"There"s only one thing you may not like. She is not a white slip."
They did not understand, and he had to explain at some length and very cautiously, to avoid shocking them, that she belonged to the dusky race of which they had only seen samples in pictures at Epinal. Then they became restless, perplexed, alarmed, as if he had proposed a union with the devil.
The mother said: "Black? How much of her is black? Is the whole of her?"
He replied: "Certainly. Everywhere, just as you are white everywhere."
The father interposed: "Black? Is it as black as the pot?"
The son answered: "Perhaps a little less than that. She is black, but not disgustingly black. The cure"s ca.s.sock is black, but it is not uglier than a surplice which is white."
The father said: "Are there more black people besides her in her country?"
And the son, with an air of conviction, exclaimed: "Certainly!"
But the old man shook his head.
"That must be unpleasant."
And the son:
"It isn"t more disagreeable than anything else when you get accustomed to it."
The mother asked:
"It doesn"t soil the underwear more than other skins, this black skin?"
"Not more than your own, as it is her proper color."
Then, after many other questions, it was agreed that the parents should see this girl before coming; to any decision, and that the young fellow, whose, term of military service would be over in a month, should bring her to the house in order that they might examine her and decide by talking the matter over whether or not she was too dark to enter the Boitelle family.
Antoine accordingly announced that on Sunday, the 22d of May, the day of his discharge, he would start for Tourteville with his sweetheart.
She had put on, for this journey to the house of her lover"s parents, her most beautiful and most gaudy clothes, in which yellow, red and blue were the prevailing colors, so that she looked as if she were adorned for a national festival.
At the terminus, as they were leaving Havre, people stared at her, and Boitelle was proud of giving his arm to a person who commanded so much attention. Then, in the third-cla.s.s carriage, in which she took a seat by his side, she aroused so much astonishment among the country folks that the people in the adjoining compartments stood up on their benches to look at her over the wooden part.i.tion which divides the compartments. A child, at sight of her, began to cry with terror, another concealed his face in his mother"s ap.r.o.n. Everything went off well, however, up to their arrival at their destination. But when the train slackened its rate of motion as they drew near Yvetot, Antoine felt: ill at ease, as he would have done at a review when; he did not know his drill practice. Then, as he; leaned his head out, he recognized in the distance: his father, holding the bridle of the horse harnessed to a carryall, and his mother, who had come forward to the grating, behind which stood those who were expecting friends.
He alighted first, gave his hand to his sweetheart, and holding himself erect, as if he were escorting a general, he went to meet his family.
The mother, on seeing this black lady in variegated costume in her son"s company, remained so stupefied that she could not open her mouth; and the father found it hard to hold the horse, which the engine or the negress caused to rear continuously. But Antoine, suddenly filled with unmixed joy at seeing once more the old people, rushed forward with open arms, embraced his mother, embraced his father, in spite of the nag"s fright, and then turning toward his companion, at whom the pa.s.sengers on the platform stopped to stare with amazement, he proceeded to explain:
"Here she is! I told you that, at first sight, she is not attractive; but as soon as you know her, I can a.s.sure you there"s not a better sort in the whole world. Say good-morning to her so that she may not feel badly."
Thereupon Mere Boitelle, almost frightened out of her wits, made a sort of curtsy, while the father took off his cap, murmuring:
"I wish you good luck!"
Then, without further delay, they climbed into the carryall, the two women at the back, on seats which made them jump up and down as the vehicle went jolting along the road, and the two men in front on the front seat.
n.o.body spoke. Antoine, ill at ease, whistled a barrack-room air; his father whipped the nag; and his mother, from where she sat in the corner, kept casting sly glances at the negress, whose forehead and cheekbones shone in the sunlight like well-polished shoes.
Wishing to break the ice, Antoine turned round.
"Well," said he, "we don"t seem inclined to talk."
"We must have time," replied the old woman.
He went on:
"Come! Tell us the little story about that hen of yours that laid eight eggs."
It was a funny anecdote of long standing in the family. But, as his mother still remained silent, paralyzed by her emotion, he undertook himself to tell the story, laughing as he did so at the memorable incident. The father, who knew it by heart brightened at the opening words of the narrative; his wife soon followed his example; and the negress herself, when he reached the drollest part of it, suddenly gave vent to a laugh, such a loud, rolling torrent of laughter that the horse, becoming excited, broke into a gallop for a while.
This served to cement their acquaintance. They all began to chat.
They had scarcely reached the house and had all alighted, when Antoine conducted his sweetheart to a room, so that she might take off her dress, to avoid staining it, as she was going to prepare a nice dish, intended to win the old people"s affections through their stomachs. He drew his parents outside the house, and, with beating heart, asked:
"Well, what do you say now?"
The father said nothing. The mother, less timid, exclaimed:
"She is too black. No, indeed, this is too much for me. It turns my blood."
"You will get used to it," said Antoine.
"Perhaps so, but not at first."
They went into the house, where the good woman was somewhat affected at the spectacle of the negress engaged in cooking. She at once proceeded to a.s.sist her, with petticoats tucked up, active in spite of her age.
The meal was an excellent one, very long, very enjoyable. When they were taking a turn after dinner, Antoine took his father aside.
"Well, dad, what do you say about it?"
The peasant took care never to compromise himself.
"I have no opinion about it. Ask your mother."
So Antoine went back to his mother, and, detaining her behind the rest, said:
"Well, mother, what do you think of her?"
"My poor lad, she is really too black. If she were only a little less black, I would not go against you, but this is too much. One would think it was Satan!"
He did not press her, knowing how obstinate the old woman had always been, but he felt a tempest of disappointment sweeping over his heart. He was turning over in his mind what he ought to do, what plan he could devise, surprised, moreover, that she had not conquered them already as she had captivated himself. And they, all four, walked along through the wheat fields, having gradually relapsed into silence. Whenever they pa.s.sed a fence they saw a countryman sitting on the stile, and a group of brats climbed up to stare at them, and every one rushed out into the road to see the "black" wh.o.r.e young Boitelle had brought home with him. At a distance they noticed people scampering across the fields just as when the drum beats to draw public attention to some living phenomenon. Pere and Mere Boitelle, alarmed at this curiosity, which was exhibited everywhere through the country at their approach, quickened their pace, walking side by side, and leaving their son far behind. His dark companion asked what his parents thought of her.
He hesitatingly replied that they had not yet made up their minds.
But on the village green people rushed out of all the houses in a flutter of excitement; and, at the sight of the gathering crowd, old Boitelle took to his heels, and regained his abode, while Antoine; swelling with rage, his sweetheart on his arm, advanced majestically under the staring eyes, which opened wide in amazement.