A long chain of mountains, covered with forests, separates Alsace and Franche-Comte from Lorraine, and extends as far as the Ardennes. It was among these mountains, called the Vosges, that the excellent Monsieur Gerval"s estate was situated, and it was there that he took the ill-fated creatures whom he had resolved to protect.
Monsieur Gerval"s house was simple, but convenient: a pretty courtyard, surrounded by a strong fence, led to the ground floor, where there were only two windows looking out of doors; but these windows were barred, and supplied in addition with very thick shutters, a necessary precaution in an isolated house in the woods. The first floor looked upon the courtyard and also upon a large garden behind the house, enclosed by a very high wall. The house was on a slope of a hill, not far from a narrow road leading to the commune of Montigny. And its picturesque situation, its isolation from other houses, and the unbroken calm that reigned all about, seemed to stamp that simple retreat as the abode of repose and peace.
Monsieur Gerval"s household consisted of Dupre, whom we already know; of Catherine, who performed the duties of cook,--an old woman somewhat talkative, but faithful, obliging, kindhearted, and deeply attached to her master; and lastly, of a young peasant named Lucas, who was gardener, indoor man, and messenger.
Throughout the neighborhood, within a radius of many leagues, the name of Gerval was revered and p.r.o.nounced with emotion by the unfortunate ones upon whom the good man constantly lavished benefactions. He had not always occupied his house in the woods; often the exigencies of his business had kept him away for a long time; but at such times Dupre and Catherine, who knew their master"s heart, continued his beneficent work, so that the poor could hardly notice the absence of their protector.
The peasants, when they learned that Monsieur Gerval had gone to Paris, were afraid that he would not return to them; Catherine herself shared that feeling, for she knew that her master wished to see some old friends whom he had been obliged to neglect for a long time, and to whom he was very much attached. But a letter from Monsieur Gerval brought joy to the people of the Vosges; they learned that they were to see their friend, their staff, their father, once more; that he was to return among them, never to leave them again. This news soon became known throughout the neighborhood; the people hurried to Catherine to ascertain if it were true, and she read to each one her master"s letter, announcing his arrival on a certain day.
That day arrived and everything was in confusion in the house, to celebrate the goodman"s return. Lucas robbed his garden, to decorate the dining-room; Catherine surpa.s.sed herself in the repast which she prepared; the peasants from round about, and all the unfortunates whom the kindhearted Gerval had a.s.sisted, gathered at the cottage.
"He hasn"t arrived yet," said the old servant, "but he cannot be long now."
They strung themselves out along the road, they went up to the hilltops, in order to descry the carriage sooner. They saw it at last; it was instantly surrounded, the old man"s name pa.s.sed from mouth to mouth, and the blessings of the poor celebrated the return of their wealthy benefactor.
Gerval shed tears of emotion when he saw the joy of the worthy folk who regarded him as their father.
"Ah! my friend," he said to Dupre, "how pleasant it is to be able to do good!"
The carriage entered the courtyard; the peasants uttered cries of joy.
"Hush! hush! my friends," said the old man as he alighted from his carriage; "do not give such loud expression to your joy; it pleases me, but it distresses an unhappy woman to whom the slightest noise is a danger."
As he spoke, Gerval helped Adeline out of the carriage, while Dupre lifted little Ermance in his arms.
Adeline glanced uneasily about; much noise always caused her to shrink in alarm; the sight of a number of people increased her excitement; she shuddered and tried to fly. Gerval was obliged to motion to the villagers to stand a little aside, before he could induce the unfortunate young woman to enter the house.
They gazed at Adeline with interest, and joy gave way to sadness when they realized her condition.
"Poor woman!" was heard on all sides; "what can have deprived her of her reason? And that little girl! how beautiful she will be some day! They are two more unfortunates, whom Monsieur Gerval has taken under his protection."
"My children," said Catherine, "as soon as I learn this young stranger"s story, I will tell it to you, I promise you; and I shall know it soon, for my master keeps nothing from me."
Unfortunately for Catherine, her master knew no more than she upon that subject. To satisfy his old servant"s curiosity, Monsieur Gerval told her how he had made Adeline"s acquaintance, and the deplorable state in which he had found her afterward. The servant uttered exclamations of surprise during her master"s narrative, but she declared that she would be able to learn all the young woman"s misfortunes little by little.
Meanwhile, as she already felt drawn to love and cherish her child, she hastened to prepare one of the pleasantest rooms in the house for them.
Adeline was given a room on the ground floor, looking on the woods; the window was supplied with stout iron bars, and there was no danger that she would run away from the house in one of her fits of delirium. They left the child with her, for she seemed always to know her daughter, and often pressed her affectionately to her heart.
"Those are the only moments of happiness which she seems still to enjoy," said Monsieur Gerval; "let us not deprive her of them! and let us not rob the child of her mother"s caresses!"
Catherine undertook with pleasure to take care of the invalid and her daughter. It was she who accompanied the young woman in her walks about the neighborhood, when the weather was fine; and Lucas was ordered to decorate Adeline"s room with fresh flowers every morning. It was by dint of unremitting care and attention that Monsieur Gerval hoped to restore peace to the hapless woman"s soul.
They knew little Ermance"s name, because her mother had called her by it several times in her delirium; but they did not know the mother"s name, and Monsieur Gerval had decided that she should be called Constance.
That melodious name was approved by Catherine, who declared that the stranger"s misfortunes must be due to love. So that was the name by which Adeline was called by the people at the house in the woods; but sometimes Lucas, and the peasants of the neighborhood, called her simply "the mad woman."
The peace that reigned in the house in the Vosges, the tranquil life that they led there, and the affectionate attentions lavished upon Adeline, seemed to bring a little repose to her mind; she caressed her daughter and often embraced her; she smiled at her benefactor and at all those about her; but only incoherent words came from her lips; and she would relapse almost immediately into a state of sombre melancholy from which nothing could arouse her. She pa.s.sed part of the day in the garden, which was large and well cared for. Sometimes she plucked flowers and seemed to feel a moment"s cheerfulness; but soon the smile disappeared from her pale features, and she would seat herself upon a bench of turf and remain whole hours there without a sign of life.
"What a misfortune!" said honest Gerval, as he contemplated her, while playing with little Ermance, who already returned his caresses; "I am inclined to think that there is no hope of her recovery."
"Why do you say that?" said Catherine; "we must never despair of anything. Patience, patience; perhaps a salutary crisis may come. Oh! if we only knew the cause of her trouble!"
"Parbleu! to be sure, that is what the doctor from Paris says; but that is just what we shall never know."
"Pshaw! how can we tell? She talks sometimes. Look, she seems to be smiling now; she is watching her daughter play; she is much better to-day than usual, and I am going to question her."
"Take care, Catherine, and don"t distress her."
"Don"t be afraid, monsieur."
Catherine walked toward the clump of shrubbery under which Adeline was sitting, and Gerval, Dupre and Lucas stood near by in order to hear the stranger"s replies.
"Madame," said Catherine in her softest tone, "why do you grieve all the time? You are surrounded by people who love you; tell us your trouble, and we will try to comfort you."
"Comfort me!" said Adeline, gazing at Catherine in amazement. "Oh! I am happy, very happy! I have no need of comfort. Edouard adores me; he has just sworn that he does; we are united again, and he will make me happy now, for he is not wicked!"
"But why did he leave you?"
"Leave me! No, he did not leave me; he is with me in the house where he lived in his youth; my mother, my daughter and his brother are with us.
Oh! I don"t want him to go to Paris; he might meet--No! no! don"t let him go!"
"Take care, Catherine," said Monsieur Gerval in an undertone; "her eyes are beginning to flash, her excitement is increasing; for heaven"s sake, don"t worry her any more."
Catherine dared not disobey her master, but she burned to know more.
Adeline did in fact seem intensely excited; she rose, walked about at random, and seemed inclined to fly. The old servant tried to quiet her.
"Let me alone," said Adeline, shaking herself free, "let me fly! He is there, he is chasing me! see, look,--do you see him? He follows me everywhere; he has sworn to ruin me; he dares still to talk to me of his love! The monster! Oh! in pity"s name, do not let him come near me!"
She hurried away, ran to every corner of the garden, and did not stop until, exhausted and unable to endure her terror, she fell to the ground, unconscious and helpless.
They took her at once to her apartment, and their zealous attentions recalled her to life. Monsieur Gerval strictly forbade any questioning of her because it always intensified her disease.
"All right, monsieur," said Catherine; "but you see that we are certain now that she is married, that her husband has a brother, and that with all the rest there is some miserable fellow who makes love to her, and whom she is afraid of! Oh! I can guess the trouble easily enough! I"ll bet that it"s that same fellow who enticed the husband to Paris, where he forgot his wife and child! Pardi! that"s sure to be the result. Oh!
what a pity that I can"t make her talk more! We should soon know everything."
But as the excellent woman did not wish to arouse the stranger"s excitement, she dared not ask her questions. She often walked with Adeline in the woods about the house; one or the other of them carried Ermance; the old servant watched every movement of the young woman, she listened carefully to the words that fell from her mouth, put them together, and based conjectures upon them; but after three months, she knew no more than on the second day.
Once, however, an unforeseen event disturbed Adeline"s monotonous life.
She was walking with her daughter on a hillside a short distance from the village. Catherine followed her, admiring the graceful figure, the charming features and bearing of the unfortunate young woman, and saying to herself:
"That woman wasn"t born in a cabin; her manners and her language show that she belongs in good society! And to think that we shall never know who she is! It"s enough to drive one mad."
A young peasant had climbed a tree to steal a nest; his foot slipped, and a branch at which he grasped broke at the same time; he fell to the ground, wounded himself badly in the head, and uttered a lamentable cry.
That cry was heard by Adeline, who was then near the wounded man; she instantly stopped and began to tremble; terror was depicted upon her features, and her eyes sought the ground as if they feared to rest upon an object which horrified her; suddenly she took her child and fled through the woods. In vain did Catherine run after her, calling to her; Adeline"s strength was redoubled, and Catherine"s shouts augmented her frenzy; she climbed the steepest paths without taking breath; she scarcely touched the ground; she rushed into the mountains and the old servant soon lost sight of her.
Catherine returned to her master in despair, and told him what had happened. Monsieur Gerval knew that all the peasants were devoted to him, and he sent Dupre and Lucas to beg them to search the whole district. The good people made haste to beat up the forest. Success crowned their zealous efforts; they found Adeline lying at the foot of a tree; fever had given place to exhaustion, and the fugitive had been unable to go farther.
They placed her on a litter hastily constructed of the branches of trees, and carried her and her daughter back to their benefactor"s house. The old man dismissed the villagers, after lauding their zeal, and devoted his whole attention to pacifying the poor invalid, whom the young peasant"s plaintive cry had cast into a more violent attack of delirium than any that she had had since her arrival in the Vosges.