Menard went to tell the servants to prepare a room in the pavilion in the garden. Meanwhile, Constance remained with Sister Anne, who was unable to express her boundless grat.i.tude; her features were beginning already to lose their haggard, hopeless look. As she looked at her, Constance found her face more and more interesting; the dumb girl in no respect resembled those beggars who seem determined to extort alms by lamentations and importunities, and who receive it without grat.i.tude.
Sister Anne was meek and shrinking; she was amazed at the interest she inspired; her grat.i.tude could be read in her eyes; and in her whole bearing, her whole aspect, there was something which seemed to indicate that she was not born in the lowest rank of society.
"The more I look at her," thought Constance, "the more surprised I am that anyone could have deserted her. Her features are refined, her eyes sweet and full of charm. How lovely she will be in other clothes!--And you, dear love, ah! I will take good care of you!"
Menard announced that everything was ready in the pavilion for the reception of the poor woman and her son. Constance took Sister Anne"s arm and led her thither, made sure that she had everything that she needed for the night, and left her, urging her not to grieve any more, but to go to bed and sleep.
Sister Anne pressed her hand to her heart, and Constance said to Menard as they walked away:
"Now the time won"t seem so long while Frederic is away! I realize that the best way to divert one"s thoughts from one"s own troubles is to relieve those of other people."
XXIX
ARRIVAL OF DUBOURG.--THE STORM GATHERS
On waking the next morning, Sister Anne feared for a moment that all that she saw was an illusion of her eyesight. After suffering the most horrible tortures of dest.i.tution; after wandering so long, often unable to obtain a place to lay her head and her son"s; after going through all that a mother can go through who trembles every moment for her child"s life--to find herself in a handsome and comfortable apartment, lying in a soft bed, and with her mind at rest concerning her future; instead of the cold contempt of pity, to receive the loving attentions of a n.o.ble-hearted woman, who added tenfold to the value of her kind acts by the grace with which she did them--was to pa.s.s abruptly into a situation so entirely different, that her softened heart feared to give way to the enjoyment of a happiness in which it could not as yet believe.
Sister Anne embraced little Frederic; then rose and took him into the garden, which surrounded on all sides the building in which she was lodged. What a lovely spot! what bliss to live there, and guide her child"s first hesitating steps! He tried to run about alone among the paths bordered by roses and lilacs; when he fell, the soft gravel deadened his fall, and the child waited, smiling, for his mother to come and help him to start afresh.
Constance was awake very early; she had thought all night of the dumb girl and her son; her determination to be their benefactress made it impossible for her to sleep; for pleasure has its insomnia, and women display in all their decisions more ardor and more sentiment than men.
If they sometimes seem to be unduly engrossed by a piece of jewelry or some other trivial object, with what energy and what heartfelt sympathy do they perform a good deed!
Madame de Montreville hurried down into the garden to see her protegee.
She found Sister Anne and the child under an arbor of honeysuckle. The boy was playing by his mother, who, when she saw Constance, flew to meet her, and seized one of her hands, which she held for a long time to her heart.
"Up so early!" said Constance, as she kissed little Frederic; "how did you pa.s.s the night? Well? I am glad. After so much trouble and fatigue, you needed a long rest. The dear boy! see how he smiles at me; one would think that he recognizes me already. But you must not continue to wear those clothes; come with me and I will give you one of my dresses. It will fit you, for we"re very nearly of the same size. Oh! I won"t allow you to refuse; remember that you must obey me, or I shall be angry."
Constance took Sister Anne and little Frederic to her own room, where she selected one of her simplest gowns and compelled her protegee to put it on. In that new costume the dumb girl seemed to acquire new charms, and her timidity and embarra.s.sment were entirely free from the awkwardness which characterizes so many people in clothes that were not made for them.
"She is charming," said Constance, when she had summoned her maid and had caused her to arrange the young woman"s hair, quite simply, but with excellent taste. "How lovely she is so! And in a few days, when she has entirely recovered from her fatigue, when her cheeks have a little color, she"ll be lovelier still.--Come, come and look at yourself, and don"t lower your eyes. Is it anything to be ashamed of that one is pretty?"
Constance led Sister Anne in front of a mirror. The dumb girl looked at her own image, hesitatingly at first; but she soon recovered her self-possession to some extent, and her face flushed with modest pleasure. Is it possible for a woman to be insensible to anything that beautifies her? Sister Anne, after looking at herself for several minutes, fell at Madame de Montreville"s knees.
"Oh! I don"t want you to do this any more," said Constance, raising her; "I want you to love me and to be happy, that"s all. As for your son, I propose to make him handsome, too, and I will send to Paris for whatever is necessary."
Monsieur Menard, whose sleep had not been interfered with by thoughts of the wayfarer, came down at last, and was thunderstruck when he saw Sister Anne in such different guise.
"Well, Monsieur Menard, what do you think of her?"
"Faith! madame, she is so much improved that I should not recognize her."
"Because in her other clothes you saw nothing but her misery, and overlooked the refinement of her features."
"It is an undeniable fact that misery is a great disfigurement. Indeed, a handsome setting adds to the charm of everything. We cannot dine so satisfactorily when the cloth is soiled, and the commonest wine tastes much better in a dainty gla.s.s."
Constance was busy all day with her plans for Sister Anne. The room on the first floor of the pavilion was arranged, and supplied with everything that could make it more attractive. By Madame de Montreville"s orders a pretty cradle was procured, and placed beside the young mother"s bed. The windows were embellished with flowers in boxes.
"She is debarred from other enjoyments," said Constance; "books and music are useless to her; as yet, the poor child doesn"t know how to do anything, so we must surround her with things that are pleasing to the eye."
Sister Anne was at a loss to express her grat.i.tude for such overwhelming kindness. Constance was much amused by the astonishment which each new thing caused her. Above all, when she heard for the first time the notes of a piano, blended with Constance"s sweet voice, was she conscious of a fascination, an intoxicating pleasure, which moved her to tears. The charm of music was keenly appreciated by that ardent soul, which knew not the art of concealing its sensations.
As she watched Constance sew and embroider, Sister Anne sighed and revealed her grief at her inability to do as much. But Constance undertook to teach her; and the dumb girl was so anxious to make herself useful, that in a very short time she did all that she saw others do.
A week had pa.s.sed since Constance had taken Sister Anne and the child into her family, and every hour seemed to increase her affection for them. The child very soon learned to love her, for she lavished caresses upon him; and Sister Anne, always gentle, attentive, and grateful, proved to her that her benefactions were well bestowed.
One morning, while the dumb girl was walking with her son in the garden, Dubourg appeared at his friend"s house; the quarter was more than half gone, and Constance, who knew something of Dubourg"s habits from her husband, was not at all surprised at his arrival.
"Welcome!" she said; "you promised my husband that you would come to see me while he was away, and I was beginning to be offended with you."
"Madame," said Dubourg, with a smile, "I am not one of those friends who undertake to make a wife forget her husband; but if I have it in my power to entertain you, I am entirely at your service until next quarter-day; or the whole year, if I can be of any use to you."
"Oh! you will find a change here; I have someone with me. I have made a new acquaintance since Frederic went away."
"Indeed! I am sure that it is an acquaintance which will be agreeable to your husband too."
"Why, I hope so."
"My dear Dubourg," said Menard, "madame does not tell you that she has taken into her family an unfortunate woman and her son; she doesn"t boast of her good deeds."
"Hush, Monsieur Menard! as if that young woman did not deserve all that I have done for her! Could I have placed my benefactions more wisely?"
"I agree that she has learned to work beautifully; I expect very soon to teach her to read."
"You will see, Monsieur Dubourg, how pretty and how interesting she is.
And then, her child, a boy of two, is a charming little fellow."
"Ah! she has a son, has she?"
"Yes; and I am sure that you will agree with me that he looks like---- But I want you to see for yourself; I will go and find her."
Constance was already in the garden.
"The dear soul!" said Dubourg; "what a happy mortal Frederic ought to be! And yet, here he is travelling already!"
"Business before everything, my dear Dubourg.--A pinch of snuff, if you please. My pupil has come into extensive estates, through his wife, and a man ought to be familiar with his estates."
"But why not take his wife with him? Don"t you think that she would have been very glad to go along?"
"I don"t say she wouldn"t, but---- What a fellow you are! always harping on the same subject!"
"Hum! I trust that this journey doesn"t conceal some scheme! I know that Frederic would be terribly sorry to cause his wife the slightest pain; but I know also that such sentimental fellows as he take fire when they hear a woman sigh!"
"I tell you that my pupil is visiting his estates, deuce take it!--What about dominoes? are you beginning to be strong at it?"
"Much stronger than you, who can never guess where the double-six is.
But let us join Madame de Montreville; I am curious to see this woman she has taken under her wing."