"One man--ten men can"t make me afraid! but to be pointed at by everybody as the son and brother of condemned criminals--well, no! I could not stand it. I preferred to go and poach with Pierre the game-seller."
"Why did you not remain in your woods?"
"I came back on account of my affair with the guard, and above all, on account of the children, because they were of an age to be ruined by bad example!"
"What is that to you?"
"To me? because I do not wish to see them become like Ambrose, Nicholas, and Calabash."
"Not possible!"
"And alone with you all, they would not have failed, I made myself an apprentice to try to earn something, to take them with me, and leave the island; but at Paris every one knew it; it was always son of the guillotined, brother of the galley slave. I had continual fights. It tired me."
"And that did not tire you to be honest; that succeeded so well, instead of having the heart to return to us, to do as we do--as the children shall do in spite of you--yes, in spite of you. You think you will stuff them with your preachings, but we are here. Francois already belongs to us nearly--the first occasion, and he shall be of the band."
"I tell you no."
"You will see. I know it. There is vice at the bottom; but you restrain him. Amandine, when she is once fifteen, will go alone. Ah!
they have thrown stones at us, they have hunted us like mad dogs. They shall see what our family is--except you, coward; for you alone make us blush!"
"It is a pity."
"And as you may be spoiled here with us, to-morrow you will go from this never to return."
Martial looked at his mother with surprise; after a moment"s pause he said, "You tried to get up a quarrel at supper to arrive at this."
"Yes, to show you what you may expect if you will stay here in spite of us--a h.e.l.l--do you understand?--a h.e.l.l upon earth. Every day disputes, blows, fights; and we shall not be alone like to-night; we will have friends to help us; you"ll not hold on a week."
"You think to frighten me?"
"I tell you what will happen to you."
"No matter. I remain."
"You will remain here?"
"Yes."
"In spite of us?"
"In spite of you, and Calabash, and Nicholas, and all others of the same kidney."
"Stop; you make me laugh."
"I tell you I"ll remain here until I find the means to earn my living elsewhere with the children; alone, I should not be embarra.s.sed. I should return to the woods; but, on their account, I want more time to find out what I want. Until then I remain."
"Ah! you remain until you can take away the children?"
"As you say!"
"Take away the children?"
"When I say to them come, they will come, and running too, I answer for it."
The widow shrugged her shoulders, and replied, "Listen to me. I told you, just now, if you were to live a thousand years, you would remember this night. I am going to explain to you why; but once more, have you well decided not to go?"
"Yes! yes! a thousand times, yes!"
"Directly you will say no! a thousand times, no! Listen to me well. Do you know what trade your brother follows?"
"I suspect, but I do not want to know."
"You shall know. He steals."
"So much the worse for him."
"And for you."
"For me?"
"He is a burglar, a galley affair; we receive his plunder; if it is discovered, we shall be condemned to the same punishment as receivers, and you also; the family will be carried off, and the children will be turned into the streets, where they will learn the trade of your father and grandfather quite as well as here."
"I arrested as a receiver, as your accomplice! On what proof?"
"No one knows how you live; you are a vagrant on the water--you have the reputation of a bad man--you live with us. Who will you make believe that you are ignorant of our doings?"
"I will prove the contrary."
"We will accuse you as our accomplice."
"Accuse me! why?"
"To reward you for remaining here in spite of us."
"Just now you wished to alarm me in one way; now it is in another; that don"t take. I shall prove that I have never stolen. I remain."
"Ah! you remain? Listen, then, once more; do you remember what happened last Christmas night?"
"Christmas night?" said Martial, endeavoring to collect his thoughts.
"Recollect well."
"I do not recollect."
"You do not remember that Bras-Rouge brought here at night a man well dressed, who wished to be concealed?"
"Yes, now I remember; I went upstairs to bed, and I left him at supper with you. He pa.s.sed the night here; before daylight Nicholas took him to Saint Ouen."
"You are sure Nicholas took him to Saint Ouen."