“And this little one, has she had a nap too? Give me a kiss, my child.”
They had taken their seats in the vast dining room, the COUNT MUFFAT, accompanied by his wife and daugh windows of which looked out on the park. But they only ter, had arrived overnight at Les Fondettes, where occupied one end of the long table, where they sat some-Mme Hugon, who was staying there with only what crowded together for company’s sake. Sabine, in high her son Georges, had invited them to come and spend a good spirits, dwelt on various childish memories which had week. The house, which had been built at the end of the been stirred up within her—memories of months passed at eighteenth century, stood in the middle of a huge square Les Fondettes, of long walks, of a tumble into one of the enclosure. It was perfectly unadorned, but the garden pos-tanks on a summer evening, of an old romance of chivalry sessed magnificent shady trees and a chain of tanks fed by discovered by her on the top of a cupboard and read dur-running spring water. It stood at the side of the road which ing the winter before fires made of vine branches. And leads from Orleans to Paris and with its rich verdure and Georges, who had not seen the countess for some months, high-embowered trees broke the monotony of that flat thought there was something curious about her. Her face countryside, where fields stretched to the horizon’s verge.
seemed changed, somehow, while, on the other hand, that At eleven o’clock, when the second lunch bell had called stick of an Estelle seemed more insignificant and dumb the whole household together, Mme Hugon, smiling in her and awkward than ever.
kindly maternal way, gave Sabine two great kisses, one on While such simple fare as cutlets and boiled eggs was each cheek, and said as she did so: being discussed by the company, Mme Hugon, as became
“You know it’s my custom in the country. Oh, seeing a good housekeeper, launched out into complaints. The you here makes me feel twenty years younger. Did you butchers, she said, were becoming impossible. She bought sleep well in your old room?”
everything at Orleans, and yet they never brought her the Then without waiting for her reply she turned to Estelle: pieces she asked for. Yet, alas, if her guests had nothing 138
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worth eating it was their own fault: they had come too late longer when he arrives.”
in the season.
The coffee was served. Paris was now the subject of con-
“There’s no sense in it,” she said. “I’ve been expecting versation, and Steiner’s name was mentioned, at which you since June, and now we’re half through September.
Mme Hugon gave a little cry.
You see, it doesn’t look pretty.”
“Let me see,” she said; “Monsieur Steiner is that stout And with a movement she pointed to the trees on the man I met at your house one evening. He’s a banker, is he grass outside, the leaves of which were beginning to turn not? Now there’s a detestable man for you! Why, he’s gone yellow. The day was covered, and the distance was hidden and bought an actress an estate about a league from here, by a bluish haze which was fraught with a sweet and mel-over Gumieres way, beyond the Choue. The whole ancholy peacefulness.
countryside’s scandalized. Did you know about that, my
“Oh, I’m expecting company,” she continued. “We shall friend?”
be gayer then! The first to come will be two gentlemen
“I knew nothing about it,” replied Muffat. “Ah, then, whom Georges has invited—Monsieur Fauchery and Mon-Steiner’s bought a country place in the neighborhood!” sieur Daguenet; you know them, do you not? Then we Hearing his mother broach the subject, Georges looked shall have Monsieur de Vandeuvres, who has promised me into his coffee cup, but in his astonishment at the count’s a visit these five years past. This time, perhaps, he’ll make answer he glanced up at him and stared. Why was he lying up his mind!”
so glibly? The count, on his side, noticed the young fellow’s
“Oh, well and good!” said the countess, laughing. “If we movement and gave him a suspicious glance. Mme Hugon only can get Monsieur de Vandeuvres! But he’s too much continued to go into details: the country place was called engaged.”
La Mignotte. In order to get there one had to go up the
“And Philippe?” queried Muffat.
bank of the Choue as far as Gumieres in order to cross the
“Philippe has asked for a furlough,” replied the old lady, bridge; otherwise one got one’s feet wet and ran the risk of
“but without doubt you won’t be at Les Fondettes any a ducking.
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“And what is the actress’s name?” asked the countess.
of the park, seemed to have lost all interest in the conver-
“Oh, I wasn’t told,” murmured the old lady. “Georges, you sation. The shadow of a smile on her lips, she seemed to be were there the morning the gardener spoke to us about it.” following up a secret thought which had been suddenly Georges appeared to rack his brains. Muffat waited, twirl-awakened within her. Estelle, on the other hand, sitting ing a teaspoon between his fingers. Then the countess ad-stiffly on her chair, had heard all that had been said about dressed her husband:
Nana, but her white, virginal face had not betrayed a trace
“Isn’t Monsieur Steiner with that singer at the Varietes, of emotion.
that Nana?”
“Dear me, dear me! I’ve got no right to grow angry,”
“Nana, that’s the name! A horrible woman!” cried Mme murmured Mme Hugon after a pause, and with a return to Hugon with growing annoyance. “And they are expecting her old good humor she added:
her at La Mignotte. I’ve heard all about it from the gar-
“Everybody’s got a right to live. If we meet this said lady dener. Didn’t the gardener say they were expecting her on the road we shall not bow to her—that’s all!” this evening, Georges?”
And as they got up from table she once more gently up-The count gave a little start of astonishment, but Georges braided the Countess Sabine for having been so long in replied with much vivacity:
coming to her that year. But the countess defended herself
“Oh, Mother, the gardener spoke without knowing any-and threw the blame of the delays upon her husband’s shoul-thing about it. Directly afterward the coachman said just ders. Twice on the eve of departure, when all the trunks the opposite. Nobody’s expected at La Mignotte before were locked, he counterordered their journey on the plea the day after tomorrow.”
of urgent business. Then he had suddenly decided to start He tried hard to assume a natural expression while he just when the trip seemed shelved. Thereupon the old lady slyly watched the effect of his remarks on the count. The told them how Georges in the same way had twice an-latter was twirling his spoon again as though reassured.
nounced his arrival without arriving and had finally cropped The countess, her eyes fixed dreamily on the blue distances up at Les Fondettes the day before yesterday, when she 140
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was no longer expecting him. They had come down into would see him, he slipped from the window to the ground the garden, and the two men, walking beside the ladies, with the assistance of a rain pipe. His bedroom was situ-were listening to them in consequential silence.
ated on the first floor and looked out upon the rear of the
“Never mind,” said Mme Hugon, kissing her son’s sunny house. He threw himself among some bushes and got out locks, “Zizi is a very good boy to come and bury himself of the park and then galloped across the fields with empty in the country with his mother. He’s a dear Zizi not to stomach and heart beating with excitement. Night was clos-forget me!”
ing in, and a small fine rain was beginning to fall.
In the afternoon she expressed some anxiety, for Georges, It was the very evening that Nana was due at La Mignotte.
directly after leaving the table, had complained of a heavy Ever since in the preceding May Steiner had bought her feeling in his head and now seemed in for an atrocious sick this country place she had from time to time been so filled headache. Toward four o’clock he said he would go up-with the desire of taking possession that she had wept hot stairs to bed: it was the only remedy. After sleeping till tears about, but on each of these occasions Bordenave had tomorrow morning he would be perfectly himself again.
refused to give her even the shortest leave and had de-His mother was bent on putting him to bed herself, but as ferred her holiday till September on the plea that he did not she left the room he ran and locked the door, explaining intend putting an understudy in her place, even for one that he was shutting himself in so that no one should come evening, now that the exhibition was on. Toward the close and disturb him. Then caressingly he shouted, “Good night of August he spoke of October. Nana was furious and de-till tomorrow, little Mother!” and promised to take a nap.
clared that she would be at La Mignotte in the middle of But he did not go to bed again and with flushed cheeks and September. Nay, in order to dare Bordenave, she even in-bright eyes noiselessly put on his clothes. Then he sat on a vited a crowd of guests in his very presence. One after-chair and waited. When the dinner bell rang he listened for noon in her rooms, as Muffat, whose advances she still Count Muffat, who was on his way to the dining room, adroitly resisted, was beseeching her with tremulous emo-and ten minutes later, when he was certain that no one tion to yield to his entreaties, she at length promised to be 141
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kind, but not in Paris, and to him, too, she named the middle maternal tenderness and mingled together flowers, birds of September. Then on the twelfth she was seized by a and child in her every sentence.
desire to be off forthwith with Zoe as her sole companion.
La Mignotte was more than three leagues away from the It might be that Bordenave had got wind of her intentions station, and Nana lost a good hour over the hire of a car-and was about to discover some means of detaining her.
riage, a huge, dilapidated calash, which rumbled slowly She was delighted at the notion of putting him in a fix, and along to an accompaniment of rattling old iron. She had at she sent him a doctor’s certificate. When once the idea had once taken possession of the coachman, a little taciturn entered her head of being the first to get to La Mignotte old man whom she overwhelmed with questions. Had he and of living there two days without anybody knowing often passed by La Mignotte? It was behind this hill then?
anything about it, she rushed Zoe through the operation of There ought to be lots of trees there, eh? And the house packing and finally pushed her into a cab, where in a sud-could one see it at a distance? The little old man answered den burst of extreme contrition she kissed her and begged with a succession of grunts. Down in the calash Nana was her pardon. It was only when they got to the station re-almost dancing with impatience, while Zoe, in her annoy-freshment room that she thought of writing Steiner of her ance at having left Paris in such a hurry, sat stiffly sulking movements. She begged him to wait till the day after to-beside her. The horse suddenly stopped short, and the young morrow before rejoining her if he wanted to find her quite woman thought they had reached their destination. She bright and fresh. And then, suddenly conceiving another put her head out of the carriage door and asked: project, she wrote a second letter, in which she besought
“Are we there, eh?”
her aunt to bring little Louis to her at once. It would do By way of answer the driver whipped up his horse, which Baby so much good! And how happy they would be towas in the act of painfully climbing a hill. Nana gazed ec-gether in the shade of the trees! In the railway carriage statically at the vast plain beneath the gray sky where great between Paris and Orleans she spoke of nothing else; her clouds were banked up.
eyes were full of tears; she had an unexpected attack of
“Oh, do look, Zoe! There’s greenery! Now, is that all 142
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wheat? Good lord, how pretty it is!” there’s a terrace with brick ornaments on the roof! And
“One can quite see that Madame doesn’t come from the there’s a hothouse down there! But the place is immense.
country,” was the servant’s prim and tardy rejoinder. “As Oh, how happy I am! Do look, Zoe! Now, do look!” for me, I knew the country only too well when I was with The carriage had by this time pulled up before the park my dentist. He had a house at Bougival. No, it’s cold, too, gates. A side door was opened, and the gardener, a tall, this evening. It’s damp in these parts.” dry fellow, made his appearance, cap in hand. Nana made They were driving under the shadow of a wood, and an effort to regain her dignity, for the driver seemed now Nana sniffed up the scent of the leaves as a young dog to be suppressing a laugh behind his dry, speechless lips.
might. All of a sudden at a turn of the road she caught She refrained from setting off at a run and listened to the sight of the corner of a house among the trees. Perhaps it gardener, who was a very talkative fellow. He begged was there! And with that she began a conversation with Madame to excuse the disorder in which she found every-the driver, who continued shaking his head by way of thing, seeing that he had only received Madame’s letter saying no. Then as they drove down the other side of the that very morning. But despite all his efforts, she flew off hill he contented himself by holding out his whip and at a tangent and walked so quickly that Zoe could scarcely muttering, “’Tis down there.”
follow her. At the end of the avenue she paused for a mo-She got up and stretched herself almost bodily out of the ment in order to take the house in at a glance. It was a carriage door.
great pavilionlike building in the Italian manner, and it was
“Where is it? Where is it?” she cried with pale cheeks, flanked by a smaller construction, which a rich English-but as yet she saw nothing.
man, after two years’ residence in Naples, had caused to At last she caught sight of a bit of wall. And then followed be erected and had forthwith become disgusted with.
a succession of little cries and jumps, the ecstatic behavior
“I’ll take Madame over the house,” said the gardener.
of a woman overcome by a new and vivid sensation.
But she had outrun him entirely, and she shouted back
“I see it! I see it, Zoe! Look out at the other side. Oh, that he was not to put himself out and that she would go 143
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over the house by herself. She preferred doing that, she Then came four or five guest chambers and then some splen-said. And without removing her hat she dashed into the did garrets, which would be extremely convenient for trunks different rooms, calling to Zoe as she did so, shouting her and boxes. Zoe looked very gruff and cast a frigid glance impressions from one end of each corridor to the other and into each of the rooms as she lingered in Madame’s wake.
filling the empty house, which for long months had been She saw Nana disappearing up the steep garret ladder and uninhabited, with exclamations and bursts of laughter. In said, “Thanks, I haven’t the least wish to break my legs.” the first place, there was the hall. It was a little damp, but But the sound of a voice reached her from far away; in-that didn’t matter; one wasn’t going to sleep in it. Then deed, it seemed to come whistling down a chimney.
came the drawing room, quite the thing, the drawing room,
“Zoe, Zoe, where are you? Come up, do! You’ve no idea!
with its windows opening on the lawn. Only the red uphol-It’s like fairyland!”
steries there were hideous; she would alter all that. As to Zoe went up, grumbling. On the roof she found her mis-the dining room-well, it was a lovely dining room, eh? What tress leaning against the brickwork balustrade and gazing big blowouts you might give in Paris if you had a dining at the valley which spread out into the silence. The horizon room as large as that! As she was going upstairs to the first was immeasurably wide, but it was now covered by masses floor it occurred to her that she had not seen the kitchen, of gray vapor, and a fierce wind was driving fine rain be-and she went down again and indulged in ecstatic excla-fore it. Nana had to hold her hat on with both hands to mations. Zoe ought to admire the beautiful dimensions of keep it from being blown away while her petticoats the sink and the width of the hearth, where you might have streamed out behind her, flapping like a flag.
roasted a sheep! When she had gone upstairs again her
“Not if I know it!” said Zoe, drawing her head in at once.
bedroom especially enchanted her. It had been hung with
“Madame will be blown away. What beastly weather!” delicate rose-colored Louis XVI cretonne by an Orleans Madame did not hear what she said. With her head over upholsterer. Dear me, yes! One ought to sleep jolly sound the balustrade she was gazing at the grounds beneath. They in such a room as that; why, it was a real best bedroom!
consisted of seven or eight acres of land enclosed within a 144
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wall. Then the view of the kitchen garden entirely engrossed and bending over every bed of vegetables. Then she ran her attention. She darted back, jostling the lady’s maid at and looked down the well and lifted up a frame to see what the top of the stairs and bursting out: was underneath it and was lost in the contemplation of a
“It’s full of cabbages! Oh, such woppers! And lettuces huge pumpkin. She wanted to go along every single gar-and sorrel and onions and everything! Come along, make den walk and to take immediate possession of all the things haste!”
she had been wont to dream of in the old days, when she The rain was falling more heavily now, and she opened was a slipshod work-girl on the Paris pavements. The rain her white silk sunshade and ran down the garden walks.
redoubled, but she never heeded it and was only miserable
“Madame will catch cold,” cried Zoe, who had stayed at the thought that the daylight was fading. She could not quietly behind under the awning over the garden door.
see clearly now and touched things with her fingers to find But Madame wanted to see things, and at each new dis-out what they were. Suddenly in the twilight she caught covery there was a burst of wonderment.
sight of a bed of strawberries, and all that was childish in
“Zoe, here’s spinach! Do come. Oh, look at the arti-her awoke.
chokes! They are funny. So they grow in the ground, do
“Strawberries! Strawberries! There are some here; I can they? Now, what can that be? I don’t know it. Do come, feel them. A plate, Zoe! Come and pick strawberries.” Zoe, perhaps you know.”
And dropping her sunshade, Nana crouched down in the The lady’s maid never budged an inch. Madame must mire under the full force of the downpour. With drenched really be raving mad. For now the rain was coming down hands she began gathering the fruit among the leaves. But in torrents, and the little white silk sunshade was already Zoe in the meantime brought no plate, and when the young dark with it. Nor did it shelter Madame, whose skirts were woman rose to her feet again she was frightened. She wringing wet. But that didn’t put her out in the smallest thought she had seen a shadow close to her.
degree, and in the pouring rain she visited the kitchen gar-
“It’s some beast!” she screamed.
den and the orchard, stopping in front of every fruit tree But she stood rooted to the path in utter amazement. It 145
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was a man, and she recognized him.
much ado to install him in the house. She absolutely in-
“Gracious me, it’s Baby! What are you doing there, sisted on the fire being lit in her bedroom, as being the baby?”
most comfortable place for his reception. Georges had not
“‘Gad, I’ve come—that’s all!” replied Georges.
surprised Zoe, who was used to all kinds of encounters, Her head swam.
but the gardener, who brought the wood upstairs, was
“You knew I’d come through the gardener telling you?
greatly nonplused at sight of this dripping gentleman to Oh, that poor child! Why, he’s soaking!” whom he was certain he had not opened the front door. He
“Oh, I’ll explain that to you! The rain caught me on my was, however, dismissed, as he was no longer wanted.
way here, and then, as I didn’t wish to go upstream as far as A lamp lit up the room, and the fire burned with a great Gumieres, I crossed the Choue and fell into a blessed hole.” bright flame.
Nana forgot the strawberries forthwith. She was trem-
“He’ll never get dry, and he’ll catch cold,” said Nana, bling and full of pity. That poor dear Zizi in a hole full of seeing Georges beginning to shiver.
water! And she drew him with her in the direction of the And there were no men’s trousers in her house! She was house and spoke of making up a roaring fire.
on the point of calling the gardener back when an idea
“You know,” he murmured, stopping her among the shad-struck her. Zoe, who was unpacking the trunks in the dress-ows, “I was in hiding because I was afraid of being scolded, ing room, brought her mistress a change of underwear, like in Paris, when I come and see you and you’re not ex-consisting of a shift and some petticoats with a dressing pecting me.”
jacket.
She made no reply but burst out laughing and gave him a
“Oh, that’s first rate!” cried the young woman. “Zizi can kiss on the forehead. Up till today she had always treated put ‘em all on. You’re not angry with me, eh? When your him like a naughty urchin, never taking his declarations clothes are dry you can put them on again, and then off seriously and amusing herself at his expense as though he with you, as fast as fast can be, so as not to have a scolding were a little man of no consequence whatever. There was from your mamma. Make haste! I’m going to change my 146
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things, too, in the dressing room.” questions. Was he comfortable? Did he feel warm? Zounds, Ten minutes afterward, when she reappeared in a tea yes, he was comfortable! Nothing fitted more closely and gown, she clasped her hands in a perfect ecstasy.
warmly than a woman’s shift; had he been able, he would
“Oh, the darling! How sweet he looks dressed like a little always have worn one. He moved round and about therein, woman!”
delighted with the fine linen and the soft touch of that un-He had simply slipped on a long nightgown with an in-manly garment, in the folds of which he thought he discov-sertion front, a pair of worked drawers and the dressing ered some of Nana’s own warm life.
jacket, which was a long cambric garment trimmed with Meanwhile Zoe had taken the soaked clothes down to lace. Thus attired and with his delicate young arms show-the kitchen in order to dry them as quickly as possible in ing and his bright damp hair falling almost to his shoulders, front of a vine-branch fire. Then Georges, as he lounged in he looked just like a girl.
an easy chair, ventured to make a confession.
“Why, he’s as slim as I am!” said Nana, putting her arm
“I say, are you going to feed this evening? I’m dying of round his waist. “Zoe, just come here and see how it suits hunger. I haven’t dined.”
him. It’s made for him, eh? All except the bodice part, Nana was vexed. The great silly thing to go sloping off which is too large. He hasn’t got as much as I have, poor, from Mamma’s with an empty stomach, just to chuck him-dear Zizi!”
self into a hole full of water! But she was as hungry as a
“Oh, to be sure, I’m a bit wanting there,” murmured hunter too. They certainly must feed! Only they would have Georges with a smile.
to eat what they could get. Whereupon a round table was All three grew very merry about it. Nana had set to work rolled up in front of the fire, and the queerest of dinners buttoning the dressing jacket from top to bottom so as to was improvised thereon. Zoe ran down to the gardener’s, make him quite decent. Then she turned him round as he having cooked a mess of cabbage soup in case Madame though he were a doll, gave him little thumps, made the should not dine at Orleans before her arrival. Madame, skirt stand well out behind. After which she asked him indeed, had forgotten to tell him what he was to get ready 147
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in the letter she had sent him. Fortunately the cellar was journey, they sent her off to bed. After which they were well furnished. Accordingly they had cabbage soup, fol-alone in the silent house.
lowed by a piece of bacon. Then Nana rummaged in her It was a very charming evening. The fire was dying out handbag and found quite a heap of provisions which she amid glowing embers, and in the great blue room, where had taken the precaution of stuffing into it. There was a Zoe had made up the bed before going upstairs, the air felt Strasbourg pate, for instance, and a bag of sweet-meats a little oppressive. Nana, overcome by the heavy warmth, and some oranges. So they both ate away like ogres and, got up to open the window for a few minutes, and as she while they satisfied their healthy young appetites, treated did so she uttered a little cry.
one another with easy good fellowship. Nana kept calling
“Great heavens, how beautiful it is! Look, dear old girl!” Georges “dear old girl,” a form of address which struck Georges had come up, and as though the window bar her as at once tender and familiar. At dessert, in order not had not been sufficiently wide, he put his arm round Nana’s to give Zoe any more trouble, they used the same spoon waist and rested his head against her shoulder. The weather turn and turn about while demolishing a pot of preserves had undergone a brisk change: the skies were clearing, and they had discovered at the top of a cupboard.
a full moon lit up the country with its golden disk of light.
“Oh, you dear old girl!” said Nana, pushing back the A sovereign quiet reigned over the valley. It seemed wider round table. “I haven’t made such a good dinner these ten and larger as it opened on the immense distances of the years past!”
plain, where the trees loomed like little shadowy islands Yet it was growing late, and she wanted to send her boy amid a shining and waveless lake. And Nana grew tender-off for fear he should be suspected of all sorts of things.
hearted, felt herself a child again. Most surely she had But he kept declaring that he had plenty of time to spare.
dreamed of nights like this at an epoch which she could For the matter of that, his clothes were not drying well, not recall. Since leaving the train every object of sensa-and Zoe averred that it would take an hour longer at least, tion—the wide countryside, the green things with their and as she was dropping with sleep after the fatigues of the pungent scents, the house, the vegetables—had stirred her 148
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to such a degree that now it seemed to her as if she had left Georges away again, and he grew yet bolder.
Paris twenty years ago. Yesterday’s existence was far, far
“No, let me be. I don’t care about it. It would be very away, and she was full of sensations of which she had no wicked at your age. Now listen—I’ll always be your previous experience. Georges, meanwhile, was giving her mamma.”
neck little coaxing kisses, and this again added to her sweet A sudden feeling of shame overcame her. She was blush-unrest. With hesitating hand she pushed him from her, as ing exceedingly, and yet not a soul could see her. The though he were a child whose affectionate advances were room behind them was full of black night while the coun-fatiguing, and once more she told him that he ought to try stretched before them in silence and lifeless solitude.
take his departure. He did not gainsay her. All in good Never had she known such a sense of shame before. Little time—he would go all in good time!
by little she felt her power of resistance ebbing away, and But a bird raised its song and again was silent. It was a that despite her embarrassed efforts to the contrary. That robin in an elder tree below the window.
disguise of his, that woman’s shift and that dressing jacket
“Wait one moment,” whispered Georges; “the lamp’s set her laughing again. It was as though a girl friend were frightening him. I’ll put it out.” teasing her.
And when he came back and took