The Little Old Portrait

by Mrs. Molesworth

Ihardly understood, about the way people live there--how the rich despisethe poor, and the poor hate the rich. And sometimes she would shake herhead and say, "Ah, one would live to see many things changed--sheherself might be a great lady yet; but if she were a great lady shecould know how to enjoy herself--_she_ would not choose for her friendscommon peasants." That she said to vex me, you know.'

  "`Ah yes, she was not a nice girl,' said Madame Germain.

  "`And she is still with my aunt, the Marquise,' went on Edmee. `I donot want to see her again. I hope mamma will take Nanette. I shouldnot like Victorine to have anything to do for me.' She remained silentfor a moment, then looking up suddenly, `Mother Germain,' she said,`does Pierre, my poor Pierrot, does he know about our going away?'

  "Madame Germain nodded her head. For herself she could bear her shareof the sorrow, but her heart failed her when she thought of how her boywould feel it, and for the first time the tears came into her eyes.

  "`Ah, he does,' said Edmee. `He has not been to the Chateau for twodays, and I wondered why.'

  "`He dared not go, till we knew that you knew it,' said Pierre's mother.`We felt sure your quick eyes would see there was something thematter.'

  "`I think I have known it was coming,' said the little girl with a sigh.`I have felt sad sometimes of late without knowing why, and never hasmy uncle been here without my seeing that his words troubled my mother,even though she did not tell me why. Mother Germain, I cannot do anyembroidery to-day; just let me sit still here beside you for awhile, andthen I will go home. Pierre will be in soon, will he not?'

  "And, tired with the excitement and the crying, Edmee again laid herhead on her old friend's knee, and Madame Germain went on quietlyknitting, and did not at first notice that the little girl had fallenasleep, till, hearing a step approaching, she looked up and saw Pierreentering the cottage. She was going to speak, but the boy held up hishand.

  "`She is asleep, mother,' he whispered as he came near, `and she hasbeen crying. Does she know? Has my lady told her?'

  "`I have told her, the poor lamb!' said Madame Germain. `Her motherwished it so. Yes, she has been crying bitterly. She seems to think itwill break her little heart to leave Valmont and go away to Paris.'

  "Pierre looked very sorrowfully at the innocent face, which seemedscarcely older than the fair baby-face of the portrait at the Chateau.

  "`Mother,' he said gently, `I think I would give my life for our littlelady.'

  "`I believe you would, my boy,' said his mother.

  "`I cannot bear their going away,' he continued. `It is not only thatwe shall miss them so sorely, but I have a sort of fear for them--ourlady and this tender little creature; who would protect them and takecare of them in any danger as we--their own people of Valmont--would?'

  "`But what danger could come to them?' said Madame Germain. `You mustnot be fanciful, my boy. They will be in the Marquis's grand house inParis, surrounded by his servants. And though I have no love for him,still I have no doubt he will take good care of his sister and herchild. Indeed, the Countess has told me that that is one of thearguments he uses with her--he says it is not safe for two ladies aloneas they are in the country in these unsettled times. For it appearsthere is a great deal of discontent and bad feeling about; that was aterrible business your father was telling me of the other day--a chateauburnt to the ground in the dead of night, and several of the inmatesburnt to death, and no one can say who did it.'

  "`But then it is no mystery as to why it was done,' said Pierre. `Thelord of that country is noted for his cruelty. Father said he would notwish you ever to hear the horrors that he has committed among hispeople; what wonder that at last some one should try to avenge them?And, mother, the Marquis is both feared and hated. I hear strangethings and see strange looks when he comes over here. I cannot thinkthat _he_ is a good protector for our ladies. They are far safer hereat Valmont, where every one loves them.'

  "`It might be so were they going to Sarinet,' said Madame Germain, whowas of a cheerful and hopeful disposition; `but in Paris! In Paris,where are the king and queen, and all the great lords and ladies, andthe king's regiments of guards!--ah no, it is not there that there couldever be any revolt.'

  "`But dark days have been known there before now, mother, and dreadfulthings have been done in Paris,' persisted Pierre, who had read all thebooks of history he could get hold of, and had thought over what he hadread. `I could tell you--'

  "`Hush!' said Madame Germain, speaking still, as they had been doing allthe time, in a whisper; `the child is waking.'

  "And as she spoke Edmee opened her blue eyes and looked about her insurprise. As she saw where she was she gradually remembered all, andhow it was that she had fallen asleep there, and a look of distresscrept over her face as she held out her hands to her friend Pierre.

  "`I did not know I had fallen asleep,' she said. `My eyes were sorewith crying. Oh, Pierrot, are you not sorry for your poor littleEdmee?'

  "Pierre did not speak, but his lip quivered, and he turned away hisface. He was too big now to cry, he thought, but it was very difficultto keep back the tears.

  "`Come now, my children,' said Madame Germain; `you must not look sosad, or my lady will think I have very badly fulfilled her commission.You must cheer Edmee, Pierre; talk to her of the happy time when shewill come home again to her own people--two, three years soon pass! Ah,when you are my age you will see how true that is, and not wish the timeover.'

  "Edmee drew the kind face down to hers and kissed it.

  "`I will promise you to try to be cheerful with mamma,' she said. `Itis only here I will allow myself to cry. Now I must go home; Pierrotwill come with me to the little gate.'

  "But all the way home to the Chateau through the village the childrenscarcely spoke, though usually their tongues ran fast enough. Theirhearts were too full; and when they got to the little gate through whicha footpath led directly to the side door by which Edmee usually entered,she did not urge Pierre to come in to see her mother.

  "`Come to-morrow,' she said; `by that time I shall be a little moreaccustomed to it. To-night it will be all I can do not to cry whenmamma speaks to me, and to see you looking so sorry makes me still moreunhappy, my poor Pierrot!'

  "So they said good-night at the gate. I would not undertake to say thaton his way home Pierre's resolution not to cry now that he was so big aboy held good. There was no one to see him except the little birds anda rabbit or two that scudded across the path through the park--and itwas his first real trouble.

  "His tears would have been still more bitter, poor boy, had he known howfew `to-morrows' he and Edmee would have to spend together; for when thelittle girl entered the Chateau she was met by unexpected news, andNanette, who had been on the point of going to fetch her, told her to goat once to her mother's room, as the Countess wished to speak to her.

  "Feeling still bewildered by all she had heard, Edmee obeyedhalf-tremblingly. A glance at her mother told her there was furthertrouble in store for her. The Countess was in tears, and her room,usually so neat and orderly, was all in confusion: cupboards and drawersopen, and great travelling cases, which Edmee did not remember ever tohave seen before, standing about, and the Countess's maid, Franchise, anold woman who had been in the Valmont family since the time of the lastCount's mother, was fussing about with trembling hands, her red eyestelling their own tale.

  "`Oh, Edmee, my darling, I am glad you have come back!' exclaimed hermother, but without giving her time to say more the little girl flewinto her arms.

  "`She has told me, mamma--mother Germain has told me. But why are youcrying? You were not so unhappy when I went out this morning--and poorFrancoise too!'

  "`It is only, my darling,' said the Countess, taking her little daughterupon her knee, `it is only that the summons has come rather sooner thanI expected. A courier has arrived from Sarinet with letters from youruncle, desiring us to arrange for going there almost at once. Herequires me to be there a few days bef
ore going on with him and theMarquise to Paris, for there is much to arrange. So, Edmee, my sweet,we must say good-bye to our dear home.'

  "It was hard, very hard, for Edmee to keep her resolution of doingnothing to add to her mother's distress. But she bravely drove back hertears, and throwing her arms round the Countess's neck, kissed hertenderly.

  "`Don't cry, dear little mother,' she said; `Madame Germain has beenspeaking to me, and I am going to be very good. I am going to learn mylessons in Paris so well, so very well, that you will be quite surprisedhow clever I shall become, and then we shall all the sooner be able toreturn to our dear Valmont. When are we to start, dear mamma? You