then, I have never loved other women, and I adore - this one. - - "Madame de Noirmont gave my Louise a letter for you, and told her - that you could tell her who her father was; and it was while she - was looking for your house that she fell in with that villainous - Darena, who took her to his _petite maison_, making her think that - she was in your house. Luckily, I arrived in time! I send you this - letter, my friend; come to us quickly, and tell us what you know. - But if Louise's parents would try to part us, do not make them - known to her; for henceforth we cannot exist without each other." - -Cherubin signed this letter, enclosed with it the one that was given to -Louise, and sent them both to his friend early in the morning. - -Monfreville was alone when Cherubin's letter was brought to him, and he -lost no time in reading it. When he saw Madame de Noirmont's name and -learned what she had said to Louise, he trembled and turned pale, and -his eyes instantly rested on the enclosure; he glanced at the -superscription and exclaimed: - -"Yes, she has written to me; I recognize that writing, although it is a -long while since my eyes last rested on it. Great God! what can have -induced her to write to me, after swearing that she would never look -upon me except as a stranger, that she would wipe the whole past from -her memory? And this girl that she sent to me--Ah! if I dared to hope!" - -Monfreville broke the seal of Madame de Noirmont's letter. Before -reading it, he was obliged to pause again, for he was so excited that -his eyes had difficulty in distinguishing the letters. At last he made -an effort to recover himself, and read: - - "Monsieur: - - "When, disregarding your oaths, you left me to lament by my child's - cradle a fault which you made no motion to repair, I swore that you - should never know that child. And more than that, I confess that I - included her in the hatred which filled my heart thenceforth for my - seducer; I abandoned my child to the village people in whose care I - had placed her, and I determined never to see her again. Later, my - position made it my duty to keep that oath. My father, who, thank - heaven, never knew of his daughter's wrongdoing, disposed of my - hand; married, a mother, and the wife of a man no less severe on - the question of honor than jealous of his reputation, I should have - wrecked my daughter's happiness, Monsieur de Noirmont's, and my - own, if, by a single imprudent step, I had exposed myself to the - suspicion of a youthful indiscretion. To tell you that I was happy - would be to deceive you; can a mother be happy, when she has - spurned one of her children from her arms? I often blamed myself - for the caresses that I gave my daughter; for I said to myself, in - the depths of my heart, that I had another daughter who had an - equal claim to my affection, and that I had cast her out!--My - remorse was not sufficient, evidently, and Heaven had a more - terrible punishment in store for me! A few months ago, while I was - out of town, a young woman was taken into my household as lady's - maid. Her sweet disposition, the charm that emanated from her whole - person, soon won all hearts. I myself felt drawn toward her. But - conceive my situation when I discovered that that girl, brought up - in the village of Gagny, by the good-nature of a peasant-woman - named Nicole, was the same child whom I had abandoned to that - woman's tender mercies years ago! My daughter under my roof in a - servile capacity! a servant in her mother's house! Ah! monsieur, - could I endure that ghastly position of affairs? Constantly tempted - to throw myself into Louise's arms, to strain her to my heart; - then, remembering my husband, my other daughter, the honor of a - whole family--I felt that I must find a way out of that situation - or die. At last I went to Louise; I could not force myself to - confess that I was her mother, but I implored her to leave the - house, and the poor child yielded to my entreaties. But, deeply - touched by the attachment to me which she has manifested, I have - determined to give her a father. That child, whom, on your return - to France, you vainly implored me to make known to you, is Louise, - the lovely and virtuous maid who will hand you this letter. Give - her a father, monsieur; as for her mother, you must not mention her - name to her, but her heart will doubtless lead her to divine who - she is. - - "AMELIE DE NOIRMONT." - -When he had finished reading this letter, Monfreville abandoned himself -to the wildest delight; he ran his eyes over Madame de Noirmont's -missive again, for he feared that he was the plaything of a delusion; he -was too happy to think that Louise, whose beauty and virtue and sweet -temper everyone joined in extolling, was the daughter whom he was -ardently desirous to find. But soon he recalled something that moderated -the exuberance of his joy; he remembered Cherubin's letter, took it up -and read it again, and a melancholy expression stole over his face. - -"Heaven did not choose that my happiness should be without alloy," he -murmured, with a sigh; "doubtless it is to make me expiate my sin; but -after being so guilty myself, there is nothing left for me to do but to -forgive." - -Louise and Cherubin were still together; they were impatiently awaiting -Monfreville's arrival, and their impatience was blended with a secret -fear which they could not clearly define. - -At last, Jasmin announced: "Monsieur de Monfreville." - -Louise, deeply agitated, lowered her eyes; Cherubin ran to meet his -friend, but stopped short when he saw his serious, even stern, -expression, and faltered, offering him his hand: - -"Haven't you received my letter, my friend?" - -Monfreville did not touch the hand that Cherubin offered him; he turned -his eyes on the girl who stood, trembling, at the farther end of the -room; and, as he gazed at her, he felt that his eyes filled with tears. -But, struggling to conceal the emotion that he felt, he seated himself a -few steps from Louise, who still kept her eyes on the floor, and -motioned Cherubin to sit, saying: - -"Yes, I have received your letter; and I have read the one from Madame -de Noirmont, who tells me that mademoiselle was adopted by the same good -woman who nursed you." - -"Well, my friend, is it true that you know Louise's father, that you can -help her to find him? But do you think he will make her happy, that he -will not put any obstacles in the way of our love?" - -Monfreville glanced at the girl again and said in a faltering voice: - -"Yes, I know mademoiselle's father." - -Louise raised her eyes at that, and looked at Monfreville with a thrill -of hope and of filial affection, crying: - -"You know my father? Oh! if it should be true, monsieur, that he would -deign to love me--to----" - -She could not finish the sentence; her voice trembled and the words died -on her lips. - -"Before answering your questions," Monfreville continued, after a -moment, "it is necessary that I should tell you an anecdote of my youth. -Please give me your attention.--I was just twenty-two years old; I was -independently rich, absolutely master of my actions and with very little -control over my passions. I loved a young lady belonging to an honorable -family. She had no mother to watch over her, and during her father's -absence, my love succeeded in triumphing over her virtue. Believe me, it -is very wrong to abuse a sentiment you have aroused, in order to induce -the person you love to forget her duties; and it rarely happens that one -is not punished for it!" - -Here Cherubin lost countenance and dared not look at Monfreville, while -Louise, pale and trembling, felt the tears falling from her eyes. - -"Soon after," continued Monfreville, "being obliged to visit England on -business, I went away, promising the victim of my seduction that I would -soon return to ask her father for her hand. But when I was away from -her, inconstancy, too natural in a young man, led me to forget my -promise. But I received a letter in which she told me that she was about -to become a mother, and that I must hasten back to her, if I wished to -save her honor and repair the wrong I had done. Well! I left that letter -unanswered; I had another intrigue on hand! Two years passed. I returned -to France, and, remembering the woman whom I had abandoned in such -dastardly fashion, and the child who did not know its father, I resolved -to offer my name and my hand to her to whom my conduct had been so -blameworthy. But it was too late--she was married! As she was married to -a man of honorable position, I felt sure that she had succeeded in -concealing her weakness from all eyes; but I was wild to know what had -become of my child. After many fruitless attempts, I succeeded at last -in obtaining a secret interview with the woman who had loved me so well; -but I found only an embittered, implacable woman, who, to all my -entreaties, made no other answer than this: 'You abandoned me when I -implored you to come home and make me your wife and give your child a -father. I no longer know you! I desire to forget a sin for which I -blush; and, as for your daughter, all your prayers will be wasted, you -shall never know what has become of her.' This decree, pronounced by an -outraged woman, was only too strictly executed. Sixteen years passed. I -renewed my prayers at intervals, but in vain: they were left unanswered. -And now, Cherubin, you know the cause of the fits of melancholy which -sometimes assailed me in the gayest circles; of that instability of -temper for which I am noted; sometimes, amid the noisy amusements of -society, the thought of my child would come to my mind, and the wealth -that people envied, the good-fortune that I seemed to enjoy--ah! I would -willingly have sacrificed them to hold my daughter in my arms just once! -But to-day my desires are granted; to-day, a friend of her whom I once -loved so dearly, has deigned to restore my child to me at last! But O my -God! when I should be so happy to recover her, must I needs learn at the -same time that she is guilty? that seduction, which wrecked her mother's -happiness, is the lot of my child also?" - -Monfreville had not finished when Louise and Cherubin threw themselves -at his feet. With their faces bathed in tears, they kissed his knees, -and Louise held out her arms, murmuring tremulously: - -"Forgive me, father--forgive us! Alas! I did not know my parents, and -Cherubin was everything to me!" - -Monfreville opened his arms and the lovers threw themselves upon his -heart. - -"Yes," he said, as he embraced them, "yes, I must forgive you, for -henceforth I shall have two children instead of one." - - - - -XXIX - -CONCLUSION - - -Some time after that day which restored a father to Louise, Monsieur de -Monfreville, who had publicly acknowledged her as his daughter, bestowed -her hand on Marquis Cherubin de Grandvilain. - -And on the wedding-day, Nicole came to Paris, doubly happy to be present -at the ceremony which sealed the happiness of him whom she still called -her _fieu_, and of the child to whom she had, for a long time, been a -mother. - -And Jasmin, who seemed to have recovered all his youthful vigor, -absolutely insisted upon discharging fireworks in the courtyard for his -master's nuptials; but stout Turlurette opposed it, recalling the -accidents that had happened at the time of Cherubin's birth. So that -Jasmin confined himself to firing a few rockets, with which he burned -off what little hair he had left. - -As for Monsieur Gerondif, Cherubin, after bestowing a tidy little sum -upon him, requested him to seek other pupils. The tutor, finding himself -possessed of a round sum, determined to make a name for himself in -Paris; he founded a Latin journal, wrote a tragedy, gave a course of -lectures on universal knowledge, and tried to compel ladies to dress -without corsets. After some time, having succeeded only in squandering -his capital, he was very glad to return to Gagny and resume his post as -schoolmaster. - -As the result of his fall among plates and glasses, Darena was -permanently disfigured, so that he dared not show himself in respectable -society; he abandoned himself more freely than ever to his taste for -debauchery, and after a wild orgy and a night passed at play with some -low wretches, whose money he had won, he was found in the street, dead -and stripped clean. - -Thus ended a man born in good society, brought up in opulence, and well -educated, but reduced to the lowest social level by his vices. - -After losing his intimate friend, Monsieur Poterne became a dealer in -return checks at the doors of theatres, and in that occupation he -received several beatings because one could never get into the theatre -with the checks that he sold. - -Little Bruno took advantage of the advice and the money that Cherubin -gave him; abandoning the practice of stealing dogs to sell, he set up a -little shop, did a good business and became an honest man; he often said -that it was easier than to be a knave. - -Louise was a happy wife and a happy daughter. Monfreville never told her -her mother's name; but when she went into society, where she was warmly -greeted as young Marquis Cherubin's wife, she sometimes met the Noirmont -family. It was with the keenest pleasure that she embraced Ernestine, -who always manifested a warm affection for her. Then her eyes would seek -Madame de Noirmont's, who, on her side, was always on the watch; and -when, concealed behind the throng, their eyes met, their glances were -eloquent with all the love that a mother's and a daughter's hearts can -contain. - -As for Cherubin, he became a model husband; it is even said that he was -faithful to his wife; that young man was always different from other -people. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bashful Lover (Novels of Paul de -Kock Volume XIX), by Charles Paul de Kock - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BASHFUL LOVER *** - -***** This file should be named 41225.txt or 41225.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/2/2/41225/ - -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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