Marguerite, you will not failus?--for your dead brother Louis's sake be generous, and return good forevil.'
"A stifled groan from the girl when he named her brother was the onlysound for a moment. Then she turned again.
"`For _his_ sake!--a strange revenge,' she muttered. Then she saidaloud, though speaking softly--
"`Be ready then--all three of you. In two hours I will be back. Butyou have made it much more difficult for me, and for yourselves,' andwith these words she was gone.
"Pierre hastened to tell Edmee that she had given in, and together theyset to work to arrange the few, terribly few things belonging to theCountess and her daughter, so that they would be ready to carry away.Edmond seemed dazed and stupid. His cousin had to pack for him too; hewould scarcely speak, and seemed indifferent to everything. Pierredared not leave Edmee alone, and yet he was anxious to go back to payhis poor landlady a little sum he owed her, and to collect his ownlittle bundle. It was a dreadful afternoon. Every sound on the stairsmade Edmee start and shiver with horror, and yet every time she glancedat the still, cold form on the bed, her heart seemed to burst with freshagony at the thought of deserting all that was left her of her mother.
"The thankfulness of both Pierre and the young girl was great when, anhour after Marguerite had left, Sister Angelique returned with thepriest in disguise. They had already made arrangements for the burialof the Countess. It was to be in the night, so that in secret, with thehelp of one or two he could trust, the good priest would be able to readthe service for the dead. He did not tell--and not till long afterwardsdid Edmee know--that for the necessary expense he had parted with hiswatch, the last remains of his happier days! Pierre hurried to hislodgings, whence he returned only just in time, for Marguerite wasalready waiting. She had brought a gown of her own, which she hadshortened for Edmee, and made Pierre dress Edmond in the suit he had inhis bundle, replacing it by that which young de Sarinet had hithertoworn. He submitted, but in silence, and with no word of thanks. Pierrethought him merely dazed and stupid with sorrow, but Marguerite dartedangry looks at him with her dark eyes.
"`You will wish you had taken my advice about him before you get to theend of your journey,' she muttered to Pierre.
"Then she gave them directions. They were to start at once, walkingquietly through the town till they came to a little wine-shop in astreet which she clearly described to them.
"`There you must ask for the Citizeness Dupuis,' she said. `She is ashort stout woman. She will say little to you, but you may trust her.She will give you a good dinner in the room behind the shop, and thereyou must stay till I come. Pay no attention to anything you see orhear--be deaf and dumb. I will bring your things with me, and what youcannot carry away will be kept for you till I can send it to Valmont.'
"In the same dry, hard manner she stood by while Edmee, in a passion ofgrief, threw herself on the bed where lay her mother, and kissed for thelast time the soft white face already cold with the iciness of death.Sister Angelique had drawn Edmond aside, and was whispering good adviceto him, which he seemed to receive more meekly than might have beenexpected; but even she, trained as she was to Self-control through themost painful scenes, broke down when Edmee at last tore herself awayfrom the Countess's room, and sobbed her farewell in the kind Sister'sarms.
"`Good-bye, my child. The good Father and I will do all we can--trustus. In more peaceful days you may be able to visit her grave. Godbless you, my sweet child, and take comfort in the thought that to-day'ssorrow might have come in a more terrible form.'
"`I know, I know,' said Edmee. `I am ready now, Marguerite. PoorMarguerite!' she added, almost caressingly; `how good you are! I wantto be resigned, but you can understand how hard it is.'
"But Pierre, who was standing close to her, heard the girl mutter underher breath, `No, I understand nothing. I have no heart, no feelings anymore, thank God.'
"The boy shuddered, but intense pity softened his horror at her words.`She knows not what she says,' he thought. `Her actions show how goodand generous a heart she had.'
"Marguerite accompanied them only to the door, and then repeated herdirections.
"`Speak to each other in an ordinary way as you go along,' she said.`You must hide your grief till there is no one to remark you. Speak toher of Valmont, of country things, Pierre; it is best for you to speakwith your country accent,' though, to tell the truth, he had but little,for in Touraine, as you know, the pronunciation, even of the peasants,is unusually good.
"They reached the place indicated without difficulty, and on saying theywere there to wait for the Citizeness Marguerite, the short stout womanat once led them into a little back parlour, where she served them agood meal. Poor things! they were very hungry by this time, and it wasa better dinner than any of the three had tasted for many days. (Oftenhas my mother told me how strangely shocked she was at herself for beingso hungry--in such circumstances).
"Edmond remained silent, and took no notice of Pierre's little overturesof friendliness, so young Germain ended by leaving him alone. It grewvery dreary after their dinner--they had nothing to do, and for, nodoubt, a good reason, the Citizeness Dupuis left them without a light.As it grew darker, several men in blouses, and a few women, strolledinto the shop, which at first had been empty, and Edmee began tounderstand Marguerite's warning. For such snatches of talk as came tothem were far from reassuring, and as the evening went on and more winewas drunk, the loud laughing, the coarse jokes about `MadameGuillotine,' and the good work she had done lately, the threats of whatwas yet to be done, grew so terrible, that more than once Edmee put herfingers in her ears. But she had to take them out again to soothEdmond, who became wildly excited, at one moment declaring he wouldburst into the shop and tell the wretched hounds what he thought ofthem, and who _he_ was, with a touch of his old braggadocio; and next,bursting into tears, and saying it was all a trick, Marguerite haddecoyed them there to betray them, and as soon as she came would herselfgive them up to their enemies. Pierre _could_ not think her capable ofsuch hideous treachery, but still his mind misgave him somewhat, andwhen at last Marguerite herself came in by another door from that bywhich they had entered, he had been on the point of suggesting to Edmeeto take flight and trust to themselves.
"`What is the matter?' said the girl, when she had lighted a small taperand saw the state that Edmond was in.
"Edmee and Pierre explained to her.
"`Well, did I not warn you?' she said. `Though I own I did not think itwould have been so noisy to-night, and I had hoped to be here sooner.It will do that fool no harm, all the same,' she added, and when Edmond,wild with fury, started up as if to strike her, she calmly seized histwo arms and held them tightly behind his back, with a sort ofcontemptuous pity in her face, for she was very strong, twice as strongas poor thin Edmond.
"`No, you shall not strike me, little Sarinet,' she said, and as ifmoved by a spirit of contradiction, `I will save you in spite ofyourself, you foolish boy.'
"Then in a stern, grave whisper she told them to come with her, andwithout waiting to say good-bye to the Citizeness Dupuis, who I daresaywas not sorry to find them gone, she led them out by the way she hadentered.
"In silence for some length of time the two boys followed their strangeguide, who had made Edmee take her arm, she herself carrying the bagcontaining all of her small possessions that the last of the Valmontshad ventured to bring away. Marguerite chose the darkest and narroweststreets, but she seemed to know her way with wonderful cleverness,considering she was not a Parisian by birth or breeding. At last shestopped.
"`I can go no further,' she said. `If I stay so late my friends willwonder what I am doing. In ten minutes, taking the first road to yourleft, you will arrive at the barriers. I know the sergeant who at thishour will probably be there. Show him these papers; you will have notrouble. Pierre must speak. Tell him you mean to spend the night justoutside the town, that you may be ready for a friend who is going yourway in the morning, and ask him
the nearest way to Choisy-le-roi. Hewill offer to send some one with you, as if out of good nature. Accepthis offer. You may trust your guide, but you need not speak to him. Hewill take you to the cottage where you will spend the night. Start withthe earliest dawn, and get as far as you can on your way before night.Do not hesitate to take any chance of getting on quicker, either in thepublic carriages if you meet them, or in any passing cart. The greatthing is to get away far from Paris as fast as possible.'
"`But,' said Pierre, `we have no choice, my good Marguerite. We have nomoney.'
"`I was coming to that,' she said. `Here is more than enough for yourjourney in the only way in which you will dare to travel. I could giveyou more, but it would only expose you to danger.'
"`But we
The Little Old Portrait Page 20
